In life, we often find ourselves grappling with circumstances we don’t understand—setbacks, heartbreaks, or simply a feeling of spiritual emptiness. In these moments, a single realization can bring immeasurable peace:
Shree Krishna knows what’s best for you.
This is not just a poetic reassurance. It is a truth embedded in the very fabric of the spiritual path. When we let go of control, and truly surrender our ego, our expectations, and even our limited understanding, we open the door to something higher: God’s grace.
But what does surrender really mean?
Is it about giving up effort? Being passive? Wearing a tilak or going on a pilgrimage?
Swami Mukundananda, reveals that surrender is not an act of the body—it’s a state of consciousness. This state has six essential qualities that, when cultivated, unlock the boundless grace of God.
Let us explore each of these six facets of surrender, preserved in Swamiji’s original words and illuminated with reflection and insight to help us apply them in modern life.
1. Desire as per the Desire of God.
The first and most foundational principle is this:
“To align your wish with the wish of your Sharanya, whom you are surrendering to—God and Guru. To desire in accordance with the desire of God.”
Why? Because when you accept God as your Master, your role becomes that of the loving, obedient servant—seeking to please Him, not yourself.
Swamiji brings this to life with Mirabai’s divine example:
“If Shree Krishna wishes to make me laugh, I will laugh. If he wishes to make me cry, I will cry. If he wishes to ignore me—‘Who are you? I don’t know you’—so be it. If he wishes to shower his love and accept me, so be it.”
And in the end, her surrender culminates in:
“Mere to Giridhar Gopal doosra na koi, Jaake sir mor mukut, mero pati soi.”
For me, there is no one other than Giridhar Gopal.
The one who wears the peacock feather crown—he alone is my Lord.
💡 Reflection:
This is not blind obedience—it is emotional surrender. Mirabai doesn’t just obey Krishna; she loves Him unconditionally. We should try to develop such intimacy with God, where our greatest joy is to serve His desire.
2. Don’t Desire against the Desire of God
If the first point is about desiring what God desires, the second is about rejecting what He does not desire.
Swamiji explains:
“If you desire according to his desire, you will not desire against his desire. But just to confirm it, it has been reversed and negated.”
But how do we know what God doesn’t want? We cannot ask Him directly—yet. So, until that divine meeting, we rely on scriptures and the Guru’s wisdom to guide us.
Swamiji asks:
“Does God want us to be irresponsible? Does God want us to be wasteful in our senses, to chase unnecessary pleasures? He doesn’t. So don’t do it.”
However, the real challenge comes when suffering appears. That’s when most people say:
“Why did God do this to me?”
Swamiji addresses this beautifully:
“God says: you do your bit, you do your best, and you leave the results to me. To accept the results—this is surrender.”
And he quotes a verse from the Bhagavatam:
“God’s property will become your inheritance… if you can fulfill these three conditions: wait patiently for His grace, bear the good and bad results of your karma without complaint, and keep offering your respect and devotion to God.”
💡 Application:
Start observing your reactions to discomfort. Every disturbance is a test of this second principle of surrender.
3. To have firm faith that God is protecting.
This third principle is the pillar of emotional security on the spiritual path.
Swamiji says “Why should a little child in the parent’s hand feel fear? The child knows. I have seen fathers holding their children over a well—and the child is laughing. Because the child knows, my father is protecting me.”
He shares a profound story of a naval captain.
“There was a naval captain who, after marriage, took his wife on her first sea voyage. Out on the high seas, the ship got caught in a storm. While everyone panicked, the captain remained calm and peaceful. His newlywed wife was impressed and asked, “Dear husband, the ship is tossing so violently. People are terrified, but you show no fear at all.”
The captain drew his sword and placed its naked blade on her head. “Are you scared?” he asked. She replied, “Of course not.” “Why not?” he said. She answered, “Because the sword is in your hand, and you are my well-wisher.”
The captain smiled and said, “Likewise, I have faith that this ship is in God’s hands. He is my well-wisher. Why should I fear? Even if He chooses to take my life, it will only be to give me a better birth.”
To worry means, to that extent, we are not yet surrendered. To be surrendered means to be free of worry.
💡 Insight:
Whenever you feel anxiety, ask yourself: Do I truly believe God is looking after me, or am I still trying to control everything myself?
4. To always feel gratitude towards God.
Swamiji shifts our attention to the countless blessings we receive daily—often unnoticed.
“The earth that He has created for us. The air that we breathe—we take it for granted.”
During COVID, many gasped for breath. But Swamiji points out:
“That entity without which we cannot survive for five minutes, God has placed in free fund all around us.”
Even if you don’t formally offer your food to God, it is still Prasad—because you could never have acquired it without His divine system.
He illustrates this with humour and depth:
“One lady cooked a meal and brought it for me. I asked, ‘Did you make the potatoes? The cabbage?’ She said, ‘No, my husband got them from the market.’ I said, ‘Then who made them?’ It was mud that transformed into edibles. That technology—does anyone else have it? Even all Nobel Prize winners will admit defeat.”
💡 Practice:
Each time you eat, breathe, rest, or laugh—acknowledge the source. Gratitude transforms every action into worship.
5. Give up the sense of Proprietorship
We live under the illusion of ownership: my money, my family, my success. But Swamiji reminds us:
“We came empty-handed in the world, and we will leave our hands behind and go. Where is the question of taking anything with us?”
He tells the powerful story of Raja Raghu, ancestor of Lord Ram, who gave everything in a Vishwajit Yagya. Afterward, dressed as a beggar, he overheard citizens praising “his” generosity. Raghu rebuked them:
“Don’t you dare say that again. Raghu has not given anything. All that is in this world belongs to God.”
💡 Transformation:
When we give up proprietorship, we no longer feel burdened. Every act of giving becomes natural, because it was never ours to begin with.
6. Give up the Pride of Having Surrendered to God.
This is the final—and most subtle—form of surrender.
“To do the good deed and also forsake the pride of it. To think—if I was able to do it, it was God's grace.”
Swamiji is clear:
“You can never settle accounts with God. No matter what you do, the blessings you receive are always His causeless mercy.”
Even the intellect, strength, and motivation to pursue devotion is a gift.
“In this age of Kali, where was the question of getting this intellect of engaging in devotion? If I did come on the path, it was God's blessings that arranged it.”
💡 Reminder:
Never become proud of your humility or devotion. The more surrendered you are, the more you see everything as His doing.
Conclusion: Where Effort Meets Grace
Swamiji concludes with a powerful equation:
Your sincere effort + God’s grace = Spiritual success
These six principles of surrender are not just theory—they are tools for your transformation. They dissolve fear, replace ego with devotion, and create a life of peace, purpose, and divine connection. So, begin today. Take one step. Practice one principle. And let grace flow.
Because whatever happens, never forget:
Shree Krishna knows what’s best for you.
Call to Action
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