The Tonic of Sweet Surrender for Dedicated Souls

Prapanna-Jivanāmṛtam

The Tonic of Sweet Surrender for Dedicated Souls

तृतियोऽध्यायः

CHAPTER III

श्री भक्त वचनामृतम्

Śrī Bhakta-vacanāmṛtam

Soul-tonic-words from the bhaktas

continued...
Acceptance of what is favorable.

3.12

तत्र शिक्षा-सेवा-फलाप्तिश् च--
tatra śikṣā-sevā-phalāptiś ca--

Such instruction and service will bear complete fruit.

[By service to guru and through his instruction, one will attain the mature fruit of bhagavat-dharma: the realization of one's relationship with divinity, an understanding of right practices, as well as the goal of divine love.]

तत्रा भागवतान् धर्म्मान् शिक्षद् गुर्व्वात्म दैवतः

अमाययानुवृत्त्या यैस् तुष्येद् आत्मात्मदो हरिः

श्री प्रभुद्धस्य

tatrā bhāgavatān dharmmān śikṣad gurvvātma daivataḥ

amāyayānuvṛttyā yais tuṣyed ātmātmado hariḥ

śrī prabhuddhasya

[This verse follows the above verse (tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta... SB 11.3.21) in the Bhāgavata Purāna.]

Taking one's gurudeva as one's very life and soul, one should learn bhāgavat-dharma  at his holy feet, serving him sincerely and faithfully. Krishna Himself is so satisfied by such sincere surrender, that He gives Himself to to such a devotee.

In commenting on this verse, the original Bhagavatam commentator is Śrīdhara Swāmī, points out that Krishna's tendency to give Himself to His surrendered devotee is seen in the example of Vāmana Dev and Bali Mahārāja. When Bali surrendered  his worldly kingdom to Vāmanadeva, the Lord was so pleased by he took the position of doorkeeper in Bali's palace.

Jiva Goswāmī  observes that  guru should be seen as the life and soul of his students, since real life begins when one is accepted by gurudev.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura notes that when the Lord bestows His own self upon a pure devotee such a fortunate devotee can actually see the Lord, touch Him and directly engage in His service.

Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, says that one should never think of one’s guru as a mundane person but should think of the guru as always under the protection of the lotus feet of Krishna. 

Here, Śrīdhara Mahārāja is pointing out that the complete fruit of surrender may be realized when one surrenders to a bona fide spiritual master.