Mr. Bajaj: Prabhupāda, surrender, sar..., word, if you can give us a full explanation of the word surrender. What's the meaning of surrender, and how one should do it? Basis of surrender.
Prabhupāda: Surrender, this is surrender, that... First of all, why you surrender? You must know it perfectly well that "Kṛṣṇa is master; I am servant." Otherwise there is no question of surrender. Then you have to believe that "Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). So now I have surrendered; I have no more fear. Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." To believe firmly, "Kṛṣṇa is all powerful. Kṛṣṇa is my master. He is not a fakir, that He's talking nonsense." We have to believe that. This is surrender. If you think, "Kṛṣṇa is another fakir like me. He's talking nonsense," then there is not surrender. You have to believe that. That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that śraddhā śabde viśvāsa niścaya (CC Madhya 22.62). This is śraddhā (faith).
Śraddhā is the beginning. That śraddhā means when you firmly believe in Kṛṣṇa: "Yes, He'll give me protection." That is surrender. Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. When you come to this stage, firmly believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa, that is surrender. First of all, you have to check yourself whether you firmly believe in the words of God. If you don't believe, there is no question of surrender. Then you will remain where you are. This is firm belief: "Kṛṣṇa says that He will give me protection, so let me surrender. I have surrendered to māyā—
I have not become happy—so why not surrender to Kṛṣṇa?" This is intelligence.
(Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, Bombay, January 9, 1977)
Compiled by Padmapani das