There are so many instances. Suppose the father and mother, they are always ready to show favor to their children. There is no doubt about it. But does it mean if one has got very good and rich and able father and mother one can be happy, the children can be happy? No. That is not so. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha (SB 7.9.19). That is also Prahlāda Mahārāja's statement, that "Simply because there is kind father and mother, therefore the children will be happy? No. That is not possible." So actually, if the child is destined to suffer, the good father-mother cannot give him shelter. That is not possible. Suppose one is condemned by the court to be punished, capital punishment, to be hanged. The father-mother may be very big man or rich man. If he pleads in the court, "Sir, whatever you want, I'll give. Kindly do not condemn my son to be hanged," that cannot be checked. This is not possible. Nobody can show favor against the will of the Supreme.
So best thing is to ask favor . . . Śuddha, śuddha-bhakta, those who are . . . (aside:) He's sleeping. You don't sleep and sit front. So therefore we should not ask favor. We can ask favor from everyone, but we must know that nobody can favor us unless it is sanctioned by the Supreme Person. We must always know. Not that because one is very, in a very superior position, he can favor me. No, he cannot favor you unless it is sanctioned by the Supreme. Suppose we approach sometimes a rich man to favor us with some contribution, membership fees. But that rich man cannot favor us unless it is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is there within himself, and if He says that "You give him this money," the man will give us. So we shall not be sorry. Suppose we go somewhere and he did not favor us. We should not be sorry. We should know that Kṛṣṇa did not dictate him. He is not so fortunate now; therefore Kṛṣṇa did not dictate him. So there is nothing to be sorry. This should be our principle. Because without Kṛṣṇa's sanction . . .
So here, ko nu atra te akhila-guro bhagavan prayāsa. So everyone requires some extra endeavor to favor us, but Kṛṣṇa does not require. That is Kṛṣṇa. He can do anything He likes. He does not depend on others. Others depend on Kṛṣṇa's sanction, but Kṛṣṇa does not require anyone's sanction. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said bhagavan prayāsa. Prayāsa is advised not to take, especially for the devotees. One should not take up some business which requires very hard endeavor. No. We should take up only simple things which is possible.
Of course, a devotee takes the risk. Just like Hanumān. He was servant of Lord Rāmacandra. So Lord Rāmacandra wanted information of Sītādevi. So he did not consider, "How I shall go to the other side of the sea, Laṅka?" He simply, believing in Lord Rāmacandra, "Jaya Rāma," jumped over it. (laughter) Rāmacandra had to construct a bridge. Of course, that bridge is also wonderful because these monkeys were bringing stone, and they are throwing on the sea, but the stone was floating. So where is your law of gravitation? (laughter) Eh? Stone floats on the water, it cannot be done by the scientists, yes. But Lord Rāmacandra desired; a stone became floating. Otherwise how many stones we shall throw in the sea that it will come to the level of becoming a bridge? Oh, it was not possible. It was possible—everything was possible—but Rāmacandra, Lord Rāmacandra, wanted, "Let it be simplified. So let them bring the stone and it will float. Then we shall go." So without stone He could go, but He wanted some service of the monkeys. There were many monkeys. Baro baro badare, baro baro peṭ, laṅka diṅgake, mata kare het. There were many other monkeys, but not exactly capable like the Hanumān. Therefore they were also given some chance that "You bring some stone. You cannot jump over the sea like Hanumān, so you bring stone, and I will ask the stones to float."