The True Meaning of Surrender Part – Twelve

The True Meaning of Surrender

What exactly is surrender? To give yourself entirely, unconditionally and absolutely to God is surrender. To attain that state, you should first develop friendship with God. What is friendship? Is it saying, “Hello!”? No, not at all. Feeling of oneness is true friendship; the two must feel alike and think alike. The Telugu word Maitri
 (meaning friendship) has two syllables, one is mai
 and the other is tri
. This tri
 stands for the three planes of a human being, namely, body, mind and soul. Thus the word maitri
 connotes a feeling of oneness at all these three levels. Such a state alone can be called a state of true friendship.

Divinity can be attained only when the body, the mind and the soul are all surrendered at the Lotus Feet of the Lord. As long there is a feeling of duality, a sense of I and you, the notion of mine and thine, the Divine state cannot be attained. Your true reality is the Atma
 (the individual Soul) which is a wave of the Paramatma
 (Universal Soul). Krishna has declared that He is in everyone and every being. Thus, you do not have a separate existence; the individual and the Universal are one and the same. Just because bodies are different, you think that you have a separate existence. If, however, you seek friendship with God, you must give up this body-consciousness. You must follow the command of the Divine. But these days, selfishness has taken precedence over obedience to God’s commands. If you disobey God’s commands, if you do not pay heed to them, can there be any true devotion? Always abide by the wishes of God and realise that this is the right path to Divinity.

Purandara Dasa, a great devotee of the Lord, once declared: “O God! I forgot you in my previous birth and that has resulted in my being born again. This time, if I install You in my heart, there will be no rebirth; I will become a liberated soul.” These days, everyone is harassed by doubts of various kinds. As long as there is a feeling of attachment to the body, doubts cannot be overcome. Proper exercise of discrimination alone would lead to the Truth. For example, Purandara Dasa asked himself: “There are isolated trees on mountain tops that are otherwise barren. Who planted these trees, who watered the saplings, who protected them, and who provided the fertilizer? Who painted the feather of the peacock with such a glorious combination of colours? O God, you are such a wonderful artist!” The green parrot sports a nice red beak; who gave the parrot the red beak? Scientists have no explanation for all these wonders of Nature because their approach is purely worldly and materialistic. This is not the proper way of understanding Reality. Truth can be grasped only through the path of spirituality. God is the fountainhead of all existence and the will of the Divine is the cause for every happening. Nothing happens in the Universe without the Sankalpa
 (will) of Ishwara

 (God). You must have this belief implanted firmly. Don’t ever imagine that you are a low and an ordinary mortal. You are nothing of that sort; you are truly speaking a child of God, a spark of the Divine. Therefore it is that Purandara Dasa sang: “As long as I am aware of Your presence in my heart, I do not feel lost. You are the real doer and not me. You impart knowledge. You protect and You also reprimand when necessary. There is nothing that is not Yours. I am wholly Yours. When You, the Lord Almighty, are doing so much for me and are taking care for me, how can I be called poor?” Like Purandara Dasa, all of you also are a spark of the Divine. He realised that he was; you too should.

The True Meaning of Surrender – A sacred path of faith, duty, and inner peace

The True Meaning of Surrender is not weakness, helplessness, or running away from responsibility. Many people think surrender means doing nothing and waiting for God to solve every problem. But real surrender is much deeper. It means doing one’s duty sincerely, keeping the heart pure, and accepting the result with faith in divine wisdom. It is active, courageous, and filled with trust.

In daily life, people often suffer because they want everything to happen according to their own wishes. They make plans, build expectations, and become disturbed when life moves differently. A delay creates anxiety, a failure creates sadness, and a loss creates fear. The True Meaning of Surrender teaches us that we should work honestly, but we should not become slaves of the result.

Surrender does not mean lack of effort. A student must study, a worker must work sincerely, a parent must care for the family, and a patient must take proper treatment. God has given us intelligence, strength, and opportunity so that we may use them properly. To ignore effort and call it surrender is misunderstanding. The devotee must act with full dedication and leave the final outcome to God.

The True Meaning of Surrender also removes ego. Ego says, “I am the doer, everything depends on me, and I must control every result.” But life shows us that many things are beyond our control. Breath, time, health, opportunity, and success depend on countless visible and invisible factors. When ego becomes smaller, gratitude becomes stronger. A humble heart understands that divine grace works behind every achievement.

Surrender brings peace because it reduces unnecessary fear. When the mind keeps thinking, “What will happen? What if I fail? What if people reject me?” it becomes restless. But when a person says, “I will do my best and trust God with the rest,” the heart becomes lighter. The True Meaning of Surrender is this peaceful balance between sincere action and deep faith.

This path also teaches patience. God’s timing may not match human impatience. Sometimes what we desire immediately may not be good for us. Sometimes a closed door protects us from danger. Sometimes a delay prepares us for something better. A devotee may not understand everything at once, but surrender gives strength to wait without losing faith.

The True Meaning of Surrender becomes clear during difficulties. When life is easy, trust is simple. But when illness, loss, misunderstanding, failure, or loneliness appears, surrender is tested. In such moments, prayer becomes important. Prayer does not always remove the pain instantly, but it gives courage to face it. It reminds the heart that God is still near, even when the situation is hard.

Surrender also does not mean becoming emotionless. A surrendered person may still feel sadness, worry, or pain. The difference is that such a person does not drown in those feelings. They place their burden before God and continue walking with faith. Tears can become prayer when they are offered with trust. Pain can become purification when it is accepted with humility.

The True Meaning of Surrender is closely connected with love. When we love God deeply, we begin to trust His wisdom more than our limited understanding. A child may not understand why a parent stops them from touching fire, but the parent knows the danger. In the same way, God may not give us everything we ask for, because He knows what is truly good for our soul.

Surrender also helps in relationships. Many conflicts happen because people want to control others. They want everyone to think, speak, and behave according to their expectations. This creates tension and disappointment. A surrendered heart learns to love without possessiveness, guide without force, and forgive without pride. Such a person becomes peaceful at home and gentle with others.

The True Meaning of Surrender also includes accepting correction from life. Sometimes difficulties reveal our weaknesses. They show us where we are proud, impatient, selfish, or fearful. Instead of blaming everyone, a sincere devotee asks, “What is God teaching me through this?” This attitude turns every experience into spiritual learning.

Service is another form of surrender. When we serve without expecting praise, reward, or recognition, ego becomes weaker. Helping the needy, comforting the sad, feeding the hungry, and supporting the weak become offerings to God. The surrendered person does not ask, “What will I get?” The surrendered person asks, “How can I be useful?”

In the end, surrender is a sacred strength. It allows us to live with effort but without anxiety, love but without attachment, prayer but without demand, and success but without pride. When we do our duty sincerely and trust divine wisdom, life becomes lighter and more meaningful. True surrender does not make us passive; it makes us peaceful, brave, humble, and closer to God.