The question is simplistic, because
surrender itself means to come to a state of doing nothing. We can
understand this from the example of a newborn baby. A newly born
baby does nothing, so her mother does everything for her. When she
grows into a small child, she begins doing some of her tasks on her own, and so
her mother lessens her responsibilities. When she grows further, she
begins doing all her works herself, and her mother stops doing
everything.
This example is
illustrative of the process of surrender. As long as we possess the
pride of performing our actions, God declares us as the doer, and we have to
suffer the consequences of our actions according to the Law of
Karma. When we surrender this pride, we become non-doers and God
becomes the performer of our every action.
तेषां सततयुक्तानां भजतां प्रीतिपूर्वकं।
ददमि बुद्धियोगं तं येन मामुपयान्ति ते।।
(Bhagavad Gita)
According to this
verse from the Bhagavad Gita,
the Supreme Lord takes the responsibility for the welfare and liberation of
surrendered souls. Therefore, if simply by giving up the pride of
doing we are liberated from material bondage and rewarded with Divine Bliss, is
this not the Causeless Mercy of God?
If we were
required to do something to become beneficiaries of His Grace, then we could
have had occasion to complain. However, what effort is involved in
surrender? It is the process of giving up everything to attain
everything. As long as a bird holds a piece of flesh in its beak,
other birds chase it and do not allow it to rest in peace. The
moment the bird gives up this piece of meat, i.e. surrenders
everything, it attains peace. In the same way, surrender involves no
effort at all. Without any effort if we receive Divine Grace, then
that Grace is definitely causeless.
There is the
famous incident of Draupadi’s surrender. When Draupadi was being
disrobed in the assembly of the Kauravas, she first counted upon the protection
of her husbands. When they remained silent, she relied upon the
pious elders present in the assembly - Dronacharya, Kripacharya, Bhishma, Vidur
etc. - to help her. When they too failed to take any step, she
clenched her sari between her teeth. Yet, Shree Krishna did not come
to her rescue. Finally, when Dushasan pulled her sari with a jerk,
it slipped from her grasp. Now she surrendered herself totally to Shree Krishna,
for she no longer had any faith in the protection of others, nor was she
relying on her own strength. Immediately Shree Krishna offered
complete protection, and she was saved. Shree Krishna declares in
the Bhagavad Gita:
सर्वधर्मां परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।
अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिषामि मा शुचः।
“O
Arjun! Abandoning all concerns of religiosity and irreligiosity,
simply surrender to Me. Then I, who dispense justice to all, will
cease to be a mere judge. Bestowing My Grace, I will pardon all the
sins of your innumerable past lives, and grant you liberation.” This is the immense Grace of God. This verse is the essence of Vedas
and Upanishads.
In the world, even
if a criminal surrenders himself to the law, he is made to suffer punishment
for his past crimes. But God is so merciful that once you surrender
to Him, He not only forgives all past deeds, but also bestows His Divine Bliss
for the rest of eternity. If this is not causeless Grace, then what
is?
Jagadguru Kripaluji
Maharaj simplifies this by an example of a washer man. If a washer man
were to clean your clothes and not charge you for it, you would say that he has
done you a favor, even though the clothes could become dirty
again. In comparison, when we surrender our mind and intellect to
God, He cleans them forever, and that too, without any charge. In
fact, even if we desire, we can never pay the price for God’s
Grace. What we receive through Grace is Divine wealth, while what we
give in return is only imperfect material goods. What need does God
have for our material goods anyway? So, if God bestows His Grace
upon our surrender to Him, it is His causeless mercy.
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