Arjuna's Surrender to Kṛṣṇa

The Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to Arjuna not merely because he was a close friend of Kṛṣṇa, but because he attained the requisite qualification of a disciple: complete surrender. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that at the onset of the Battle of Kurukṣetra, Arjuna was bewildered by material affection for his family members. It was only when he set aside his own reasoning and surrendered to Kṛṣṇa as his spiritual master that the transcendental knowledge of the Gītā was revealed.

From Friend to Disciple

Initially, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna were conversing as friends. However, friendly logic proved insufficient to quell the "blazing fire" of Arjuna's confusion. Realizing his helplessness, Arjuna voluntarily changed the nature of their relationship. He declared, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam—"I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You." This shift allowed Kṛṣṇa to assume the role of the supreme guru and chastise Arjuna for his misplaced compassion.

• When Arjuna saw that friendly talks would not make a solution to his problems, he surrendered unto Krsna, saying, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam: "Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me." This is the process.
• In the Second Chapter, Arjuna surrenders: "So far we have been talking as friends, but now I accept You as my spiritual master." Anyone following the principle in this line accepts the guru as Krsna, and the student must represent Arjuna.
• Although Arjuna was for the time being overwhelmed with false grief due to family affection, he surrendered unto Krsna, the supreme spiritual master, as a disciple.

What Surrender Means

Surrender is often mistaken for passivity or idleness. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that for Arjuna, surrender meant the exact opposite. Arjuna wanted to leave the battlefield and do nothing, but Kṛṣṇa's instruction was to fight. Therefore, true surrender meant acting according to the Lord's desire, not one's own inclination. It involves buddhi-yoga or karma-yoga—working under the direction of the Supreme.

• Like Arjuna surrendered. So surrender means, he had to fight. Not that, "I surrender, I do nothing." That is not surrender. Doing nothing of the material thing, that is negation. Take the positive view. That is doing always for Krsna.
• Arjuna has already accepted Krsna as his spiritual master by surrendering himself unto Him: sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam. Consequently, Krsna will now tell him about the working process in buddhi-yoga, or karma-yoga.

A Lesson for Everyone

Arjuna's predicament is not unique; it is the condition of every jīva (soul) in the material world. We are all confronted with problems that our limited intelligence cannot solve. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that Arjuna represents the common man. By following his footsteps and surrendering to Kṛṣṇa or His bona fide representative, we can be freed from lamentation.

• As soon as the jiva soul agrees to accept the other bird as the supreme spiritual master - as Arjuna agreed to do by voluntary surrender unto Krsna for instruction - the subordinate bird immediately becomes free from all lamentations.
• Before accepting the spiritual master, you must find out whether Krsna or Krsna's representative is there. Arjuna surrendered to Krsna. Sisyas te 'ham: "I am Your disciple." Similarly, everyone should surrender to Krsna or Krsna's representative.

The Final Conclusion

The Bhagavad-gītā concludes with the same point where it began: surrender. In the Eighteenth Chapter, Kṛṣṇa reiterates the essence of His teachings: sarva-dharmān parityajya—give up all other duties and surrender unto Me. Because Arjuna had fully surrendered, he was protected from all sinful reactions, despite engaging in a violent war.

• In the last verses of Bhagavad-gita Krsna says to Arjuna:Just give up everything and surrender unto Me. I will take care of you and protect you from all the reactions to sinful activities.
• Now (here in BG 18.66), in summarizing Bhagavad-gita, the Lord says that Arjuna should give up all the processes that have been explained to him; he should simply surrender to Krsna. That surrender will save him from all kinds of sinful reactions.

Conclusion

Without surrender, there is no teaching and no understanding. Arjuna's example teaches that to solve the complexities of life, one must set aside mental speculation and submit to the Supreme Authority. As Śrīla Prabhupāda states, "Problem or no problem, he surrendered."

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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Arjuna's Surrender. 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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