Surrender to Krishna! From knowing to understanding - by Tejal Rathod

Isn't complete surrender to Krishna what we are all really striving for? Our spiritual practice and our everyday activities are the means to move steadily closer to it. Surrender is not so much a goal to reach as a direction to keep walking in — and daily sadhana, woven together with ordinary life, is how we experience, learn, and grow in our love for Krishna. This is a journey, not the work of a day, a week, a year, or even one lifetime; it may stretch across many lifetimes.

So the real questions are: how do we move from simply knowing about surrender to truly understanding it through practice? And what will that journey ask of us along the way?

The Gītā verse gives the command to surrender, the Bhāgavatam verse describes the heart of one who has surrendered, and the Caitanya-caritāmṛta verse details what surrender consists of in practice. Breaking this down further through the cyclical process of surrender, and what is the directive of each aspect in the journey.

-            What is Surrender?

Surrender (śaraṇāgati) means giving oneself completely to Krishna.

-            What does it mean? Why is it needed?

Abandoning reliance on one's own schemes for protection and happiness and accepting Krishna as the only shelter. It’s needed for aligning ourselves with our spiritual identity to experience a sense of peace and happiness through this life course.

-            What are the bona fide instructions to follow on that journey?

We understand it from Lord Shree Krishna himself, as the essence of the entire Gītā summed up in the below verse— surrender means abandoning all other duties, plans, and processes and taking exclusive shelter of Krishna. This does mean that you pursue activities according to your svabhava & dharma and through those sincere efforts make progress towards the direction of surrendering to Krishna steadily.

Bhagavad-gītā 18.66 — the ultimate instruction (carama-śloka)

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

"Give up all varieties of dharma and simply surrender unto Me alone. I will free you from all sinful reactions; do not fear."

-            What should be our demeanor through that journey?

But putting effort is not enough, one should intentionally endeavour to pursue surrender with recommended demeanour. Prabhupāda frequently cited this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam verse (spoken by Lord Brahmā) as describing the internal disposition of surrender: patient tolerance, humility, and complete dependence on Krishna's compassion. Those are the behavioural values one should rely on throughout the journey.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.8 — the mood of the surrendered soul

tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk

"One who earnestly awaits Your mercy while tolerating the reactions of his own past deeds, offering obeisances to You with heart, words, and body, becomes a rightful heir to liberation."

-            What should be our model of priority?

Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja quotes this verse (originally from the Vaiṣṇava-tantra/Hari-bhakti-vilāsa) in Lord Caitanya's teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī, and it functions as a model of priority one can pursue while making decisions on the journey of surrender, so that adequate progress can be made.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.100 — the six limbs of surrender

ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam
rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāso goptṛtve varaṇaṁ tathā
ātma-nikṣepa-kārpaṇye ṣaḍ-vidhā śaraṇāgatiḥ

"Accepting what is favourable to devotional service, rejecting what is unfavourable, firm faith that Krishna will give protection, accepting Him as one's maintainer and guardian, full self-surrender, and humility — these are the six divisions of śaraṇāgati."

Surrender simply means learning to trust Krishna fully — starting with hearing His instruction, following it sincerely, and staying humble through whatever life brings.

You truly know something not by experiencing it but by virtue of living it!

~Tejal Rathod

It is not a one-time decision but a daily practice to keep acting, keep reflecting on your progress, and keep good company that reminds you — and step by step, trust grows into a way of life.

About Author: Tejal Rathod (she/her) is a 'Management Psychology & Workplace Well-being' Peter Drucker Management Excellence Award-winning expert, Executive Coach & Therapist, Author, Speaker, and Founder at eDC (www.elementsdcoach.com), having over two decades of diverse corporate work experience (Ex: IIM-A, Amazon). She believes in leaving a legacy of positive work culture through personal growth and elevating one’s consciousness for meaningful success in life. Tejal engages with Individuals, Professionals, and Organizations worldwide while specializing in Work Dynamics & Culture, Executive Coaching, Mental Health & Emotional Well-being, Leadership Development, Behavioural Transformation, Professional Skills Development, and Holistic Lifestyle Coaching.