Saranagathi - Pujya Ramsukhdasji Maharaj

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Believing and thinking that my body is fit, my sense organs are under

my control, my mind is pure and uncontaminated, my intellectual

understanding is proper, I am well-educated, I am famous, I am

respected in this world etc., therefore " I too am something special, "

etc etc. After feeling all these things and then taking refuge in

God, is not true surrender (sharanagati) .

 

After taking refuge in God, a devotee should not even have thoughts

such as - my body should be like this, my intellect should be like

this, my mind should be like this, I should be able to meditate like

this, my intentions and feelings must be like this, I must have such

and such distinctive qualities, my behavior must be like this, I

should have that kind of love within me that on hearing about God or

while chanting His name, tears start to flow from my eyes, my voice

and throat tremors and chokes with emotions, but such things have not

happened in my life, therefore how could I be surrendered to God?

etc. Such conversations are not tests of exclusive refuge in God.

 

The one who has completely surrendered to God, he does not even take

notice whether his body is ill or healthy? Is the mind agitated or

still? Is the intellect filled with knowledge or ignorance? Is he

foolish or wise? Is he capable or incompetent? etc. He does not look

at such things even in his dreams, because in his eyes, such things

are nothing but useless baggage, that he does not truly take with

him. If he pays attention to such things, then arrogance will crop

up, thinking that I am a devotee who has taken complete refuge in

God. Or else he will become dejected that even though I have

surrendered to God, I have not acquired the qualities of a true

devotee.

 

Gita 12:13-19 talks about the qualities of a true devotee of God -

'Adveshta sarvabhutaanaam maitreha karuna evacha, nirmamoha

nirahankara samdukha sukhakshami.' etc. So a doubt may arise that

such qualities have not come in me? The point here is that if you

begin to see qualities of a true devotee in you, you are likely to

become arrogant, whereas if you do not see these qualities, you will

become dejected. Therefore after taking refuge in God, one should not

look towards these qualities even by mistake. But one must not

wrongly confuse and misunderstand the meaning of what is being said

here. This absolutely does not mean that it is OK to go ahead and

engage in hostility †" antagonism, hatred, attachment, or whatever one

pleases. The point here is that the attention should simply not go to

the qualities. A devotee that has taken refuge in God, all good

qualities will come to him naturally and on their own, however

whether they come or go away should be of no concern to the devotee.

Therefore clearly one must not test their surrender to God

(sharanagati) questioning whether certain qualities or behavior are

present or not.