My favorite Surrender in my mind's eye, Draupadi Endless Sari and more :) Options

[metamorphosis]

According to the Vedic culture, a woman is not supposed to be naked before anyone except her husband. Therefore, because these men wanted to see Draupadi naked in that great assembly, they were all rascals. The word sat means "gentle," and asat means "rude." Therefore Kuntidevi prays to Lord Krishna, "You saved Draupadi in that assembly of rude men." When the Kurus were taking away Draupadi's sari to see her naked, Krishna supplied more and more cloth for the sari, and therefore they could not come to the end of it. Finally, with heaps of cloth stacked in the room, they became tired and realized she would never be naked. They could understand, "It is impossible."

At first, Draupadi had tried to hold on to her sari. But what could she do? After all, she was a woman, and the Kurus were trying to strip her naked. So she cried and prayed to Krishna, "Save my honor," but she also tried to save herself by holding on to her sari. Then she thought, "It is impossible to save my honor in this way," and she let go and simply raised her arms and prayed, "Krishna, if You like You can save me." Thus the Lord responded to her prayers.

Therefore, it is not very good to try to save oneself. Rather, one should simply depend on Krishna: "Krishna, if You save me, that is all right. Otherwise, kill me. You may do as You like." As Bhaktivinoda Thakura says:

manasa, deha, geha -- yo kichu mora

arpilun tuya pade, nanda-kisora

"My dear Lord, whatever I have in my possession I surrender unto You. And what do I have? I have this body and mind, I have a little home and my wife and children, but whatever I have, I surrender everything unto You." This is full surrender.

[metamorphosis]

When ever something very disturbing happens in my life, that i seemingly have no control over, i like to pray to Lord Sri Krsna as Draupadi did showed here in this image.

At first many times i will do as Draupadi, try and try to solve the problem by my own means, but sometimes my determination and efforts are not enough. Recently it happened to me again, creating such a disturbance in my mind. I thought i could "fix" the problem, but no.

I find myself picturing in my mind's eye, doing just as Draupadi finally did, when she surrendered to and asked for Krsna's help. After all attempts are exhausted by so many ways, i finally just throw up my arms (sometimes just in my mind) and cry out to the Lord, "Oh Lord please help me!"

I think this example by Srimati Draupadi Prabhu is a perfect way to pray to the Lord for help. Understanding that i can not fix everything, some things are out of my control, and i need the Lord to rescue me.

[metamorphosis]

[Preyobrazhenya]

A friend of mine has this image tattooed across her upper chest up onto her shoulder - it is a really beautiful tattoo by Juli Moon of New Hampshire. This friend relates to the story of the endless sari much as you have related.

There is the story in the New Testament of the disciples on the boat when the storm comes and they become very anxious, as they were in "jeopardy." Christ calms the storm much to their great amazement. Christ questions their "little" faith, as they should have known that had they put their trust in God, there would have been no reason for anxiety. Hence it is true that we must have faith just as Srimati Draupadi - that even the the worst situations imaginable, God is always there to help us.

There are numeous stories in the hagiographies (saints' lives) that tell of unbelievable tortures that were of no effect upon those with great faith. Often only beheading would work to kill them as they could not be killed by fire, starvation, wounds, suffocation, etc..

[metamorphosis]

A friend of mine has this image tattooed across her upper chest up onto her shoulder - it is a really beautiful tattoo by Juli Moon of New Hampshire.  This friend relates to the story of the endless sari much as you have related.

yeah, i found you talking about this here

sincere thanks for your association Matushka

[metamorphosis]

Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.3.1-29

1)Sri Shukadeva Gosvami continued : Thereafter, the King of elephants, Gajendra, fixed his mind in his heart with perfect intelligence and chanted a mantra which he had learned in his previous birth as Indradyumna and which he remembered by the grace of Krsna.
2)The King of the elephants, Gajendra, said : I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Person, Vasudeva [om namo bhagavate vasudevaya]. Because of Him this material body acts due to the presence of spirit, and He is therefore the root cause of everyone. He is worshipable for such exalted persons as Brahma and Shiva, and He has entered the heart of every living being. Let me meditate upon Him.

