Ramayana, Yuddha-kanda 18.33

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Madhya 22.34 T The Process of Devotional Service

sakrd eva prapanno yas tavasmiti ca

yacate abhayam sarvada tasmai dadamy

etad vratam mama

 

SYNONYMS

 

sakrt--once only; eva--certainly; prapannah--surrendered; yah--anyone who;

tava--Yours; asmi--I am; iti--thus; ca--also; yacate--prays;

abhayam--fearlessness; sarvada--always; tasmai--unto him; dadami--I give;

etat--this; vratam--vow; mama--My.

 

TRANSLATION

 

" 'It is My vow that if one only once seriously surrenders unto Me, saying,

"My dear Lord, from this day I am Yours," and prays to Me for courage, I shall

immediately award courage to that person, and he will always remain safe from

that time on.'

 

PURPORT

 

This is a quotation from the Ramayana.

 

SB 10.2.26 P Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Krsna in the Womb While offering

prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada Maharaja

said:

 

balasya neha saranam pitarau nrsimha nartasya

cagadam udanvati majjato nauh

 

Generally it is understood that the protectors for a child are his parents,

but this is not actually the fact. The real protector is the Supreme

Personality of Godhead.

 

taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihanjasestas tavad vibho

tanu-bhrtam tvad-upeksitanam

 

(Bhag. 7.9.19) If neglected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a child,

despite the presence of his parents, will suffer, and a diseased person, despite

all medical help, will die. In this material world, where there is a struggle

for existence, men have invented many means for protection, but these are

useless if the Supreme Personality of Godhead rejects them. Therefore the

demigods purposefully say, satyatmakam tvam saranam prapannah: "Real protection

can be obtained from You, O Lord, and therefore we surrender unto You," The

Lord demands that one surrender unto Him (sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam

saranam vraja), and He further says:

 

sakrd eva prapanno yas tavasmiti ca

yacate abhayam sarvada tasmai dadamy

etad vratam mama

 

"If one surrenders unto Me sincerely, saying, 'My Lord, from this day I am

fully surrendered unto You,' I always give him protection. That is My vow."

(Ramayana, Yuddha-kanda 18.33) The demigods offered their prayers to the

Supreme Personality of Godhead because He had now appeared in the womb of His

devotee Devaki to protect all the devotees harassed by Kamsa and his

lieutenants. Thus the Lord acts as satyavrata. The protection given by the

Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be compared to the protection given by

the demigods. It is said that Ravana was a great devotee of Lord Siva, but when

Lord Ramacandra went to kill him, Lord Siva could not give him protection.