It is our constitutional position to serve.

In this age, people are generally influenced by the lower modes, the modes of ignorance and passion. In these modes, we are not able to serve Krishna. It is our constitutional position to serve someone, but when we do not serve Krishna, we serve maya. In any case, we cannot become master. Who can say that he is a master, that he is not serving anyone? We may serve our family, society, country, business, automobile or whatever. If one cannot find anything to serve, he goes and buys a cat or dog and serves it. Why is this? It is because service is our nature. We are simply lacking the knowledge of where to direct the service. Service is meant to be rendered to Krishna. In the material world, we are serving our lusty desires, not Krishna, and we are deriving no pleasure from this. We are also serving in an office or in some employment in order to get some money. In this case, we are serving money, not the person. Thus in the material world we serve the senses and money. In any case, service is there. We must serve.

In Goloka Vrndavana, the living entities are serving Krishna as friends, cowherd boys, gopis, lovers, fathers, and mothers and so on. Even the trees, water, flowers, land, calves and cows serve Krishna in Goloka Vrndavana. This is also our business, but somehow or other we do not like to serve Krishna; therefore we have been put into the service of maya, in the three modes of material nature. When a criminal does not like to obey the laws of the state, he is placed into prison and forced to abide by the laws. Our constitutional position is to render service to Krishna as His part and parcel, and as soon as we refuse to render Him service, maya is immediately there to capture us and say, “Serve me.” It is not our nature to become master. Even if we become master, we will not be happy, because that is artificial. For instance, if the hand thinks, “Oh, now I have some nice sweets, now I can eat,” the hand will ultimately be frustrated. It is the duty and nature of the hand to place the food in the mouth. In this way the hand is nourished; otherwise, everything is spoiled. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Krishna, and our business is to satisfy Krishna. From the Vedas, we understand that God, who is one, has become many. We are the many parts and parcels of Krishna. Svamsas are His personal expansions, and we are His differential expansions, vibhinnamsas. In any case, all expansions are meant to serve Krishna. This is explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi 5.142): ekale isvara Krishna, ara saba bhrtya. Lord Krishna alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants.

Source: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (2007 edition), “Teachings of Lord Kapila, The Son of Devahuti”, Page 120 & 168