3)The Supreme Godhead is the supreme platform on which everything rests, the ingredient by which everything has been produced, and the person who has created and is the only cause of this cosmic manifestation. Nonetheless, He is different from the cause and the result. I surrender unto Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is self-sufficient in everything.

4)The Supreme Personality of Godhead, by expending His own energy, keeps this cosmic manifestation visible and again sometimes renders it invisible. He is both the supreme cause and the supreme result, the observer and the witness, in all circumstances. Thus He is transcendental to everything. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead give me protection.

5)In due course of time, when all the causative and effective manifestations of the universe, including the planets and their directors and maintainers, are annihilated, there is a situation of dense darkness. Above this darkness, however, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I take shelter of His lotus feet.

6)An artist on-stage, being covered by attractive dresses and dancing with different movements, is not understood by his audience ; similarly, the activities and features of the supreme artist cannot be understood even by the demigods or great sages, and certainly not by those who are unintelligent like animals. Neither the demigods and sages nor the unintelligent can understand the features of the Lord, nor can they express in words His actual position. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead give me protection."

7) Renunciates and great sages who see all living beings equally, who are friendly to everyone and who flawlessly practice in the forest the vows of brahmacarya, nanaprastha and sannyasa desire to see the all-auspicious lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead be my destination.

8&9) The Supreme Personality fo Godhead has no material birth, activities, name, form, qualities or faults. To fulfill the purpose for which this material world is created and destroyed, He comes in the form of a human being like Lord Rama or Lord Krsna by His original internal potency. He has immense potency, and in various forms, all free from material contamination, He acts wonderfully. He is therefore the Supreme Brahman. I offer my respects to Him.

10) I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the self-effulgent Supersoul, who is the witness in everyone's heart, who enlightens the individual soul and who cannot be reached by exercises of the mind, words or consciousness.

11) The Supreme Personality of Godhead is realized by pure devotees who act in the transcendental existence of bhakti-yoga. He is the bestower of uncontaminated happiness and is the master of the transcendental world. Therefore I offer my respect unto Him.

12) I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Vasudeva, who is all pervading, to the Lord's fierce form as Lord Nrsimhadeva, to the Lord's form as an animal [Lord Varahadeva], to Lord Dattatreya, who preached impersonalism, to Lord Buddha, and to all the other incarnations. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who has no material qualities but who accepts the three qualities goodness, passion and ignorance within this material world. I also offer my respectful obeisances unto the impersonal Brahman effulgence.

13) I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who are the Supersoul, the superintendent of everything, and the witness of all that occurs. You are the Supreme Person, the origin of material nature and the total material energy. You are also the owner of the material body. Therefore, You are the supreme complete. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

14) My Lord, You are the observer of all the objectives of the senses. Without Your mercy, there is no possibility of solving the problem of doubts. The material world is just like a shadow resembling You. Indeed, one accepts this material world as real because it gives a glimpse of Your existence.

15) My Lord, You are the cause of all causes, but You Yourself have no cause. Therefore You are the wonderful cause of everything. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who are the shelter of the Vedic knowledge contained in the shastras like the Pancharatras and Vedanta-sutra, which are Your representations, and who are the source of the parampara system. Because it is You who can give lliberation, You are the only shelter for all transcendentalists. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

16) My Lord, as the fire in arani wood is covered, You and Your unlimited knowledge are covered by the material modes of nature. Your mind, however, is not attentive to the activities of the modes of nature. Those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge are not subject to the regulative principles directed in the Vedic literatures. Because such advanced souls are transcendental, You personally appear in their pure minds. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

17) Since an animal such as I has surrendered unto You, who are supremely liberated, certainly You will release me from this dangerous position. Indeed, being extremely merciful, You incessantly try to deliver me. By Your partial feature as Paramatma, You are situated in the hearts of all embodies beings. You are celebrated as direct transcendental knowledge, and You are unlimited. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

18) My Lord, those who are completely freed from material contamination always meditate upon You within the cores of their hearts. You are extremely difficult to attain for those like me who are too attached to mental concoction, home, relatives, friends, money, servants and assistants. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, uncontaminated by the modes of nature. You are the reservoir of all enlightenment, the supreme controller. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

19) After worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, those who are interested in the four principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation obtain from Him what they desire. What then is to be said of other benedictions? Indeed, sometimes the Lord gives a spiritual body to such ambitious worshipers. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is unlimitedly merciful, bestow upon me the benediction of liberation from this present danger and from the materialistic way of life.

