Srimad Bhagavatam – 1.19.15 | HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj | ISKCON Chennai | Jan 10, 2026
Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya
Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya
Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya
nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine
jaya sri-krishna-chaitanya
prabhu nityananda
sri-adwaita gadadhara
shrivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Reading from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 19 Verse 15.
ŚB 1.19.15
तं मोपयातं प्रतियन्तु विप्रा
गङ्गा च देवी धृतचित्तमीशे ।
द्विजोपसृष्ट: कुहकस्तक्षको वा
दशत्वलं गायत विष्णुगाथा: ॥ १५ ॥
taṁ mopayātaṁ pratiyantu viprā
gaṅgā ca devī dhṛta-cittam īśe
dvijopasṛṣṭaḥ kuhakas takṣako vā
daśatv alaṁ gāyata viṣṇu-gāthāḥ
Synonyms
tam — for that reason; mā — me; upayātam — taken shelter of; pratiyantu — just accept me; viprāḥ — O brāhmaṇas; gaṅgā — mother Ganges; ca — also; devī — direct representative of the Lord; dhṛta — taken into; cittam — heart; īśe — unto the Lord; dvija-upasṛṣṭaḥ — created by the brāhmaṇa; kuhakaḥ — something magical; takṣakaḥ — the snake-bird; vā — either; daśatu — let it bite; alam — without further delay; gāyata — please go on singing; viṣṇu-gāthāḥ — narration of the deeds of Viṣṇu.
Translation
O brāhmaṇas, just accept me as a completely surrendered soul, and let mother Ganges, the representative of the Lord, also accept me in that way, for I have already taken the lotus feet of the Lord into my heart. Let the snake-bird — or whatever magical thing the brāhmaṇa created — bite me at once. I only desire that you all continue singing the deeds of Lord Viṣṇu.
Purport
As soon as one is given up completely unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, he is not at all afraid of death. The atmosphere created by the presence of great devotees of the Lord on the bank of the Ganges and Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s complete acceptance of the Lord’s lotus feet were sufficient guarantee to the King for going back to Godhead. He thus became absolutely free from all fear of death.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj:
So, the curse of the Brahmana would produce a death for Parikshit Maharaj. And the exact time was also known, seven days. So, Parikshit decided he would fast on the bank of the Ganges. And then, of course, he would die. But between that curse and the seven days, then getting dying, what should he do? So, he should prepare for death. That would be the sensible thing to do.
Of course, we see that not all people make such a decision. There’s a story of a king, and he had a son born prince after a long time. So, the king called the astrologers. So, all the astrologers came, and they made nice predictions about the son, etc. The king was very happy. One astrologer, who was Vikramaditya, became a very famous, no, the astrologer, he became a very famous astrologer later on for the king. He decided to tell the truth. And he said, well, very, very good. But at the age of 16, and so and so day, so and so time, he’ll die [Laughs]. So, the king was very shocked by that. And he was very disturbed. And he said, well, you better be sure, Are you sure, this is going to happen or not? And the astrologer said, yes, it is certain.
So then the king understood, okay, we’ve got to make some preparation when he’s 16 years old, whatever, you know, then we have to be very careful. So he was not surrendering to the Lord or anything. He’s trying to take precautions so he wouldn’t allow the prince to go out of the palace. And particularly when the 16th year came, then he was even more paranoid, frightened, take more precautions. And then when the exact month arrived and the exact week arrived, then he was very, very frightened and he locked the prince in a highest room of the palace. This is because the astrologer had given a very specific information how he would die. He said he will get pierced by the tusk of a wild boar. For that reason, he was always careful that the prince could not go out hunting or go in the forest or he had to stay in the palace like this because there were no boars in the palace.
Then when the exact day arrived, the king was most frightened and he had guards all around the room in the topmost room of the palace and the guards were coming down every seven minutes, you know, reporting, yeah, the prince is safe or whatever like that. And they said, no, there’s no wild boars anywhere around in the palace, nothing on the top floor and he’s in the room and he’s just resting and fine. And the minute arrived and then the king thought, okay, prediction didn’t come true. But then as the exact minute arrived, then he heard some cry at the top of the building and he became very frightened. And some guards came running down and they said, well, the prince is dead [Laughs].
So no matter what precautions the king took, he couldn’t prevent it. He said, how is it possible there’s no boars in the palace? And then they explained, well, the prince was there and there he was not peaceful and then he got a little restless and he went out on the balcony. Still, how can a boar jump up [Laughs] at the topmost room of the palace and fly in and pierce him? Impossible. So then they explained that no, on the top of the palace, you know, they have roofs and they have the poles coming up and you have like flags on top or whatever. So on top of one of the poles, there was an insignia of a boar, emblem of a boar on top and it fell over and it pierced him [Laughs]. So this is an example of knowing the time of death, but not taking the right precautions [Laughs].
