(Krishna lifting Govardhana Hill to protect His devotees—click to enlarge)
Devotee: "One is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this, he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of the greatest difficulty."
Prabhupāda: "In the greatest difficulty." If you are convinced that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," then even there is greatest difficult position of your life, that is surrender. You'll know Kṛṣṇa will give you protection. You try your best, you use your intelligence, but believe in Kṛṣṇa. Varasa neha pitaro nṛsiṁha... If Kṛṣṇa neglects, no other remedy can protect you. No other measure can protect you. Don't think... Suppose one is diseased; many expert physician treating him, nice medicine is offered. Is that guarantee for his life? No. That is not guarantee. If Kṛṣṇa neglects, in spite of all these good physician and medicines he will die. And if Kṛṣṇa protects him, even if he has no expert treatment, he'll still survive.
So one who is fixed up in Kṛṣṇa, fully surrendered, and one of the point of surrender is that "Kṛṣṇa will protect me," then you are happy. Just like the child: he's fully surrendered to the parents, and he is confident that "My father is there, my mother is there," so he's happy. Kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ (Stotra-ratna 43). If you know that "Somebody is there who is my patron, who is my savior," are you not very happy? But if you do everything on your own account, at your own responsibility, are you happy? Similarly, if you are convinced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that "Kṛṣṇa will give me protection," and if you are true to Kṛṣṇa, that is the standard of happiness. You cannot be happy otherwise. That is not possible. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).
That is the fact. Even in your rebellious condition, Kṛṣṇa is giving you protection. Without Kṛṣṇa's protection you cannot live for even a second. He's so kind. But when you admit it, when you recognize it, then you become happy. Now Kṛṣṇa is giving you protection, but you do not know it, because you have taken your life at your own risk.
Therefore He has given you freedom, "All right, do whatever you like. As far as possible I will give you protection." But when you fully surrender, the whole charge is to Kṛṣṇa. That is special. That is special protection. Just like a father. The child who has grown up doesn't care for the father, he's acting freely, what the father can do? "All right, do whatever you like." But the child who is fully under the protection of the father, he takes more care. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find, samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu (BG 9.29): "I am equal to everyone." Na me dveṣyaḥ: "Nobody is My enemy." How He can be enemy-ous? Everyone is Kṛṣṇa's son. How he can become enemy to Kṛṣṇa? He is son. That is not possible. He is friend of everyone. But we are not taking advantage of His friendship. That is our disease. That is our disease. He is friend to everyone. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. But one who is recognizing, he can understand that "Kṛṣṇa is giving me protection in this way." This is the way of happiness.
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Los Angeles, February 17, 1969)
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