Please teach me the ways of Saranagati : the six-fold practice of surrender

[Guest guest]

Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj made one book that is entirely about saranagati, called Sri Sri Prappana Jivanamrtam, filled with quotes from great sages and bhaktas.

 

http://www.mandala.com.au/prapanna/index.html

 

-- Muralidhar das

[Guest guest]

Thank you Muralidhar Prabhu for this wonderful pot of nectar!

 

------

 

 

The only hope for the soul enslaved by maya

is the mercy of the Master of maya -

 

durita-dusita-mana asadhu manasa, kama-harsa-soka-bhaya-esanara vasa

tava katha-rati kise haibe amara, kise krsna tava lila kanbo vicara

(Bengali verse by

Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura)

 

"Sinful, wicked mind - full of evil thought:

lusting, laughing, crying, fearing

- in worldly search is caught.

O Krsna, how will I develop attachment

to talks of You?

how will I ever comprehend Your pastimes ever-new?"

 

(Bengali verse translation)

[Guest guest]

Sri Bhakta-vacanamrtam

 

- Words of Nectar from the Devotees

 

Karpanyam - Surrender in Humility

 

8.1-2

bhagavan raksa raksaivam,

arta-bhavena sarvatah

asamorddhva-daya-sindhor,

hareh karunya-vaibhavam

smaratams ca visesena,

nijati-socya-nicatam

bhaktanam arti-bhavas tu,

karpanyam kathyate budhaih

 

'O Lord, please protect me, protect me . . .'

 

Such an internal sense of heartbreak in the devotees,

which causes their remembrance in love,

in all circumstances,

of the extension of grace from the unequaled and unexcelled ocean of compassion, Sri Hari,

and which characteristically causes them

to ever remember their feeling of most lamentable destitution,

is known by the learned as karpanyam

- Surrender in Humility.

 

-------------------

My heart is breaking,breaking,breaking...

but is it in the remembrance of love of Sri Hari?

I pray for Your grace and compassion

so my heart can feel such karpanyam.

 

[Guest guest]

8.4

 

udbuddha-svarupe svabhava-karpanyam -

 

parama-karuniko na bhavat-parah

 

parama-socyatamo na ca mat-parah

 

iti vicintya hare mayi pamare

 

yad ucitam yadunatha tadacara

 

kasyacit

 

 

Humility is the natural symptom of the soul

in his awakened state -

 

 

"O Lord Hari,

You are the supreme merciful,

second to none,

and my condition of life

is the most lamentable,

second to none.

O Lord of the Yadu dynasty,

considering this,

dispense whatever You deem fit

for this sinful wretch."

 

- votary

 

-------

Whatever You deem fit

O Lord.

All the necessary tests given out by You

on a daily basis.

As well as the big term exams

which are so difficult for me.

Let me not lose faith in Your Absolute goodness.

Your tests are for my own spiritual benefit;

although I often fail to see that at exam time.

Please continue to shower

Your causeless mercy on this fallen wretch.

 

your aspiring servant of Your servant,

gopaldas

[Guest guest]

krsnonmukha-citte baddha-bhavasya durvilasa-paricayah -

jihvaikato 'cyuta vikarsati mavitrpta

sisno 'nyatas tvag-udaram sravanam kutascit

ghrano 'nyatas capala-drk kva ca karma-saktir

bahvyah sapatnya iva geha-patim lunanti

Sri Prahladasya

 

 

 

jihva tane rasa prati upastha kadarthe,

udara bhojane tane visama anarthe

carmma tane sayadite, sravana kathaya,

ghrana tane surabhite,

caksu drsye yaya karmendriya karme sane,

bahu-patni yatha,

grha-pati akarsaya mora mana tatha

e mata avastha mora sri-nandanandana,

ki rupe tomara lila kariba smarana

 

(Bengali poem by

Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura)

 

"Dragged by tongue towards a taste,

by genital to perversion;

needlessly the belly craves lavish food consumption.

The skin demands luxurious comforts,

the ear demands sweet talks;

the nose demands sweet fragrance,

as the eye for scenery looks.

Like a man with many wives,

splayed by their demands -

thus the mind is dragged by the senses' commands.

O dear son of Nanda,

this is my situation;

how will Your sweet pastimes be my heart's contemplation?"

(Bengali verse translation)

[Guest guest]

.7

purusottama-seva-prarthino

bhaktasya nija-lajjakarayogyata-nivedanam -

mat-tulyo nasti papatma, naparadhi ca kascana

parihare 'pi lajja me, kim bruve purusottama

kasyacit

 

The regretful submission of incompetence

by the devotee who aspires for the service

of the Supreme Person -

 

"There is no parallel to my sinful,

criminal life.

Everything that can be conceived of as bad

is found in me.

O Supreme Lord,

I am even ashamed to come before You to petition,

'Please forgive my offenses.'

What more can I say than this?"

 

- votary

 

------------

God,

if only I could muster up enough humility

like this prayer's mood indicates

On my hands and knees

and my head lowered to the ground

and my heart honestly opened up

to your Divine Grace.

"Please forgive my offenses"

 

[Guest guest]

Even the universal creator,

Brahma, prays to be born as an animal or a bird,

if that is conducive to the service of Lord Hari -

 

ei brahma janmei va anya kona bhave,

pasu-paksi haye janmi tomara vibhave

ei matra asa tava bhakta-gana-sange,

thaki tava .-seva hari nana range

 

(Bengah verse by Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

 

"In this life as Lord Brahma,

or in any other place,

if I'm born as beast or bird,

that will be Your grace:

my only aspiration is to be with Your servants,

and in Your pastimes serve Your feet,

as one of Your attendants."

