Chapter 7. Atma-niksepah: Full Self-surrender

हरौ देहादिशुद्धात्मपर्य्यन्तस्य समर्पणम् ।
एव निःशेषरूपेण ह्यात्मनिक्षेप उच्यते ॥१॥
आत्मार्थचेष्टाशून्यत्वं कृष्णार्थैकप्रयासकम् ।
अपि तन्न्यस्तसाध्यत्वसाधनत्वञ्च तत्फलम् ॥२॥
एवं निक्षिप्य चात्मानं स्वनाथचरणाम्बुजात् ।
नाकर्ष्टुं शक्नुयच्चापि सदा तन्मयतां भजेत् ॥३॥

harau dehādi-śuddhātma-paryantasya samarpaṇam
eva niḥśeṣa-rūpeṇa hy ātma-nikṣepa uchyate [1]

ātmārtha-cheṣṭā-śūnyatvaṁ kṛṣṇārthaika-prayāsakam
api tan nyasta-sādhyatva-sādhanatvañ cha tat phalam [2]

evaṁ nikṣipya chātmānaṁ svanātha-charaṇāmbujāt
nākarṣṭuṁ śaknuyach chāpi sadā tanmayatāṁ bhajet [3]

To summarily offer everything — from body and its paraphernalia up to pure soul — unto the lotus feet of Sri Hari, is known as atma-niksepah, or full self-surrender. All selfish pursuits are abandoned and every endeavour is for Krishna alone, and that too, up to the point of completely depending on Krishna for one’s personal means and ends. Having thus cast oneself unto the holy lotus feet of one’s Lord, one can never be swayed from that position, and he engages in pure devotional service with all his heart forever.

आत्मनिक्षेपश्चात्मनिवेदनरूपम् —

कृष्णायार्पितदेहस्य निर्म्ममस्यानहङ्कृतेः।
मनसस्तत्स्वरूपत्वं स्मृतमत्मनिवेदनम् ॥४॥
केषाञ्चित्

ātma-nikṣepaś chātma-nivedana-rūpam —

kṛṣṇāyārpita-dehasya nirmamasyānahaṅkṛteḥ
manasas tat svarūpatvaṁ smṛtam ātma-nivedanam [4]

Self-dedication as self-sacrifice —

Of one who, out of love for Krishna, has ‘died to live’ exclusively for the Lord’s service, who is devoid of attachment for any other objective, and who is free from egotism — his Godly mentality (or absence of pursuit for personal pleasure, in quest of the Lord’s pleasure) is known as atma-nivedan, full self-sacrifice.

 — revered votary

तत्र चेश्वरातिसामर्थ्यविश्वासत्वम् —

ईश्वरस्य तु सामर्थ्यान्नालभ्यं तस्य विद्यते।
तस्मिन्न्यस्तभरः शेते तत्कर्म्मैव समाचरेत् ॥५॥
श्रीव्यासपादानां

tatra cheśvarāti-sāmarthya-viśvāsatvam —

īśvarasya tu sāmarthyān nālabhyaṁ tasya vidyate
tasmin nyasta-bharaḥ śete tat karmaiva samācharet [5]

Faith in the infinite capacity of the Lord is to be found within such dedication —

Due to His unlimited capacity, nothing whatsoever is unattainable for the Supreme Lord. Thus, to be devoid of self-endeavour, by completely depending upon Him, is to factually execute the purpose of the Lord.

 — Sri Vyasadev

तद्यन्त्रमेवात्मानमनुभवति —

यत्कृतं यत्करिष्यामि तत्सर्व्वं न मया कृतम्।
त्वया कृतं तु फलभुक्त्वमेव मधुसूदन ॥६॥
श्रीकुलशेखरस्य

tad yantram evātmānam anubhavati —

yat kṛtaṁ yat kariṣyāmi tat sarvaṁ na mayā kṛtam
tvayā kṛtaṁ tu phala-bhuk tvam eva madhusūdana [6]

The dedicated soul perceives that he is merely an instrument in the hands of the Supreme Lord —

O Madhusudan, whatever I have done and whatever I will do, nothing is my endeavour. It is all done by You, and You alone are the enjoyer of the fruit.

