Sometimes when we hear that great sages and devotees go to the forest and engage themselves in devotional service or meditation, we become surprised: how can one live in the forest and not be taken care of by anyone? But the answer, given by a great authority, Nārada Muni, is that such persons are well protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śaraṇāgati, or surrender, means acceptance or firm belief that wherever the surrendered soul lives he is always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; he is never alone or unprotected. Dhruva Mahārāja's affectionate father thought his young boy, only five years old, to be in a very precarious position in the jungle, but Nārada Muni assured him, "You do not have sufficient information about the influence of your son." Anyone who engages in devotional service, anywhere within this universe, is never unprotected.
(Srimad Bhagavatam----4:8:68----purport).
So we may be harassed for the time being, but Kṛṣṇa will save. This is śaraṇāgati. Avaśya rakhibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana. The śaraṇāgati means, surrender means that "Kṛṣṇa will save me. I, I'll not do anything against the devotional service. Even there is torture..." Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was tortured by his father. He had... Kṛṣṇa's mother was tortured by his brother. Not outsider. So the demons are so rascal, they don't care for son, sister, mother. No. "As soon as it is against my personal sense gratification, I must finish this." But be sure that Kṛṣṇa will save. We have got so many instances. As Prahlāda Mahārāja was saved by Hiraṇyaka..., by Narasiṁhadeva from the hands of his father, Hiraṇyakaśipu; Devakī was saved, Vasudeva was saved from the hands of Kaṁsa; so you will be also saved. Because there is promise in the Bhagavad-gītā: kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (B.G.9:31). Kṛṣṇa says, "Make it a declaration throughout the whole world that anyone who is My devotee, he'll never be annihilated. He'll be protected. I'll give him protection." Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (B.G.9:29). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I am equal to everyone. Nobody is My enemy, nobody is My friend." Ye tu bhajanti māṁ prītyā. "But those who are devotees, engaged twenty-four hours, I give them special protection. I give them special protection." So the demons will be there, and they will always give trouble to the demigods, or the devotees, but you don't stop your function, devotional service. Don't be afraid of the demons. Indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti. This mṛḍayanti means "giving protection" Yes. Give protection.
( Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam----1:3:28).
So Kuntīdevī says, yeṣāṁ na ca anyad bhavataḥ padāmbujāt. This is called full dependence. In the śaraṇāgati, in the surrender process, there are six things. The six things is that completely, one of the..., completely dependent upon Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ. The first śaraṇāgati is to accept everything favorable for Kṛṣṇa's service. Ānukūlyam. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC.2:19:167). Devotional, first-class bhakti means accepting everything which is favorable for devotional service. And prātikūlyasya varjanam. And reject everything which is unfavorable to the procedure of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we forbid that "You don't do this," because they are unfavorable. And we say something, "You do this, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa sixteen rounds," that is favorable. Śaraṇāgati means to give up the unfavorable things and to accept the favorable. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam. And believe that "Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." Full faith. And to count oneself as one of the servants of Kṛṣṇa. In this way, śaraṇāgati.
( Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam----1:8:37).
Replies