Devotee (reading): Bhakti means devotional service. Every service has some attractive feature which drives the servitor progressively on and on. Every one of us within this material world...
Prabhupāda: Without..., without some attractive feature, nobody is interested. Just like we are talking here about kṛṣṇa-bhakti, but people in general, they're not very much attracted with Kṛṣṇa, so they do not care to come. There must be some attractive feature. Otherwise... So different people have got different attractive feature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says,
manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścid māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
(BG 7.3)
(Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.)
This attraction for Kṛṣṇa can be developed in the association of devotees, satāṁ prasaṅgāt. Automatically, nobody's attracted for Kṛṣṇa. The whole world is like that. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to give these people a chance to associate with devotees and thus become attracted to Kṛṣṇa. That is required.
Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mayy āsakta, to become attracted by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means attractive. Kṛṣṇa. Akasatira. Kṛṣṇa means attractive. Just like magnetic stone, attractive; naturally the iron... But the iron, if it is rusty, it cannot attract. It cannot attract. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is attractive, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are also attracted by Kṛṣṇa. But because we are now covered by the māyā rust, we are not attracted. This māyā rust has to be polished; then you'll be attracted. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa is attractive. Kṛṣṇa means attractive.
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Bombay, December 26, 1972)
.
.
