Complete surrender or Saranagati is the easiest path to the Lord’s feet. Yet we also talk of Saranagati Sastra. If it is a Sastra, it cannot be easy to comprehend. In fact, there is a whole body of literature which explains Saranagati. Vedanta Desika has authored several works on Saranagati.
Even with regard to the Ramayana, which shows the efficacy of Saranagati at every turn, we have doubts. This being the case, is Saranagati really the easy path? The answer is Saranagati is easy, yet tough. The seeming paradox is because we do not often realise what we need to do for complete surrender. That lack of realisation makes Saranagati appear a tough way to attain moksha. But once we realise what is required of us, it becomes clear that God in His mercy has shown us this easy path.
The Supreme One knows our limitations. He knows that we are incapable of adhering even to the simplest of conditions and rules. That is why, he showed us the path of surrender, which makes very few demands of us, Navalpakkam V. Vasudevachariar explained in a discourse.
It is because of our ignorance of what Saranagati is all about that it appears difficult to us. We are like students who take an examination. A student, who has prepared for the examinations and knows the answers to the questions in the question paper, comes out of the examination hall and says happily that the examination was easy.
The ill-prepared student finds the same question paper difficult. So the problem is not with the question paper, but with the level of preparedness of the two categories of students. Thus it is with Saranagati too. If we follow the few simple rules laid down for us, we will find that Saranagati is the easiest way to reach God. If we do not even know what Saranagati is, how can we find it an easy path? The fault as always lies with us, and the problem is not with the way shown by the Lord.
One of the first things we must acknowledge is that we know nothing. We have to admit that we are helpless. What qualifies us for Saranagati then? Our lack of knowledge is our main qualification for Saranagati. We must acknowledge our sins and seek His feet through surrender, if we are to be liberated.
