Miscellaneous - Religion   

Insight into surrender

CHENNAI : Spiritual tradition asserts that one must follow a path to liberation prescribed in the scriptures and they are broadly classified as Yoga of Karma (action), Jnana (knowledge) and Bhakti (devotion). Prescription of different methods is to cater to the various propensities and the ability to pursue these paths to liberation. Hence it goes without saying that a spiritual seeker who wishes to adopt any of these practices must have the necessary prerequisites to follow the path he chooses to be successful in his objective. This can be seen from worldly matters. For example, if a person wishes to be selected for the post of a senior executive in an organisation, he should not only have the necessary qualification but also the required experience for it.

In his discourse, Sri M.A.Venkatakrishnan said Andal in one of the concluding verses of the Tiruppavai had highlighted the importance of eligibility for pursuing any of the means to realise God. Andal describes how some maidens performed a certain sacred ritual (Nonbu) during the Tamil month of Margazhi for attaining Lord Krishna on the lines of a similar vow performed by the cowherd maidens of Gokul. At the end of the vow they furnished a list of things they wanted to celebrate its successful completion. They did not stop with that but desired the blissful state of release— performing eternal service to the Lord in His divine abode.

The Lord was naturally amazed. How could these simple folks whose lives revolved round the cows (for livelihood, not Karma) and who had no pretence to neither learning (Jnana) nor devotion (Bhakti) seek liberation, much less the privilege of eternal service to Him? What had they done to deserve this end? This is the predicament of the layman who is steeped in worldly life ignorant of the prescribed means to liberation. Andal provides the insight here through the reply of the maidens, who without hesitation said, though they had not done anything to merit it, they had Him. What more was necessary? This reinforces that in Self-surrender (Saranagati, Prapatti) the seeker must realise his inability and transfer the responsibility of his emancipation to the Lord.

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