a cook

a cook is cooking for the master. The cook tries his best to make the best food and the master comes to the table to eat and he doesn’t even look at what he cooked. He eats something else. How does the cook feel? “Well, I tried my best. I cooked in the best possible way. I thought it was the most delicious food, but it’s up to him whether he will eat it or not. It’s up to him.” So that is the point of being a master and the servant, or the servant of the master. So the devotee’s attitude is just like that. Marobi rakhobi – jo ichha tohara, whatever you do with me it is up to You. [Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Saranagati, song: Manasa Deho Geho] Not that, “Oh Krishna, I have become Your devotee, why You’re killing me?!” No, devotee means, “Whatever You want I will do. You have complete control over me. You have all the rights over me. So You do whatever You want to do with me.” And that is the meaning of surrender. Surrender, surrender means completely dependent upon You, completely given over to You. You do whatever You want to do with me.
So that is the secret of pure devotional service: total surrender. And total surrender means try your best, but depend upon Krishna. Do it, try to execute it to the best of your ability but always remember that you are nothing without Krishna’s mercy. But on the other hand, to think that, “Oh, I am so capable. I have done that, so why You are removing me from this position? I have done everything. It is my creation.” That means false ego. That means maya;  “I am the doer. I have done that.”