Notes on Surrender

Notes on Surrender

From Prapanna-jivanamritam of Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara dev Goswāmī

७.११ परमात्मनि स्वात्मार्पणम् एव सर्वथा वेद-तात्पर्यम्

धर्मादयः किम् अगुणेन च काङ्क्षितेन

सारं जुषां चरणयोर् उपगायतां नः

धर्मार्थ-काम इति यो’भिहितस् त्रि-वर्ग

ईक्षा त्रयी नय-दमौ विविधा च वार्ता

मन्ये तद् एतद् अखिलं निगमस्य सत्यं

स्वात्मार्पणं स्व-सुहृदः परमस्य पुंसः

7.11 paramātmani svātmārpaṇam eva sarvathā veda-tātparyam

dharmādayaḥ kim aguṇena ca kāṅkṣitena

sāraṁ juṣāṁ caraṇayor upagāyatāṁ naḥ

dharmārtha-kāma iti yo’bhihitas tri-varga

īkṣā trayī naya-damau vividhā ca vārtā

manye tad etad akhilaṁ nigamasya satyaṁ

svātmārpaṇaṁ sva-suhṛdaḥ paramasya puṁsaḥ

(From the teachings of Prahlāda.)

Full self-surrender is the whole purport of the Vedas -

  "The pursuits of religiosity, prosperity, and sensual enjoyment have been delineated as the three ends of human existence. They include the sciences of self-knowledge, elevation, and logic, the principles of government, and various methods of livelihood such as farming, etc. All these pursuits are advocated by those sections of the Vedas dealing with trimodal matters, and therefore I consider them to be transient. On the other hand, I know self-dedication unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the dear well-wisher of the soul, to be the only factual reality propounded by the Vedas."

Sri Prahlada  Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.6.24-25

From the Bhāgavatam. Translation and commentary of A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī

SB 7.6.25

tuṣṭe ca tatra kim alabhyam ananta ādye

 kiṁ tair guṇa-vyatikarād iha ye sva-siddhāḥ

dharmādayaḥ kim aguṇena ca kāṅkṣitena

 sāraṁ juṣāṁ caraṇayor upagāyatāṁ naḥ

Word for word: 

tuṣṭe — when satisfied; ca — also; tatra — that; kim — what; alabhyam — unobtainable; anante — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ādye — the original source of everything, the cause of all causes; kim — what need; taiḥ — with them; guṇa-vyatikarāt — due to the actions of the modes of material nature; iha — in this world; ye — which; sva-siddhāḥ — automatically achieved; dharma-ādayaḥ — the three principles of material advancement, namely religion, economic development and sense gratification; kim — what need; aguṇena — with liberation into the Supreme; ca — and; kāṅkṣitena — desired; sāram — essence; juṣām — relishing; caraṇayoḥ — of the two lotus feet of the Lord; upagāyatām — who glorify the qualities of the Lord; naḥ — of us.

Translation: 

Nothing is unobtainable for devotees who have satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the cause of all causes, the original source of everything. The Lord is the reservoir of unlimited spiritual qualities. For devotees, therefore, who are transcendental to the modes of material nature, what is the use of following the principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation, which are all automatically obtainable under the influence of the modes of nature? We devotees always glorify the lotus feet of the Lord, and therefore we need not ask for anything in terms of dharma, kāma, artha and mokṣa.

Purport: 

In an advanced civilization, people are eager to be religious, to be economically well situated, to satisfy their senses to the fullest extent, and at last to attain liberation. However, these are not to be magnified as desirable. Indeed, for a devotee these are all very easily available. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura said, muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate ’smān dharmārtha-kāma-gatayaḥ samaya-pratīkṣāḥ. Liberation always stands at the door of a devotee, ready to carry out his orders. Material advancement in religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation simply wait to serve a devotee at the first opportunity. A devotee is already in a transcendental position; he does not need further qualifications to be liberated. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (14.26), sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate: a devotee is transcendental to the actions and reactions of the three modes of material nature because he is situated on the Brahman platform.

