“Loving Surrender to the Divine”

On the blessed occasion of Janmashtami, as we celebrated the birth anniversary of Bhagavan Krishna, an inspiring discourse was given by Swami Vasudevananda Giri, a sannyasi of Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, that expounded the message of “Yogeshwar” or the “Lord of Yoga” on the liberating power of all-surrendering love to the Divine. The theme of the discourse was: “Loving Surrender to the Divine,” and was live-streamed from YSS Noida ashram on Saturday, August 9.

Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita: “…. By the practice of yoga meditation withdraw (vraja) your mind, intelligence, life force, and heart from the clutches of the ego, from the physical sensations of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, and from the objects of sense pleasures! Forsake all duties toward them! Be a yogi by uniting yourself to My blessed presence (mamekam sharanam) in your soul. Then I will save you; by nonperformance of the lesser duties to the senses under the influence of delusion, you will automatically find yourself free from all sinful troubles.

“If you remain in ecstasy with Me, fulfilling all divine duties as directed by Me, forsaking all ego-instigated duties, you will be liberated.”

Drawing on Paramahansa Yogananda’s commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, God Talks With Arjuna, Swami Vasudevananda presented an ideal way for a spiritual aspirant to express love and reverence to Sri Krishna — by attuning one’s life to the Divine, surrendering all actions to God, and striving to feel His presence in every thought, word, and deed.