The Devotee 107
“How can one take shelter of anyone else but Krishna, Who is so kind? Even
though Bakasur’s sister planned to kill Him when He was an infant, by apply-
ing poison to her breast and offering it to Him to suck and thus to die—still
that heinous woman received salvation, and was elevated to the same post
as His own mother.” The verse refers to the time Putana planned to kill
Krishna when He was a child, by poisoning her breast and offering it to Him
to suck. Krishna accepted it and sucked the milk from the breast of that de-
moniac woman, and at the same time sucked out her life also. But the result
was that Putana was raised to the same post as His own mother.

There is no essential difference between a fully surrendered soul and a man
in the renounced order of life. The only difference is that a fully surrendered
soul has the distinguishing symptom of being completely dependent upon
Krishna. This surrendering process can be characterized by six different qual-
ities: The first quality is that one should accept everything that is favorable
to the discharge of Krishna duties or devotional service. One should be deter-
mined to accept the process. The second is that he should give up everything
which is unfavorable to the discharge of devotional service; and one should
be so determined to give it all up. Thirdly, one should be convinced that
nobody else can protect him except Krishna, and therefore he has full faith
that he will be protected by the Lord. It should be mentioned here that the
impersonalists think that being One with Krishna, or One with the Supreme
Lord, is their actual identity. A devotee, however, does not destroy his identity,
but he lives with full faith that Krishna will kindly protect him in every
respect.

Fourthly, a devotee should always accept Krishna as his Maintainer. Fruit-
ive performers generally expect protection from demigods; but a devotee
does not expect any protection from any demigod. He is fully convinced that
Krishna will protect him from all kinds of unfavorable conditions. Fifth, a
devotee is always conscious that his desires are not independent. Unless Krishna
fulfills them, his desires cannot be fulfilled. Lastly, one should always think
of himself as the most fallen, so that Krishna may take care of him.

Such a surrendered soul should take shelter in a holy place like Vrindaban,
Mathura, Dwarka, Mayapur, and should surrender himself to the Lord, saying,
“My Lord, from today I am Yours. You can protect me or kill me as You
like.” The devotee takes shelter of Krishna in such a way. Krishna is grateful
and accepts him and gives him all kinds of protection. This is confirmed in
the Srimad Bhagwatam, Eleventh Canto, Twenty-ninth Chapter. It is said
there that if a person who is about to die takes full shelter of the Supreme
