Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.8.46
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
Everyone has to surrender to someone superior. That is always the nature of our living condition. At the present moment we are trying to surrender to someone — either to society or to our nation, family, state or government. The surrendering process already exists, but it is never perfect because the person or institution unto whom we surrender is imperfect, and our surrender, having so many ulterior motives, is also imperfect. As such, in the material world no one is worthy to accept anyone’s surrender, nor does anyone fully surrender to anyone else unless obliged to do so. But here the surrendering process is voluntary, and the Lord is worthy to accept the surrender. This surrender by the living entity occurs automatically as soon as he sees the beautiful youthful nature of the Lord.
The description given by Nārada Muni is not imaginary. The form of the Lord is understood by the paramparā system. Māyāvādī philosophers say that we have to imagine the form of the Lord, but here Nārada Muni does not say that. Rather, he gives the description of the Lord from authoritative sources. He is himself an authority, and he is able to go to Vaikuṇṭhaloka and see the Lord personally; therefore his description of the bodily features of the Lord is not an imagination. Sometimes we give instructions to our students about the bodily features of the Lord, and they paint Him. Their paintings are not imaginary. The description is given through disciplic succession, just like that given by Nārada Muni, who sees the Lord and describes His bodily features. Therefore such descriptions should be accepted, and if they are painted, that is not imaginative painting.
- 2018-10-14 SB 04-08-46 - Adi Gadadhar Prabhu
- SDAP SB 04-08-46 - 2008-10-15 Copenhagen Denmark
- BAPVS SB 04-08-46 - 2010-10-27 ISKCON Mayapur
- Bhakti Vikas Sw SB 04-08-46 - Bhaktivinoda sees Krishna
- Bhakti Vikas Sw Hindi SB 04-08-46 - Shri Krishna ke Saundarya ka varnan17 Apr
- HDG SB 04-08-46 - 2005-11-26 Los Angeles
- Whom have I been imagining the Lord to be, and how does that match this description?
- Where am I withholding surrender because I've imagined a harsher recipient than the texts describe?
My note
Source: vedabase.io