In plain words
So grant me hardships alone,” she asked.
Embodiments of Prema! You must not grieve over hardships, and you must not hanker after Ānanda. We must believe that sorrow itself gives us true Ānanda. Sorrow is the very rind on the fruit that yields the juice called Ānanda. Only when we strip off that rind and throw it away do we get the sweet juice called Ānanda. God is the very form of rasa. That is why the Veda said, “Raso vai saḥ.” Just as a bitter rind covers the sweet juice, the bitter rind called sorrow keeps the sweet juice called Ānanda covered.
Union with God is itself Ānanda
When hardships come, you must not sink down. You must recognise the truth that hardships themselves bring us happiness. Without hardships, happiness has no value at all. Every man wishes to be happy at all times. This morning many people said “Happy Birthday” to Me. I am always happy. Why say “Happy Birthday” to Me specially today? Give joy to those who are not happy. I am always in Ānanda. Ānanda is not something got from outside. Union with God is itself Ānanda. Happiness is union with God. But man believes that Ānanda is separate from him, and makes many efforts to obtain it; he makes plan after plan. But however many plans he makes, of what use are they?
The things of this world all give nothing but sorrow. Yet Ānanda lies full within that very sorrow. So we must accept both pleasure and sorrow with equanimity. We must be in Ānanda always. Some physical troubles and losses may come. We must not grieve over them. We must believe that hardships are the first steps to Ānanda. Only because the Pāṇḍavas went through hardships for 14 years did Kṛṣṇa stay with them, in their home, on their way, at their side, and at the very end bring them victory. In hardships God's help is surely there.