16, Atma-nivedana tuya pade kari - Self-Submission | Saranagati

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Atma-Nivedanatmika: Self-Submission

(Song 16)

atma-nivedana, tuya pade kari',
ha-inu parama sukhi
duhkha dure gela, chinta na rahila,
chaudike ananda dekhi [1]

atma–self; nivedana–submission; tuya–Your; pade–at the feet; kari'–doing; ha-inu–I became; parama–supremely; sukhi–happy; duhkha–distress; dure–far away; gela–went; chinta–thought, anxiety; na–did not; rahila–remained; chaudike–in the four directions; ananda–ecstasy; dekhi–I see. [1]

(1) By surrendering myself at Your feet, I have become supremely happy. All my distress has gone away, I have no more anxiety, and I see ecstasy in all directions.

(1) chaudike ananda dekhi: "I see ecstasy in all directions." This state of surrender is described by Krishna in Srimad Bhagavatam (11.14.13):

maya santusta-manasah sarvah sukha-maya disah

"All directions are filled with happiness for one whose heart is completely satisfied by Me."

asoka-abhaya, amrta-adhara,
tomara charana-dvaya
tahate ekhana, visrama labhiya
chhadinu bhavera bhaya [2]

asoka–of sorrowlessness; abhaya–of fearlessness; amrta–of immortality; adhara–reservoir; tomara–Your; charana–feet; dvaya–two; tahate–in them; ekhana–now; visrama–rest; labhiya–obtaining; chhadinu–I abandoned; bhavera–of material existence, cyclic birth and death; bhaya–fear. [2]

(2) Your feet are the abode of sorrowlessness, fearlessness, and immortality. Receiving shelter beneath them, I have abandoned all fear of material existence.

tomara samsare, kariba sevana,
nahiba phalera bhagi
tava sukha yahe, kariba yatana,
ha'ye pade anuragi [3]

tomara–Your; samsare–in the household; kariba–I will do; sevana–service; nahiba–I will not become; phalera–of the fruits; bhagi–shareholder; tava–Your; sukha–happiness; yahe–by which; kariba–I will do; yatana–careful endeavour; ha'ye–being; pade–to Your feet; anuragi–deeply, lovingly attached. [3]

(3) I will render service in Your household and will not become an enjoyer of the results. Lovingly attached to Your feet, I will carefully endeavour for whatever pleases You.

(3) tomara samsare, kariba sevana, nahiba phalera bhagi: "I will render service in Your household and will not become an enjoyer of the results." In Srimad Bhagavad-gita (2.47), Sri Krishna describes the soul's position:

karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur ma te sango 'stv akarmani

"Your right is to engage in My service, not to enjoy the results. So engage in My service without being motivated by any desire to enjoy the results, and never become inclined to abandon My service."

tomara sevaya, duhkha haya yata,
seo ta' parama sukha
seva-sukha-duhkha, parama sampada,
nasaye avidya-duhkha [4]

tomara–Your; sevaya–in service; duhkha–distress; haya–happens; yata–all; se–that; o–also; ta'–certainly; parama–supreme; sukha–happiness; seva–service; sukha–happiness; duhkha–and distress; parama–supreme; sampada–fortune; nasaye–destroy; avidya–of ignorance; duhkha–distress. [4]

(4) All the distress I encounter in Your service is also my greatest happiness. Both the distress and the happiness that come from engagement in Your service are my greatest fortune; they both destroy the distress of ignorance.

(4) seva-sukha-duhkha ... nasaye avidya-duhkha: "Both the distress and the happiness that come from engagement in Your service ... destroy the distress of ignorance." In Srimad Bhagavad-gita (7.14), Sri Krishna explains that only those who unconditionally surrender unto Him are liberated from maya:

daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te

"My alluring, trimodal maya is insurmountable. Only those who surrender unto Me can transcend maya."

[Translator's note: In Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat, Madhya-khanda, 9.240, Srila Vrndavan Das Thakur comments:

yata dekha vaisnavera vyavahara duhkha
nischaya janiha sei parananda sukha

"You should know for certain that a devotee's apparent distress is actually their ecstatic spiritual happiness."]

purva itihasa, bhulinu sakala,
seva-sukha peye mane
ami ta' tomara, tumi ta' amara,
ki kaja apara dhane [5]

purva–previous; itihasa–history; bhulinu–I forgot; sakala–all; seva–service; sukha–happiness; peye–obtaining; mane–in the heart; ami–I; ta'–certainly; tomara–Yours; tumi–You; ta'–certainly; amara–mine; ki–what; kaja–necessity; apara–any other; dhane–for wealth. [5]

(5) Feeling the happiness of Your service in my heart, I have completely forgotten all past history. I am Yours, and You are mine. What need is there for any other wealth?

(5) purva itihasa: "All past history." This refers to one's behaviour prior to the beginning of their life as a devotee. In Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta (Antya-lila, 6.236), Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu forbids His followers from continuing to behave like common people after taking up the practice of devotion:

gramya-katha na sunibe, gramya-varta na kahibe

"Do not listen to mundane talks or speak of mundane news."

Moreover, Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta (Antya-lila, 13.132) cites the absence of the tendency to discuss worldly subjects as a prominent attribute of a great devotee:

gramya-varta na sune, na kahe jihvaya
krsna-katha-pujadite asta-prahara yaya

"He never listens to mundane news, and never speaks about it either. He passes every day engaged in discussion, worship, and other services to Krishna."

In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.29.34), Krishna describes to Uddhava the transformation of a surrendering soul:

martyo yada tyakta-samasta-karma
niveditatma vichikirsito me
tadamrtatvam pratipadyamano
mayatma-bhuyaya cha kalpate vai

"When a mortal being completely abandons all mundane endeavours, surrenders himself unto Me, and acts according to My desires, he attains immortality and becomes fit to associate with Me."

bhakati-vinoda, anande dubiya,
tomara sevara tare
saba chesta kare, tava ichchha mata,
thakiya tomara ghare [6]

bhakati-vinoda–Bhakti Vinod; anande–in ecstasy; dubiya–plunging; tomara–Your; sevara–of service; tare–on account of; saba–all; chesta–endeavours; kare–does; tava–Your; ichchha–desire; mata–according to; thakiya–staying; tomara–Your; ghare–in the house. [6]