Saranagati – usually translated as “self-surrender”.

One of the most important aspects of bhakti-yoga, but honestly, the word surrender usually invokes something “drastic”, something in relation to “fear” or “awe and reference”.

What does it actually mean to surrender?
It means to take shelter.
It means to lovingly place one´s own self at the Lotus Feet of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.

Srila Jiva Goswami writes in his Bhakti Sandarbha, Anuccheda 236, about the six symptoms of surrender:

anukulyasya sankalpa
pratikulyasya varjanam
raksisyatiti visvaso
goptrtve varanam tatha
atma-niksepa-karpanye
sad-vidha saranagatih

“There are six symptoms of surrender: a firm resolve to act congenially to the Lord, to forsake all that is unfavorable to the Lord, firm faith that the Lord will give one protection, deliberate acceptance of the Lord as one´s guardian and nourisher, submission of the self and humility.”

Later on, Srila Jiva Goswami fine-tunes the art of surrender a bit more and writes:

tad etat atma-nivedanam bhavam vina bhava-vaisistyena ca drisyate
purvam yatha ‘martyo yada’ ity adi.
uttaram yathaikadasa eva [Srimad Bhagavatam 11.11.35]
‘dasyenatma-nivedanam’ iti.
yatha ca Rukmini-vakye [Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.52.39] ‘atmarpitas ca bhavatah’ iti.
sri-sukah.

“Self-surrender is of two types: Without a specific temperament of love and that imbued with such loving feelings. An example of the first is found in the self-surrender described by Lord Krishna in the verse of the Bhagavatam (SB. 11.29.34).

A reference to the second is also found in the 11 Canto (SB 11.11.35), where Lord Krishna mentions self-surrender endowed with the attitude of a servant. Another example of the second type of self-surrender (imbued in this case with conjugal feelings) is seen in the words of Rukmini devi:

‘Hence You, my beloved, have indeed chosen by me as my husband and this body has been offered to you. Please come here my Lord and accept me as Your wife.’ (SB 10.52.39)”

As Gaudiya Vaishnavas, we are followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who said:

sakala jagate more kare vidhi-bhakti |
vidhi-bhaktye vraja-bhava paite nahi sakti ||
aisvarya-jnanete saba jagat misrita |
aisvarya-sithila-preme nahi mora prita ||
(cc 1.3.15-16)

“Everyone in this world worships Me through vidhi-bhakti. Vidhi-bhakti has no power for attaining the feelings of Vraja. The devotion of the world is mixed with knowledge of My divine prowess. I do not delight in love diluted with prowess.”

So, clearly we are supposed to practice raganuga-bhakti.

raganuga-marge tanre bhaje yei jana |
sei-jana paya vraje vrajendra-nandana ||
(CC 2.8.221)

“He who worships on the path of raganuga will attain Vrajendranandana (Sri Krishna) in Vraja.”

In raganuga-bhakti, only the second type of taking shelter with the self is possible. Only with a “specific temperament of love” can we take shelter with our self in raganuga-bhakti.

Srila Rupa Goswami advices us to follow the eternal ragatmika Vraja-vasis and to try to develop a bhava similar to their own.

sevā sādhaka-rūpeṇa siddha-rūpeṇa cātra hi |
tad-bhāva-lipsunā kāryā vraja-lokānusārataḥ ||
(Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.295)

“Following after the inhabitants of Vraja, one should perform service in one’s physical body and in one’s siddha body, with a desire for a particular bhāva.”

So, without desiring a SPECIFIC relationship with the Divine Couple, there is no point in talking about taking shelter at Their Lotus Feet.

It is nice to theoretically understand the concept of “taking shelter (SARANAGATI)”.
It is utmost helpful. But without establishing a REAL relationship with Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, saranagati in Vraja-bhakti is impossible.

In raganuga-bhakti, any of the four rasas found in Vraja will do:
dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya.

“Although all the rasas are on the transcendental platform, mādhurya-rasa is the supreme transcendental mellow. Consequently it is concluded that the worship of devotees engaged in the Lord’s service in mādhurya-rasa is the supreme spiritual activity. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His followers mainly worship Lord Kṛṣṇa in mādhurya-rasa.”
(Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami) 

So, as followers of Sriman Mahaprabhu, we desire for that particular bhava found in the hearts of Srimati Radhika´s maidservants.

We establish now a different identity for our “self”.
From the “generic” servant of Sri Krishna, from being a “tatastha-sakti-jiva”, we desire to attain a spiritual identity as a maidservant of Srimati Radhika. How?

