The Act of Submission

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

THE ACT OF SUBMISSION

 

Saranagati or the act of self-surrender to the Supreme Lord is an essential requisite, that an aspirant in the path of religious pursuit can never ignore. The Proud man, urged by his false ego, ignores the fundamental principles of human life, viz., a virtuous life, full of faith and love to his ever loving lord. But, providentially a day will come, when he must feel the necessity of this fundamental principle, realising the utter vanity of the worldly pleasures. The unfortunate man, falling a victim to evil influences of the sense-ridden ego, may revolt against his own Lord, the only benefactor of humanity; he may conquer worlds, he may be the architect of nations, he may build vast empires or he may do many other wonders which no ordinary man can ever even imagine; yet he is utterly helpless in crossing this unfathomable ocean of worldliness. At every moment, he is being violently tossed by the roaring waves of this ocean of never-ending sufferings. All his false hopes are frustrated, his confidence in the efficacy of his own actions betrays him finally. He sees all around him threatening temptations, horrors and sweeping currents of cares, calamities, anxieties, and worries. He feels his helplessness and sincerely longs to come out of this terrible predicament. He gains more experiences in this transitory world of fleeting pleasures; he becomes wiser than ever before. He recollects wise saying and comes round to the above fundamental principle. He surrenders himself to the Supreme Lord. Did not Bhagavan Sri Krishna in unambiguous words, emphasise the imperative necessity of surrender ?

 

sarva dharman parityajya

mam ekam saranam vraja

aham tvam sarva-papebhyo

moksayisyami ma sucah(Gita 18/66)

 

"Discard all human element in religion addressed to embodied Atman, such as social duties, like Nitya, Naimittik and Kamya Karma; your confidence in your physical strength, your mental eligibility, your moral achievements, your social duties, reliance on your elders, wealth, properties, etc., and surrender to Me. I am here to shoulder all your responsibilities. I can save you from all your sins consequent on your nonobservance of edicts addressed to embodied souls. You need not worry even for a fraction of a moment. None else can do this deed for you. I assure you, I am the Supreme Lord; I am the only Saviour of humanity. Why do you depend upon others and other courses? They cannot help you. They too are in the same plight as you are. As such, how can they lend their helping hands to you ? Why do you hope to cross an ocean by catching hold a dog's tail? This is a tumultuous ocean of roaring waves, infested by various ferocious animals who are waiting with wide open jaws. They will swallow you within no time. Your efforts, however well designed, and however equipped they may be, in your light, can never lead you safely to the other shore. If you disobey Me and enter into its rough waters, you will be caught in a short while in its terrible eddies, surrounded by wild beasts that can easily swallow even elephants. Hence, the safest course for you is to come to Me. I am here with My boat. You need not have any fear whatsoever. You are once and for all saved for eternity. You do not repent for the failures in fulfilling the different duties you had to perform. All those duties are intended only to please Me finally. If I am favourably disposed to you, there is nothing else that you should gain in the infinite number of worlds. You can be sure that you have achieved everything. This is the final attainment of all fortunate souls-My Love. Go on, do not waste time, make haste and be free from all the worries that you are subject to, from time immemorial."

 

