20. Full Surrender

apy adya nas tvam sva-krtehita prabho
Jihasasi svit suhrdo ’nujivinah

yesam na canyad bhavatah padambujat
parayanam rajasu yojitamhasam

O my Lord, You have executed all
duties Yourself. Are You leaving us
today, though we are completely depen-
dent on Your mercy and have no one
else to protect us, now when all kings
are at enmity with us?

—Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.37

The Pandavas are most fortunate because with all good luck they were
entirely dependent on the mercy of the Lord. In the material world, to be
dependent on the mercy of someone else is the utmost sign of misfor-
tune, but in the case of our transcendental relation with the Lord, it is the
most fortunate case when we can live completely dependent on Him. The
material disease is due to thinking of becoming independent of every-
thing. But the cruel material nature does not allow us to become indepen-
dent. The false attempt to become independent of the stringent laws of
nature is known as material advancement of experimental knowledge.

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