Prahlāda Mahārāja said, aguṇena ca kāṅkṣitena: if one is engaged in the transcendental loving service of the lotus feet of the Lord, he does not need anything in terms of dharma, artha, kāma or mokṣa. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, therefore, in the beginning of the transcendental literature, it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ’tra. Dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa are kaitava — false and unnecessary. Nirmatsarāṇām, persons who are completely transcendental to the material activities of separateness, who make no distinction between “mine” and “yours,” but who simply engage in the devotional service of the Lord, are actually fit to accept bhāgavata-dharma (dharmān bhagavatān iha). Because they are nirmatsara, not jealous of anyone, they want to make others devotees, even their enemies. In this regard, Śrīla Madhvācārya remarks, kāṅkṣate mokṣa-gam api sukhaṁ nākāṅkṣato yathā. Devotees are not desirous of any material happiness, including the happiness derived from liberation. This is called anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. Karmīs desire material happiness, and jñānīs desire liberation, but a devotee does not desire anything; he is simply satisfied by rendering transcendental loving service at the lotus feet of the Lord and glorifying Him everywhere by preaching, which is his life and soul.

SB 7.6.26

dharmārtha-kāma iti yo ’bhihitas tri-varga

 īkṣā trayī naya-damau vividhā ca vārtā

manye tad etad akhilaṁ nigamasya satyaṁ

 svātmārpaṇaṁ sva-suhṛdaḥ paramasya puṁsaḥ

Word for word: 

dharma — religion; artha — economic development; kāmaḥ — regulated sense gratification; iti — thus; yaḥ — which; abhihitaḥ — prescribed; tri-vargaḥ — the group of three; īkṣā — self-realization; trayī — the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies; naya — logic; damau — and the science of law and order; vividhā — varieties of; ca — also; vārtā — occupational duties, or one’s livelihood; manye — I consider; tat — them; etat — these; akhilam — all; nigamasya — of the Vedas; satyam — truth; sva-ātma-arpaṇam — the full surrendering of one’s self; sva-suhṛdaḥ — unto the supreme friend; paramasya — the ultimate; puṁsaḥ — personality.

Translation: 

Religion, economic development and sense gratification — these are described in the Vedas as tri-varga, or three ways to salvation. Within these three categories are education and self-realization; ritualistic ceremonies performed according to Vedic injunction; logic; the science of law and order; and the various means of earning one’s livelihood. These are the external subject matters of study in the Vedas, and therefore I consider them material. However, I consider surrender to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu to be transcendental.

Purport: 

These instructions of Prahlāda Mahārāja stress the transcendental position of devotional service. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (14.26):

māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa
 bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
 brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

“One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.” One who fully engages in the devotional service of the Lord is immediately raised to the transcendental position, which is the brahma-bhūta stage. Any education or activity not on the brahma-bhūta platform, the platform of self-realization, is considered to be material, and Prahlāda Mahārāja says that anything material cannot be the Absolute Truth, for the Absolute Truth is on the spiritual platform. This is also confirmed by Lord Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā (2.45), where He says, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna: “The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them.” To act on the material platform, even if one’s activities are sanctioned by the Vedas, is not the ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is to stay on the spiritual platform, fully surrendered to the parama-puruṣa, the supreme person. This is the object of the human mission. In summary, the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies and injunctions are not to be discounted; they are means of being promoted to the spiritual platform. But if one does not come to the spiritual platform, the Vedic ceremonies are simply a waste of time. This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.8):

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
 viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
 śrama eva hi kevalam

“Duties [dharma] executed by men, regardless of occupation, are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Supreme Lord.” If one very strictly performs the various duties of religion but does not ultimately come to the platform of surrendering to the Supreme Lord, his methods of attaining salvation or elevation are simply a waste of time and energy.