October 15, 2025
'Surrender to God' is an oft-discussed but easily misunderstood topic amongst religious and spiritual seekers. It is assumed to be the easiest and the most direct way out of the sorrow inherent in life, and an entry into the Kingdom of God. The assumed simplicity of surrender is because it does not involve physical effort or expenditure of time or money. It seems to be an entirely inward process; hence, it is easily 'attained'. But only in one's imagination. For, real self-surrender is not difficult, but tricky.
We tend to forget a great truth illustrated by Draupadi's predicament in the Kaurava court. She did not surrender to Krishna and call upon Him prematurely. Even so, it is impossible for a living human being to realize the futility of effort before having made that effort. If you have not tried your best, the ego is unwilling to accept defeat; and this is an essential condition to true self-surrender. When this condition is fulfilled, surrender happens and grace flows; there is absolutely no doubt that whatever happens from there on is realized to be the operation of grace. However, if one is sincere, it is possible for one to derive an insight into one's own being even when one merely professes to surrender to God.
This is what we learn from The Durga Saptashati. The ego, which considers itself righteous and holy, does not easily admit of a necessity for total surrender to God; for such a person is ensnared in his or her own self-esteem. When this self-esteem is challenged, he turns to God, but not before being worsted in the battle with the hidden diabolical forces within himself. This happens again and again. For, the surrender is often hypocritical if not imaginary.
Hence, paradoxically the very attempt to surrender seems to end in giving a boost to the ego; for it is the ego that thinks it has surrendered itself to God and (the blasphemy of it) is protected by God, whereas true surrender asks for no protection.
Thus the inner battle goes on. First with the forces of the grossest form of the ego, then the struggle becomes more intense and closer to oneself - the identification with family, property and position. When these are also seen to be an imaginary extension of a fundamental error, the spirit of true non-attachment arises. The last to go is the fundamental error - the feeling 'I am the body'. All other misconceptions are based on this fundamental error.