By taking shelter at the Lotus Feet of a Sri Gurudeva who himself has desired and  attained that particular bhava.
We receive diksha-mantras from him which help us establish our desired relationship with Sri Sri Radha and Krishna and which are imbued with the bhava and the love of our beloved Sri Gurudeva.

Without knowing who we want to be, which love we want to invite into our hearts in regards to Sri Sri Yugal Kishore, we cannot even think about saranagati.

“Surrender to Krishna! Now! Do it!”

This will never work.

To which Krishna? In which mood?
Without knowing the answers to these questions, the process of saranagati is only a theoretical one.

Which Krishna?

tribhanga-bhangima-rupam
venu-randhra-karancitam
gopi-mandala-madhya-stham
sobhitam nanda-nandanam

“His form bent in three places, His hands bent over the holes of His flute,
the son of Nanda Maharaja Lord Krishna stands resplendent amidst a circle of gopis.”

To this Krishna. To Radha´s Krishna.

RADHA-KANTA NAMO´STU TE – To the Beloved of Radhika, I bow down in love.

First we take shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Gurudeva.
Under his guidance, we develop our bhakti and we go through the stages of bhakti as described by Srila Rupa Goswami:

adau sraddha tatah sadhu sango’tha bhajana kriya’
tato’nartha nivrittih syat tato nishtha rucis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudancati
sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah
(Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhuh 1.4.15-16)

“First of all there is faith, then one associates with devotees,
then one begins to engage in bhajana, then one gets rid of bad habits, becomes fixed,
gets taste, becomes attached (to Krishna), then bhava awakens and then prema.
This is how the gradual growth of prema of the devotee takes place.”

How can we develop a desire for a particular bhava?

tat tad bhavadi madhurye srute dhir yad apekshate |
natra sastram na yuktim ca tal lobhotpatti lakshanam ||
(BRS. 1.2.292)

“When one hears about the sweetness of their feelings and so forth, and a desire for attaining the same awakens in the consciousness without dependence on scripture and logic, this is a symptom of the awakening of greed (lobha).”

“If one thinks: ‘Let me attain such sweet feelings also’, after hearing about feelings such as the transcendental erotic feeling towards Kṛṣṇa of His associates (the gopīs) in Vraja, then one need not wait for favorable sanctions from the revealed scriptures or logical arguments.”
(Srila Vishvanatha Cakravartipada, RVC)

When we know which particular bhava we desire for, saranagati turns into something real. From something theoretical, and maybe in the beginning “forced upon us” by shastra, it turns into something very practical.
You give YOUR SELF over to someone YOU LOVE.
And at one point, we BEGIN to love that SOMEONE.

When we desire to attain the bhava which resides in the hearts of Radhika´s maidservants, something spectacular is about to happen.

Initially we “surrender” to Krishna (via guru-padashraya, etc…), but when we attain this most wonderful bhava of the manjaris, Krishna will “surrender” to us.
How can this be?

Krishna Himself says: “My dear Partha, one who claims to be My devotee is not so.
Only a person who claims to be the devotee of My devotee is actually My devotee.”

Who is Krishna´s favorite devotee? Radhika.
By taking shelter of Srimati Radhika, Krishna loves us even more.

Sometimes Krishna Himself surrenders to the manjaris, begging them to help Him meet with Radhika Who is steeped in beautiful MANA, rejecting Her lover´s association.
With folded hands, Krishna approaches the manjaris and begs them to go to His beloved and try to pacify Her.

Of course to realize these emotions, our hearts must be purified and we must be firmly established in our eternal svarupa by the mercy and guidance of Sri Gurudeva.
It is nothing to be taken cheaply.
But nevertheless, we should place all our energy into the hope of attaining such wonderful realizations. Hope is the pathway to mercy.

The conclusion is that loving self-surrender, saranagati, is only possible AFTER establishing our eternal relationship with Krishna in a particular rasa and as followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in madhurya rasa (as Radhika´s maidservants).

A wonderful rasika Vaishnava once told me that Sri Krishna tells us even in the Bhagavad-Gita to surrender to Srimati Radhika.

Of course, his interpretation of this certain verse is steeped in rasika-realization and not really according to Sanskrit rules of grammar. But it clearly shows how love for Radhika can make one SEE, FEEL and REALIZE Her in every verse…

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śharaṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣhayiṣhyāmi mā śhuchaḥ
(BG 18.66)