as servants / dasya / affecton

The transcendental mellow of affection has been accepted by authorities like Sridhara Svami as a perfectional stage of devotion. It is just above the humor of neutrality and is a requisite for the development of the serving humor. In literature such as Nama-kaumudi this state of existence is accepted as continual affection for or attraction to Krsna. Authorities like Sukadeva consider this stage of affection to be in the neutral stage, but in any case this affection is relished by the devotees in different transcendental tastes, and therefore the general name for this state is affection, or pure affection for Krsna.    (More...)

Devotees engaged in servitude are attached to Krsna in the affection of reverence. Some of the inhabitants of Gokula (Vrndavana as exhibited on earth) are attached to Krsna on this platform of affection in reverence. The inhabitants of Vrndavana used to say, "Krsna is always manifest before us with a complexion like a blackish cloud. He holds His wonderful flute in His lotus hands. He is dressed in yellow silks and bedecked with a peacock feather on His head. When Krsna walks near Govardhan Hill with these personal features, all the inhabitants of the heavenly planets, as well as the inhabitants of this earth, feel transcendental bliss and consider themselves the eternal servants of the Lord." Sometimes the devotee becomes filled with the same awe and reverence by seeing a picture of Visnu, who is dressed like Krsna and who has a similar complexion. The only difference is that Visnu has four hands, in which He holds the conchshell, the disc, the club and the lotus flower. Lord Visnu is always decorated with many valuable jewels, such as the candrakanta stone and the sūryakanta stone.    (More...)

In the Lalita-madhava by Rūpa Gosvami there is the following statement by Daruka, one of the servants of Krsna: "Certainly Lord Visnu is very beautiful with His necklace of kaustubha jewels, His four hands holding conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower and His dazzlingly beautiful jewelry. He is also very beautiful in His eternal position, riding upon the shoulder of Garuḍa. But now the same Lord Visnu is present as the enemy of Kamsa, and by His personal feature I am completely forgetting the opulence of Vaikuntha."    (More...)

Another devotee once said, "This Supreme Personality of Godhead from whose bodily pores come millions of universes, permanently rising, who is the ocean of mercy, who is the owner of inconceivable energies, who is always equipped with all perfections, who is the origin of all incarnations, who is the attraction for all liberated persons-this very Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme controller, the supremely worshipable, all-cognizant, fully determined, fully opulent, the emblem of forgiveness, the protector of surrendered souls, munificent, true to His promise, expert, all-auspicious, powerful, religious, a strict follower of the scripture, the friend of the devotees, magnanimous, influential, grateful, reputable, respectable, full of all strength and submissive to pure love. Surely He is the only shelter of devotees who are attracted to Him by the affection of servitorship."    (More...)

The devotees of the Lord in servitude are divided into four classes: appointed servants (such as Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, who are appointed to control over the material modes of passion and ignorance), devotees in servitude who are protected by the Lord, devotees who are always associates, and devotees who are simply following in the footsteps of the Lord.    (More...)

In a conversation between Jambavati, one of Krsna's wives, and Kalindi, her friend, Jambavati enquired, "Who is this personality circumambulating our Krsna?"    (More...)

Kalindi replied, "He is Ambikeya, the superintendent of all universal affairs."    (More...)

Then Jambavati enquired, "Who is this personality who is trembling at the sight of Krsna?"    (More...)

Kalindi replied, "He is Lord Siva."    (More...)

Then Jambavati enquired, "Who is the person offering prayers?"    (More...)

Kalindi replied, "He is Lord Brahma."    (More...)

Jambavati then asked, "Who is that person who has fallen on the ground and is offering respect to Krsna?"    (More...)

Kalindi replied, "He is Indra, the King of heaven."    (More...)

Jambavati next inquired, "Who is this person who has come with the demigods and is laughing with them?"    (More...)

Kalindi replied, "He is my elder brother, Yamaraja, the superintendent of death."    (More...)

This conversation offers a description of all the demigods, including Yamaraja, who are engaged in services appointed by the Lord. They are called adhikrta-devata, or demigods appointed to particular types of departmental service.    (More...)