Question: What is the meaning of Surrender – sharanagati?
Sri Prabhuji:
With total faith when one surrenders to Lord, Lord will take care of you like a kitten is carried by the cat. On the other hand, a baby of the monkey has to hang on to mother for survival. These two represent two paths for realization – Path of surrender (cat and kitten) and path of will (monkey and baby).
Example:
A baby monkey clings to its mother. He knows he will be safe with his mother. Where, what, when, how, it leaves that decision-making to its mother. This is an example of surrender. A kitten does the same too but rather than clinging to its mother, it simply lets go. The mother picks it up and transports it to a safer place. The sharp teeth it uses to prey do not harm its own child. This is also surrendering. Both show surrender with one fundamental difference: in monkey’s case, the onus is on the infant to cling to its mother or else there may be no protection. Whereas, in the case of a kitten, it is solely mother’s responsibility. The kitten does not do anything.