by Sri Bmal Mohanty
VOL No. 23
Oct. 2002

PREPARATIONS FOR SADHANA -Part 4

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

Earlier we emphasized the very important role Shraddha plays in sadhana. But Shraddha without atmasamarpan or self surrender is like all labours lost. Look at it this way. If you look at your yoga sadhana as a river, Shraddha provides it the strength and sustains so that it swells to become stronger and mightier. But what good is a river if it does not flow its full length and meet the ocean? If a river, however mightier it may be dries up halfway in the desert without meeting its goal - the ocean, where is the benefit? What a colossal waste it is? Atma samarpan or self-surrender is like that final plunge of the sadhana into that ocean of Bramhan. That is why to the followers of Sanatana philosophy and those who are constantly in the quest of Bramhan, the word samarpan or self surrender has great significance. Because surrendering oneself to that ultimate Omniscient -Sarvajnata- Superconscious - Chinmay- being is not only the prerequisite of our developmental process but in the practical life of our day to day existence, this samarpan or surrender is like a talisman for instant peace and happiness. If one could wear this talisman around him all the time, many of the trials and tribulations of life would appear trivial - too small to bother about.

When we talk of samarpan or surrender or deliverance - many people straightway jump to the obvious which is Atma Samarpan. That is deliverance of your 'self' in 'totality' to the Lord. However, we must understand that this is really the highest form of surrender, which comes at the very end, and is achieved at the culmination of one's sadhana. This being the highest point of Yoga there are stages which the sadhaka must cross.

All yoga end with atmasamarpan. This is an axiomatic truth worth keeping in mind.

Obviously it does not come easily to worldly men like you and me. Years of hard sadhana encompassing perhaps many many lives one reaches such a state. Therefore, when Lord Krishna himself says ' Sarva dharman parityajya mamekam saranam braja, aham tvam sarva papebhya mokshyisyami ma sucha. - Leave everything and surrender to me and I shall save you from all sins, it sounds nice but one never knows where to start. That is how difficult it appears.

First let us understand the need for an attitude for surrender. A worldly person is constantly under the influence of two shortcomings that we all know. One is the power of desire- a constant hankering after sense dictated needs - and the other is ignorance, i.e. not knowing where the solution for peace and happiness lies.

When desires take possession of us they drag us down and down, step by step, through anger, loss of memory, loss of discerning power and finally the ultimate downfall. But as a creation of The Lord, with divinity as our inherent character, we are certainly not destined to a fate of irrevocable downfall and total annihilation. There comes a time, when helped by the nature and intervention by the Divine guidance, we resist further degradation.

At this point when we look for help, we do not know where to look at. Our ignorance poses before us as a dead wall. We are like the proverbial child lost in the woods not knowing the way. We have the natural tendency to depend on someone who is knowledgeable and ready to guide us out of the woods. Once we find such a person, we put ourselves in the hands of that person and allow ourselves to be led without questioning. All our movements are in the direction and diction of this person. We have surrendered ourselves to this person who knows, seeking a way out from our predicament.

Now, in the jungle of life, we also often get lost.

There is a need to seek guidance.

And who could be the best guide? Who is this person who knows all the ways out of this human predicament?

The Lord ofcourse.

Hence we see logic in surrendering to Him- The Lord.

It sounds so simple when spoken like this. However in the practical sense, we need some guidance and further understanding. For guidance, the Bhakti Yoga of Bhagavad Gita comes as an excellent source. What does The Lord say there?

Mayeva mana adhatsva mayi buddhim nivesaya

Nivasisyasi mayeva ata urdhvam na sansaya

Fix your mind on me. Let your thoughts stay with Me. You will then dwell in me alone, have no doubts after that. It is the mind and the intellect, that are called upon to get fixed on The Lord.

But indeed this solution also happens to be part of our problem. How does one succeed in keeping the mind steadily fixed on the Lord? This is difficult. Hence The Lord himself goes on to make it simpler for us.

Atha chittam samadhatum na saknosi mayi sthiram

Abhyasa Yogena tato mamicchaptum dhanamjaya


If you are unable to fix your mind on me, just keep on trying to reach me. Just keep on thinking about me as much as you can. Keep practicing.

But even inspite of trying we often find it frustrating when the wavering mind refuses to get tied down. So the Lord again makes it even simpler

Abhyasepi asamarthosi matkarma paramobhava

madartham api karmani kurvan siddhim avapsyasi