We see that there is no difference between God and Krsna. It's the same idea. Krsna is very merciful. If we pray to Him and glorify Him by any song, or by any word, He will hear and He will be pleased. You can pray, "Oh God, You are so merciful."
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
This means, "O Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are so merciful. You have given me this human body, intelligence, a heart so soft and full of love and affection. I want to serve You eternally, so please be merciful to me."
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja sings again, and the devotees join in:
"Govinda Damodara Madhaveti,
Govinda Damodara Madhaveti,
Govinda Damodara Madhaveti,
Govinda Damodara Madhaveti."
When we are dying, when we are on our death-bed, there is no one to help us. We are not even able to take a breath. We are full of mucus and we want to take a breath, but we cannot. We want to move our hands from here to there, but we cannot do so. We cannot do anything. At that time we pray, "Oh God, You are so merciful. Be pleased with me; sprinkle Your mercy upon me. Take me to Your eternal abode, where I will serve You."
We want to be free from becoming old and again taking birth in this miserable world. There is so much pain at the time of birth, and there is so much pain at the time of death; so we must pray to God. He is everywhere. He is in everyone and in all atoms of the world. He hears whatever you utter. When you weep and sing and glorify Him, He will at once hear you and come to you and liberate you forever.
We never pray to Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: "God, give me bread and butter." Rather, we want to serve Him with bread and butter. We want that this chain of birth and death and suffering will be stopped forever.
Los Angeles, California, June 8, 1998