 — Sri Kulasekhar

हृदि तन्नियुक्तत्वानुभवान्न मिथ्याचारः —

केनापि देवेन हृदि स्थितेन।
यथा नियुक्तोऽस्मि तथा करोमि ॥७॥
गौतमीयतन्त्रे

hṛdi tan niyuktatvānubhavān na mithyāchāraḥ —

kenāpi devena hṛdi sthitena
yathā niyukto ’smi tathā karomi [7]

Hypocrisy cannot show its face in the light of such a heart’s revelation —

As I am engaged by a Deity within my heart, so do I act.

गोविन्दं बिना तत्र सर्व्वात्मना नान्यभावः —

गोविन्दं परमानन्दं मुकुन्दं मधुसूदनम्।
त्यक्त्वान्यं वै न जानामि न भजामि स्मरामि न ॥८॥
श्रीव्यासपादानां

govindaṁ vinā tatra sarvātmanā nānya-bhāvaḥ —

govindaṁ paramānandaṁ mukundaṁ madhusūdanam
tyaktvānyaṁ vai na jānāmi na bhajāmi smarāmi na [8]

Within such surrender there is no other conception but Govinda in every thought, word, and deed —

I know, worship, and remember no one but the Lord Paramananda, Mukunda, Madhusudan, Govinda.

 — Sri Vyasadev

सर्व्वत्रैवाभीष्टदेवदर्शनम् —

इतो नृसिंहः परतो नृसिंहो
यतो यतो यामि ततो नृसिंहः।
बहिर्नृसिंहो हृदये नृसिंहो
नृसिंहमादिं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥९॥
केषाञ्चित्

sarvatraivābhīṣṭa-deva-darśanam —

ito nṛsiṁaḥ parato nṛsiṁho
yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiṁhaḥ
bahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁho
nṛsiṁham ādiṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye [9]

Indeed, one’s worshipful Deity is seen everywhere —

Nrsimha is here, Nrsimha is there — Nrsimha is wherever I go. Nrsimha is outside, Nrsimha is within my heart. I am surrendered unto that primeval Lord Nrsimha.

 — revered votary

अन्याभिसन्धिवर्ज्जिता स्थायिरतिरेव स्यात् —

नाथे धातरि भोगिभोगशयने नारायणे माधवे
देवे देवकीनन्दने सुरवरे चक्रायुधे सार्ङ्गिणि।
लीलाशेषजगत्प्रपञ्चजठरे विश्वेश्वरे श्रीधरे
गोविन्दे कुरु चित्तवृत्तिमचलामन्यैस्तु किं वर्त्तनैः ॥१०॥
श्रीकुलशेखरस्य

anyābhisandhi-varjitā sthāyi-ratir eva syāt —

nāthe dhātari bhogi-bhoga-śayane nārāyaṇe mādhave
deve devakī-nandane suravare chakrāyudhe sārṅgiṇi
līlāśeṣa-jagat-prapañcha-jaṭhare viśveśvare śrīdhare
govinde kuru chitta-vṛttim achalām anyais tu kiṁ vartanaiḥ [10]

Rejection of all spurious motives facilitates continuous attachment for the Lord —

He is your Lord, known by His various Pastimes as Vidhata, Anantasayan, Narayan, Madhava, Devata, Devaki Nandan, Surasrestha, Chakrapani, Sarngi, Visvodar, Visvesvar, Sri Krishna, and Govinda. What more could be desired than to offer your unswerving thoughts unto Him?

