The Loving Exchange

As stated before, we have to make friendship with Krsna. It is not possible to claim any favor of the Supreme, but if we approach Him with love it is said that He can actually be conquered. There are six principles of love by which one can understand that another person loves him. The first is dadati-when we love someone, we must give him something. The second is that we must take something from him. Next, we must give him something to eat and also accept what he gives to eat. One must also disclose his mind, and if the beloved is in difficulty, one must also hear him disclose his. We have to relate to God in this way. The beginning, therefore, is offering something. As stated before, this is not very difficult, for it is facilitated to such an extent in Bhagavad-gita that any poor man from any part of the world can make an offering that Krsna will accept.

"If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it." (Bg. 9.26)

These four items can be offered universally. No one is so poor that he cannot offer a leaf, or a flower, or a piece of fruit, or a little water. Indeed, it is not possible even to live without water; so there is no excuse for any living being not to make an offering due to having no offerable object. It is not the gift that is important, but the love with which it is offered. Love is the principal ingredient. Because the gifts are brought with love, Krsna accepts them.

God is full, but He accepts our devotional love. Love means that we should offer Krsna the most dear, the choicest, the best thing. It is not that we should keep sumptuous foods for ourselves and offer Krsna only a leaf and a little water. That is known as cheating, and of course it is not possible to conceal this cheating from Krsna. Since everything belongs to Krsna, it is really not possible to offer Him anything; therefore the only thing we are actually offering is our love. All goods and resources in the universe are supplied by Krsna; the same objects may be there, but if we utilize them to gratify our senses, we go to the darkest regions of the universe, and if we offer them to Krsna with love, these very objects become spiritualized and become a means for liberation.