He saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, but he was not excused. He went to beg pardon so that he may be saved from the sudarśana-cakra. So he went to Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā and all big, big demigods: "Please save me. The sudarśana-cakra is after me." So everyone said, "We are unable to do anything. You can go to Lord Viṣṇu." So he went to Lord Viṣṇu, he saw Him, he talked with Him. And Lord Viṣṇu also said that "I cannot do anything. You must go to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja and fall down on his feet and beg his pardon. Then you can be saved." So this is the position.
And Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was a devotee. He did not know anything. He was simply depending on Kṛṣṇa. So just see who is powerful, that . . . even the yogīs are not so powerful as the devotees. Why? Because fully to Kṛṣṇa. Fully surrendered means, "If Kṛṣṇa likes, He will save me; otherwise, I don't try for myself. I have to simply serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all." And Kṛṣṇa takes charge of your saving. And when Kṛṣṇa wants to kill . . . just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, ordinary . . . not ordinary, but a simple boy, and how much torturing was going on upon him by his father. But he was saved by Kṛṣṇa. Ultimately, when it was intolerable, then He appeared and killed the rascal.
So therefore devotees are akāmaḥ. They don't have any desires. Even in greatest danger, they do not ask Kṛṣṇa. That is pure devotion, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). So Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that:
- bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī—sakali 'aśānta
- kṛṣṇa-bhakta—niṣkāma, ataeva 'śānta'
- (CC Madhya 19.149)
Śānta means peaceful. Who is peaceful? Only kṛṣṇa-bhakta, devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He is peaceful. Others? No. They cannot be peaceful. Why? Now, there is demand. The karmī is wanting to lord it over this material world. The jñānī is wanting to become one with God. The yogī is wanting some wonderful power. So there is wanting. It may be of different category, but there is demand. But akāmaḥ, he has no demand. That's all. He doesn't want anything from Kṛṣṇa.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching is: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4): "I don't want. I don't want money, I don't want followers, I don't want nice wife." These things are wanted by the materialist. A devotee simply wants, "Give me the chance of serving You." That's all. Hare Kṛṣṇa: "Hare, Rādhārāṇī; Kṛṣṇa, Lord, You are both present here. Kindly give me the chance to serve You." That's all. This is akāmaḥ. So akāmaḥ, they have no other business; simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4): "My dear Lord, I don't want anything. But give me this facility, that I may be engaged in Your service." That's all. (pause)
So Bhāgavata recommends that "Even though you are a fool number one, you are demanding from Kṛṣṇa sarva-kāmaḥ or mokṣa-kāmaḥ, still, you worship Kṛṣṇa. Don't go to other demigods." Because . . . we have seen the list of demigods. If you want . . . the prescription is there: "If you want this, you worship this deity. If you want this, you worship this deity." But they are all kāmas. In the Bhagavad-gītā these kāmī, these lusty persons, have been condemned. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). Hṛta-jñānāḥ, lost of all intelligence. That means rascal. In good language it is hṛta-jñānaḥ, one who has lost his intelligence.