 — Sri Kulasekhar

परमात्मनि स्वात्मार्पणमेव सर्व्वथा वेदतात्पर्य्यम् —

धर्म्मार्थकाम इति योऽभिहितस्त्रिवर्ग
ईक्षात्रयी नयदमौ विविधा च वार्त्ता।
मन्ये तदेतदखिलं निगमस्य सत्यं
स्वात्मार्पणं स्वसुहृदः परमस्य पुंसः ॥११॥
श्रीप्रह्लादस्य

paramātmani svātmārpaṇam eva sarvathā veda-tātparyam —

dharmārtha-kāma iti yo ’bhihitas tri-varga
īkṣā trayī naya-damau vividhā cha vārtā
manye tad etad akhilaṁ nigamasya satyaṁ
svātmārpaṇaṁ sva-suhṛdaḥ paramasya puṁsaḥ [11]

Full self-surrender is the whole purport of the Vedas —

The pursuits of religiosity, prosperity, and sensual enjoyment have been delineated as the three ends of human existence. They include the sciences of self-knowledge, elevation, and logic, the principles of government, and various methods of livelihood such as farming. All these pursuits are advocated by those sections of the Vedas dealing with trimodal matters, and therefore I consider them to be transient. On the other hand, I know self-dedication unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the dear well-wisher of the soul, to be the only factual reality propounded by the Vedas.

 — Sri Prahlad

आत्मनिक्षेपपद्धतिः —

अपराधसहस्रभाजनं पतितं भीमभवार्णवोदरे।
अगतिं शरणागतं हरे कृपया केवलमात्मसात्कुरु ॥१२॥
श्रीयामुनाचार्य्यस्य

ātma-nikṣepa-paddhatiḥ —

aparādha-sahasra-bhājanaṁ
patitaṁ bhīma-bhavārṇavodare
agatiṁ śaraṇāgataṁ hare
kṛpayā kevalam ātmasāt kuru [12]

The pathway to self-dedication —

The perpetrator of thousands of offences, fallen into the terrible ocean of material existence, I have no shelter but You. O Lord Hari, please graciously accept this surrendered soul as one of Your own.

 — Sri Yamun Acharya

अत्र केचिद्देहार्पणमेवात्मार्पणमिति मन्यन्ते —

चिन्तां कुर्य्यान्न रक्षायै विक्रीतस्य यथा पशोः।
तथार्पयन्हरौ देहं विरमेदस्य रक्षणात् ॥१३॥
केषाञ्चित्

atra kechid dehārpaṇam evātmārpaṇam iti manyante —

chintāṁ kuryān na rakṣāyai vikrītasya yathā paśoḥ
tathārpayan harau dehaṁ viramed asya rakṣaṇāt [13]

Some consider bodily dedication to be self-dedication —

As one is indifferent to the upkeep of a sold animal, there will similarly be no cause to be concerned for the upkeep of one’s body when it has been offered unto the lotus feet of Sri Hari.

 — revered votary

गुणातीत शुद्धक्षेत्रज्ञस्यैव समर्पितत्वोपलब्धिः —

वपुरादिषु योऽपि कोऽपि वा
गुणतोऽसानि यथातथाविधः।
तदहं तव पादपद्मयोर्
अहमद्यैव मया समर्पितः ॥१४॥
श्रीयामुनाचार्य्यस्य

guṇātīta śuddha-kṣetrajñasyaiva samarpitatvopalabdhiḥ —

vapur ādiṣu yo ’pi ko ’pi vā
guṇato ’sāni yathā-tathā-vidhaḥ
tad ahaṁ tava pāda-padmayor
aham adyaiva mayā samarpitaḥ [14]

The transcendental, pure soul’s realisation of his capacity to offer himself unto the Lord —

However I may be materially designated, however my character may be known — now, O Lord, this whole sense of ego is offered by me unto Your holy lotus feet.

