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Total surrender

CHENNAI : Surrender to God involves a conscious realignment from world-centric engagement to a God-centric way of life. It must be total involving the body, speech and the mind. The scriptures prescribe refuge in the Almighty for a person who is unable to follow the other means to liberation as this involves transferring the onus of one's salvation to the Lord Himself. Hence it is not just an easy but also an efficacious method to realise God.

In his discourse, Sri Hari said a devotee who had surrendered to God must remember constantly that He was indebted to divine grace. Ajamila, who led a licentious life, attained liberation because he called out `Narayana', which happened to be his child's name, when he was dying, whereas, the Lord incarnated as Narasimha for the sake of His child devotee Prahlada. Though both of them attained liberation it is Prahlada who is remembered and emulated in the devotional tradition for his exemplary devotion. Draupadi sought only justice from the elders like Bhishma and Drona in the assembly when Dussasana started disrobing her but she took refuge only in Lord Krishna who was not present there because her whole being was attuned to the knowledge that only the Almighty would save her.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna attests: "He who has subdued his mind, senses and body, has a firm resolve, and has surrendered his mind and reason to Me, that devotee of Mine is dear to Me." When the creator, Brahma, experienced firsthand the divine sport of Lord Krishna by assuming the forms of all the cowherd boys and calves after he hid them, he prostrated with overwhelming devotion to child Krishna and glorified Him.

In his prayer after he witnessed the friendship the blessed cowherd community enjoyed with Krishna, he observed how the Lord was beholden to unalloyed devotion, "You stand generally conquered in all the three worlds by them who spend their time solely in venerating with their body, speech and mind Your stories... totally giving up all effort at attaining spiritual enlightenment." The creator then prayed that he would consider it his greatest fortune if his birth were ensured in Vraja even in any subhuman species, as he would then be privileged to partake the dust of the feet of His devotees.

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