ON RESIGNATION

Some opine that resignation is a new chapter in their life! “ Resignation is a quality of saintly souls says another writer. According to Henry David Thoreau, “ Resignation is really confirmed desperation.” We learn resignation not by our own suffering but by the sufferings of others says another writer. Different persons define resignation differently according to their experiences. In normal parlance resignation means quitting the job and seeking a better one! Dissatisfaction and failure leads to frustration, dejection, and depression! Man thinks that he is the doer and whatever he does should succeed! After several attempts and disappointments he realizes that there is some other entity presiding over him and his actions and the results!  He mistakes that he is the doer whereas it is God who works through him! After all man is an instrument in the hands of God! That is what the Lord says to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, “ Nimitta matram bhava Savyasachin.” For realizing God the easiest way is to resign  yourself to the will of God! This is called total surrender or Saranagati”.

Even the blade of grass doesn't move without His Will! There is nothing that we can do and therefore have to resign ourselves to His will! It is possible to do so with faith and pure love. Like giving up your job for better prospects, give up everything and throw all your burden on Him who   is the supreme and the protector of all creatures. It is because of His will that the five elements  perform their duties perfectly and regularly! Man in his arrogance thinks he is independent and can do anything at his will and pleasure! He is terribly mistaken! To believe in his mental and physical power is not a wise thing. Your attempt and God’s Will should coincide! Dependence on one’s own caliber and relying on God can be best illustrated through these two ‘ nyayas’.

.The first is called ” markata kisora nyaya”. The young one of the monkey clings itself to the belly of its mother tightly even as it jumps from one tree to the other. It has to safeguard itself! The mother is least concerned about the safety of its own child! If by chance, the young one lets go its hold, the child falls down and dies! It is a precarious condition! One false step leads to death and destruction!That is the analogy of the man who tries to do things depending on his own skill, intelligence and power! The second ‘nyaya’ is “marjara kisora nyaya”  The kitten is helpless and it is the mother cat that looks after it. It is very affectionate towards the young kitten and transfers it from one place to the other catching It gently with it's mouth! Though its  teeth are very sharp , no damage is done to the kitten! Hence the man who throws his entire burden on God is like the kitten protected always by the grace of God! The Jnani belongs to the first type while the devotee or bhaktha belongs to the second type of ‘nyaya’.

On an occasion Radha, One of the greatest devotees of Krishna, had to undergo a test! People wanted to test her chastity and gave her a task impossible for anyone to accomplish! She was asked to carry water in a vessel with a thousand holes but not spilling a single drop! She took up the challenge nonchalantly, thought of her beloved Lord Krishna and carried the vessel without spilling a single drop! People were all astounded and couldn't believe their eyes! They praised her for exceptional chastity never before heard or seen! But Radha  said that she was only an instrument in the hands of God, her Lord Krishna! Is it not the duty of the Lord to come to the rescue of his staunch devotee when in dire need?

What is the comparison for absolute reliance on God? Sri Ramakrishna says that it is “ like that happy state of relaxation felt by a fatigued worker when, reclining on pillow, he smokes at leisure after a day’s hard work. It is the cessation of all anxieties and worries”. He says that man must live like a leaf cast off  after its use! What will happen to the leaf? Battered by the wind it moves here and there! It reaches indoors and sometimes falls in dirty places. Similarly, placed in a position remain there! When God places you in a better place accept it and resign yourself to His Will! Accept whatever is given, pleasure, pain, joy or sorrow as His will and pleasure! Let things take care of themselves! Adamance and ego in doing things will surely end in failure! Leave everything to Him in true devotion and surrender and enjoy how God comes to help you!!