As our free will is finite should we just depend on Krishna always?
Is it that if our free will is limited, should we just become completely dependent on Krishna? No. Our free will is eternally limited. Our free will is never infinite.
What can increase or decrease is our freedom. Freedom is the external facility or even the internal psychological facility or lack of facility. So, whatever we can do right now, we are meant to do.
And surrender to Krishna can be in two ways. One is through dependence on Krishna and the other is through diligence for Krishna. Draupadi embodies surrender.
She raises her hand in helplessness. Krishna, I surrender to you. At the end of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna, surrender to me.
Maa meekam sharanam vachanam. Arjuna says, yes, I surrender to you. But at the end of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna is not raising his hand in surrender.
Arjuna is picking up his bow in surrender. So, for Arjuna, surrender is through diligence for Krishna. So, surrender can have both these aspects.
So, broadly speaking, there are certain things which are beyond our control and certain things which are in our control. So, for the things which are beyond our control, there is dependence on Krishna. And for the things that are in our control, there is diligence for Krishna.
So, whatever we can do, we should do diligently. So, about 20-25 years ago, the first time I started giving classes and that time a senior devotee gave me some 10 point guidelines, how to speak. The last point was, depend on Krishna.
But in bracket, but only after you have prepared. So, if I don’t prepare for a class and I have to depend on Krishna, that is not dependence, that is a responsibility. So, after I prepare, then how much I will remember or what kind of questions will come, I don’t know that.
That is dependence. So, we have to be diligent for Krishna to do what we can do. And we have to be dependent on Krishna for the things that are not in our control.
The balance of these two images, you know, Arjuna is raising his bow and Krishna, and Draupadi is raising her hands. The balance is what Prabhupada sings in Marke Ni Bhagwan Dharmana. Nachao, Nachao Prabhu, Nachao Se Mate, Kashtera Putuli Jata Nachao Se Mate.
Just as a puppeteer makes a puppet dance, make me dance. Now, what does it mean? That when the person is going to dance, Prabhupada is not simply a doll and he is not asking that I become an insensitive doll. He is saying that according to your will, make me dance.
So, the dancing is happening by Krishna’s will, but the dancing is done by Prabhupada. And to do the dancing, Prabhupada also has to be expert. So, we will do what Krishna wants, but what we have to do, that we have to do well.
So, unless I do my part well, my surrender to Krishna is not proper. So, I will surrender to Krishna about the things that are not in my control. This is what I have to do.
I will do it, but I will do it well. So, we have to be diligent for Krishna in doing what is in our control. I