20-21) Unalloyed devotees, who have no desire other than to serve the Lord, worship Him in full surrender and always hear and chant about His activities, which are most wonderful and auspicious. Thus they always merge in an ocean of transcendental bliss. Such devotees never ask the Lord for any benediction. I, however, am in danger. Thus I pray to that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is eternally existing, who is invisible, who is the Lord of all great personalities, such as Brahma, and who is available only by transcendental bhakti-yoga. Being extremely subtle, He is beyond the reach of my senses and transcendental to all external realization. He is unlimited, He is the original cause, and He is completely full in everything. I offer my obeisances unto Him.

22-24) The Supreme Personality of Godhead creates His minor parts and parcels, the jiva-tattva, beginning with Lord Brahma, the demigods and the expansions of Vedic knowledge [Sama, Rig, Yajur and Atharva] and including all other living entities, moving and nonmoving, with their different names and characteristics. As the sparks of a fire or the shining rays of the sun emanate from their source and merge into it again and again, the mind, the intelligence, the senses, the gross and subtle material bodies, and the continuous transformations of the different modes of nature all emanate from the Lord and again merge into Him. He is neither demigod nor demon, neither human nor bird or beast. He is not woman, man or neuter, nor is He an animal. He is not a material quality, a fruitive activity, a manifestation or nonmanifestation. He is the last word in the discrimination of "not this, not this," and He is unlimited. All glories to the Supreme Personality of Godhead!

25) I do not wish to live anymore after I am released from the attack of the crocodile. What is the use of an elephant's body covered externally and internally by ignorance? I simply desire eternal liberation from the covering of ignorance. That covering is not destroyed by the influence of time.

26) Now, fully desiring release from material life, I offer my respectful obeisances unto that Supreme Person who is the creator of the universe, who is Himself the form of the universe and who is nonetheless transcendental to this cosmic manifestation. He is the supreme knower of everything in this world, the Supersoul of the universe. He is the unborn, supremely situated Lord. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.

27) I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme, the Supersoul, the master of all mystic yoga, who is seen in the core of the heart by perfect mystics when they are completely purified and freed from the reactions of fruitive activity by practicing bhakti-yoga.

28) My Lord, You are the controller of formidable strength in three kinds of energy. You appear as the reservoir of all sense pleasure and the protector of the surrendered souls. You possess unlimited energy, but You are unapproachable by those who are unable to control their senses. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You again and again.

29) I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by whose illusory energy the jiva, who is part and parcel of God, forgets his real identity because of the bodily concept of life. I take shelter of the Supreme Personality, whose glories are difficult to understand.

32)...O my Lord... master of the universe, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

[babu]

draupadi is a great story of surrender... a truly great vedic woman who lets her husband gamble her away

[0jayaradhey0]

draupadi is a great story of surrender... a truly great vedic woman who lets her husband gamble her away

Panchkanya
Women of Substance
A traditional Sanskrit exhortation runs thus:
Ahalya Draupadi Kunti Tara Mandodari tatha
panchakanya smaranityam mahapataka nashaka

“Remembering ever the virgins five –
Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari
Destroys the greatest sins.”
http://www.indianest.com/hinduism/panchkanya/pk01.htm

Enjoy reading the essay:
Draupadi, the Woman : Epitome of Feminity and Feminism
http://www.dollsofindia.com/draupadi.htm

[0erkel0]

I don't want to surrender to Krishna! I want to surrender to Radharani!!!!!!!!!!!
Radhe! Radhe! Radhe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111111

[Tapati]

I don't want to surrender to Krishna! I want to surrender to Radharani!!!!!!!!!!!
Radhe! Radhe! Radhe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111111

Ah, vintage GopiDust.