"Should the duties like meditation, etc. that I am performing, conform to the duties enjoined according to the code for one's own Asram of be exclusively by themselves ?The answer is this :- "Discarding all codes of conduct, prescribed for the Varnas (classes), as enjoined by the Varnasram Dharmas, take absolute shelter in Me alone." The word 'Parityajya', should not be interpreted as "discarding the worldly ties and attachments to become a hermit "; because Arjun being a Kshatriya, is debarred from being a Sanyasin. This should not also be taken to mean that Bhagavan Sri Krishna, having Arjun in view intended to convey His directive to the rest of the people. When it was proper for Him to give advice to Arjun only, others could adjunctively be included but not vice versa. The word 'Parityajya' should not be taken to mean "discarding only the fruits of one's actions" This is illustrated thus: - "O king! That person who, discarding his duties enjoined by the Varnasram Dharma, takes sole refuge in Sri Mukunda-the Fittest Person amongst all yielding protection, is neither a slave nor a debtor to his ancestors, well-wishers, other animate beings, the sages, or the other gods. When a mortal, who has cast aside all his wordly duties and dedicated his self to Me, in his desire to seek Me, attains immortality, then indeed he becomes fit to realise Me-the Self-Produced One.Man should continue to perform his worldly duties, so long as he does not free himself, from the attachment thereof, nor is able to develop an attachment to the hearing, etc., of My Narratives."That person who, knowing the merits and demerits of My directives, though given by Me, solely serves Me, leaving aside all the moral and religious codes of his own Dharma, is the most virtuous of the virtuous. "All these words of Sri Krishna convey the same meaning, because of the prefix 'pari' meaning 'all-around', "Hence, the words 'take refuge in Me alone', imperatively means that you should not take recourse to Dharma, knowledge, Yoga, worship of their gods, etc. " In the beginning, I told you that you are entitled to devotion blended with religious rites, thinking that you have no claim to the highest form of My Bhakti-Ananya Bhakti (whole and sole devotion to Sri Krishna and no one else), as the sole resort. Now out of My sheer unlimited kindness to you, you have attained the right to My highest form of Bhakti-Ananya Bhakti, which accidentally and inexplicably (yaadricchikayaa), is obtainable only by the grace of My ardent devotees, who have solely dedicated themselves to Me alone, the peculiarity of which (Ananya Bhakti), is that I break My Own vows to fulfil those of My Bhaktas as will be indicated to you by the breaking of My own vow to fulfil Bhishmas's at the time of your battle with him. By My commands, you should not entertain any fear of obstacles that might befall you for the relinquishment of these daily routine religious rites. These daily routine rites were directed to be practised by Me alone, assuming the form of Vedas; but its discardment also, is ordered by My Own Self, i.e. Sri Krishna Himself. Hence, how can there be any possibility of a sin arising for not performing these routine rites? On the contrary, if you still persist in performing your daily routine religious rites, you would be committing sins, for disobeying the direct commands given (in Person) by My Own Self. Verily, he, who has totally dedicated himself to any protector, becomes entirely dependent on the latter like a beast, purchased for a price, doing what he is impelled to do, standing where he is asked to stand, and eating whatever he is provided with. These are all the principles of the codes of self-dedication. It is said in Vayu Purana :- "(1) Full acceptance of all that is favourable, (2) total rejection (abstinence) of everything that is unfavourable, (3) a firm faith that he will be protected, (4) the choice of the Lord, (5) consigning everything to His care, and (6) giving up of meanness are the six ways of Saranagati. The word 'Anukulyam' means, the conduct that is one of continued advance agreeable to one's chosen God or Diety, befitting the devotional code; 'Pralikulyam' is the exact opposite of that; 'Bhatritva' is the implicit faith that He alone is my Protector and no one else,' ' Visvas' (faith) is that unflinching faith that He will protect me even in the midst of adverse circumstances as those of Draupadi, Gajendra, etc., 'Nikshepanam' is the utility of everything belonging both to the mortal frame and the subtle body only in the service of one's own Sri Krishna; 'Akarpanyam' (or the giving up of meanness) is the non-display of one's meanness elsewhere; these six qualities constitute Saranagati, or complete self-surrender to the Supreme Creator. Therefore, from now onwards I take absolute refuge in you. Hence, as befitting You, I must do my duty allotted to me, whether good or bad (auspicious or inauspicious). If you ask me to do only the routine religious rites, there will be no anxiety; but because of Your Self-Willed Nature, arising from Your Overlordship, if You compel me to practise unrighteousness (Adharma), then what will be my fate ? The answer to this (doubt) is given in the line 'Ahamtvam sarvapapebhyo mokshayishyami ma suchah'. I shall liberate you from all, both ancient (all existing accumulated sins of all past births), and future sins (those I may cause you to perform according to you). The sense is that I shall not be wanting in My ability to protect you like other protectors. It is on your account alone, that I am teaching these scriptural injunctions to the shale world. Grieve not. Do not grieve either for your own interest (Benefit) or for the benefits of another. May all people like you, by completely discarding all their own codes of conduct and those of other Dharmas meditating, performing Kirtan, etc., and taking absolute shelter in Me, live happily, because I have, an oath, shouldered the full responsibility of liberating them, from all their sins, of freeing them from their worldly bondage, and the charge of their attaining Me. What more ? "I have taken upon myself even to feed them. It is already said, "I bear the responsibility of looking to the welfare of those, who, being fully engrossed in Me alone, and without seeking any other protector, worship Me wholeheartedly and Zealously. " Do not grieve saying, "Alas ! I have thrust so much burden on my own Lord." Meditation on the Lord, Who is kind to His devotees, and faithful to His word, can be easily (without any effort) accomplished. Is there anything further and higher than this that yet remains to be told ?

 

dharman anyan parityajya mamekam bhaja bisvasan

yadrsi yadrsi sradha sidhirbhavti tadrsi

kurban nirantaram karma lokoyomanuvartate

tenaiv karmana dhyayan mam param bhakti mischati(Br.Sam.5/61)

 

It is said in Srimad Bhagabat -

 

tasmat tvam uddhavotsarjya

codanam praticodanam

pravrttim ca nivrttam ca

srotavyam srutam eva ca

 

mam ekam eva saranam

atmanam sarva-dehinam

yahi sarvatma bhavena

maya sya hy akuto-bhayah(Bha.11/12/14-15)

 

"O Uddhav ! For the reason already explained to you, take absolute shelter in Me-Sri Krishna (pointing to Himself with His Own Finger) alone-the Soul of all beings, with your heart and soul, discarding everything that the Srutis and Smritis expect one to perform and to reject, and giving up the attachment to and the discontinuance of worldly affairs and clean forgetting everything that you have so far heard, and giving up entirely any inclination to hear whatever yet remains to be heard. Be fearless as I am your Protector."

 

Surrender to Bhagavan is the safest path. All our Sastras repeatedly insist on this course. Any observance devoid of the spirit of surrender fails to invoke Divine Mercy. Surrender, pure and genuine moves the Heart of the Supreme Lord. It melts Him and He flies to the rescue of a surrendered devotee. How Many illustrations are there in the lives of many great saints that establish this fact with all emphasis ! The incidents of Gajendra, Draupadi, and the lives of a host of devotees, ancient and modem are glorious examples that prove this idea in facts and figures. Words cannot adequately express the astounding effects of surrender.

 

from

GURU AND ATMA NIVEDAN

Raghav Chaitanya Das

 

http://www.srilapurimaharaja.org/books/guru_and_atma_nivedanam.html