This is the Navaratri Week where we can see so many people worshipping so many demi-gods and goddesses for so many material benefits.
They run here and there mostly for their present material life to be happy and comfortable.
But, real Krishna Worship is very different.
While worshipping demi-gods gives flickering and temporary pleasures and happiness, what does Lord Krishna give?
Krishna gives only material sufferings, unhappiness and difficulties to His dear devotees!!
Shocking?
We see this everywhere in the sastras. Not only the Pandavas, but we see this in the case of so many of His pure devotees. Kunti Devi was very intelligent. That was why she asked Lord Krishna to give only sufferings when Lord Krishna asked her to ask for a boon when He was leaving to Dwaraka!
yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi
hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ
tato ’dhanaṁ tyajanty asya
svajanā duḥkha-duḥkhitam … (SB 10.88.8)
“Lord Krishna said, If I especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way he suffers one distress after another.””
Why is this so?
Because Krishna does not want to give some cheap thing as the demi-gods and goddesses give!
He wants to give His dear devotees only the topmost that He can think off.
What is that He gives? He bestows Prema Bhakti.
Prema Bhakti cannot be obtained even by the demi-gods.
But, Prema Bhakti can appear only when the material life becomes really bitter!
One can never get it when one lives a comfortable life in the material world, or in heaven!
So, Krishna as a favour gives only sufferings to His dear devotees..
We hear so much from history.
In Kerala in a place called Melpathur, a Krishna devotee named Varahur Narayana Tirthar was living comfortably with good health and wealth.
He was a pure devotee and hence Krishna wanted to favour him. So, He made His devotee get incurable stomach ache! No doctors could help.
As a result, he composed the book called “Krishna Leela Tarangini” and offered it to Lord Krishna.
The stomach ache disappeared after offering his composition and attained the topmost destination.
Another story about the life of Narayana Bhattathri who got paralysis and his whole body became intensely painful. There was absolutely no cure at all.
With his Guru’s instruction he rushed to Guruvayur temple and composed Sri Narayaneeyam which is a summary of Srimad Bhagavatam and attained the darsan and attained the Lord!.
So, if Krishna wants to take a jiva to Him, He will surely give material suffering.
Why?
“Comfortable life has never given Krishna Bhakti”
“Prema Bhakti appears only when the material life becomes Bitter”
So, if a Krishna devotee gets sufferings, according to Lord Krishna, it is His topmost favour!