Saranagathy is easy to practise

There is this famous story of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, who, while passing through a village came across a man grinding flour on a stone pounder, but tears were streaming down his face. 

The sage asked him, “Why are you in distress? What is your problem? Is it the grinding? Can I help you?” “No, no, it is not the grinding. I was thinking of life, and how as jeevatmas, we are all born in this world to experience the same cycle of material pursuits.” 

Paramahamsa asked him to remove the top stone and pointing to the axis in the middle, and a few rice grains around it, said, “God is like this axis and we are all the grains of rice. 

If you grab the foot of the Lord, and surrender entirely to Him, you will not be affected by the daily grind.” There are six ways of surrendering to God, best exemplified in our scriptures through six instances.  

Prahalada, Vibhishana, Gajendra, Draupadi, Ahalya and five-year-old Dhuruvan. Regardless of whether one is a child, a rakshasa, a woman or even an animal, God will offer His protection to all those who trust Him and ask to be saved. God took the form of Nrisimha, in order to protect His devotee Prahalada, who refused to give up chanting His name even when his life was threatened. 

Similarly, five-year-old Dhuruvan only wanted to gain the affection of his father, who had spurned him and his mother after marrying again. His step mother sent him off to the forest, asking him to pray to God. For five months Dhuruvan prayed hard, living on a handful of jujubes once in two days, for a full month, then gradually fasting completely, without even a drop of water. 

Vishnu appeared before him in all His splendour, leaving the boy dumb struck. Vishnu assured him of his father’s love, a huge kingdom to rule, and touched his cheek with a conch, upon which the boy found his tongue. Dhuruvan wanted to give up earthly pursuits and sing only Vishnu’s praise, but was persuaded to do his earthly duty as a ruler. He is immortalised as a star. Vibhishana was a rakshasa, and from the camp of the enemy, Ravana, and yet, when he surrendered to Rama, He took him under His wings. 

Similarly Ahalya (who was cursed to remain a stone) was granted relief by God, who also came to Draupadi’s rescue when she was molested in court. They  were all offered saran agathy by God. He has said, “Whenever you cry out to Me, when you are in danger, I will be there for you.” One has to only trust in God and surrender to Him.