In this case, it was an astrological prediction. In this case, it was the curse of a Brahmin boy. So instead of going out and trying to figure out where all the snake birds were and killing them or whatever [Laughs], he just sat down and said, okay, let the snake bite me. But then he also says, ‘gāyata viṣṇu-gāthāḥ’, he’s telling these Brahmins, you chant the stories of the Supreme Lord. So in other words, he did not try to prevent the death. If he knew it was there, fine, but he wanted to prepare in the proper way.
Of course, Parikshit asked all the different sages, so how should I prepare for this death? They all gave different answers and then finally Sukadeva came. And then Sukadeva Goswami says, you should always remember and always hear about and always glorify the Supreme Lord. But actually we see that Parikshit actually knew this already [Laughs]. So he already had great knowledge. He was already a great devotee of the Lord. So of course, Parikshit by nature was completely surrendered. Who did he surrender to? So he had surrendered to the Supreme Lord, nobody else. No, he had already fixed his mind completely on the Supreme Lord. And then there was no concern whether he’d die or not. In the case of the king, when he heard about his son, then he tried to take all sorts of precautions to prevent the death. He’s worried. So he was not surrendered at all to the Supreme Lord [Laughs]. But we see here, Parikshit was a great example of surrender.
So when they define surrender, ‘sharanagati’ or ‘prapatti’ or whatever, then they have these six qualities of surrender. And one of the principal elements is that one takes shelter of the Supreme Lord completely and takes no one else as one’s protector. Only the Lord is one’s protector. So that surrender means that we take the Lord and by that act of surrendering to the Lord, nothing else has to be done. So the person no longer worries about living or dying or support or money or whatever. He just surrenders to the Lord and finish. And of course, Krishna also says that in Bhagavad Gita, surrendered to me, gave up all other dharmas. Do not worry – ‘ma suchah’. And of course, previously in Bhagavad Gita, Krishna also promises, ‘My devotee is not vanquished’.
So the example is often given of surrender as compared to a cow. So they have the market and then they’re selling the cows and then someone purchased the cow. Then the cow obediently goes with the person who purchases it. And the cow is completely at the mercy of the owner. But the cow obediently follows the owner. So similarly, the devotee surrenders to the Lord and then he simply follows the Lord and whatever the Lord does, he accepts [Laughs]. So the cow accepts whatever the master gives in terms of food and water, etc. So devotees like that. And because this attitude of surrender is so important, Jiva Goswami puts it as the first anga of Bhakti. And of course, we see at the end of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna sums up everything and he says, just surrender unto me.
And of course, that surrender can be enacted in different ways. So one of the ways is, surrendering to the Lord, then one hears the Lord’s glories all the time. And hearing those glories of the Lord, one offers oneself more to the Lord. And similarly, by glorifying the Lord, doing kirtan of the Lord’s qualities and His name and His form, etc., the devotee becomes more enthusiastic to surrender. So we can say that all the different angas of Bhakti, they support this surrender to the Lord. And we have a very nice example here, in the case of Parikshit Maharaj. Of course as I said, we have surrender and then we have the angas of bhakti are supported. So in sadhana bhakti, that surrender, we may initially surrender, but we become stronger and stronger as we advance in our devotion. And so they are naturally manifest in a very perfect state, if one attains Prema.
So, in this way, we find the most perfect surrender in the perfect devotees. And among the perfected devotees, we get the most surrendered devotees, the Gopis. There is a story of the test of the Gopis. So they say, Krishna is sick. And so, Gopis say, What do we do? The only thing that will cure Krishna is the dust from your feet. And of course, if you put the dust of your feet on Krishna’s head, that’s an offense. But then immediately the Gopis give the dust, so this is astonishing. So then he asks, how can you do that? How can you give the dust from your feet and offend Krishna? So they answer is, whatever gives pleasure to Krishna, whatever will make him cure from his headache or whatever, we’ll do that. Doesn’t matter if we go to hell [Laughs]. So they are completely surrendered to serving the Lord and they do not consider their own fate or their own body or whatever.
However, those who are not so advanced, then they have a little surrender, but not complete surrender. So in other words, as the bhakti increases, that surrender increases. But from the very beginning of bhakti, there must be some surrender there. Of course, in Nectar of Devotion, there are 64 angas there, and that surrender is put somewhere in the middle, not at the beginning. So then we may think, well, that’s a very advanced thing to surrender, so right now we’ll just hear and chant. But Jiva Goswami puts it as the first anga of bhakti [Laughs]. So what this indicates, we cannot do that surrender perfectly just by itself, but at least there has to be an element of surrender in all of the other angas of bhakti.
