Bhakti Sandarbha 309 : Atma-nivedanam
Anuccheda 309 Self-offering ( ātma-nivedanam ) अथ आत्मनिवेदनम्। तच्च देहादिशुद्धात्मपर्यन्तस्य सर्वतोभावेन तस्मिन्नेवार्पणम्। तत्कार्यं चात्मार्थचेष्टाशून्यत्वं तन्न्यस्तात्मसाधनसाध्यत्वं तदर्थैकचेष्टामयत्वं च। Now we will discuss ātma-nivedanam , self-offering or self-dedication. This limb of devotion entails offering one’s entire being to Bhagavān, beginning from the body up to the pure self. It is characterized by an absence of striving for one's own self, the offering of all one’s practices and attainments to Bhagavān, and concentration of one’s endeavors exclusively for Bhagavān. इदं ह्यात्मार्पणं गोविक्रयवतो विक्रीतस्य गोर्वर्तनार्थं विक्रीतवता चेष्टा न क्रियते। तस्य च श्रेयःसाधकस्तं क्रीतवान् एव स्यात्। स च गौस्तस्यैव कर्म कुर्यात्, न पुनर्विक्रीतवतोऽपीति। This self-surrender can be compared to selling a cow. Once a cow is sold, the seller makes no further effort to maintain the cow, the purchaser becomes solely responsible for the cow’s welfare and the cow works on...