Answer
That is why it is said that if you follow the instructions of the spiritual master, you receive full protection. Even if you are unable to follow perfectly and sometimes fail due to weakness, that will be taken care of. But if there is no regard, no intention to follow the guru’s instructions, then naturally one comes under the laws of the material world—which exist for that very purpose.
In such a case, Krishna allows the living entity to pursue that path. Yet, even then, He does not abandon the devotee. At the right time, He comes from behind and brings the devotee back. Because once someone has become a devotee, the Lord never gives up on them.
That is why it is declared that His devotee never perishes. Externally, it may appear that the devotee is being carried away by time (kāla) and illusion (māyā), but the Lord is always following, always protecting. If He sees even a small quality of surrender, He remains determined to guide and safeguard that devotee.
Therefore, we should have this faith. The Lord is not harsh or rigid. We are all progressing—from one level of imperfection toward higher levels of perfection. Compared to karmīs, who do not think of Krishna at all, we are already a little more advanced because we think of Him.
Whatever devotional service we offer, the Lord accepts. Even if it is conditional or imperfect, He still accepts it. He is seated in our heart and is very attentive to even the smallest sincere offering.
When Krishna says, “As you surrender unto Me, I reciprocate accordingly,” it means that He is governed by love. Love governs the entire universe—and it governs Him as well. Not force.
Force comes when the living entity chooses it—when one says, “I do not want love; I want independence.” That choice places one under kāla (time) and karma. This too is Krishna’s way of reciprocation.
All living beings are under the charge of time and karma, but even there, the Lord remains present. No one can experience the results of their puṇya (pious acts) or pāpa (sinful acts) without His presence in the heart.
Thus, when we say the Lord has created the material world and fulfills the desires of the living entities, it means He sanctions and facilitates those desires—subject to karma. When one desires enjoyment through pious activities, He fulfills that. In this way, He remains the ultimate fulfiller of all desires.