 — Sri Yamun Acharya

आत्मार्पणस्य दृष्टान्तः —

तन्मे भवान्खलु वृतः पतिरङ्ग जायाम्
आत्मार्पितश्च भवतोऽत्र विभो विधेहि।
मा वीरभागमभिमर्शतु चैद्य आराद्
गोमायुवन्मृगपतेर्बलिमम्बुजाक्ष ॥१५॥
श्रीरुक्मिणीदेव्याः

ātmārpaṇasya dṛṣṭāntaḥ —

tan me bhavān khalu vṛtaḥ patir aṅga jāyām
ātmārpitaś cha bhavato ’tra vibho vidhehi
mā vīrabhāgam abhimarśatu chaidya ārād
gomāyuvan-mṛga-pater balim ambujākṣa [15]

An example of offering oneself —

O lotus-eyed Lord, I have selected You as my husband, and I offer myself unto You. Therefore, please come and take me as Your wife, before Sisupal, like the jackal plundering the lion’s prey, suddenly touches me, who am to be enjoyed by You alone.

 — Srimati Rukmini Devi

तत्र शुद्धाहङ्कारस्य परिचयसमृद्धेरभिव्यक्तिः —

नाहं विप्रो न च नरपतिर्नापि वैश्यो न शूद्रो
नाहं वर्णी न च गृहपतिर्नो वनस्थो यतिर्वा।
किन्तु प्रोद्यन्निखिलपरमानन्दपूर्णामृताब्धेर्
गोपीभर्त्तुः पदकमलयोर्दासदासानुदासः ॥१६॥
श्रीश्रीभगवतश्चैतन्यचन्द्रस्य

tatra śuddhāhaṅkārasya parichaya-samṛddher-abhivyaktiḥ —

nāhaṁ vipro na cha nara-patir nāpi vaiśyo na śūdro
nāhaṁ varṇī na cha gṛha-patir no vana-stho yatir vā
kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramānanda-pūrṇāmṛtābdher
gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [16]

The vivid revelation of the treasure within the identity of pure ego in self-dedication —

I am not a priest, a king, a merchant, or a labourer (brahman, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra); nor am I a student, a householder, a retired householder, or a mendicant (brahmachari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasi). I identify myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Sri Krishna, the Lord of the Gopis, who is the personification of the fully expanded (eternally self-revealing) nectarean ocean that brims with the totality of divine ecstasy.

 — the Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanyachandra

औपाधिकधर्म्मसम्बन्धच्छेदश्च —

सन्ध्यावन्दन भद्रमस्तु भवतो भो स्नान तुभ्यं नमो
भो देवाः पितरश्च तर्पणविधौ नाहं क्षमः क्षम्यताम्।
यत्र क्वापि निषद्य यादवकुलोत्तंसस्य कंसद्विषः
स्मारं स्मारमघं हरामि तदलं मन्ये किमन्येन मे ॥१७॥
श्रीमाधवेन्द्रपुरीपादानां

aupādhika-dharma-sambandha-chchhedaś cha —

sandhyā-vandana bhadram astu bhavato bho snāna tubhyaṁ namo
bho devāḥ pitaraś cha tarpaṇa-vidhau nāhaṁ kṣamaḥ kṣamyatām
yatra kvāpi niṣadya yādava-kulottaṁsasya kaṁsa-dviṣaḥ
smāraṁ smāram aghaṁ harāmi tad alaṁ manye kim anyena me [17]

All connection with formal religion is severed —

O morning, noon, and evening prayers, may all good be unto you; O daily ablutions, my respects unto you; O demigods, O forefathers, may you forgive me — I cannot follow the injunctions to offer you libations. Wherever I may be, I shall eradicate my sins, constantly contemplating that jewel of the Yadu dynasty, the slayer of Kamsa, and I think this is sufficient for me. What more could I ever want than this?

