Illustration : Varun Krishnam V.
We perform many activities every day. However, to progress on the path of salvation, the basic awareness that Lord Śrī Hari, our in-dweller, is the One who induces us to perform our activities by actually performing them Himself is very essential. The need for this awareness and the way to submit our actions are explained by Śrī Jagannāthadāsaru in his work “Śrī Harikathāmr̥tasāra”.
kesara ghaṭagaḷa māḍi bēsige bisiloḷagiṭṭoṇagisidaradu
ghana rasavu tumbalu bahude sarvasvatantra nānemba
paśupanaranēnēnu māḷpānaśana dāna snāna karmaga
ḷosari pōpavu baride dēhāyāsavane koṭṭu ||
Any activity done by us under the illusion of independence will turn out to be nothing but physical strain just like filling a sun-dried earthen pot with liquid, without baking the pot in fire.
However, if we keep in mind that Lord Śrī Hari is the independent causative force of all that we do and if we submit our actions to Him, the fruits of such actions would be kept safe by Him.
oḍeyaridda vanasthaphalagaḷa baḍidu timbuvaruṇṭe
kaṇḍare hoḍedu bisaṭuvaremba bhayadiṁ nōḍalañjuvaru
biḍade māḍuva karmagaḷa mane maḍadi makkaḷu bandhugaḷu
kāroḍalanāḷgaḷu endamātradalōḍuvavu durita ||
In the presence of a caretaker, nobody would dare to steal fruits from the orchard. Similarly, when we submit our actions, and also ourselves and our families, to Lord Śrī Hari, all our perils will certainly disappear.
Śrī Jagannāthadāsaru further explains the consequence of failing to submit our actions to the Lord.
nānu nannadu emba jaḍamati mānavanu dinadinadi māḍuva
snānajapa dēvārcaneyē modalāda karmagaḷa
dānavaru seḷedoyvarallade śrīnivāsanu svīkarisa
maddāne pakva kapitthaphala bhakṣisida vōlahudu ||
The fruits of everyday activities, including ablutions, meditations and worship, of an egoistic person, who assumes that he was the doer of all these acts, are plundered away by the daityas. Śrī Jagannāthadāsaru illustrates this with the example of worms eating away the inside of a ripened fruit, without showing any signs of the worm infestation from the outside.
So, it is very important to know that Lord Śrī Hari is instrumental for everything we do, irrespective of how big or small the action is. And, after the completion of every activity, we must, without fail, submit the same to Him.
However, because of our intrinsic stature (yogyate), we can make mistakes and accrue sins even when doing a good task. Śrī Jagannāthadāsaru guides us how such mistakes can also be submitted to Lord Śrī Hari and how to seek His forgiveness.
pāpa karmavu pādukegaḷu anulēpanavu satpuṇya
We should pray to the Lord to consider the sins accrued from our mistakes as His footwear, so that they are worn away when we offer it at His lotus feet. Further, we must pray to the Lord to consider the good deeds that we perform as the fragrant sandal paste applied on His body.
indriyagaḷiṁ māḷpa karma dvandvagaḷa tanagarpisalu
gōvinda puṇyava koṇḍu pāpava bhasmavane māḷpa
indirēśanu bhaktajanaranu nindisuvaroḷagippa
puṇyava tandu tannavagīva pāpagaḷavariguṇisuvanu ||
When a person humbly offers both good and bad deeds to Lord Śrī Hari, He not only keeps the fruits of the good deeds (punya) safe but also destroys the fruits of the bad deeds. Further, he also credits the person with merit that is lost by those who speak ill of His devotees.
Therefore, such submission is very essential of anyone who desires to progress on the path of salvation.
