While making choices how can we take Krishna’s shelter?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So what does it mean to take shelter of Krishna when we have to make choices? And how can we know that we are taking shelter of Krishna? Yes, the process of taking shelter or sharanagati which is talked about, it has six elements.
The Puranas describe it. Bhaktivinoda Thakur one of our Acharyas elaborates it. He says that six elements are anukulyasi sankalpa, patikulyasi bhajanata.
Accept that which is favorable, reject that which is unfavorable. Then it talks about four more dispositions. Prakshisthi vimishvaso, have faith that Krishna will always protect me.
Gopthrithve varanamsa, understand that even now Krishna is maintaining me. Without him I cannot live. He is my maintainer.
Atmanikshe, Krishna my whole life and soul is for you. Karpanye, Krishna without you I am nothing. Shadvidha sharanagati, these six elements are the elements of surrender.
Now if you see the last four among these, Krishna you are my protector, you are my maintainer. These are dispositions. They will take some time to come.
But what is practical is anukulyasi sankalpa, patikulyasi bhajanata. These are actions. Choose that which is favorable, accept that which is favorable, avoid that which is unfavorable.
So in general, when we have to make a choice with respect to our practical dealings, for us taking shelter of Krishna would mean that doing that which takes us closer to Krishna. So if I have to make a career decision, if I have to make a relationship decision, then first thing I can do is I can do devotional activities which take me closer to Krishna. And then by that connection with Krishna, I’ll be calmer.
I’ll be more focused. I’ll have better perspective. And then with that inner basically it is not that Krishna wants to guide us.
It is not that Krishna wants to keep his guidance confused, difficult to get. Krishna says, I will give you the intelligence by which you can come to me. Krishna just wants to see whether we want his guidance or not.
So if we, before making a decision, do those activities which help us go closer to Krishna, pray to Krishna, study scripture, associate with and take guidance from devotees. And then based on that, with our God-given intelligence, we take a decision. But that decision will be a decision which will be under the shelter of Krishna.
So the process of bhakti is what within that whichever limbs we know help us go closer to Krishna, we embrace those limbs and then take a decision. Does that answer your question?