शरणागति
Sharanagati
śaraṇāgati
In simple words
Sharanagati means going to God for refuge, letting go of the idea that you must save yourself by your own strength. The Gita ends with Krishna inviting Arjuna to take refuge in him alone.
What is it?
Surrender is the culmination of devotion in many theistic traditions. In the Gita, Arjuna first surrenders as a disciple, and the final teaching invites total refuge in God. Sri Vaishnava thought develops this as prapatti, a formal act of surrender with defined components, and debates the role of human effort in it. Sadhak Sanjivani treats surrender as the simplest and highest means, in which one belongs entirely to God.
Scholar’s note
Sri Vaishnavas after Vedanta Deshika (Vadakalai) and Pillai Lokacharya (Tenkalai) differ on whether surrender needs the soul's effort (the monkey-grip analogy) or rests wholly on grace (the kitten analogy). Madhva's school emphasises grace alongside devotion and knowledge. Sikh thought speaks of taking refuge in the Guru and accepting Hukam. Advaita may read surrender as the dissolution of ego into the Self.How its meaning differs
Surrender (prapatti) to Narayana, with Lakshmi as mediator, is a direct means of liberation; lineages differ on how much it requires the soul's own effort.
The soul is eternally dependent on Vishnu; liberation comes through God's grace, won by devotion grounded in knowledge of that dependence.
Surrender is the heart of love: giving up self-reliance and belonging wholly to God.
Surrender can be read as giving up the ego-sense until only the Self remains; in this sense it converges with self-inquiry.
Taking refuge in the Guru and accepting the Divine order dissolves ego.
In the Bhagavad Gita — as Sadhak Sanjivani explains it
Summary based on Sadhak Sanjivaniसाधक-संजीवनीपर आधारित सारKrishna's final word is: giving up reliance on all dharmas, take refuge in Me alone; I will free you from all sins, do not grieve (18.66). Swamiji explains that 'giving up all dharmas' means giving up reliance on them, not abandoning duty (18.66). Taking refuge in God is the essence of all practices; nothing is left for the surrendered one to do for himself (18.66). Even if one's faults remain after surrender, one is not to worry: the shortcoming now becomes God's to remove, and one's only task is to stay at His feet — fearless, free of grief, carefree and free of doubt (18.66). The maya made of the three gunas is hard to cross, but those who take refuge in God alone cross it (7.14). The one who relies on God attains the eternal abode by His grace even while doing all actions (18.56, 18.62).
भगवान्का अन्तिम वचन है — सम्पूर्ण धर्मोंका आश्रय छोड़कर केवल मेरी शरणमें आ जा; मैं तुझे सब पापोंसे मुक्त कर दूँगा, चिन्ता मत कर (१८।६६)। स्वामीजी बताते हैं कि 'सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य'का अर्थ धर्मोंका स्वरूपसे त्याग नहीं, उनके आश्रयका त्याग है (१८।६६)। भगवान्के शरणागत हो जाना सम्पूर्ण साधनोंका सार है; शरणागतके लिये अपने लिये कुछ करना शेष नहीं रहता (१८।६६)। शरण होनेके बाद भी अपनेमें कमी दीखे, तो भी चिन्ता या भय न करे — वह कमी अब भगवान्की है, उसे दूर करना उनका काम है; शरणागतका एक ही काम है — निर्भय, नि:शोक, निश्चिन्त और नि:शंक होकर भगवान्के चरणोंमें पड़े रहना (१८।६६)। गुणमयी माया दुरत्यय है, पर जो केवल भगवान्के शरण होते हैं वे इसे तर जाते हैं (७।१४)। भगवान्का आश्रय लेनेवाला सब कर्म करता हुआ भी उनकी कृपासे अविनाशी पदको पाता है (१८।५६, १८।६२)।
स्वयं भगवान्के शरणागत हो जाना—यह सम्पूर्ण साधनोंका सार है। इसमें शरणागत भक्तको अपने लिये कुछ भी करना शेष नहीं रहताWhere it appears in the Gita
I am Your disciple — teach me
मैं आपका शिष्य हूँ, मुझे शिक्षा दीजिये
कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभाव: पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेता:।
Confused about dharma and overpowered by weakness, Arjuna asks for what is decisively good for him and takes refuge in Krishna as His disciple.
