Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
Madhya-līlā Chapter 4 Text 186
 
pragāḍha-premera ei svabhāva-ācāra
nija-duḥkha-vighnādira nā kare vicāra

SYNONYMS

pragāḍha—intense; premera—of love of Godhead; ei—this; svabhāva—natural; ācāra—behavior; nija—personal; duḥkha—inconvenience; vighna—impediments; ādira—and so on; nā—not; kare—does; vicāra—consideration.

TRANSLATION

“This is the natural result of intense love of Godhead. The devotee does not consider personal inconveniences or impediments. In all circumstances he wants to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

It is natural for those who have developed intense love for Kṛṣṇa not to care for personal inconvenience and impediments. Such devotees are simply determined to execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative, the spiritual master. In all circumstances, even amidst the greatest dangers, they undeviatingly carry on with the greatest determination.

This definitely proves the intense love of the servitor. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.8), tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ: those who seriously desire to get free from the clutches of material existence, who have developed intense love for Kṛṣṇa, are worthy candidates for going back home, back to Godhead. An intense lover of Kṛṣṇa does not care for any number of material discomforts, scarcity, impediments or unhappiness.

It is said that when one sees apparent unhappiness or distress in a perfect Vaiṣṇava, it is not at all unhappiness for him; rather, it is transcendental bliss. In the Śikṣāṣṭaka (8), Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also instructed, āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām [Cc. Antya 20.47]. The intense lover of Kṛṣṇa is never deviated from his service, despite all difficulties and impediments brought before him.