Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja should have thought like this that, "Yes, this body does not belong to me, but it belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa desired that with this body there must be fighting for His satisfaction." So Arjuna thought like that. Arjuna thought like that. Therefore Arjuna is higher grade devotee than Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja has got personal consideration. When Kṛṣṇa advised him that "You go to Droṇācārya and speak this lie, that his son Aśvatthāmā is dead, otherwise he'll not die. You go and speak," so he hesitated. He said, "How is that? I never spoke lie. How can I go and say him the lie?" So this personal consideration is there that, "If I speak lies, then I will be sinful, and I'll be punished and so on, so on." But a devotee does not think like that. "Maybe it is sinful, but it will satisfy Kṛṣṇa; I must do it." This is devotee's decision.
Just like Kṛṣṇa sometimes became sick. So in Dvārakā—you have seen that play in Bombay—and so many physician came; nobody could cure Him. Then Kṛṣṇa suggested His own medicine that, "If some of My devotees will give the dust of his feet on My head, then I'll be cured." So the first devotee, Nārada and others, everywhere it was approached that, "Give your dust of feet. Kṛṣṇa is suffering." "No, no, no. How can I give my dust of feet? Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality of Godhead." But when the gopīs were approached, when they heard that, "Kṛṣṇa is sick, and He's in urgently necessity of the dust of His devotees' feet," so immediately they began to give: "Take it. Take it immediately. Immediately." They did not consider that, "Giving the dust of my feet to Kṛṣṇa, I shall go to hell." "Never mind, I shall go to hell; it doesn't matter, but let Kṛṣṇa be cured." That is first consideration.
So this is the topmost devotee: prepared to do anything, without any consideration. That is pure devotee. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (Brs. 1.1.11). There should be no personal desire. That should be zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anā . . . simply one should try to please Kṛṣṇa. There is no other consideration—only to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is pure bhakti. That is explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura:
- vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
- ekeha kuru-nandana
- bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
- buddhi avyavasāyinām
- (BG 2.41)
This is perfect conclusion that, "I shall execute the desire of Kṛṣṇa." But Kṛṣṇa is not physically present before me. Then how I shall know what Kṛṣṇa desires? That is not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa's representative is there, the spiritual master. If you fulfill the desire of the spiritual master, then you fulfill the desire of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. That is stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. If you please your spiritual master, then you know that, "I have pleased Kṛṣṇa." Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi: "If you displease your spiritual master, then you are nowhere. Your position is lost."