For today’s devotional cip, here is a sloka from Srimad Bhagavatam:
devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṝṇāṁ
na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan
sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ
gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam (SB 11.5.41)
“One who ‘completely’ surrenders to Bhagavan Mukunda (Krsna), the affectionate protector
of the surrendered souls, no longer remains indebted to the devatas, forefathers, other
living beings, kinsmen, or guests. He is not subordinate to anyone, and he is not obliged
to serve anyone.”
This is a very strong statement from Srimad Bhagavatam, the most authentic and suddha-sattvic scripture, that tells the power of complete surrender to Lord Krishna.
When a jiva is born in this world, he is immediately indebted to so many beings. We cannot live in this world without the help of others and hence we are always indebted and dependent. We have debts to:
1) the devatas who provide sun and moonshine, rain, wind, food, etc
2) the sages who are giving us knowledge
3) father, mother, relatives and ancestors of the family we are born in
5) the king or government
4) friends and so many living beings that we get help from, and so on…
So, due to this debt, Bhagavad Gita recommends to worship devas and receive benedictions.
devān bhāvayatānena
te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ
parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ
śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha .. (BG 3.11)
“The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you, and thus, by cooperation between men and demigods, prosperity will reign for all.”
On the other hand, the sloka from Bhagavatam completely contracts to above sloks from Gita, and says that a fully surrendered soul has no debt to any devatas. So, what is the truth?
The truth is they are targeted for different audiences. One is for the karmis and the other is for the exalted devotees.
Karmis always want to receive blessings and benedictions for their material sense gratification. Less intelligent people consider that material progress is the ultimate goal because the taste for devotional service and surrender is not awakened.
tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta
na nirvidyeta yāvatā
mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā
śraddhā yāvan na jāyate .. (SB 11.20.9)
“As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for devotional service by hearing and chanting about the Supreme Lord, one has to act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions.”
That is why for those the Bhagavad Gita suggests to worship demigods by giving pujas and receiving benedictions in return from them. We see people doing so many pujas. But all these benedictions are temporary:
antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ
tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām
devān deva-yajo yānti
mad-bhaktā yānti mām api .. (BG 7.23)
“Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.””
Karmis, due to their less intelligence, cannot understand the exalted position of pure devotional service to the Lord. Only in the case of those pure devotees who are ‘completely surrendered’ to the Lord, Lord Krishna erases all these debts. This fully surrendered devotee is the only one who lives without any trace of debt to anyone and ultimately goes back to the abode of Lord Krishna and never returns!
But the question to ask ourselves are: Am I ‘fully’ surrendered?
Lord Krishna does not accept any heart with even the slightest tinge of desire – not even mukti.
bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat
piśācī hṛdi vartate
tāvad bhakti-sukhasyātra
katham abhyudayo bhavet (CC Mad 19.176)
“How is it possible for the ocean of devotional happiness to appear in the heart as long as the witches of desire for sense enjoyment and liberation (mukti) remains present there?”
Am I doing pujas for getting mukti?. If so, my heart has a witch (pisas) – piśācī hṛdi vartate.. Then how can I be a fully surrendered soul to Krishna?