Everyone Should Surrender to Kṛṣṇa

The vast library of Vedic knowledge culminates in a single, powerful instruction: one should surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that this is not just an option for a specific sect but the universal duty of every living entity. Whether one is seeking relief from misery, the perfection of knowledge, or the highest spiritual bliss, the path is the same. This article explores why surrender is considered the highest wisdom and how it transforms the life of the devotee.

Ultimate Instruction

The Bhagavad-gītā is a comprehensive guide to life, covering karma, jñāna, and yoga. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that its conclusion is found in the final chapter (18.66), where Kṛṣṇa says, "Just surrender unto Me." This instruction supersedes all other religious forms and occupational duties. It is the "real religious principle" that everyone should follow. To surrender means to accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme authority and to act according to His will, giving up all other propositions.

• In Bhagavad-gita Krsna says (BG 18.66): "Just give up all other forms of religion and simply surrender unto Me." Now we are saying that you should give up everything and surrender to Krsna. Therefore, there is no difference between Krsna's instruction and our instruction.
• Lord Krsna's ultimate instruction in the Bhagavad-gita is that everyone should surrender unto Him, Lord Krsna. Krsna promises to take immediate charge of such a surrendered soul.
• One should give up all other duties and surrender unto the lotus feet of Krsna. That is the real religious principle everyone should follow.

Surrender as a Sign of Wisdom

Surrender is often misunderstood as a sign of weakness or blind faith. On the contrary, Śrīla Prabhupāda asserts that it is the symptom of the highest intelligence. A person may advertise themselves as a great scholar (jñānī), but if they have not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, they are still considered a fool by śāstric standards. Real wisdom is knowing that Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes and the supreme shelter. This realization typically comes after many births of searching.

• If you are sensible, if you are actually wise, if you are actually advanced in knowledge, then you should surrender to Krsna. This is the conclusion. We have to surrender.
• We may advertise ourselves as very great jnanis, learned personalities, but we are actually fools. That is the sastric conclusion. If we are actually jnanis, we should surrender unto Krsna.
• One should simply follow the instructions of Krsna and surrender unto Him. To do this, of course, one needs very good intelligence, which may be awakened after many, many births through good association with devotees and the practice of Krsna consciousness.

Solution to All Miseries

Every living entity is struggling to get out of misery. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that despite our best efforts at economic development and material adjustment, we remain anxious. The only practical solution is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. When one surrenders, Kṛṣṇa takes charge, relieving the devotee from the heavy burden of sinful reactions (sarva-pāpebhyo). There is no need for strenuous independent effort to clear one's karma; simple surrender acts as the supreme savior.

• Either in the material field or in the spiritual field, the whole struggle is to get out of some misery. So perfect man or a very intelligent man, he should try to have the highest benefit of this life, and that is surrendering unto Krsna.
• One should simply surrender unto the feet of God to make a solution to all miseries of life. That is the instruction of Krsna directly in the Bhagavad-gita, and of Srimad-Bhagavatam by Brahma, the supreme father of all living beings.
• There is no need of strenuous effort to free oneself from sinful reactions. One should unhesitatingly accept Krsna as the supreme savior of all living entities. With faith and love, one should surrender unto Him.

A Universal Principle

The call to surrender is not sectarian. Śrīla Prabhupāda compares Kṛṣṇa’s instruction to that of Lord Jesus Christ, who taught that the first commandment is to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa asks for surrender in love. Whether one is a child or an intellectual, the process is open. For the neophyte who cannot understand complex theology, Kṛṣṇa simply says, mām ekam: "Surrender to Me alone."

• Just as it is recorded that Lord Jesus Christ said that the first commandment is that one should love God with all his heart, and soul and mind. Similarly Krsna instructs that everyone should surrender unto Him in Love.
• Krsna recommends to neophyte devotees that one should surrender unto Him only (mam ekam). Because neophyte devotees cannot understand what the forms of Narayana, Vasudeva and Govinda are, Krsna directly says, mam ekam.
• One should be neither pious nor impious. One should be a devotee and surrender to the lotus feet of Krsna. This surrendering process is also very easy. Even a child can perform it.

Conclusion

Surrendering to Kṛṣṇa is the most critical decision a soul can make. It marks the end of the futile struggle for independent enjoyment and the beginning of a life of security and bliss under the shelter of the Supreme. Śrīla Prabhupāda reminds us that while Kṛṣṇa gives us the independence to choose, His ultimate advice—for our own happiness—is to give up everything else and simply surrender to Him.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category One Should Surrender to Krsna. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

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