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Title: Autobiography of a Yogi
Author:Sri Paramahamsa Yogananda

Lord Krishna assures in Bhagavat Gita, "I shall bear the burden of those who do not think of anything else but surrender unto me." Bhagawan Ramana remarks about 'surrender' in a light mood, "One, who has completely surrendered to the Lord, should not designate someone else to monitor whether the Lord has accepted his surrender."

I happened to read about a pleasant incident that happened in the life of a saint who surrendered to the Lord completely. The book is 'Autobiography of a yogi", written by Sri Paramahamsa Yoganananda.

The parents of Sri Paramahamsa Yogananda had named him as 'Mukund' during childhood. Mukund, who had a deep yearning to know God since childhood often fled from home in search of God and went to the Himalayas. Every time his family members somehow brought him back home. Once his elder brother Anand told him, "That you often say- "I have surrendered to the Lord. He will protect me wherever I go" is not practical to the life. Please abandon this attitude and learn to live with the world." Mukund did not accept this. He stubbornly said, "If we surrender to God with faith, it is sure that He will protect us." This argument grew and ended in a clash.

Anand challenged Mukund, "In order to test the truth in what you say, let me send you and your friend Jithendra to Brindavan without a penny. you both should not beg of anyone. You should not ask for any favor from anyone nor should you starve. Let your Lord Krishna provide you food, and take you around the 'Lila sthals' in Brindavan (all the holy places of Lord Krishna's pastimes) and send you both back home. Then I shall accept the greatness of your philosophy of surrender and then accept you as my Guru henceforth." Mukunda happily agreed for the challenge. Friend Jithendra felt nervous. Cursing himself about becoming a scapegoat, the whining Jithendra boarded the train. They both did not have anything in hand other than the train tickets that Anand had bought for their Brindavan journey.

On reaching Brindavan, two of the train passengers who had traveled with the boys forcefully took them both to an Ãshram there. There was a woman by name 'Gauri ma'. They both entrusted the boys with Gauri ma and said, "Today the two princes who were supposed to come for lunch haven't turned up. Instead of them, please provide the feast to these two boys." Gauri ma provided such a feast that Mukund and Jitendra had never partaken in their life. The boys shed tears counting on the Lord's grace on them.

They took leave from there and sat under a tree. A few hours passed. That day was particularly terribly hot and Jitendra felt hungry again. He started murmuring to Mukund, "We somehow got food in the morning. As your brother said, it is next to impossible that we both will have darshan of the 'lila sthals' at Brindavan and then returned! Trusting you, I'm doomed too!" Mukund smilingly said, "Don't cry my friend! Did not our Lord provide us food in the morning? We did not go in search of food. Did the food come not in search of us? Trust on Him. Man's memory for God's favors is always short!"

While Mukund was speaking so, a youth by name Pratap came and bowed to them. He said,"My Lord! God appeared in my dream and showed me that you are here and that you are my Guru (spiritual teacher) .He has ordered me to take you to all the 'lila sthals' here and serve you in every way." Pratap took the boys around Brindavan and fulfilled all their needs and got the train tickets for their return journey. Anand surrendered to his younger brother, Mukund who proved to him what he had said and became his disciple then on.

-A. Bhagyanathan

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