Srila Gurudeva: Those who serve Krsna, they also take care of the things by which Krsna is served, the utensils by which Krsna is served. The cloth, the clothes, the things, the peacock feather and all these things. Yasoda Maiya used to pay more attention to these things than to Krsna. Why? This is the nature of bhakti. We don’t see this so much in this world, but we can see something of this. When Krsna used to make all His clothes dirty, then Yasoda used to give some slap to Krsna. “Oh, You are so naughty. Just now I have washed Your cloth and now You are making it dirty?”
Krsna is weeping and Yasoda is putting Him down. She is going to save milk. Why? There are two things, milk and Krsna. To whom does mother Yasoda have more affection for? For Krsna or for the clothes and milk? We should give our whole attention to satisfy Krsna. But with Yasoda, we are seeing the opposite. She is putting Krsna down and Krsna is weeping. She is not worried for this and she is going to save the milk. Why? Sometimes she is giving a slap to Krsna for making His clothes dirty. This cloth is for serving of Krsna. Why is she doing like so?
Why is Yasoda giving a slap to Krsna for making His clothes dirty. Why? This is the nature of pure bhakti. That is why Krsna does not have as much affection for those who serve Him directly, as He does for those who serve His bhaktas. Krsna becomes so happy with those who serve His bhaktas. Understand what I am saying?
Devotee: You are saying that those who serve Krsna directly, that Krsna will not be as pleased with them as those who serve those who are related to Krsna.
Srila Gurudeva: If anyone is directly serving Krsna, and someone else is serving Radhika, to whom will Krsna be more pleased? To whom?
Devotees: Those who serve Radhika.
Srila Gurudeva: Why?
Devotee: Because they are serving that person who is most dear to Krsna.
Srila Gurudeva: If anyone is serving Rupa Manjari, who is serving Srimati Radhika, then who will Krsna be more pleased with? To whom? He will think, “Oh, you are a servant of Rupa Manjari? Oh, I shall give you everything. What do you want?” This is the nature of bhakti.
[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on December 6th, 1998, Malaysia, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 25]