Saranagathi

(adapted form Swami Paramarthananda’s talk)

Surrender to the Lord taking the Lord as our refuge is called Saranagathi in our scriptures.   Though this is a popular term with all devotees, it is also beset with a few misconceptions. We know surrender is not just prostrating in full, falling at the feet of an image of the Lord in temple or in performing a ritual at home. For that is only just a physical act of surrender where the individuality and desires are not given up. Surrender is an act of devotion where the offeror becomes the offering himself.  True devotion is possible only with complete surrender and true surrender flows from renunciation. Now the question arises as to what is surrendered to the Lord. The popular misconception here is that we surrender our free will to Lord’s will. But it is only through the exercise of free will we can choose the purusharthas of artha and kama to conform to third purushartha of dharma and pursue the fourth purushartha of Moksha.  It is through the free will we exercise our discrimination to make informed, intelligent choice between right and wrong, Dharma and adharma and it is this power of discrimination that distinguishes us as human beings from animals.  In Kathopanishad, Yama makes it clear to Nachiketas that a spiritual seeker makes a choice of Sreyas, the good, over Preyas, the pleasant ( sreyo hi dhirobhi preyaso vrinite (1-2-2)).

Another popular misconception is that we should transfer all our responsibilities to Lord and Lord will take care of everything. But scriptures say that we have to take responsibility for our actions as we as human beings have the ability to make choices through free will. Lord Krishna says in Gita (6-5) that one should lift oneself through one’s own efforts (Uddhareth athmnathmanam).  In Kathopanishad, we have the allegory of a chariot which states among other things: Body is the chariot and intellect is the charioteer and mind the reins. ----------- He who possesses right discrimination, whose mind is under control and always pure, he reaches that goal from which he is not born again. (1-3-3 to 1-3-8). 

Stories from puranas are quoted in support of these misconceptions, where devotees get their problems solved without any effort on their part to attempt a solution except to keep praying and looking to Lord for solution to problems. These stories when analyzed amount to different type of miracles only and taking the stories literally true turns one’s faith in Lord into faith in Lord’s miracles.  When miracles do not happen, sometimes the faith in Lord itself gets eroded. To support the argument that no action is needed on our part when we surrender to the Lord, Lord Krishna’s closing words of advice to Arjuna in Gita is quoted (18-66):

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज। (Sarvadharmaan parityajya maamekam sharanam vraja) 
अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः।। (Aham twaa sarvapaapebhyo mokshayishyaami maa shuchah.) 

Relinquishing all Dharmas, take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate you from all sins; grieve not.

In Vaishnava Sampradaya this is an important Mantra and is called Charama Mantra and along with Dvaya Mantra (SRIMAN NARAYANA CHARANAU SARANAM PRAPADYE SRIMATE NARAYANAYA NAMAHA) and Ashtakshara (OM NAMO NARAYANA) constitute the three divine Mantras for initiation by an Acharya at the time of Samashrayanam.  But the Mantra is narrowly interpreted to mean surrender to Lord Vishnu only, to whom one surrenders all responsibilities. Hare Krishna sect followers interpret this still more narrowly to mean surrender to Lord Krishna alone.

 

Here Lord Krishna should be considered as speaking of Himself as the One without a second i.e. as the non-dual Brahman. And Dharmas he speaks of include adharmas as well and that means all actions. But relinquishing all actions physically is not possible, as Lord Krishna Himself has pointed out earlier that everyone is helplessly driven to action by nature-born qualities (Kaaryate hyavashah karma sarvah prakritijair gunaih(3-5)). So what Lord Krishna advises must be taken as relinquishing the actions mentally i.e. relinquishing the karthruthva bhava and bhokthruthva bhava in all actions.  This is possible only when one surrenders one’s ego and gives up one’s identification with body-mind complex as one’s Self.  This step can come through easily when one acquires Athma Jnanam and gets established in it as a Brahma Nishta.  Then he uses ego as a tool only for interacting with the world and he never forgets his essential identity with Brahman.  Further a Brahma Nishta is a Jeevan muktha as well. So he attracts no more papas and he attains videha mukthi, on exhaustion of prarabhdha karma.  Athma Jnanam itself liquidates all papas has been earlier stressed by Lord Krishna (4-36): 

अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः। (Api chedasi paapebhyah sarvebhyah paapakrittamah)
सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि।। (Sarvam jnaanaplavenaiva vrijinam santarishyasi.)

Even if you are the worst sinner among all sinners, you will still cross over all the sins with the raft of Knowledge.

Further Lord Krishna, speaking of Atma Jnanam earlier had also said (4-35): 
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव।( Yajjnaatwaa na punarmoham evam yaasyasi paandava)    
Knowing that, O Arjuna, you will not come under delusion again.

It is the sorrow born of delusion that had been the cause of Arjuna’s grief and this delusion can go only through Jnanam.  Lord Krishna has laid the foundation for this Jnanam all along by talking about Karma, Upasana, Bhakthi, and Jnana Yogas and now as a final stroke exhorts Arjuna to surrender his ego through Jnanam and act as per Dharma without grief.

So Lord Krishna’a final advice can be interpreted as: “Acquire Athma Jnanam and through that surrender your ego and relinquish mentally doership and enjoyership in all actions. Thus surrendering your ego through Jnanam all your sins will get washed away and you will acquire Videha Mukthi.  Through Jnanam give up your grief”.  

As Sastras impart this Jnanam, Swami Paramarthananda interprets Saranagathi as Sastra agathi I.e. surrender to Sastras (that give this Jnanam).  Sastra itself means “that which protects” (sasanath trayathe iti sastram) and Sastras protect us by providing solutions to our problems through the teaching of:

1.     Dharma – We can steer clear of most of the life’s problems by adopting a lifestyle based on Dharma and values as given in chapters 13,16 and 17 of Gita.

2.     Special remedies – For special problems we encounter in life, Sastras provide for special remedies in the form of Prayaschita and Paihara karmas.

3.     Proper attitude –  In facing choiceless situations, Iswararpana Buddhi and Prasada Bhavana along with the attitude of tithiksha and tolerance is prescribed.

4.     Self-knowledge - It rescues us from Samsara by revealing that we are in essence Sat-Chit-Ananda Swarupa Brahman.

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