The word “Surrender” often draws fierce images in the mirror of the mind. A police cornering a thief at a gunpoint, a boss forcing an employee under him or her to totally submit, a man demanding surrender from a woman and vice versa – we would not want to be in any of these situations in our life.
Yet, in the realm of spirituality, surrender—or saranagati—is not only expected but is essential to access higher levels of grace. But, this surrender is not frightening, ghastly and tragic, rather it is an enhanced expression of love!
Shrila Prabhupada’s Surrender:
Shrila Prabhupda himself surrendered everything to his spiritual master.
In the beginning, he thought to be a simple member of the Gaudiya Matha, and helping with finances. But Krishna had other plans. His factory was burnt, he lost everything, and he surrendered understanding it to be the will of Krishna.
His wife was not co-operative. He surrendered, left everything eventually to take vanaprastha.
He was repeatedly getting dreams of his spiritual master urging him to take sannyasa. He took sannyasa, again showing full surrender.
He lived his life for fulfilling the order of his spiritual master. He went to the West, showcasing the ultimate example of surrender.
When he got two heart attacks, that time also he was surrendered. And when hundreds and thousands of people would come forward to take his blessings and touch his lotus feet, he was surrendered.
Even at the fag end of his life, he was showcasing his surrender by dictating the Bhaktivedanta purports.
What if Shrila Prabhupada had thought – why to go so far to the West? I am getting old, anything can happen. Even the good lady Mrs. Sumati Morarji is saying not to go. How can I go in a cargo boat? Prabhupada had enough reasons not to go to the West. And definitely, staying in Vrindavan, he would have gone back home, back to Godhead. There is no doubt about this.
But we would not have come to understand the path of Krishna Consciousness.
Prabhupada’s surrender coupled with his compassion led him to establish this society of Krishna Consciousness.
How can this path of surrender give Sweetness?
1] Accessing Unlimited Grace of both Guru and Krishna: Prabhupada accessed his guru’s grace in abundance by fulfilling the order of his guru. Shrila Prabhupada writes, “The Pāṇḍavas were so malleable to the will of the Lord that they could sacrifice any amount of energy for the service of the Lord, and by such unalloyed determination they could secure the Lord’s mercy in any shape they desired.” SB 1.16.16 P. Shrila Prabhupada’s whole life was a fitting example of this attitude.
2] Deepened Remembrances: Prabhupada remembered his Guru Maharaja totally in his surrender, than he would have just being in Vrindavan. He was conscious of his spiritual master everywhere. In preaching, in writing, he was remembering his spiritual master’s instructions and thus serving him.
3] Worthwhile Feeling and Inner Fulfilment: Prabhupada became a divine instrument to spread Lord Caitanya’s mercy all over the world. We are not expected to break mountains, or to conquer the whole world, or to do great gymnastic acts. We are only expected to serve to our best capacity.
Do I wish to live my life in regret thinking – only if I would have surrendered, only if I would have given my best, it would have been so good, or do I wish to live my life in satisfaction that at least I tried my best to serve my spiritual master in whichever way possible?
After the disappearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, Prabhupada was urging all his godbrothers to take up to the preaching work, and not to just remain in their mathas.
Shrila Prabhupada writes,
piśāca haila loka kalira prabhāve
loka-duḥkhī vaiṣṇavera kṛpāra abhāve
Everyone has become a witch by the influence of the age. Everyone is unhappy due to the absence of the mercy of the Vaisnavas.
para-duḥkha-duḥkhī haya vaiṣṇava prasiddha
sei khyāti habe saba pracāre pravṛddha
The Vaisnavas are famous as para-duhkha-duhkhih. This fame will increase as the preaching increases.
tyāgī haiyācha bhāi, kara sabe tyāga
“vāṇī”-tyāga kara yadi kisera virāga?
You have become renouncers, brothers, so renounce everything. But if you also renounce the order of your spiritual master, then what kind of renunciation is that?
ājikāra dine bhāi koṭi-baddha hao
pracārera dvārā hata jīvere vāṅcāo
Today, my brothers, get to this task. Save the battered souls by your preaching.
svatantratā yāra yata hoka jalānjali
dīna “abhaya” deya āji se anjali
Whatever independence one may have, let it be cast into the waters. The lowly Abhaya offers this presentation today.
Prabhupada didn’t wish to live a life of regret, he wished to take the sweet path of surrender. Not only for him, he wanted to godbrothers, his disciples and his grand disciples to accept this sweet path of surrender and make their lives a worthwhile offering at Krishna’s lotus feet.
When Krishna called the gopis in the middle of the night, and the gopis reciprocated to His call, Krishna reciprocated by enacting the divine pastime of rasa dance with them. Seeing the fervent devotion of the gopis, Krishna became so overwhelmed that He even felt himself incapable of reciprocating to that love. That was Krishna’s sweet reciprocation to the ultimate surrender of His dear devotees.
