Continuing our presentation of the upcoming release Sharanagati, in this post Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur humbly expresses the essence of the mood of surrender: having no desire other than the desire to serve.
Sharanagati
Song Ten
nā karalu̐ karama, geyāna nāhi bhela,
nā sevilu̐ charaṇa tohāra
jaḍa-sukhe mātiyā, āpanaku vañcha‑i
pekhahu̐ chaudiśa āndhiyāra [1]
nā–not; karalu̐ (karilāma)–I did; karama (karma)–pious deeds; geyāna (jñāna)–knowledge; nāhi–not; bhela–happened; nā–not; sevilu̐ (sevilāma)–I served; charaṇa–feet; tohāra (tomāra)–Your; jaḍa–material; sukhe–by pleasures; mātiyā–being intoxicated; āpanaku (āpanake)–to myself; vañcha‑i (vañchanā kariyā)–cheating; pekhahu̐ (dekhitechhi)–I see; chaudiśa (chāridik)–in the four directions; āndhiyāra (andhakāra)–blinding darkness. [1]
(1) I have never performed any good works. I have never acquired any knowledge. I have never served Your feet. Maddened by mundane pleasures, cheating my own self, I see darkness in all directions.
tuhu̐ nātha! karuṇā-nidāna
tuyā pada-paṅkaje, ātma-samarpilu̐
more kṛpā karabi vidhāna [2]
tuhu̐–You; nātha!–Lord!; karuṇā–of mercy; nidāna (ākara)–ocean (source); tuyā–Your; pada–feet; paṅkaje–at the lotus; ātma–self; samarpilu̐ (samarpaṇa karilāma)–I fully offered; more–to me; kṛpā–mercy; karabi–please make; vidhāna (vyavasthā)–arrangements. [2]
(2) O Lord! You are the source of all mercy. I have fully surrendered myself at Your lotus feet; please make arrangements to bestow Your mercy upon me.
pratijñā tohāra ai yohi śaraṇāgata
nāhi so jānaba paramāda
so hāma duṣkṛti, gati nā hera‑i āna,
āb mago̐ tuyā parasāda [3]
pratijñā–promise; tohāra (tomāra)–Your; ai–that; yohi–who; śaraṇāgata–a surrendered soul; nāhi–not; so (sei)–he; jānaba–will know; paramāda–illusion; so–he; hāma–I; duṣkṛti–misbehaviour; gati–shelter; nā–not; hera‑i–I see; āna–another; āb–now; māgo̐ (māgitechhi)–I beg; tuyā–Your; parasāda (prasāda)–mercy. [3]
(3) Your promise is that one who is surrendered will never know illusion. I am most sinful and see no other shelter but You; I now pray for Your mercy.
Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhashya
(3) pratijñā tohāra: “Your promise.” As Ramchandra proclaims:
sakṛd eva prapanno yas tavāsmīti cha yāchate
abhayam sarvadā tasmai dadāmy etad vrataṁ mama
(Ramayana: Yuddha-kanda, 18.33)
“Anyone who even once sincerely surrenders unto Me, declaring, ‘I am Yours’, and prays for fearlessness—it is My vow that I will always grant that to them.”
gati nā hera‑i: “I see no other shelter.” This sentiment has been expressed by Sri Jamun Acharya in his Sri Stotra-ratna (22):
na dharma-niṣṭho ’smi na chātma-vedī
na bhaktimāṁs tvach-charaṇaravinde
akiñchano ’nanya-gatiḥ śaraṇya
tvat-pāda-mūlaṁ śaraṇam prapadye
“O Supreme Refuge, I am not religious, I do not know the nature of the soul, and I do not have any devotion to Your lotus feet. I am bereft and have no other shelter. Such as I am, I surrender unto the soles of Your feet.”
āna manoratha, niḥśeṣa chhoḍata,
kab hām ha-ubhu̐ tohārā
nitya-sevya tuhu̐ nitya-sevaka muñi
bhakati-vinoda bhāva sārā [4]
āna (anya)–other; manoratha (abhilāṣa)–wishes (desires); niḥśeṣa (sampūrṇa-rūpe)–completely (fully); chhoḍata–abandoning; kab–when?; hām–I; ha-ubhu̐ (ha-iba)–will be; tohārā–Your; nitya–eternally; sevya–who is to be served; tuhu̐–You; nitya–eternal; sevaka–servant; muñi–I; bhakati-vinoda–of Bhakti Vinod; bhāva–of the heart; sārā (sāra, athavā samasta)–essence (substance, or everything). [4]
(4) When will I completely abandon all other desires and become Yours? You are my eternal Lord and I am Your eternal servant. This is the essence of Bhakti Vinod’s heart.