Three ways of Being submissive to Krishna! Detailed Explanation!
(As said by Sri Rupa Gosvami and Srila Prabhupada)
Skanda Purana states about Being Humble & Submissive to Krishna:
“Sober devotees can offer their submission to Krsna in the following three ways:
(1) SAMPRARTHANATMIKA: Very feelingly offering prayers (Being Submissive through Feeling);
(2) DAINYAVODHIKA: Humbly Submitting oneself (Being Submissive through Humbleness);
(3) LALASAMAYI: Desiring some Perfectional stage (Being Submissive through Perfection).
(What is the Prayascitta for fallen devotees who fall down from devotion? READ HERE!)
This desiring some perfectional stage in spiritual life is not sense gratification.
When one realizes something of his constitutional relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he understands his original position and wants to be reinstated in this position, either as friend, servant, parent or conjugal lover of Krsna. That is called Lalasamayi, or very eagerly desiring to go to one’s natural position.
This Lalasamayi stage of submission comes in the stage of perfect liberation, which is technically called svarupa-siddhi, when the living entity understands, by perfect spiritual advancement and revelation, his Original relationship with the Lord.
SUBMISSION BY FEELING
PADMA PURANA states about Being submissive to Krishna in Feeling:
The devotees praying to the Lord: “My Lord, I know that young girls have natural affection for young boys, and that young boys have natural affection for young girls. I am praying at Your lotus feet that my mind may become attracted unto You in the same spontaneous way.”
(WEAPONS TO BEAT MAYA – TILAKA, TULASI BEADS AND PRASADAM! READ HERE!)
The example is very appropriate. When a young boy or girl sees a member of the opposite sex there is a natural attraction, without the need for any introduction. Without any training there is a natural attraction due to the sex impulse. This is a material example, but the devotee is praying that he may develop a similar spontaneous attachment for the Supreme Lord, free from any desire for profit and without any other cause. This natural attraction for the Lord is the perfectional stage of self-realization.
SUBMISSION IN HUMBLENESS
Padma Purana states about Being submissive to Krishna in humblenesss:
“My dear Lord, there is no sinful living entity who is more of a sinner than myself. Nor is there a greater offender than myself. I am so greatly sinful and offensive that when I come to confess my sinful activities before You, I am ashamed.”
This is a natural position for a devotee. As far as the conditioned soul is concerned, there is no wonder that he has some sinful activities in his past life, and this should be admitted and confessed before the Lord. As soon as this is done, the Lord excuses the sincere devotee.
But that does not mean that one should take advantage of the Lord’s causeless mercy and expect to be excused over and over again, while he commits the same sinful activities. Such a mentality is only for shameless persons.
(HONOURING THE DEITIES OF KRISHNA – PROPER WAY – PART-1! READ HERE!)
Here it is clearly said, “When I come to confess my sinful activities I become ashamed.”
So if a person is not ashamed of his sinful activities and continues to commit the same sinful activities with the knowledge that the Lord will excuse him, that is a most nonsensical proposition.
Such an idea is not accepted in any part of the Vedic literature. It is a fact that by chanting the holy name of the Lord one becomes washed clean of all sinful activities from his past life. But that does not mean that after being washed off, one should again begin sinful activities and expect to be washed again. These are nonsensical propositions and are not admitted in devotional service.
Someone may think, “For a whole week I may commit sinful activities, and for one day I will go to the temple or church and admit my sinful activities so that I can become washed off and again begin my sinning.”
This is most nonsensical and offensive and is not acceptable to the author of Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu.
(IMPORTANCE OF KIRTANA (SINGING) IN PLEASING KRISHNA! READ HERE!)
SUBMISSION BY PERFECTION
NARATHA PANCHARATNA states about Being submissive to Krishna in Perfection:
The devotee says, “My dear Lord, when shall that day come when You will ask me to fan Your body, and according to Your pleasure, You will say, ‘You just fan Me in this way’?”
The idea in this verse is that the devotee is desiring to personally fan the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That means that he is desiring to become the personal associate of the Supreme Lord.
Of course, any devotee in any capacity, either as servant, friend or conjugal lover, always has direct association with the Lord. But according to his different individual taste, a person desires for just one of these relationships.
Here the devotee is desiring to become a servant of the Lord and desires to fan the Lord, as does His internal energy, Laksmi, the goddess of fortune. He also wishes that the Personality of Godhead will be pleased to give him directions as to how to fan. This submission with transcendental desire, or Lalasamayi vijnapti, is the highest perfectional stage of spiritual realization.
(SIX GOSVAMIS OF VRINDAVAN – INTRODUCTION! READ HERE!)
In the same Narada-pancaratra, there is another expression of submission, wherein the devotee says, “My dear Lord, O lotus-eyed one, when will that day come when on the bank of the Yamuna I shall become just like a madman and continue to chant Your holy name while incessant tears flow from my eyes?”
This is another perfectional stage of Being submissive to Krishna.
Lord Caitanya also desired that “a moment will appear unto me as twelve years of time, and the whole world will appear to me as vacant on account of not seeing You, my dear Lord.”
One should feelingly pray and become eager to render his particular type of service to the Lord. This is the teaching of all great devotees, especially Lord Caitanya.
In other words, one should learn how to cry for the Lord. One should learn this small technique, and he should be very eager and actually cry to become engaged in some particular type of service. This is called Laulyam, and such tears are the price for the highest perfection. If one develops this Laulyam, or excessive eagerness for meeting and serving the Lord in a particular way, that is the price to enter into the kingdom of God.
Otherwise, there is no material calculation for the value of the ticket by which one can enter the kingdom of God. The only price for such entrance is this Laulyam Lalasamayi, or desire and great eagerness.
This is the sweet description of being Being submissive to Krishna.
(THREE CLASSES OF DEVOTEES EXPLAINED BY SRILA RUPA GOSVAMI! READ HERE!)