कायरतासे दबा और धर्मके विषयमें मोहित अर्जुन निश्चित कल्याणकी बात पूछता है और शिष्य बनकर भगवान्के शरण होता है।
7.14Those who take refuge in Me alone cross over maya
केवल मेरी शरण लेनेवाले मायाको तर जाते हैं
दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया।
The divine maya made of the three gunas is hard to cross, but whoever takes refuge in God alone crosses it.
तीन गुणोंवाली दैवी माया दुरत्यय है, पर जो केवल भगवान्के शरण होते हैं, वे इसे तर जाते हैं।
9.34Be Mine: mind on Me, worship Me, bow to Me
मेरा भक्त हो जा, मुझमें मनवाला हो जा
मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु।
Become God's devotee, fix the mind on Him, make every act His worship, bow to His every dispensation — so surrendered, you will reach Him.
भगवान्का भक्त बनो, उनमें मन लगाओ, हर क्रियाको उनकी पूजा बनाओ और उनके हर विधानमें प्रसन्न रहो — इस प्रकार परायण होकर उन्हींको प्राप्त होओगे।
18.56सर्वकर्माण्यपि सदा कुर्वाणो मद्व्यपाश्रय:।
मेरा आश्रय लेनेवाला भक्त सदा सब कर्म करता हुआ भी मेरी कृपासे शाश्वत अविनाशी पदको प्राप्त हो जाता है।
18.62Take refuge in Him with your whole being
सर्वभावसे उसीकी शरणमें जा
तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन भारत।
Go to Him alone for refuge with your whole being; by His grace you will attain supreme peace and the eternal abode.
सर्वभावसे उस ईश्वरकी ही शरणमें जा; उसकी कृपासे परम शान्ति और अविनाशी परमपदको प्राप्त हो जायगा।
18.65Be Mine: mind, worship and bow to Me, and you will come to Me
मेरा भक्त हो, मुझमें मन लगा—तू मुझे ही प्राप्त होगा
मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु।
Be My devotee, fix your mind on Me, worship Me, bow to Me; you will come to Me, I promise, for you are dear.
मेरा भक्त, मुझमें मनवाला, मेरा पूजन करनेवाला हो और मुझे नमस्कार कर; तू मुझे ही प्राप्त होगा—यह सत्य प्रतिज्ञा है, क्योंकि तू मेरा प्रिय है।
18.66Leave the support of all dharmas and take refuge in Me alone
सब धर्मोंका आश्रय छोड़कर केवल मेरी शरणमें आ
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।
Giving up reliance on all dharmas, come to Me alone for refuge. I will free you from all sins; do not grieve.
सम्पूर्ण धर्मोंका आश्रय छोड़कर केवल मेरी शरणमें आ जा; मैं तुझे सब पापोंसे मुक्त कर दूँगा, चिन्ता मत कर।
Where else it appears
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Trace the idea from one source to the next.
- 1Gita verseBhagavad Gita 2.7Arjuna surrenders as a disciple, asking for guidance.
- 2Gita verseBhagavad Gita 7.14Those who take refuge in God cross over maya.
- 3Gita verseBhagavad Gita 18.62Take refuge in him with your whole being.
- 4Gita verseBhagavad Gita 18.66The final teaching of refuge.
- 5Conceptप्रपत्तिPrapatti — refuge in GodThe Sri Vaishnava doctrine of surrender.
- 6Thinkerरामानुजाचार्यRamanujacharyaThe theologian whose tradition systematised it.
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