Queen of the Night.
Sacinandana Swami: A bush with the most fragrant flowers grows next to the room I stay in. It smells like a whole perfume shop. It is called the “Queen of the Night” because its flowers bloom and smell their best at night. Last week I offered one of the blossoms to the Deities. The next morning I noticed a miracle: although the night had passed, the “Queen of the Night” was still fresh and fragrant. It smelled as if the bush wanted to continue offering its flowers in the service of the Deities.
I’m convinced that just like the “Queen of the Night,” all of us become so excited when we recognize an opportunity to serve Krishna directly that we also blossom, give our best, and then the best comes out of us. There’s a wonderful purport. It says: “A devotee of the Lord situates Sri Krishna on a beautiful throne within his heart and there offers the Lord constant service.” (Srimad Bhagavatam, 11.20.29) I believe the flower bush intuitively brought Krishna into its heart, after all, it’s a flower bush in Vrindavan. So it became inspired to bloom throughout the day.
This will also happen to us. The purport continues: “Just as the rising sun gradually eliminates all trace of darkness, the Lord’s presence within the heart causes all material desires there to weaken and eventually disappear.” I would like to add: the flowers of real desires to please Krishna will replace the material ones. Just somehow bring Krishna into the heart and then He will rise, like the sun. He will increase His presence and weaken the darkness of material life. In the month of Kartik we have the wonderful opportunity to invite Krishna more intensely onto the throne of our hearts.