Complete Surrender to Supreme Lord
The act of completely surrendering to the Supreme Lord is the ultimate conclusion of Vedic knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes this state not as a passive resignation, but as an active, dynamic engagement in the will of the Almighty. When a living entity gives up all independent desires and fully depends on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they enter into a special relationship where the Lord personally takes charge of their maintenance and guidance. This article explores the nature of this divine protection, the characteristics of a surrendered soul, and the practical examples set by the great mahājanas.
Lord's Reciprocation
Surrender is a two-way street. When a devotee surrenders, the Lord responds with poṣaṇa, or special maintenance. Just as a king maintains his kingdom generally but gives special attention to his immediate family, the Supreme Lord gives special care to His surrendered devotees. Furthermore, He provides the necessary intelligence (buddhi-yoga) from within the heart, guiding the devotee back to Him.
- Posana: As a king maintains his kingdom and subjects but nevertheless gives special attention to the members of his family, so the Personality of Godhead gives special care to His devotees who are souls completely surrendered to Him.
- A devotee completely surrenders unto the Supreme, who reveals Himself by His causeless mercy. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, dadami buddhi-yogam tam. The Lord says, "I give him intelligence." What is that intelligence? Yena mam upayanti te.
Symptoms of Surrender
A completely surrendered soul is characterized by fearlessness and satisfaction. They do not aspire for material happiness nor do they regret distress; they simply accept the position allotted to them by the Lord. This level of surrender is so pure that the devotee does not even ask for liberation.
- Being completely surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we should not aspire for happiness, or regret distress; we must be satisfied with the position allotted to us by the Lord.
- A pure devotee also does not want liberation. He is a soul completely surrendered to the Supreme Lord, and he does not demand anything from the Lord. This position was realized by Dhruva Maharaja when he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead present.
Exemplary Figures
The scriptures are filled with examples of complete surrender. Prahlāda Mahārāja remained confident in Kṛṣṇa's protection despite his father's attempts to kill him. Bali Mahārāja risked his reputation to remain true to his surrender. Arjuna, after hearing the Bhagavad-gītā, changed his decision and agreed to fight solely for the Lord's satisfaction.
- Prahlada Maharaja was a great soul, a mahatma, and therefore he completely surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord. He was confident that Krsna would give him protection under all circumstances.
- When he (Arjuna) was fully situated in the principles of bhagavata-dharma, culminating in complete surrender unto the will of the Supreme Lord, he changed his decision and agreed to fight for the satisfaction of the Lord.
Conclusion
Complete surrender is the only path to conquer the unconquerable Lord. It is open to everyone—from the learned philosopher to the worms and birds. Śrīla Prabhupāda assures us that if one simply chants the holy name and surrenders, the Lord immediately accepts them as His ward, offering protection from the powerful deluding energy of material nature.
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 Completely Surrendered to God. 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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