 

(Bengali verse translation)

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

 

8.12

bhagavat-krpopalabdha-mahatmyasya

tat kainkarya-prarthanapi auddhatyavad eva pratiyate -

dhig asucim avinitam nirdayam mam alajjam

parama-purusa yo 'ham yogi-varyagraganyaih

vidhi-siva-sanakadyair dhyatum atyanta-duram

tava parijana-bhavam kamaye kama-vrttah

 

Sri Yamunacaryasya

 

Even to pray for the Lord's servitorship

is felt as an impertinence,

when the glory of the Lord is realized by His mercy -

 

"Fie on me -

an impure, impertinent, hard-hearted,

and shameless fellow.

O Supreme Personality,

simply governed by my whims

do I dare to aspire for Your servitorship,

a position practically inconceivable

to great, powerful personalities like Lord Brahma,

Lord Siva, and the four Kumaras."

 

Sri Yamunacarya

----------

How daring and impertinent

it is

for an ex-meleccha like me to

try to approach your lotus feet?

 

Let me never forget Your causeless mercy

and the divine grace of Your unalloyed servant

who has saved me

from a fate of endless rebirths in this material world.

 

[Guest guest]

8.13

upalabdha-sva-dosa-sahasrasyapi tac carana-paricarya-lobho 'py avaryamanah -

amaryadah ksudras calamatir asaya-prasavabhuh

krtaghno durmani smara-paravaso vancana-parah

nrsamsah papisthah katham aham ito duhkha-jaladher

aparad uttirnas tava paricareyam caranayoh

 

Sri Yamumcaryasya

 

Despite thousands of personal defects,

a devotee can never check his desire for the Lord's service -

 

"Uncultured, mean, fickle-minded,

envious, ungrateful, proud, subservient to lust,

deceitful, hard-hearted,

and sinful am I.

O Lord,

how will I ever be able to cross

this insurmountable ocean of misery

and attain to the service

of Your lotus feet?"

 

Sri Yamunacarya

 

-------

This is not false humility

or just nice poetry

This great devotee of the Lord is actually feeling the most fallen and degraded.

Although the most exalted saintly person,

He is feelingly offering these prayers of submission and inadequate status for wanting to serve the Lord's lotus feet.

We should follow this example and petition the Lord with

these prayers written Sri Yamunacarya.

 

[Guest guest]

8.14

prapannasya prapatti-samanya-krpayam api nijayogyata-pratitih -

nanu prayatnah sakrd eva natha

tavaham asmiti ca yacamanah

tavanukampyah smaratah pratijnam

mad eka varjjam kim idam vratante

Sri Yamunacaryasya

 

Although the Lord is naturally gracious upon the surrendered soul, the surrendered soul considers himself unfit to receive that grace -

 

"O Lord, one who keeps Your pledge in mind

and wholly surrenders unto You,

declaring, 'I am Yours alone,'

is a fit recipient for Your grace.

Is it only I who am not included in Your promise?"

Sri Yamunacarya

 

[Guest guest]

8.15

suspasta-dainyenatma-vijnaptih -

na ninditam karma tad asti loke

sahasraso yan na maya vyadhayi

so 'ham vipakavasare mukunda

krandami sampraty agatis tavagre

Sri Yamunacaryasya

 

Heartfelt petition in stark humility -

 

"O Mukunda,

there is no offensive activity in this world that I have not performed thousands of times.

Now, finally,

I have no alternative but to simply weep before You."

 

Sri Yamunacarya

 

----------------

O Lord,

I am now finally admitting my dreadful situation.

Let this confession be true,honest and factual.

I am indeed a living offense personified.

So what am I to do ?

Reading this prayer by Your pure devotee

and see that I am no where near the point of weeping

for my shameful putrified existence.

Please help me cry that I can cry

so that I can cry!

gopaldas

 

[Guest guest]

8.16

asima-krpasya krpayah sesa-simantargatam atmanam anubhavati -

nimajjato 'nanta bhavarnavantas

ciraya me kulam ivasi labdhah

tvayapi labdham bhagavann idanim

anuttamam patram idam dayayah

Sri Yamunacaryasya

 

The realization of feeling oneself

to be situated on the outer limit

of the unlimitedly merciful Lord's mercy -

 

"O Lord,

I was drowning in the fathomless,

endless ocean of material existence,

and now, after immeasurable time,

I have reached the shore - Your Divine Self.

And You also have finally obtained

the most fit recipient for Your mercy."

 

Sri Yamunacarya

[Guest guest]

8.17

bhagavad-bhaktasya svasmin dinatva-buddhir eva svabhaviki, na tu bhaktatva-buddhih -

dinabandhur iti nama te smaran, yadavendra patito 'ham utsahe

bhakta-vatsalataya tvayi srute,

mamakam hrdayam asu kampate

Jagannathasya

 

A devotee of the Lord naturally considers himself to be lowly, and never does he consider himself a devotee -

 

"O Yadavendra,

when I think of Your name, Dinabandhu

- friend of the fallen,

I, who am afallen, feel encouraged.

But hearing that You are Bhaktavatsala

- affectionate to the devotees,

my heart suddenly trembles."

 

Jagannatha