Saranagati or Surrender to God

All Glories to HDG Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaj

All Glories to HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati  Goswami Prabhupada

The Supreme Lord is the controller of the material energy ,the reservoir of consciousness and intrinsically inconceivable to all beings. The living entity is an infinitesimal speck of the divine consciousness and by virtue of its minuteness can be overcome by the  external material energy. If the Supreme Lord be somehow compared to a huge furnace of fire , in that respect, the living entity will just be an  ordinary emitted spark. In the event of a storm there is no chance of the furnace being put off but in fact it  may become the  effects of the storm to increase  the burning destruction. But the in case of sparks ,they all immediately become extinguished .On the other hand, if the sparks were to conjoin with the huge furnace so as to boost it then as it becomes part of the huge furnace as it maintains the same stance then it is not overcome by any  passing gale. Similarly, if the living entity under the control of the material energy, takes shelter of the Supreme Lord in service then he is able to overcome the material energy and become completely blissful. The material creation, in the vision of both the conditioned souls and those surrendered to the Lord is somewhat a   bewitching illusion. The illusory energy bewitching the conditioned souls in many ways thrusts  these bewildered entities in  the material prison house and with making them  suffer the three types of miseries. From the small mouse to the fierce tiger and lion and up to the huge elephant, all are trapped within this insurmountable iron clad prison and unless the Controller who has sent all these entities into that prison can be pacified then he can release us all our bonds .The living entities trapped in this huge prison are being overwhelmed by so much distresses and do try their best to escape from this prison but to no avail. From Brahma to the living entity all after getting  the feeling of distress in this prison of the material universe try their best to make their escape in different ways. Some by the process of yoga ,others by works or knowledge attempt to escape from this material prison. Just as an animal trapped in the iron cage perceives a hole and on pushing its limb thru becomes confident that it can escape if it is able to slide his head thru that gap. If its head is able to slide in a little then it is  confident it is about to escape .Similarly ,many by striving in various ways are under that idea that they are about to escape and free themselves  from this material prison .In spite of their triumphant claims, no body can escape from this material prison without  the permission of the Supreme who has thrust all the entities into this vortex of suffering and unless one is able to surrender unto that Supreme Person there is no way of escape. In Geeta, the Lord declares : daivi hyesa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya mam eva ye prapyante  mayam etam taranti te ; This illusory energy which is the mixture of goodness, passion and ignorance is truly insurmountable. A person who is completely surrendered to the divine form of the Lord will be able to cross this illusory realm otherwise striving through the paths of work, yoga or knowledge  or being surrendered to other demigods will not be of any help. On one side are the living entities and aspirants for liberation striving by their means of yoga ,work and knowledge, on the other side we have the demigods who are simply order carriers and therefore not independent and under the influence of the material energy. SriBaladeva Vidyabhusan has commented on the word mamaeva meaning one has to surrender solely to Krishna. One who by proper association of the saintly persons understands the the actual form of the Supreme  Lord who is above the material energy and surrenders to him completely will be able to cross ocean of material existence  easily as crossing the footprints of a cow. By the mercy of the Lord ,he will be able to overcome the material energy and be able to perceive the blissful form of the Supreme Lord. Hence here mam refers to solely the Supreme Lord and not the demigods who carry out His orders who can not release anybody from the influence of the material energy. The demigods told Muchukunda to take a boon from them and that they cannot bestow liberation. Only lLrd Mukunda can bestow liberation .this was confirmed by Lord Siva who told to Ghatakaran  ,'there is no doubt that only Lord Vishnu can bestow liberation to the jivas' to people who are indifferent it must be stressed this is simply not a dogma. In the Upanishads ,Sruti, Geeta ,tantras in the  mode of goodness, Puranas in the mode of goodness all repeatedly in every place declare that only by surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead one can cross over the material ocean of existence. If The Geeta is taken as the essence then even though mentioning all the paths of yoga ,work and knowledge but without surrender all these strivings will not bear any fruit. In the end ,the Lord Himself declares that complete surrender to Him is the highest welfare for the  living entity promising their wellbeing by the verse sarva darmam parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva papebhyah moksyasyami ma sucah        Actually in the first instance when Arjuna was confused about his duty at that time he took complete shelter of Krishna in surrender.  

yat sreyah syat niscittam bruhi tan me sisyas te ~ham sadhi mam prapannam whatever which is essential for my welfare, please instruct me on the same as I am your surrendered disciple. In  the Geeta ,the Lord has repeatedly  mentioned the faith that determines  one to take complete refuge in the Lord in the verses as sraddhavan labhete jnanam  or tad viddhi paripatena paripresnena sevaya. In the Geeta, in analyzing the ways to salvation as action ,knowledge and yoga and then  in consideration of austerities done for personal motives ,work without motivation is considered superior then Sankhya yoga and of all these processes, yoga was deemed to be the topmost but of all the yogis ,the faithful surrendered devotee is considered the best of all --yoginam api sarvesam  madgatenantaraatmana sraddhavan bhajete yo mama sa  me yuktamo matah  In respect of knowledge ,the Lord informs us that if it is devoid of cheating propensity of liberation but only knowlege  in linking with me to enhance devotion to me then it is beneficial. The living entities by the austerities of  many births gain either knowledge or their consciousness become surcharged .In the  latter the first sign is dry renunciation of material objects which will make impersonalism  dominant in the heart. This is the time of great consternation for the aspirant . However by chance if he take to the shelter of the Lord in service ,then  he is able to see all objects in relation to the Lord Vasudeva. Such a great soul is very rare. Bahunam janamnam ante The examples of great liberated devotees are seen attaining of devotion to the Lord as Suka ,Sanatana and other Rsis. All these devotees were fixed  in knowledge  but by the association of the saintly devotees as Narada and Vyasa in the absorbed hearing of the pastime of the Supreme Lord they developed that devotional faith that is conducive to surrender to the Lord by which they were able to renounce their covering of knowledge to engage in the service of Krishna. But there are others too fixed in their pursuit of knowledge  and coming to the pinnacle think themselves liberated but because they have renounced the idea of surrender to the Supreme Lord even after  apparently reaching the highest stage they fall down .Ye anyaravindaksha vimuktamaninah tavayastavabhavah avisuddhabuddhayah aruhya krchrena pram padam tatah patantyadhoh  nadhrtah yusmadanghreyah Therefore Sruti and Smrti all declare equivocally  that surrender to the Lord as the only highest path. This surrender is the eternal function of the minute living entity. All those established in that eternal function will never be vanquished. Lord Krishna Himself has declared to Arjuna that My unalloyed devotee will never be vanquished. Only the surrendered devotee knows the art of freeing himself from the influence of  material nature without exception.