saká¹›n manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padÄravindayor
niveÅ›itaá¹ tad-guṇa-rÄgi yair iha
na te yamaá¹ pÄÅ›a-bhá¹›taÅ› ca tad-bhaá¹Än
svapne 'pi paÅ›yanti hi cÄ«rṇa-niá¹£ká¹›tÄḥ
saká¹›t - once only; manaḥ - the mind; kṛṣṇa-pada-aravindayoḥ - unto the two lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa; niveÅ›itam - completely surrendered; tat - of Kṛṣṇa; guṇa-rÄgi - which is somewhat attached to the qualities, name, fame and paraphernalia; yaiḥ - by whom; iha - in this world; na - not; te - such persons; yamam - YamarÄja, the superintendent of death; pÄÅ›a-bhá¹›taḥ - those who carry ropes (to catch sinful persons); ca - and; tat - his; bhaá¹Än - order carriers; svapne api - even in dreams; paÅ›yanti - see; hi - indeed; cÄ«rṇa-niá¹£ká¹›tÄḥ - who have performed the right type of atonement.
Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (18.66):
sarva-dharmÄn parityajya
mÄm ekaá¹ Å›araṇaá¹ vraja
ahaá¹ tvÄá¹ sarva-pÄpebhyo
moká¹£ayiá¹£yÄmi mÄ Å›ucaḥ
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.†This same principle is described here (saká¹›n manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padÄravindayoḥ). If by studying Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ one decides to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, he is immediately freed from all sinful reactions. It is also significant that Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ«, having several times repeated the words vÄsudeva-parÄyaṇa and nÄrÄyaṇa-parÄyaṇa, finally says kṛṣṇa-padÄravindayoḥ. Thus he indicates that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of both NÄrÄyaṇa and VÄsudeva. Even though NÄrÄyaṇa and VÄsudeva are not different from Kṛṣṇa, simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa one fully surrenders to all His expansions, such as NÄrÄyaṇa, VÄsudeva and Govinda. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (7.7), mattaḥ parataraá¹ nÄnyat: “There is no truth superior to Me.†There are many names and forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Kṛṣṇa is the supreme form (kṛṣṇas tu bhagavÄn svayam). Therefore Kṛṣṇa recommends to neophyte devotees that one should surrender unto Him only (mÄm ekam). Because neophyte devotees cannot understand what the forms of NÄrÄyaṇa, VÄsudeva and Govinda are, Kṛṣṇa directly says, mÄm ekam. Herein, this is also supported by the word kṛṣṇa-padÄravindayoḥ. NÄrÄyaṇa does not speak personally, but Kṛṣṇa, or VÄsudeva, does, as in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ for example. Therefore, to follow the direction of Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ means to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, and to surrender in this way is the highest perfection of bhakti-yoga.
ParÄ«ká¹£it MahÄrÄja had inquired from Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« how one can be saved from falling into the various conditions of hellish life. In this verse Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« answers that a soul who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa certainly cannot go to naraka, hellish existence. To say nothing of going there, even in his dreams he does not see YamarÄja or his order carriers, who are able to take one there. In other words, if one wants to save himself from falling into naraka, hellish life, he should fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa. The word saká¹›t is significant because it indicates that if one sincerely surrenders to Kṛṣṇa once, he is saved even if by chance he falls down by committing sinful activities. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (9.30):
api cet su-durÄcÄro
bhajate mÄm ananya-bhÄk
sÄdhur eva sa mantavyaḥ
samyag vyavasito hi saḥ
“Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.†If one never for a moment forgets Kṛṣṇa, he is safe even if by chance he falls down by committing sinful acts.
In the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (2.40) the Lord also says:
nehÄbhikrama-nÄÅ›o ’sti
pratyavÄyo na vidyate
svalpam apy asya dharmasya
trÄyate mahato bhayÄt
“In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.â€
Elsewhere in the GÄ«tÄ (6.40) the Lord says, na hi kalyÄṇa-ká¹›t kaÅ›cid durgatiá¹ tÄta gacchati: “one who performs auspicious activity is never overcome by evil.†The highest kalyÄṇa (auspicious) activity is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is the only path by which to save oneself from falling down into hellish life. ÅšrÄ«la PrabodhÄnanda SarasvatÄ« has confirmed this as follows:
kaivalyaá¹ narakÄyate tri-daÅ›a-pÅ«r ÄkÄÅ›a-puá¹£pÄyate
durdÄntendriya-kÄla-sarpa-paá¹alÄ« protkhÄta-daá¹á¹£á¹rÄyate
viÅ›vaá¹ pÅ«rṇa-sukhÄyate vidhi-mahendrÄdiÅ› ca kÄ«á¹Äyate
yat-kÄruṇya-kaá¹Äká¹£a-vaibhavavatÄá¹ taá¹ gauram eva stumaḥ
(Caitanya-candrÄmá¹›ta 5)
The sinful actions of one who has surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa are compared to a snake with its poison fangs removed (protkhÄta-daá¹á¹£á¹rÄyate). Such a snake is no longer to be feared. Of course, one should not commit sinful activities on the strength of having surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. However, even if one who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa happens to do something sinful because of his former habits, such sinful actions no longer have a destructive effect. Therefore one should adhere to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa very tightly and serve Him under the direction of the spiritual master. Thus in all conditions one will be akuto-bhaya, free from fear.