Pleasing Krishna

Hello, dear friends. 

Oh, that blessed, perfect name, Krishna. I fall more and more in love with him every day. When I think of him, a special warmth envelops my whole being. I feel as young as spring, my body becomes light, my vision is clear and tinted with gold. When I chant his name, I am transported to another place, beyond time. Soothing, warm sun on my skin. Bare feet in green grass. Perfect blue sky. Sparkling clear waterfalls. Fragrant flowers. Animals roaming freely. The chiming of temple bells... singing The Lord's glories, the beat of a mrindangam. Even the fresh breeze sings as it whistles through a kadamba tree.

How merciful The Lord is to let me feel such divine ecstasy! He is enslaved to his devotees. Oh Gurudev, thank you, how much I will show my gratitude!

To those of you who are interested in life as a Krishna Devotee, here are some very simple ways you can please Lord Sri Krishna.

Simply Have Devotion

Lord Krishna is the utmost merciful and compassionate. You do not have to achieve great, opulent feats for Him. As long as you hold Him dear in your heart and have the nectar of devotion, you will surely please him. "If one offers to Me with love and devotion a leaf, flower, fruit, a drop of water, I will accept it." (BG 9.26)

Chant His Holy Names

Another great way to please Krishna is to chant His names. You will be rewarded with great peace, spiritual progress, and mental clarity when you chant His names. And the best part is, you can do it almost anywhere, anytime. Many Devotees will wake very early in the morning (3-4 AM) to chant 16 rounds of 108. While the benefits of this are plentiful, you do not have to follow a strict schedule. The mantra goes as such:

Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare
Hare Rama 
Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare

Sing For Krishna

Krishna Himself is known to love music, which is why our Lord is seen playing a flute. Krishna has many devotional songs / bhajans. Singing them to Krishna is a beautiful way to connect with Him and he will surely appreciate it very much. Here you can find the lyrics to many of His bhajans. The audio versions can be found here. My personal favorite bhajans are those composed and sung by Jai Sachinandana Prabhu, he has a great voice.

Offer His Favorite Things

Although you can offer anything to Krishna, he has many beloved things. You can offer them to him and he will be greatly pleased. 

Krishna's Beloved Foods:
-Butter
-Makhan Mishri
-Fruit, especially guava
-Lotus / Padma flower
-Night flowering jasmine / parajita flower
-Tulasi plant
-Yellow color
-Peacock feather