So the other famous example of surrender is Bali Maharaj [Laughs]. But again, it may be very difficult for most people to immediately surrender like Bali surrendered. However, there should be some element of surrender in all the angas of bhakti. And though we cannot immediately achieve that same level of surrender as Bali Maharaj or Pariksit Maharaj or the Gopis, nevertheless there should be some surrender in all the devotees.
Hare Krsna!
Q & A:
1.) Maharaj, the examples given in the Bhagavatam is, whether devotees have direct interaction with the Lord where they are surrendering fully. So when it comes to devotees who are at a sadhana level, they don’t have a direct interaction with the Lord. And most of the time where we are coming from ISKCON, let’s say as a society or the movement or Sri sampradaya, other four sampradayas, three sampradayas, so where, we not only depend on the devotees, we for many other things, we depend on the society also. So, and things doesn’t manifest immediately or doesn’t happen sometimes. So, it is due to that a devotee has not surrendered fully, or it is because we are dealing with the society, it happens that way. How do we understand it?
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: We don’t get response because of the society [Laughs]?
Devotee: There is one, a devotee is trying to, let’s say for example, a devotee is trying to make a temple and he is surrendered to the Lord. He is doing this because he surrendered to the Lord. He is not able to generate funds because it depends on the society. Now the level of surrenderness is less or because we are dependent on the society. That’s how society reacts. This is how do we take it? How do we understand that?
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: So, the surrender should operate independent of any external condition. So, if you are practicing in the temple or not in the temple, then the surrender should be there in any case [Laughs]. As for response from the Lord, that’s also a test of the surrender. So, we all surrender and then we wait three days. Nothing is happening. I’m suffering [Laughs]. So, then I won’t surrender anymore [Laughs]. So, we see the case here of, Parikshit surrenders. He is not expecting, I’ll surrender and then the snake bird won’t come and bite me. He is not expecting the Lord to stop that even. And it may be very difficult to understand what the Lord is doing. So, we think He is not responding to me.
So, we see the example of the Pandavas completely surrendered to the Lord and yet they get banished to the forest for 13 years. What’s the Lord doing? He’s not doing anything. But this gives a chance to the Pandavas to illustrate their surrender. No, we are not going to complain. Let the Lord do what He wants. And Bhishma also states, as he says, we cannot understand the Lord’s plan at all. We [Laughs] simply surrender to it [Laughs].
2.) Hare Krishna Maharaj. Thank you for the wonderful class. So Maharaj, like Jiva Goswami says that surrender is the first. So, which means we are required to understand and we are required to practice surrender. And so, how that, what that really means in a ISKCON devotee’s day to day life?
So, of course, surrender is basically a mental attitude. But it will be say, tested in actual circumstances. So whatever happens, one feels I’m under the protection of the Lord. I don’t know what that protection is, but I surrender to the situation [Laughs]. Another one, the last anga is, I think, is karpanya, to feel oneself the most low and fallen. So, therefore, in any situation, one takes a humble attitude [Laughs].
3.) Hare Krishna Maharaj. So, Maharaj, we were hearing that how advanced devotees, they surrender completely and that surrender means that they take shelter only in Krishna and nobody else. Now, Maharaj, there is this famous pastime of Rupa Goswami sitting and chanting. And then Srimati Radharani comes and she holds her pallu above his head. And then Sanatana Goswami chastises Rupa Goswami that how can you engage Radharani in your service? So if I’m surrendering completely to Krishna and I’m not doing anything for my maintenance, etc, am I not engaging Krishna in my service? Am I not engaging Krishna in my service if I completely surrender and don’t do anything? So, is it not like Krishna should serve me?
So, in any form of bhakti, the devotee does something and there should be some response from the Lord. It’s not that He’s not going to do anything or feel anything. Obviously, there’s some response. So, in Bhagavad Gita chapter 12, then Krishna says, very quickly, I deliver the devotee from the ocean of samsara. So that’s a response. So definitely, He’s serving the devotee. And we can’t criticize the devotee. Okay, the Lord saved you. You are engaging the Lord in your service [Laughs]. You get saved [Laughs]. It’s the Lord’s decision to do that. So, we cannot criticize that. However, if we do our service and then we’re expecting the Lord to deliver us in a certain way at a certain time. Okay, I’ve done my devotional service so many years. Now you’ve got to give me prema or whatever like that. And if it’s not so, I’m going to lose my faith in you. Then of course, that is putting some demands on the Lord [Laughs]. Of course, the devotee, we have the case, let’s say, of, Sudama going to Dwaraka and then Krishna serving him [Laughs]. Of course, Sudama himself really was very uncomfortable getting all that service from the Lord. But he also had to accept it because the Lord was more or less forcing him to [Laughs] take that service.
