The Relationship between God and the Soul – (The Real Meaning of Surrender) – Part 5

A Speech delivered by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj in 1984 at Sadhana Bhawan

We cannot free ourselves from Maya without the Divine Grace of God. His Grace, however, is bestowed upon us only when we surrender to Him completely. True surrender involves offering our mind to God, and this is why it is essential for the mind to meditate on Shri Krishna and Shri Radha. 

As I have mentioned before, there are no conditions or restrictions when it comes to meditating on God. We can visualize a form of God in our minds based on our own preference and devotion. However, some might wonder, “Who is more important—Shri Radha or Shri Krishna?” 

Many of you may have visited Vrindavan or read various scriptures and books on the subject. Interestingly, different sources provide differing perspectives. Some describe Shri Krishna as being more important, while others place greater emphasis on Shri Radha. In certain scriptures, Shri Krishna is portrayed as a servant to Shri Radha, while others depict Shri Radha as serving Shri Krishna. Such contradictory statements are abundant across the scriptures, leading to diverse interpretations and understandings.

If we delve into the Shrimad Bhagavatam, it becomes evident that Shri Krishna is regarded as the supreme. This is highlighted during the Maharas, where He leaves all the Gopis behind and takes Shri Radha with Him, signifying her special place in His heart. However, the narrative takes a profound turn when Shri Krishna later abandons even Shri Radha. 

In this moment of separation, Shri Radha, overwhelmed with longing and devotion, rejoined the Gopis and expressed her yearning for Shri Krishna. Her heartfelt plea resonates deeply: “Oh Lord, I am suffering and in great distress, calling You with humility. Please come before us.”

In many scriptures, it is said that Shri Radha is the soul of Shri Krishna. Just like we are a servant to our soul (the senses, mind, intellect and body are all servants of the soul), Shri Krishna also serves His soul, Shri Radha.   The scriptures mention both kinds of statements and this is why you get confused as to what is right.

You should not believe in both kinds of statements.  Or else, you will end up committing spiritual transgression.  These are the statements of great Rasik Saints and only they can understand these things.  You will not be able to understand and will commit a sin instead. Shri Radha and Shri Krishna are not even two separate personalities!  When the One becomes Two, then the question of who is greater, lesser, or equal to becomes irrelevant.

During the Divine Maharas, Shri Krishna manifested multiple forms of Himself. Each Gopi had one Shri Krishna with her. The formation continued in this way: Shri Krishna, then two Gopis, then Shri Krishna, then two Gopis, forming a circular pattern. Many of you may think that there was one Shri Krishna paired with one Gopi, followed by another Shri Krishna with another Gopi. But it didn’t take place like this.

One Shri Krishna, then two Gopis, then again one Shri Krishna and two Gopis and so on.    Who are these two Gopis who share one Shri Krishna?  One Gopi in each pair represents the soul, while the other represents ‘Brahm.’ The Gopi who is ‘Brahm’ is known as Shri ‘Radha Tattva’. So the arrangement actually becomes like this: Shri Krishna, then a Gopi, then Shri Radha, then again Shri Krishna and so on. This was how Maharas took place.   So will you question who among these infinite forms of Shri Krishna or Shri Radha is more important?  The very question becomes irrelevant. 

In fact, you will say that it is Shri Krishna Himself who has manifested in these many forms, so how can any form be less important than the other?  Just like this, Shri Krishna Himself became Shri Radha. The scriptures declare:- God himself became two: Shri Krishna and Shri Radha. Now whether Shri Krishna serves Shri Radha or Shri Radha serves Shri Krishna, no one among them is more important or less important (since they are not two separate personalities).

Thinking that there is a difference between Shri Radha and Shri Krishna is considered as a grave transgression. However, in terms of pastimes, you can consider any of them to be greater than the other. You can say that, “Shri Krishna is the Supreme Power.  Shri Radha is always yearning for Him.”  Or you can say that, “Shri Radha is the Supreme Power since Shri Krishna presses her lotus feet.”  But in reality, both Shri Radha and Shri Krishna serve each other. In truth, they are one and only pretend to serve each other for the benefit of souls, allowing them to experience a taste of Divine Love. 

Therefore, do not consider Shri Radha and Shri Krishna as two separate personalities. Unfortunately, 99% of people in our country still believe that Shri Radha was Shri Krishna’s wife, comparing their Divine relationship to a worldly husband-and-wife bond. Shri Radha is the daughter of Vrishabanu, and Shri Krishna is the son of Nand Baba.  According to one of the Puranas, they fell in love and got married. However, they are not husband and wife in the worldly sense, because the concept of husband and wife applies only when there are two separate personalities. Even siblings, like two sisters or two brothers, are distinct individuals. But in the case of Shri Radha and Shri Krishna, the Supreme God became two.

Just as the Formless aspect of God became God with Form, that same Supreme God with Form became Shri Radha and Shri Krishna. That same God took infinite avatars and countless forms. Therefore, always keep this philosophy firmly in your mind. Do not become careless or forget this truth. Do not get confused by what the Saints lovingly say about God, or else you may mistakenly consider either Shri Krishna or Shri Radha as lesser than the other. This is why I am repeatedly warning you about this.