 — Sri Madhavendra Puri

अलौकिकभावोदये लौकिकविचारतुच्छत्वम् —

मुग्धं मां निगदन्तु नीतिनिपुणा भ्रान्तं मुहुर्वैदिका
मन्दं बान्धवसञ्चया जडधियं मुक्तादराः सोदराः।
उन्मत्तं धनिनो विवेकचतुराः कामं महादाम्भिकं
मोक्तुं न क्षमते मनागपि मनो गोविन्दपादस्पृहाम् ॥१८॥
माधवस्य

alaukika-bhāvodaye laukika-vichāra-tuchchhatvam —

mugdhaṁ māṁ nigadantu nīti-nipuṇā bhrāntaṁ muhur vaidikā
mandaṁ bāndhava-sañchayā jaḍa-dhiyaṁ muktādarāḥ sodarāḥ
unmattaṁ dhanino viveka-chaturāḥ kāmaṁ mahā-dāmbhikaṁ
moktuṁ na kṣamate manāg api mano govinda-pāda-spṛhām [18]

Awakening of divine affection for Krishna proves worldly opinion mere trivia —

The expert moralists may say that I am deluded, the Vedic religionists may insist that I am misled, and my associates may condemn me as uncultured. My own brothers may disrespect me and call me an idiot, the wealthy may say I am mad, and the sharp-witted philosophers may severely criticise me as being a great egotist. Nevertheless, my heart cannot budge in the slightest degree from its aspiration to serve the lotus feet of Sri Govinda.

 — Madhava

हरिरसपानमत्तानां जनमतविचारे नावकाशः —

परिवदतु जनो यथा तथायं
ननु मुखरो न वयं विचारयामः।
हरिरसमदिरामदातिमत्ता
भुवि विलुठाम नटाम निर्व्विशामः ॥१९॥
श्रीसार्व्वभौमपादानां

hari-rasa-pāna-mattānāṁ jana-mata-vichāre nāvakāśaḥ —

parivadatu jano yathā tathāyaṁ
nanu mukharo na vayaṁ vichārayāmaḥ
hari-rasa-madirā-madātimattā
bhuvi viluṭhāma naṭāma nirviśāmaḥ [19]

The people’s opinion is of no consequence to the devotees absorbed in the ecstasy of service to Lord Hari —

The gossipers may slander us, but we shall not heed them. Completely intoxicated by drinking the wine of the ecstasy of Sri Hari’s service, we shall dance, roll on the ground, and faint.

 — Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya

बहुमानिताद्वैतानन्दसिंहासनाद्व्रजरसघनमूर्त्तेश्चरणे लुण्ठनरूपमात्मनिक्षेपणम् —

अद्वैतवीथीपथिकैरुपास्याः
स्वानन्दसिंहासनलब्धदीक्षाः।
हठेन केनापि वयं शठेन
दासीकृता गोपवधूविटेन ॥२०॥
श्रीबिल्वमङ्गलस्य

bahu-mānitādvaitānanda-siṁhāsanād vraja-rasa-ghana-mūrteś charaṇe luṇṭhana-rūpam ātma-nikṣepaṇam —

advaita-vīthī-pathikair upāsyāḥ
svānanda-siṁhāsana-labdha-dīkṣāḥ
haṭhena kenāpi vayaṁ śaṭhena
dāsī-kṛtā gopa-vadhū-viṭena [20]

Abdicating the much-vaunted throne of monistic bliss, to cast oneself unto the service of Sri Krishna, the embodiment of the divine ecstasy of Vrndavan, by rolling in the dust of His lotus feet —

Although I am worshippable by the wanderers on the path of monism, and although I have received initiation into ascending the great throne of self-satisfaction, I have been forcibly converted into a maidservant by some deceitful paramour of the gopis.

