About serving Krishna

Nava Yogendra Swami : Around 9:30 p.m. one summer evening in Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada called me to his upstairs quarters to give him a massage. Afterwards he said, "Now you can take rest." It took me about fifteen to twenty minutes to prepare my bed and mosquito net in front of Prabhupada's quarters. About 10:00 p.m.

I heard a noise inside Prabhupada's room. Prabhupada was supposed to have been resting, but when I looked in the window I saw him translating. Prabhupada translated until the morning. When Prabhupada called me in, I said, "Prabhupada, you didn't take any rest, and you're not feeling well. You should have taken some rest." Prabhupada looked at me and said, "Nava Yogendra, some times this body will be sick, some times it will be okay, but in any condition you should serve Krishna. That is your eternal credit. That alone will go with you."

How much Srila Prabhupada thought of serving Krishna! How much he was dedicated to his Lord Krishna! He was at an advanced age and not feeling well, but he did not sleep. He didn't work hard to make money. He worked for everyone's welfare, for everyone's benefit. Prabhupada worked for the benefit of mankind.

Prabhupada said, "This body is useless. When an animal dies, his body is useful. It's skin, it's bone, it's flesh, everything is useful. But the human body is useless after death. Whatever we can do in Krishna's service is to our credit. While we're living, we should serve Krishna. We should not give up serving Krishna. If someone is not serving Krishna, this is his misfortune." How Prabhupada was dedicated! He didn't care for his body, but he thought of others. I was deeply moved by his compassion.