You may choose to worship only Shri Radha and believe that Shri Krishna resides within Her (although, in reality, they are one). Alternatively, you can worship Shri Krishna and consider that Shri Radha is within Him, or you may choose to worship both of them together. There is no issue with any of these approaches. However, if you believe that one of them is more important than the other, then it is wrong. 

Furthermore, remember that even the Saints are no less than God Himself.  If you argue that Shri Krishna serves Shri Radha, remember, He also serves His devotees!  He is a devotee of His devotees, the servant of every surrendered soul. Shri Krishna declares, “Oh soul, just surrender to Me. What devotion can you truly offer?  It is I who will be devoted to you! You only need to surrender yourself to Me.”

“You, who see yourself as the doer and work so hard to achieve Me, stop trying to reach Me through your efforts alone. Do not approach Me with worldly resources or the pride of your intellect. Abandon all the tools and possessions you rely on. Let go of the arrogance born of knowledge accumulated from books. Burn the veil of this knowledge, and simply surrender.” 

The one who is completely naive and follows the instructions of his Guru will attain the supreme goal.  However, the one who has a habit of constantly arguing and is proud of his own intellect will never achieve his goal, even if infinite Jagadgurus come and explain to him for infinite lifetimes. This is a common habit of human beings. You must have heard about the scholar during Gaurang Mahaprabhu’s avatar, who was proud of his intellect and constantly argued with Mahaprabhu Ji. He finally got tired of arguing and questioning everything and he went to Gaurang Mahaprabhu Ji and admitted, “I question so much that I am tired now. When will I achieve my goal?”

Gaurang Mahaprabhu Ji replied, “It is normally difficult for a personality like yours to achieve the ultimate goal. However, since you have now acknowledged your argumentative nature, you will work to overcome this flaw. Thus, you will achieve your goal in as many lifetimes as there are leaves on this tree. That is because you have accepted that you are doing something wrong. The one who doesn’t accept his own faults can never achieve his goal.”

The Gita states, “A person who has no knowledge of the philosophy will not achieve his goal, for he knows nothing.” At the same time, one who lacks faith, belief, or a positive attitude towards his Guru and God will also not achieve his goal. Similarly, someone who doubts everything and tries to understand God through material intellect will never reach his goal.  

This is why the meaning of surrendering yourself to God is so profound—it means letting go of your ego, doubts, and intellectual pride, and placing your full trust in the Divine guidance of your Guru. When Shri Krishna asked Arjuna to surrender his mind to God, Arjuna did so but continued applying his intellect. Immediately, God instructed him to surrender his intellect as well. Otherwise, even if your mind loves God, applying your intellect to doubt Him will eventually end that love. 

You must pay close attention to this point, as it will help you until you attain God. Your mind may become attached to your Guru and God, and you may love them 10%, 20%, 50%, or even 99.9%. But even at this stage, if you continue applying your intellect to analyse and question their actions, then even upon reaching the next stage of Bhakti (Bhava Bhakti), a devotee will fall, and his Bhakti will be destroyed. 

That is why you have to surrender your mind and intellect only then it can be called true surrender. Your senses will automatically surrender themselves to God because the intellect controls the mind and the mind controls the senses. And even if you say that you don’t want to surrender your senses, it will not make any difference.  But the surrender of the mind and the intellect is compulsory. You cannot achieve your goal without doing that. 

You can surrender your body and throw your body on your Guru’s lotus feet or in a temple, it will not help you attain God. You can go to a temple and say, “God, You are my everything,” but if your mind is thinking about the new shoes you left outside the temple, then you are actually worshipping your shoes, not God. In that case, you will gain the benefit of thinking about your shoes, not God. This is why the surrender of both mind and intellect is compulsory. 

And what does surrender really mean?  Is it like saying, “Here are 10 rupees, God, I offer this to You”? Is that true surrender? No, it is not that simple. Surrender is something much more difficult, otherwise, we would have already achieved it by now.  We may surrender our mind at times, but then we take control of it again. This cycle repeats, almost like a game. We do this with God and Guru. We say, “Everything belongs to You,” then quickly think, “No, not everything,” and again say, “Yes, everything is Yours,” followed by, “No, no, not everything.” This drama has been playing out since eternity. This is why we have not achieved our goal until now. 

That is why the first rule of surrender is: Your mind and intellect should always think in favour of God and Guru. There are many rules mentioned for surrendering, but according to me, this one rule is enough to surrender yourself to God. There is no need for other rules. This means that your thoughts should always align with God and Guru. Your mind should not think against your Guru and God, even for a single moment. 

If we ever fail to understand some actions or words of God and Guru, we should remind ourselves that it is truly miraculous that we have understood even one action or sentence of God and Guru!  It is no surprise at all, if we fail to grasp one or two actions or words. Our intellect is controlled by Maya, while God and Guru exist beyond Maya.  Therefore, how is it possible for us to fully comprehend their actions or words?  

