I Surrender (Atam-Samarpan)

Surrender literally means to stop fighting. Stop fighting with yourself. Stop fighting the universe and the natural flow of things. Stop resisting and pushing against reality. “I surrender” means total surrender. Surrendering of once attachment to its possession, post, pride and place; preferences-priorities; liking-disliking; pleasure-pain etc. Surrender is ultimate means to get success in apara prakriti (external or material world) as well as para prakriti (inner or spiritual life). In this material world, surrender before boss, surrender before mighty…….is mantra for getting the desired results.
The ultimate aim of all religions is “Surrender of ego”. The different religions have different rituals which are for spiritual upliftment and to reduce ego. Rituals symbolizes lower form of surrender – temporary surrender of possessions, time, actions etc. Higher form of surrender is attainment of spiritual upliftment by complete & permanent self-surrender (body, mind and ego).  

What is Surrender:
The surrender does not mean leaving the rational decisions, inactions or laziness, not being emotional, not taking resolves from will power etc. It is rather perfecting the decision-making, to be intensely emotional, taking strong resolution and working hard. The process invites the purifying the mind, intellect, chit and ego. It will require to dropping the burdens of past sins, not taking selfish decisions, not doing selfish actions, to be fearless of outcomes, etc.

Why Surrender:
Total Surrender can be to any deity, Guru, Parents, work-in-hand, for personal enquiry or to Nirankar Brahman. In Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga, Jnana yoga and Raja Yoga are the different paths to attain salvation. All the four paths mandate total surrender which can be to any personal deity or if Guru or parents attain that stature; or when work become worship without selfish motives; or making intense enquiry forgetting everything else; or in the Asamprajaatah (seedless) Samadhi wherein all desires, ignorance, afflictions, sufferings, impressions etc. retire. Saint Kabir said –

“जब मैं था तब हरी नहीं, अब हरी है मैं नाही । सब अँधियारा मिट गया, दीपक देखा माही । “
Means: When I was immersed in my ego – I could not see the God – but when the guru illuminated the lamp of knowledge within me, all the darkness of ignorance disappeared – the light of knowledge kept the ego going and in the light of knowledge I found the God.
Importance of Surrender in Hinduism:
 
In Shree Bhagavad Gita, Bhagwan Shree Krishna said Arjuna,

1. मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् । नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ॥ ८-१५॥

Means - After attaining Me, the great souls do not incur rebirth in this miserable transitory world, because they have attained the highest perfection.
 

1. मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु । मामेवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवमात्मानं मत्परायणः ॥ ९-३४॥

Means - One who fix his mind daily, continuously & unmoved on Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna); be devoted to Me, worship by listening, chanting, meditating & studying Me without motives; surrender everything to me with great devotion & love; make obeisance to Me and entirely depending on Me, he shall come to Me.
 

1. ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः । अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते ॥ १२-६॥ तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् । भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ॥ १२-७॥

Means - Those, who depend exclusively on Me, and surrender all actions to Me, worship Me (God with attributes), constantly meditate on Me with single-minded devotion, I speedily deliver from the ocean of birth and death, their mind being fixed on Me
 

1. मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते । स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥ १४-२६॥

Means - he who serves Me with the yoga of unswerving devotion, transcending these qualities [binary opposites, like good and evil, pain and pleasure] is ready for liberation in Brahman.
 

1. मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु । मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे ॥ १८-६५॥

Means - Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, offer service to Me, bow down to Me, and you shall certainly reach Me. I promise you he is exceptionally dear to Me.
 

1. सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज । अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥ १८-६६॥

Means - Abandon all varieties of duties and just surrender unto Me. I shall absolve you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
 
Processes of surrender:
In Hinduism, there are five methods for achieving the self-surrender which are mentioned as under:

1. God-Centred actions - In Hinduism, Bhagawata Purana explains the attainment of total surrender by God-centred actions under navdha bhakti viz. listening, hymning/eulogizing, meditating/ remembering, service, worship, salutation/greeting, servitude/bondage, and comradeship/friendliness. These actions ultimately lead to self-surrender. Hindu Philosophers such Ramanujacharya, Nibakacharya, Madhavacharya, Vallabhacharya etc. introduced the system of services to be offered to the deity.
2. Service-Centred actions – In Hinduism, Sri Vivekananda reiterated the service of all beings in the spirit of the God. The ideal of service is inspired by reverence and humility. The surrender has four stages – selfishness, sharing, selflessness and ultimately surrender.  All these stages reflect in actions, thoughts, will and ego. It eliminates the pseudo ego of possession, post & pride and makes complete presence of almighty in actions, thoughts and will-power.
3. Work as worship of God – Shree Krishna advised in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita that constant remembrance of God and practice of meditation automatically follow the successful performance of surrendering the sense of agency and fruits of work to God. Ist stage: Work and worship – doing the karma with sattvic attributes and worshipping and loving the personal god. IInd stage: Work as worship – Doing the karma whole day as worshipping the god. IIIrd stage: Work is worship – Feel karma itself is God. IVth stage: No duality – Oneness i.e., realising self and everybody is Brahman (almighty).
4. Intense Enquiry - Shedding the pride of material possession which is received from this world and will be left after death; shedding the pride of body which is the gift of parents & nature; shedding the pride of knowledge which belongs to teachers or books; shedding the pride of soul which is part of cosmic consciousness.
5. Realising Consciousness by eliminating various bodies – As per Hindu philosophy, the soul or individual consciousness is encased in five sheaths or walls – Annamay kosh (sensory & motor organs), Pranmay Kosh (Breath & vital energy flows), Manomay Kosh (Mind, thoughts), Vigyanmaya Kosh (Intellect, analytical power) and Anandamaya Kosh (Bliss). In this process, withdrawal is done from sensory perceptions, then from thoughts, then from intellect / analysis and lastly forgetting everything even bliss for the moments.