 — Sri Bilvamangal Thakur

अनुग्रहनिग्रहाभेदेन सेव्यानुराग एवात्मनिक्षेपः —

विरचय मयि दण्डं दीनबन्धो दयां वा
गतिरिह न भवत्तः काचिदन्या ममास्ति।
निपततु शतकोटिर्निर्भरं वा नवाम्भस्
तदपि किल पयोदः स्तूयते चातकेन ॥२१॥
श्रीरूपपादानां

anugraha-nigrahābhedena sevyānurāga evātma-nikṣepaḥ —

virachaya mayi daṇḍaṁ dīnabandho dayāṁ vā
gatir iha na bhavattaḥ kāchid anyā mamāsti
nipatatu śata-koṭir nirbharaṁ vā navāmbhas
tad api kila payodaḥ stūyate chātakena [21]

Genuine self-dedication is deep attachment for one’s Master, considering reward and punishment equally —

O Friend of the needy, whether You chastise me or reward me, in the whole wide world I have no other shelter but You. Whether the thunderbolt strikes or torrents of fresh waters shower down, the chatak bird (who drinks only the falling rainwater) perpetually goes on singing the glories of the raincloud.

 — Sri Rupa Goswami

व्रजरसलम्पटस्य स्वैराचारेष्वात्मनिक्षेपस्यैव परमोत्कर्षः —

आश्लिष्य वा पादरतां पिनष्टु माम्
अदर्शनान्मर्म्महतां करोतु वा।
यथा तथा वा विदधातु लम्पटो
मत्प्राणनाथस्तु स एव नापरः ॥२२॥
श्रीश्रीभगवतश्चैतन्यचन्द्रस्य

vraja-rasa-lampaṭasya svairāchāreṣv ātma-nikṣepasyaiva paramotkarṣaḥ —

āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām
adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā
yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo
mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ [22]

The acme of self-dedication is surrender to the whim of Sri Krishna, the paramour of Vrndavan —

Krishna may warmly embrace this maidservant of His lotus feet, claiming me as His own, or He may break my heart by not appearing before me. He is wayward, and He may exploit me as He wishes, but He will always be the only Lord of my life.

 — the Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanyachandra

महौदार्य्यलीलामयश्रीचैतन्यचरणात्मनिक्षेपस्य परमत्वम् —

पात्रापात्रविचारणां न कुरुते न स्वं परं वीक्षते
देयादेयविमर्शको न हि न वा कालप्रतीक्षः प्रभुः।
सद्यो यः श्रवणेक्षणप्रणमनध्यानादिना दुर्ल्लभं
दत्ते भक्तिरसं स एव भगवान्गौरः परं मे गतिः ॥२३॥
श्रीप्रबोधानन्दपादानां

mahaudārya-līlāmaya-śrī-chaitanya-charaṇātma-nikṣepasya paramatvam —

pātrāpātra-vichāraṇāṁ na kurute na svaṁ paraṁ vīkṣate
deyādeya-vimarśako na hi na vā kāla-pratīkṣaḥ prabhuḥ
sadyo yaḥ śravaṇekṣaṇa-praṇamana-dhyānādinā durlabhaṁ
datte bhakti-rasaṁ sa eva bhagavān gauraḥ paraṁ me gatiḥ [23]

The dignity of casting oneself unto the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the hero in the divine Pastimes of supreme magnanimity —

He makes no distinction between the worthy and the unworthy, and He does not differentiate between Himself and others; He does not consider who should be given to and who should not, He makes no preparation for an auspicious or inauspicious moment; and He swiftly awards the rarest nectar of pure devotion beginning with hearing about the Lord, beholding Him, making obeisance unto Him, and absorbing one’s thoughts in Him — that Supreme Lord Gaurahari is my one and only shelter.

 — Sri Prabodhananda Saraswati

इति श्रीप्रपन्नजीवनामृते

श्रीभक्तवचनामृतान्तर्गत

आत्मनिक्षेपो नाम सप्तमोऽध्यायः।

iti śrī-prapanna-jīvanāmṛte

śrī-bhakta-vachanāmṛtāntargata

ātma-nikṣepo nāma saptamo ’dhyāyaḥ

thus ends the seventh chapter

Full Self-surrender

Words of Nectar from the Devotees

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