Surrender

Today is a great day to remember Surrender and its true meaning.  It is the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev ji (5th Sikh Guru), whose story reminds us of the ultimate surrender. 

Remember when he was tortured and burned alive, he sang the below in ultimate surrender to the divine. “Tera Kiya Meetha Lage,” [your will is sweet nectar for me].

Imagine, just feel it, and imagine his love for God, and acceptance.

In Sikhism, Charhdi Kala – is a term for aspiring to maintain a mental state of eternal optimism and job, as a sign of contentment with the will of God, even during adversity.  

Surrender is acceptance, and acceptance of everything as divine will. Faith and surrender go hand in hand.

Here is the video of his beautiful Shabad with meanings 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfyV75D7EWM

ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਿਤ ਧਿਆਈ ॥ 
हरि का नामु रिदै नित धिआई ॥ 
Har kā nām riḏai niṯ ḏẖi▫ā▫ī. 
Meditate continually on the Name of the Lord within your heart. 
 
ਸੰਗੀ ਸਾਥੀ ਸਗਲ ਤਰਾਂਈ ॥੧॥ 
संगी साथी सगल तरांई ॥१॥ 
Sangī sāthī sagal ṯarāʼn▫ī. ||1|| 
Thus you shall save all your companions and associates. ||1|| 
 
ਗੁਰੁ ਮੇਰੈ ਸੰਗਿ ਸਦਾ ਹੈ ਨਾਲੇ ॥ 
गुरु मेरै संगि सदा है नाले ॥ 
Gur merai sang saḏā hai nāle. 
My Guru is always with me, near at hand. 
 
ਸਿਮਰਿ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਤਿਸੁ ਸਦਾ ਸਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਾਲੇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ 
सिमरि सिमरि तिसु सदा सम्हाले ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥ 
Simar simar ṯis saḏā samĥāle. ||1|| rahā▫o. 
Meditating, meditating in remembrance on Him, I cherish Him forever. ||1|| 
 
ਤੇਰਾ ਕੀਆ ਮੀਠਾ ਲਾਗੈ ॥ 
तेरा कीआ मीठा लागै ॥ 
Ŧerā kīā mīṯẖā lāgai. 
Your actions seem so sweet to me. 
 
ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਪਦਾਰਥੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਮਾਂਗੈ ॥੨॥੪੨॥੯੩॥ 
हरि नामु पदारथु नानकु मांगै ॥२॥४२॥९३॥ 
Har nām paḏārath Nānak māʼngai. ||2||42||93|| 
Nanak begs for the treasure of the Naam, the Name of the Lord. 

Source: Shivpreet Singh Youtube channel 

Here is one more soulful rendition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d1bilVf3iw

In the history of spirituality, we have seen the ultimate surrender from the lives of avatars and the realized,
(a) Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and his forgiving and still loving all
(b) Throat cancer of Ramakrishna Paramhansa, and still not asking the divine mother to cure it.
(c) Arm cancer in Ramana Maharshi, and many more.

Let us be inspired and feel their surrender and love for the divine.

If you want to read more, check Swami Ji’s video here & here, and his beautiful post on faith here.  It is from him, that I heard about Guru Arjan Dev ji’s story, and this Shabad has stayed with me ever since.  

ps: Adding more references that may be interesting to you.

a) Swami ji’s video where he references this story – after 8:05 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyLdU8-b-ds
b) Swami jis video on Gurbani – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPy-nnMd7V0
c) Swami ji’s lineage/Parampara video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngzlh1ve1ws after 12:55mins –  About five hundred years ago Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born and he had a son whose name was Shri Chandra Dev who became a naga saint. As per the tradition of the naga saints, who were the disciples of Ved Vyas, the mantra was a part of their practice and it was kept going. He says, the tradition then branched out into two. One branch practised the Devi mantra and the other branch Shiva’s. The Shiva mantra was later given by Baba Chandra Dev to his close disciples and later he established a tradition which was known as the Udasin sampradaya. These three traditions came together like the confluence of the Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati and this is the tradition to which Om Swami is attached.
d) Here is another one of beautiful Shabad by Guru Arjan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9QWoftAsuw
Sada Sahai
You are saḏā sahāī … always helpful
You lend me your own hand,
You nurture every breath of mine
You don’t let me see any difficult times;
because that is what you do
that is your inherent nature.

From the very beginning to forever,
you sustain me breath by breath you help me task after task
Through your remembrance 
my bliss is unfolded.
My mind is unfurled 
in enchanting amazement
as I behold your compassion.

I know that you are saḏā sahāī
that no matter what happens
you will uphold your own honor
you will always protect me
after all that’s just how you are 
and I … I am your very own

Transliteration Credits: Shivpreet Singh Youtube Channel