4.) Maharaj, just a follow up question. So, how do I understand that it is surrender and not lethargy? Like, for example, a book distributor can just keep the books and just sit there and don’t do anything because I’m completely surrendered and books will go. So how do we discriminate the two, Maharaj?
Of course, there’s always a debate, how much endeavor we should put into the bhakti and how much we should simply accept mercy. So, this created a division in the Ramanuja sampradaya. In our sampradaya, we try to balance the two. So, we put forth endeavor and we also expect the mercy of the Lord. Which is exemplified also in the Damodara lila where Yasoda puts endeavor to tie up Krishna.
5.) Maharaj, I heard in one of the lectures of Sri Srimad Gaura Govinda Swami Maharaj. He said, without love, your so called surrender is either artificial, partial or conditional. And at the same time, we hear from Mahaprabhu’s teachings. dīkṣā-kāle bhakta kare ātma-samarpaṇa sei-kāle kṛṣṇa tāre kare ātma-sama. So these two are not contradictory Maharaj. But how to understand the balance of two? Because here it says, without love, you can surrender is either partial, artificial or conditional. And here it says that unless you surrender, this Mahaprabhu is saying dīkṣā-kāle bhakta kare ātma-samarpaṇa, surrender. At the same time, diksha is a start process. So, how can he fully surrender and how then without love. So, this all seems to be two extreme things Maharaj. Just can you explain that?
Of course, if we look in Nectar of Devotion, Rupa Goswami puts the diksha as the second anga of bhakti [Laughs]. Which means that after you get initiated, then you start performing bhakti. Which is probably traditional in pancharatra, where you surrender to guru, then he teaches you about bhakti, then you do bhakti and put on your tilak, whatever. However, we find that in Lord Caitanya’s movement, that before diksha, often people are doing bhakti and they are surrendering and they are taking siksha and doing so many things [Laughs]. Of course, the complete surrender, as I said is, it’s not there in the very beginning. So, we can say, he’s doing bhakti, he’s surrendered because he is doing bhakti in a proper way. So, if there is real bhakti, then there is some surrender there. And later on, he takes diksha, we can say, then he’s at a higher level of surrender.
6.) Maharaj, you gave the example of the king trying to protect his son and the prince and Parikshit Maharaj accepting the curse. On the same token, if we look at Vasudeva, when Kamsa tried to kill her after the marriage, he tried to give a kind of a precaution or protection saying that it’s not Devaki, it’s the children who is going to be born of Devaki. So, he was trying to protect Devaki. So, what should be the understanding there, Maharaj?
Of course, in the pastimes, it may look like something is contradictory. So, Vasudeva could be completely surrendered and say, okay, this is the will of the Lord, Devaki gets killed by Kamsa [Laughs]. Of course, when Krishna is born, then also he can say, okay, we’ll just leave the, Krishna here and Kamsa can kill Him because that’s the will of the Lord [Laughs].
But we also see that even the way they think at that time is also part of the will of the Lord in pastimes. In other words, these devotees act in a certain way, not completely on their own, but under the yogamaya of the Lord. All as an arrangement, so Krishna can survive and manifest His pastimes in Vrindavan.
7.) Hare Krishna Maharaj. Thank you for the class. Maharaj, I have one doubt that when we are doing devotional service, we expect that, means there are nine stages na Maharaj, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga. Highest is, the final stage is prema. So, when we are doing, trying to do devotional service, we aspire for prema. But one example I’ll give, mother serves child without expectation, means she’ll serve, she’ll clean everything and do everything without expectation like in future, my child will take care of me like that. But when we are doing devotional service, we are expecting prema. If we are expecting prema, so, that is surrender or not surrender Maharaj because we are expecting something.
So, when we talk about prema, we should understand that prema actually is just bhakti. So, when we are doing bhakti, then it’s natural to aim for the perfection of bhakti. That’s all. And the perfection of bhakti is that, we simply serve Krishna with no other desire than to please the Lord. So then, there’s nothing wrong with that particular goal. It’s simply perfection of anyābhilāṣitā-śūnya etc.
8.) Hare Krishna Maharaj. So, when we speak about surrender Maharaj, like, is it one of the aspects that we consciously do or is it one of the aspects that, like there are many aspects that come as a virtue when we perform bhakti automatically, right? So is surrender is something that we consciously do or develops as we do bhakti?
When we are doing sadhana bhakti, definitely all of the different angas are done with some conscious intent. When you are in prema, then they are all done but with no conscious intent, automatically they manifest.
Hare Krsna !
Devotees: Grantharaj Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai!!! HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj ki jai!!! Srila Prabhupada ki jai!!!