The word Sharanagati or Surrender is commonly associated with the Guru-Shishya relationship. But few know what Surrender truly entails. Parama Pujya Shri Shri Nimishananda dispels misconceptions about it, and throws light on the nature of true SHARNAGATI
Sharanagati does not mean being passive.
It is to accept everything as Divine Prasad with complete awareness. You are aware that God knows what to give and how to give it to you. You are aware that there is a Divine purpose behind everything. So you are not passive, but lively, alert and always open to learning. When any situation confronts you, don't indulge in knee-jerk reactions. Receive it calmly as His Prasad (Grace). This is what all the scriptures and Mahatmas tell us. For instance, when somebody calls you a fool, how will you react? Angrily or calmly? Jesus Christ told his disciples – "If someone slaps you on one cheek, show them the other."
Sharanagati means that one never loses one's equilibrium.
When the mind is unperturbed, it sees the solution that is always hidden in the problem itself. It is to demonstrate this to people that Mahatmas are confronted by trying circumstances. Take Shirdi Sai Baba's own life for example – how many obstacles He faced! The best gift that we can give God is total surrender.
Sharanagati requires great mental strength.
But all of us are endowed with this strength. You will never know your own strength till life tests you. At this very moment someone maybe saying good things about you or abusing you. You are not aware of this, so it doesn't affect you. When you hear of it later, a negative statement made by somebody many days ago will give you so much pain. It may spoil your peace of mind for days together. And yet that sentence was uttered by that person only once! Why do you recall it again and again? Why are you so obsessed with it? Why are you so unwilling to let go of the past? A mind that clings tenaciously to the past is a weak mind. A person with a strong and stable mind may feel bad for a few moments when he hears something negative. However, he quickly forgets all about it and moves on. Nothing can perturb him for long.
Sharanagati requires a lot of patience.
You cannot say I have surrendered to so and so for the past so many years/months/days, so why aren't things getting better for me? What is a day for us is just one Kshana (moment) for the divine. We need to have enormous patience before our efforts are noticed by the Divine. Our one year of sadhana amounts to perhaps one day at that level.
Sharanagathi also means dropping all expectations for efforts.
You cannot say 'Since I have surrendered to Pujya Guruji, he will make things happen for me as per my wish'. This is utter foolishness, not surrender. True surrender is to have unshakable belief that whatever happens is for the best- even if your mind classifies something as 'bad'. To expect things to be different from what they are is not sharanagati.
We need to offer everything at the lotus Feet of the Guru, even our sadhana and its fruits.
Gurucharanarpanamastu is the divine mantra which will help us to be detached from our own efforts inspired by the Guru, of course. The moment a sense of doership enters our mind, all our sadhana will be in vain.
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