Surrendering to the Supreme Lord Without Hesitation
Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly emphasizes that spiritual success depends on the decisiveness of the practitioner. Hesitation arises from the influence of the illusory energy, whereas the soul who is fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness acts with immediate and absolute confidence in the words of the śāstra and the spiritual master.
Surrender Without Hesitation
The pinnacle of Vedic knowledge is the call to absolute surrender. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that while the conditioned soul often wavers due to material attachment, true liberation begins the moment one takes exclusive shelter of the Lord unhesitatingly.
- One has to engage himself in Krsna consciousness without hesitation, for this devotional service will instantly help one on to the platform of transcendental consciousness.
- There is no need of strenuous effort to free oneself from sinful reactions. One should unhesitatingly accept Krsna as the supreme savior of all living entities. With faith and love, one should surrender unto Him.
- Without hesitation, one should take exclusive shelter of Krsna with full confidence, giving up bad association and even neglecting the regulative principles of the four varnas and four asramas. That is to say, one should abandon all material attachment.
- In the material world there are always dangers at every step. Nonetheless, if one takes shelter of Krsna without hesitation and keeps under the shelter of Krsna, he can easily cross the ocean of nescience.
Decisiveness in Devotional Duty
A sincere devotee never delays in executing the orders of superior authorities. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that whether instructed by the spiritual master or the revealed scriptures, the proper response is immediate obedience without any personal consideration.
- Sometimes the father and the spiritual master may be the same man, and sometimes they are different men. In any case, the order of the father or the order of the spiritual master must be carried out without hesitation, with an immediate yes.
- One has to receive the transcendental sound from the right source, accept it as a reality and prosecute the direction without hesitation.
- One must have good faith in the regulative principles followed by the self-realized souls, and one should not be doubtful about the ultimate result of such devotional service. Rather, one must go on executing his prescribed duties without hesitation.
- For a great soul like Vasudeva, there is nothing considered to be painful in the course of discharging one's duty. A learned person like Vasudeva carries out his duties without hesitation.
The Decisive Nature of the Lord and His Devotees
The reciprocation between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees is characterized by spontaneous, unhesitating love. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that great souls readily offer everything to Kṛṣṇa, and the Lord equally does not hesitate to bestow His causeless mercy upon them.
- Bali Maharaja had already offered everything to Your Lordship. Without hesitation, he has offered his land, the planets and whatever else he earned by his pious activities, including even his own body.
- On account of his intense feeling of devotional service, King Mayuradhvaja was always thinking of Krsna, and when he understood that Krsna had come in the garb of a brahmana, he did not hesitate to part with half of his body.
- The Lord is very kind to His devotees, and He is very grateful, able and magnanimous. It is our duty to believe His words, and if we are intelligent and educated enough, we will follow His instructions without hesitation.
- The Lord's devotees do not mind the offenses of the foolish in their many gross and subtle bodily endeavors. The Lord's devotees continue to bestow the blessings of devotion upon all such offenders without hesitation. That is the nature of devotees.
Sinful Actions of the Unrestricted
Conversely, those who lack God consciousness act boldly in their sinful pursuits. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that materialistic individuals, driven by madness and illusion, unhesitatingly commit abominable acts such as animal killing, completely ignoring the severe karmic reactions awaiting them.
- Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma: a human being who is mad after sense gratification does not hesitate to act sinfully.
- When the living entity is in contact with the material nature, he acts in many sinful ways without hesitation, and sometimes even against his will.
- Because these people are asuras, they do not know what to do in this human form of life and what not to do. They are killing animals without any hesitation.
- Without any hesitation, the mother is agreeing to kill the child, and the doctor is killing. And the small child, because it has taken birth in that womb, he is subjected to so many tribulations.
Conclusion
To transcend the dualities of material life, one must replace the hesitation of doubt with the absolute certainty of devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that whether one is observing the unhesitating sacrifice of great devotees, the prompt obedience to the spiritual master, or the foolish boldness of sinful men, decisiveness defines one's ultimate destination. While the materialistic demons march without hesitation toward the darkest regions of ignorance, the sincere transcendentalist leaps unhesitatingly into the loving service of the Supreme Lord. By abandoning all reservations and taking full shelter of Kṛṣṇa, the devotee perfectly executes their spiritual duties and swiftly returns to the eternal spiritual kingdom.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Without Hesitation. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.