If we were to understand every action and word of God and Guru, it would mean that our intellect has become equal to theirs, suggesting either our intellect is divine or that God and Guru are under the influence of Maya. This is simply impossible!  And if God and Guru are beyond Maya, while our intellect is under the control of Maya, then we cannot understand them through material logic or experience. This is why, at this moment, we must accept what they say without arguing or questioning. This is what it means to think in favour of God and Guru. If we happen to understand some of their actions or words, it is our good fortune. Otherwise, we should not expect to understand anything they say, for their divine actions and words transcend our limited human comprehension. 

We often hear that God’s words can only be fully understood by God Himself. Even in the world, when an experienced politician speaks, people often fail to understand his words. However, after some time, when the results become apparent, they understand why he said what he did. Understanding something only after seeing the results is the domain of those with limited knowledge. On the other hand, knowing something before seeing the results is the trait of specialists—those with deeper wisdom and insight. 

Therefore, surrender and faith mean that we always maintain favorable thoughts about God and Guru. It is not just about the words we speak; it is about the thoughts we hold in our mind. You may say that you never spoke anything against God and Guru, but even if you utter thousands of negative words, they will not be counted. What truly matters is what you think with your mind, for it is your inner thoughts that determine your true surrender and devotion.

Saints who love God more than their own life often speak words that may seem negative or harsh, but their hearts are filled with deep devotion. Saint Surdas, for example, said, “O people of the world, I am saying this with my own experience: do not love God.” He compared it to a bee that loved the lotus. The bee, intoxicated by the bliss of the nectar, was so absorbed in the experience that as evening approached and the lotus began to close, the bee thought, “Let me enjoy the nectar for the entire night, and I will fly away once the flower blooms again in the morning.” An elephant came to the flower after some time, and it lifted the flower and ate it. The bee, so intoxicated by the nectar, died along with the flower. Similarly, even a firefly perishes because of its love for the fire.

The Gopis themselves express the depth of their love for Shri Krishna. They said, “Shri Krishna didn’t even turn around to look at us one last time before he left. It was as though there was nothing between us.” These were the Gopis for whom Shri Krishna had once said, “I cannot repay your debt of love, even if I try for uncountable years, as long as the lifetime of celestial beings.” Celestial beings have lifetimes that are immeasurably long compared to those of humans, yet even that wouldn’t be enough to repay the love of the Gopis. 

Recently, you all did kirtan all night on the occasion of Dev Prabodhini Ekadashi. Celestial beings’ one day is equivalent to our six months, and similarly, one of their nights  equals our six months. Yet, Shri Krishna says, “O Gopis, even if I take uncountable years, I will not be able to repay you for your love.” Why?  It is because, “You (the Gopis) abandoned the rules of the Vedas as well as the material world for Me.”  Despite this, today, Shri Krishna has left them forever and didn’t even look back to see them one last time!

Now, if we, as souls controlled by Maya, take the literal meaning of Saint Surdas’s or the Gopis’ words, then we will wander through 8.4 million life forms for infinite years without truly understanding their depth. The real meaning of what the Saints say is beyond our comprehension at this stage. We will only begin to understand once we reach their level of realisation. Until then, our only goal should be to keep favorable thoughts towards our Guru and God. 

Without keeping this goal in mind, if you practice sadhana for infinite years, it will be like earning one million and then leaving it on the road. In the morning, you return to pick up the money, but it is no longer there. This means that even though you may have earned a lot of spiritual benefit, if you commit one transgression, you can lose all of it. God can forgive you if you commit a sin against Him, and your Guru can forgive you if you sin towards God.  

But God cannot tolerate it if you sin against a Saint. He will never forgive you for this. Even if the Saint is a great figure like Sage Durvasa himself, there is no redemption for one who commits a sin against God’s devotee. God sent His Chakra to kill Sage Durvasa and he had nowhere to run from it. Because he committed a sin towards a devotee who was a Kshatriya King.

Therefore, we must surrender both our mind and intellect to God. This means, we should always have favorable thoughts towards God and Guru. This is the meaning of true surrender.

Watch and listen to this full lecture by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj on our free Sanatan Vedic Dharma (SVD) App –  (God, Soul and World Series Part 5)

This concludes the series on the Relationship between God and the Soul. For more such enlightening lectures, visit our SVD App.

*A brief introduction of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj*

(Known by His devotees as Shri Maharaj Ji)

The original title of Jagadguruttam (Greatest Spiritual Teacher of the World) was bestowed upon Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj on January 14, 1957, by Kashi Vidvat Parishad (a council of 500 greatest scholars saints of India). He composed divine texts like Prem Ras Madira, Prem Ras Siddhant, and Radha Govind Geet to lead us on the right path of devotion. He also gave priceless monuments as gifts to the world which include Bhakti Mandir located in Bhakti Dham, Mangarh, Prem Mandir located in Vrindavan Dham, and Kirti Mandir located in Barsana Dham. Shri Maharaj Ji also built hospitals for the impoverished, the Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya in Vrindavan, Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya in Barsana, and another one in Pratapgarh. All three help millions of underprivileged to gain free access to medical care. His Kindergarten, School, and College for impoverished girls Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Education is located in Kunda and provides completely free education.