Poor memory and pure devotion

Tamala Krsna: Can Krsna give us the ability to someday remember every word
that you are saying to us now? Because I myself, I forget so much. I want to
hear just how you are talking and I can’t.
Prabhupada: What is that? I don’t follow.
Tamala Krsna: I want to be able to hear you saying exactly what you’re
saying now. I want to always be able to hear it, but I forget. My memory is
very poor.
Prabhupada: Why? No. If we try… Memory may be poor. Everything depends on
cultivation. If you cultivate something, your memory increases. Everyone
becomes expert not in one day but by cultivation. Similarly, if you try to
remember, then your memory will help you to remember. It is not difficult.
That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that we have to try to remember Krsna.
He’s so beautiful, His instructions are so nice. If we simply remember
Krsna… That was the perfection approved by Lord Caitanya. I think I have
narrated the story. When Lord Caitanya was traveling in South India in a big
temple, Ranganatha temple, He went to see the Deity, and He saw one brahmana
was reading Bhagavad-gita. And people were joking him, “Oh, Mr. brahmana,
how you are reading Bhagavad-gita?” Because they were the neighbors, they
knew that this brahmana was illiterate and he was studying Bhagavad-gita. So
they were joking. But the brahmana did not care them. He was taking the book
and in his own way he was reading. Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw this incident, He
came to the brahmana. So He asked the brahmana, “My dear brahmana, what you
are reading?” So he could understand “This persons is not joking with me; He
is serious.” So he explained, “My dear sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gita.
Unfortunately, I am illiterate. I do not know even the alphabets.” “Why you
are reading Bhagavad-gita?” So he said that, “My spiritual master knows that
I am illiterate, but still, he has asked me to read Bhagavad-gita. What can
I do? Therefore I have taken this book. I am seeing simply. I do not know
how to read.” “Oh, that’s all right. You cannot read. But I see that you are
crying. How you are crying if you are not reading?” “Yes, I am crying. Of
course, there is cause.” “What is that?” “As soon as I take this
Bhagavad-gita, I remember Krsna. Krsna is sitting as driver and Arjuna is
hearing. I have heard the story. I know something of the instruction but
cannot read. So as soon as I take this book, this picture comes before me
and I simply think, ‘Oh, how Krsna is nice that He has become a charioteer
of His devotee. He is so great. Still, He has accepted a menial service of
His devotee.’ This gives me so much pleasure that I cry.” Caitanya
Mahaprabhu embraced him, “Your Bhagavad-gita reading is perfect. You have
taken the essence.” So this is the thing. If you simply remember Krsna is
teaching Arjuna and Arjuna is hearing, if you simply remember the picture,
that is sufficient.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.1-10 and Talk — Los Angeles, November
25, 1968