Kaviraj Goswami has cited as an example of this sort of devotion a historical reference from the Puranas. There was once a chaste wife whose brahman husband was a leper. She always tried her best to serve him. One day, while she was bathing her husband at a holy river, he became infatuated with the extraordinary beauty of a prostitute by the name Laksahira. Her name indicated that she possessed the luster and beauty of a hundred thousand diamonds. The leper brahman was irresistibly charmed by her.
Upon returning home, his chaste wife detected some dissatisfaction within her husband and enquired, «Why are you so unhappy?»
Her husband replied, «I felt some attraction for the beauty of that prostitute. And I can’t take my mind off her.»
«Oh. You want her?»
«Yes. I do.»
«Then I shall try to make the arrangement.»
Then, because she was poor, the chaste lady, although a qualified brahman, began to go to the house of the prostitute every day and work as a maidservant. Although she was aristocratic by birth, she accepted the work of a maidservant without any remuneration. And she did her duties so diligently that she attracted the attention of the prostitute, the mistress of the house, who began to enquire, «Who cleans everything so neatly and beautifully?» And she came to know that a brahman lady was coming every morning and performing many menial tasks. The other attendants said, «We tried to stop her, but she would not hear of it. She wants to meet you.»
The mistress replied, «All right. Tomorrow, you may bring her to me.» Then, the next morning, when she was taken to the prostitute, the brahman lady expressed her inner motive. «My husband is so attracted to you that it is my desire that you may satisfy him. It is my concern as his devout wife that he should be satisfied, and this is his aspiration. So, I want to see him happy.» Then, the prostitute understood everything and said, «Yes. Bring him tomorrow. I invite both of you to dine in my house.»
This was intimated to the brahman and the following day they came. Many dishes were prepared fitting the occasion. Two entrees were served. One was prasadam on a plantain leaf accompanied by Ganges water in an earthen pot — all pure vegetarian food. Side by side with that in gold and silver pots were so many meats and rich dishes. They were served with a very nice table arrangement and sitting places. Of the two kinds of foodstuffs, one was sattvik, pure, and the other was rajasik, filled with passion. Then, with folded palms, the prostitute invited the brahman and his wife and indicated, «This is Bhagavat-prasadam, and those are rich dishes prepared with meat. Whichever you like you may take at your sweet will.»
Immediately the leper brahman chose the prasadam, and began to take his meal. After he had finished taking prasadam, the prostitute said, «Your wife is like this prasadam — sattvik — and all these rajasik things — meat, rich dishes, gold, silver — this is like me. I am so low, and your wife is the purest of the pure. Your real taste is for this sattvik prasadam. Externally, the meat is very gorgeous, but internally it is very impure, filthy. And therefore you are repulsed by it. So, why have you come here to me?»
Then, the brahman came to his senses. «Yes, I am wrong. God has sent a message to me through you. My fleeting desire has ended, and now I am satisfied. You are my Guru!»
Kaviraj Goswami has quoted this in the Chaitanya-charitamrta. The chaste lady went to serve the prostitute. Why? For the satisfaction of her husband. So, Radharani says, «I am ready to serve those in the opposition camp if they can really satisfy My Lord. I am completely ready to serve them if they can really satisfy Krishna. But they can’t. Yet still they have some demand. But I differ on that point. It is not that I am concerned that My share is being lessened. That is not My attitude. Whenever any unfavorable circumstances come, I think it is always coming from within Me (durdaiva-vilasa); I don’t find anything corrupt to be traced outside.»
That should be the attitude of a true devotee of Krishna. With this attitude, we shall be able to see within ourselves that everything is ultimately part of the absolute good. Although it is not very easy, still, our energy should be devoted only to collect good will from external circumstances. In this way, we should take care to see things in such a way as to purify our own position.