Sharanagati

Sanatan Goswami said: “From the very beginning of his childhood, my younger brother Anupama was a great devotee of Ramachandra and he worshiped Him with great determination. He always chanted the holly name of Ragunath (Ram) and meditated upon Him. He continuously heard about the activities of Lord Ram from Ramayana and chanted about them. Rupa and myself are his elder brothers and he stayed with us continuously. Anupama heard “Shrimad Bhagavatam” and talks about Krishna with us and both of us examined him: “Dear Anupama – we said – please, listen to us. Lord Krishna is supremely attractive. His beauty, sweetness and pastimes of love are without a limit. Engage yourself in devotional service to Krishna with both of us! We, three brothers, will stay together and enjoy discussing the pastimes of Lord Krishna. In this way we both spoke to him again and again. And because of this persuasion and his respect for us, his mind turned somewhat towards our instructions.”

“Vallabha, Anupama said: “My dear brothers, how can I disobey your orders? Initiate me into the Krishna mantra, so that I may perform devotional service to Lord Krishna!” After saying this, at night he began to think: “How should I give up the lotus feet of Lord Ramachandra?!” He stayed up whole night and cried. In the morning he came and submitted the following: “I have sold my heart at the lotus feet of Lord Ramachandra and I cannot take it back. That would be too painful for me. Both of you, please, be merciful to me, and order me in such a way, that life after life I may serve the lotus feet of Lord Ramachandra! It is impossible for me to give up the lotus feet of Lord Ragunath! When I even think of giving up, my heart breaks…”

The elder brothers had affinity for Krishna; the younger brother had affinity for Ram. They wanted to invite him to join Krishna bhajan, worship of Lord Krishna instead of Lord Rama. And as he was an obedient brother, he wanted to follow the instruction. He saw that: “O, my brothers are very happy by worshiping Krishna”. So he said: “All right, I got these news, I got this information, they instruct me like this – let me follow their example…” But then during the night he started to think: “But I had given my heart to Lord Ram. It’s impossible for me to change that. I’m his servant. How can I change, how can I leave my master?!” So it was a very painful night for him. And the sincerity and the simplicity of him was shown that he was crying whole the night. He could not decide and finally in the morning he came to the brothers: “Please, help me. I had sold my heart at the lotus feet of Ragunath. I cannot take it back. Instruct me in such a way that I could serve Him life after life.”

“Upon hearing this, both of us embraced him and encouraged him by saying: “You are a great saintly devotee for your determination in devotional service is fixed.” In this way we both praised him.” So for them there was no problem. They could glorify each-other, although they were following, so to say, little different paths.

And then Mahaprabhu said: “Glorious is the devotee, who does not give up the shelter of his Lord! And glorious is that Lord, who does not abandon his servant.”

This is the quality of a disciple, of a real practitioner. With his fateful approach, with his obedience he can express his gratitude towards his master. So this is a chance for us to be obedient and loyal. The servant becomes glorious if he is very loyal to his master. And the master is also glorious, who is fateful to his servants. So in this way both of them become glorious.

From the two of them, which position is easier? Who has more freedom? Like a mother: the child can leave the mother, but the mother never leaves the child. I think it is very similar in the case of master and disciple. All the time the disciple has the chance to say “No. I go my way. I will leave you.” But a guru has not that freedom. If ONCE you had said to a person: “Yes. I will take you back home, back to Godhead”, this is a standing order. This is a permanent duty. So in this connection the master loses his freedom. Is that wrong or difficult? I think that is sweet. Because we had understood that the greatest freedom is to become a slave of God. Slavery is the greatest freedom. And if the disciple is also a master of discipleship, then he is also ready to give up his freedom: “No, I’m your eternal servant. I’m not your independent servant. I’m your eternal servant.” So in that loving connection both master and disciple lose their freedom. Is that good? I think it’s very good! Because in this way they both join the campaign of Lord Krishna.