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The Art of Surrender: How to Let Shri Krishna Take Care of You

Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat
1 September 2026
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The Art of Surrender- How to Let Shri Krishna Take Care of You by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (1)

(Adapted from a speech by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj on Janmashtami)

Surrender is at the very heart of devotion. We are asked to surrender ourselves to God, to place our lives in His hands. But what does this surrender really mean? Does it mean giving up our responsibilities, becoming inactive, or simply accepting whatever happens without making any effort?

What Does Surrender Really Mean?

True surrender is something much deeper. It means gradually giving up the egoistic feeling that “I am the doer. I am responsible for everything. I must make everything happen.” It means placing ourselves in the hands of Shri Krishna with the firm faith that He is our eternal protector and well-wisher.

We make desires and then become attached to their fulfilment. When our desires are fulfilled, we experience happiness. When they are not, we experience disappointment, frustration and suffering. Much of what we call worldly happiness is therefore dependent upon whether things happen according to our wishes.

If we reflect honestly on our own experiences, we can see how often our time, effort and peace of mind are consumed by desires and expectations. Once we understand the temporary nature of worldly happiness, detachment begins to arise naturally.

Surrender begins with this understanding. We gradually realise that the world cannot provide the everlasting happiness and love for which the soul longs. We then begin to turn towards Shri Krishna, who alone is our eternal relation and the source of true divine bliss.

As long as we suffer from the ego of being the doer, we remain bound by the fruits of our actions because we consider ourselves responsible for their outcome. When the feeling of doership ends, we become non-doers in the true sense.

This does not mean that we stop performing our duties. We continue to make sincere efforts and do what is within our capacity, but we surrender the outcome to Shri Krishna. We no longer carry the burden of believing that everything depends upon us.

The meaning of surrender can be beautifully understood through the example of a newborn baby. As long as the baby does nothing, the mother does everything for it. She feeds it, protects it and takes care of all its needs. As the child begins to do a little more, the mother reduces her responsibilities to the same extent. When the child eventually becomes capable of doing everything independently, the mother no longer needs to do those things for the child.

This example beautifully explains the nature of surrender. As long as we believe, “I must do everything myself,” we continue to carry the burden of responsibility upon ourselves. But when we begin to surrender, we place ourselves in the hands of our Divine Mother and Father, Shri Krishna. The more completely we surrender, the more we allow Him to take care of us.

We are accustomed to believing that we can control our lives. We make plans, create expectations and then try to make the world conform to them. But how much control do we really have? We cannot control other people, circumstances or the future. Even when we obtain what we desire, the happiness it gives us is temporary.

When something goes well, we do not become proud. When something goes wrong, we do not become completely shattered. We understand that our effort is in our hands, but the final outcome is not. This is surrender: doing our duty sincerely while placing our trust in the One who knows what is best for us.

Surrender Through the Guru

The path of surrender cannot be separated from the Guru.

Without the guidance of a true Guru, one cannot cross the ocean of maya or attain knowledge of God. The scriptures teach us that we must surrender to a Guru in order to know the otherwise unknown reality of God.

A true Guru is not merely a scholar. He is a God-realised being – one who has known and united with God. Upon realisation, God bestows His divine power upon the Saint and acts through him.

Therefore, we should practise devotion under the guidance of such a Guru. We should approach him with love, acquire knowledge about God, the soul and maya, surrender to him and follow his instructions. God and Guru are one and the same. We should never think of them as different from each other.

Surrender to the Guru is therefore not separate from surrender to Shri Krishna. As our surrender deepens, our loving feelings towards both should deepen equally.

When We Let Go, He Takes Over

The deepest surrender comes when we stop trying to control everything and place ourselves completely in the hands of Shri Krishna. Physical senses are not a prerequisite for practising Bhakti or attaining God. What He seeks is the surrender of your mind. 

Even if someone is born blind and thinks, “How can I see Shri Krishna?” there is no need for eyes. When you become eligible to see God by purifying your mind, your Guru will give you Divine vision within your material eyes.

This is the essence of surrender – to stop depending on our own limited understanding and place our complete trust in Him. It does not mean that difficulties will disappear or that everything will happen according to our wishes. It means that we learn to trust Him even when we cannot understand what is happening.

Complete surrender is not merely an intellectual decision. It is a state of consciousness in which the ego of “I” and “mine” gradually disappears. We stop thinking, “This is my life, my achievement, my possession, my success.” Instead, we begin to understand that everything belongs to Shri Krishna.

Our body belongs to Him. Our abilities belong to Him. Our possessions belong to Him. Even the opportunity to perform seva is His grace. Then whatever we do becomes an offering to Him.

We spend our lives trying to take care of everything ourselves. We worry about tomorrow, whether our plans will succeed, whether our desires will be fulfilled and whether we will be able to protect what we have. Surrender invites us to let go of this burden.

The more completely we surrender, the more we experience His protection. Ultimately, surrender is not a loss of freedom. It is freedom from the burden of believing that everything depends upon us.

When the soul finally lets go and places itself completely in the hands of Shri Krishna, it discovers something profound:

He was always there. He was always taking care of us. We only had to surrender and allow Him to do so.

 By Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj

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. To stay updated with all the news and events of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, visit www.jkp.org.in/jkpwhatsapp.