Refusal to Surrender
Surrender is the constitutional position of the soul. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that every living entity is subordinate to a higher power. The question is not whether to surrender, but to whom. Those who refuse to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, mistakenly believe they are asserting their independence. In reality, they are merely submitting themselves to the dictation of their senses and the rigorous control of material nature. This article explores the psychology, the consequences, and the cure for the refusal to surrender.
Four Classes of Miscreants
Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently cites the Bhagavad-gītā (7.15) to describe the types of people who do not surrender to God. He uses strong language—"rascals," "lowest of mankind"—to characterize even those who appear successful in the material world. Whether they are scientists, philosophers, or administrators, if they lack the humility to submit to the Creator, their knowledge is considered "stolen by illusion." Their refusal is not a sign of intelligence but of a deep-seated atheistic nature.
- Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me.
- How is it that educated philosophers, scientists, businessmen, administrators and all the leaders of ordinary men do not surrender to the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, the all-powerful Personality of Godhead?
- Everything is good. But still, people do not surrender. Why? These are the qualifications. What are the qualifications? He is impious, he is fool number one, he is lowest of the mankind, his knowledge has been plundered by illusion, and he is atheistic.
Forced Surrender to Māyā
The concept of independence is an illusion for the conditioned soul. Śrīla Prabhupāda argues that if one does not voluntarily surrender to Kṛṣṇa, one must involuntarily surrender to māyā. A person who claims "I am not surrendered" is actually being kicked by the senses—lust, anger, and greed. The choice is binary: either serve the benevolent master, Kṛṣṇa, or serve the harsh master, material nature. There is no middle ground of absolute freedom.
- One who has no intelligence, he will continue to suffer. What can be done? You cannot say that, "I am not surrendered." You are surrendered to your dictation of the senses.
- This cause (of being subjected to the control of material nature) is distinctly stated in Bhagavad-gita (7.14): because one has not surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he must work under the control of material nature and its stringent laws.
- God says, "Surrender unto Me," so why not surrender? Why surrender to maya? That is the individual's choice. Another example: the government does not want the youth to become hippies, but they are abandoning a wealthy life just to lie down.
Barrier of False Ego
Why do people refuse? The primary obstacle is false ego—the misconception that "I am the doer." Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Kṛṣṇa personally came to canvas for surrender, yet only a few, like the Pāṇḍavas, accepted. The rebellious nature of the living entity makes him want to be the lord. This "disease" of independence leads to suffering, as the soul is not constitutionally designed to be the supreme enjoyer.
- Nothing can be done without surrender because our conditional life is rebellious life. We have rebelled against the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead.
- Krsna personally failed. He canvassed, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: "You give up everything. Just surrender unto Me, Krsna, personally." But nobody surrendered; only a few persons of the Pandavas.
- We are all part and parcel of the supreme whole, but not surrendering unto Him, misusing our independence, we are giving pain to the Supreme.
No Surrender, No Knowledge
Intellectual prowess without surrender is futile. Śrīla Prabhupāda states that one may be an expert scholar of the Vedas, but if he does not surrender to Visnu or a bona fide spiritual master, his labor is a waste of time. True understanding of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or the nature of God is reserved for the surrendered soul. To the non-surrendered, God remains an enigma, or worse, a subject of speculation and fabrication.
- If one is expert in the study of the Vedas but does not surrender to a spiritual master or Visnu, all his cultivation of knowledge is but a waste of time and labor.
- So if one does not take or does not surrender unto the living bhagavata, he cannot understand Srimad-Bhagavatam. Many scholarly, learned scholars, Sanskrit scholars, they cannot understand Bhagavatam.
- Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam, param bhavam aja... "How much powerful is Krsna; what He can do for me," without knowing this, we do not surrender to Krsna.
Conclusion
The refusal to surrender is the root cause of material existence. It is a state of spiritual immaturity where the soul fights a losing battle against the supreme will. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s message is that surrender is not a defeat, but a victory over illusion. By giving up the false struggle for independence and accepting the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, one finds true freedom and relief from the miseries of life.
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 Not Surrender. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.