40
THE SEARCH FOR SRI KRISHNA
you will certainly come to Me. My dear friend, I promise you on oath, I am speaking the truth. I am everything. Try to come to Me. I am the goal, the fulfillment of life not only for you, but for everyone. From the absolute consideration My position is such. At least you are My friend. I won’t deceive you. You can believe Me. I promise that I am so.” How shamelessly Krishna is expressing Himself here. He has come to plead for Himself so much, for our benefit. And a record is kept in the Bhagavad-gÈtÅ for our guidance. And Lord Krishna came as ßrÈ Chaitanya MahÅprabhu to preach about Himself. He came as His own canvasser with His eternal associates. He even brought ßrÈmatÈ RÅdhÅrňÈ, devotion personified, along with Him, saying, “I will show how charming Your position in My service is, how beautiful and dignified the devotion of My other half can be. So, come along with Me.” And Baladeva has come as NityÅnanda to canvass, and VÂndÅvana has come to canvass itself in NavadwÈpa. So we are most indebted to the canvasser, especially when Krishna Himself has come to canvass and to show how beautiful, how magnanimous, and how sacrificing divine love is.