Much can be said of Saranagathi. Man surrenders his dignity and status to other men for various purposes in life - wealth, fame, possessions, pomp, power etc. But rarely does he get the chance to surrender to the Lord for the sake of the Lord! How can he get the urge so long as he craves for the Aadheya and not the Aadhaara? He longs for the object, but does not long for the base on which the object rests. How long can a baseless object satisfy? He wants the gift, not the giver! - the created not the creator, things from the hand, but not the hand! He is running after a nonexistent thing. Can there be an object without a preexistent cause? No; if there is one, it can only be the uncaused God. It is, therefore, sheer ignorance to surrender individuality for the sake of the transitory products of action, the 'caused' rather than the cause. Surrender rather to the basis, the cause and the origin of all, the Sarveswara. That is genuine Saranagathi.

There are three types of Saranagathi: Thavaivaaham (I am thine), Mamaiva-thwam (you are mine) and Thwame-vaaham (thou art I). The first affirms, I am yours; the second asserts, you are mine, and the third declares you and I are one, the same. Each is just a step in the rising series and the last is the highest step of all.

In the first stage, Thav-eva-aham, the Lord is fully free and the devotee is fully bound. It is like the cat and the kitten; the cat shifts the kitten about as it wills; the kitten just mews and accepts whatever happens. This attitude is very gentle and is within easy reach of all. In the second, Mama-eva-thwam, the devotee binds the Lord, who is to that extent 'un-free!' Surdas is a good example of this attitude. "Krishna! You may escape from my hold, from the clasp of these arms; but you cannot escape from my heart, where I have bound you," challenged Surdas. The Lord just smiled and assented; for, "I am bound by my devotees," He asserts so without any loss of self-respect. The devotee can tie up the Lord with his Prema; by Bhakthi that overwhelms and overpowers his egoism. When man is full of this type of Bhakthi, the Lord will Himself bless him with everything he needs. His grace will fulfil all his wants. Remind yourself here of the promise made by the Lord in the Geetha. "Yogakshemam vahaamyaham", "I carry the burden of his welfare."

Next, about the third stage: "Thwamevaaham ithi thridhaa;" this is the Avibhaktha-bhakthi, the inseparable devotion. The devotee offers all to the Lord, including himself, for he feels that he cannot withhold himself. That completes his surrender.