We Are Badly in Need of the Mercy of Sri Hari

Can You Ever Approach Him Because You Want To?

No. You are able to approach Him because He wants to.

This is very encouraging. You came in His contact itself means that He wants to give you shelter. Otherwise, it would not have been possible. You have been able to approach Him only because He is merciful towards you. This itself is a big blessing for you. Unless and until you commit a great blunder hereafter, you can rest assured that He is there for you. Otherwise, you would not be even anywhere near Him.

Two things you should understand here – you are badly in need of mercy because of all your evil deeds you have committed over this birth of yours and the past births, and their results are engulfing you. And He is the only one whom you can look up to for mercy. You should consider Sri Hari as the only power for your deliverance and protection.

You have always been worrying – is my child safe on the way to school, will my child survive in this competitive world, what if there is gas leakage in the kitchen when I am asleep, will I get a salary hike, will I get promotion, what if my visa doesn’t get renewed, what if I suffer a stroke and become crippled, who will take care of my family, who will pay the bills – your worries are endless.

Once you surrender – all this anxiety would leave you. They are no longer your responsibility. Sri Hari is there to take care of your worries. Sri Hari who protects the entire universe, is He not capable of protecting your small world? You always thought that you were responsible for managing your world, now you know that it need not be that way.

You realize that – even when you kept on thinking that you were doing all this, you were only desiring. It was Sri Hari’s will that got it executed.

Simple example – you wanted to buy banana and have it. You went to the shop, bought it, paid for it, and ate it. You think it is as simple as that. You think you did it.

Who made the banana available at the shop? Who prompted some farmer to grow the banana that you ate? It is only because he grew it that you could get it. Who prompted the shopkeeper to open a shop in your vicinity and keep that banana ready for you? If he had not stocked it, you would not have got it.

Who facilitated transport of that banana from the field to that shop? So many people in between? Without them, would you have got that banana? Who put all of them in place? Your money could have got stolen the previous night, then you would not have been able to buy this banana. Who protected your money? The shop could have caught fire and your banana destroyed. Who protected the shop? You could have developed diabetes and your doctor could have told you no more bananas. Who protected your health?

And you think that you are in command, you are doing whatever you are doing. This false notion of doership should disappear from your life. Then it is surrender. You can only desire, that too maybe. Its happening is absolutely in Sri Hari’s hands.

You only render service to Him. You only take care of His possessions and properties. The outcome, good or bad, you need not be worried about. You only render selfless service to Him.

You have to completely renounce your false sense of independence. Do you really believe that you can function independently? There was this coconut farmer. He got so frustrated with the world that he said – everyone should die, only me and that worker who climbs the trees should remain. Does it work like that?

You are only a small wheel in a machine that is as huge as a mountain. And you think that you have independence. Your thoughts should be constantly engaged at His lotus feet. You should eagerly wait to hear the call of your master. The moment you hear it, you should get up and run to serve Him.

You should realize that Sri Hari is your only protector. He only maintains and nourishes you. He only keeps you alive. You should realize that without Him you are poor, without Him you are weak, without Him you are lost, without Him you are nothing – that is surrender, sharanagati.

• Why does surrender reduce anxiety?
  Because you stop clutching outcomes. You do your duty, hand results to Sri Hari, and the mind stops rehearsing worst-case scenarios.

• Does surrender mean I stop planning and working?
  No. You plan carefully and work hard, but you keep a light grip. Action is yours; control is His.

• How do I check if my surrender is real?
  Less pride in success, less despair in failure, more gratitude, quick recovery after setbacks, and steady remembrance of Bhagavan.

• What is the role of personal effort if everything happens by His will?
  Effort is obedience. Bhagavan works through your hands. Your job is clean intention and consistent action.

• How do I handle fear about family, money, or health?
  Take sensible steps, pray, and release the rest. Repeat: do what is in reach, offer what is out of reach.

• What if I slip or commit a big blunder?
  Admit it, make amends, learn, and resurrender. Honesty and course correction keep the channel to grace open.

• How do I keep from falling into ego and doership?
  Mentally tag each step with ‘by Your grace’, credit others freely, keep a small gratitude list, and avoid self-advertising.

• Is it wrong to seek help from doctors, mentors, or friends?
  Not at all. See them as instruments of Sri Hari and use them wholeheartedly.

• Why do obstacles still appear after surrender?
  They refine character, burn old karma, and redirect you to what truly helps. Stay the course.

• What does mercy look like in daily life?
  Timely protection, inner strength, right guidance, chances to correct mistakes, and doors opening when you need them.

• How do I offer daily actions to Sri Hari?
  Begin with a simple sankalpa, act diligently, end with thanks, and share any gain in the service of dharma.

• What small practice can I start today?
  Pick one: a short nama japa, one act of quiet seva, reading a verse, or a brief nightly gratitude review.

• How do I stay humble while being responsible?
  Own the task fully, credit the Source, accept outcomes without drama, and keep learning.

• What if prayers seem unanswered?
  Trust His timing. Sometimes the answer is protection from unseen harm or a better path you do not yet see.

• Where is the line between faith and fatalism?
  Faith acts with trust. Fatalism sits back. If you stop acting, that is not surrender.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi