Chapter 5.2 Sanyasa Yoga - Slokas 18 – 29
Yoga of Renunciation
How does the “Self-Realized” sage look at the world outside?
Bhagavan Sri Krishna explains
Sloka 18
The sage looks with an “equal eye” on
To the Self Realized Yogi, everyone and everything is the same. He does not differentiate between these since He sees His own Self in all these creations of the Lord.
How does a person overcome this “impermanent (transitory) existence” in this world?
Bhagavan answers
Sloka 19
“Transitory existence is overcome even in this world by those, whose minds rest in equality. Brahman is flawless indeed and the same in all. Therefore, they are established in Brahman.”
We have discussed in earlier chapters that this world is finite, created by the “Maya Shakthi” of the Lord and it is transitory and creates an illusion in the mind of the human beings, that it is permanent. How then, do we come out of this illusion? By establishing ourselves in Brahman (the infinite Reality).
“Maya can be compared to the snake in motion and Brahman to the same snake at rest. Kinetic energy is Maya and potential energy is Brahman.” – Sri Ramakrishna
Sloka 20 -21
“Established in Brahman, with steady intellect and without delusion (confusion), the knower of Brahman neither rejoices on obtaining what is pleasant, nor grieves on obtaining what is unpleasant. He eats what he gets as Lord’s offering, he sleeps wherever and does whatever work needs to be done.”
“With the Self unattached to external contacts, he finds happiness in the Self. With the Self engaged in the meditation of Brahman, he attains endless happiness.”
We can compare The Brahman Realized person to a free bird. He is “happy within” and it is reflected outside as happiness, irrespective of whatever food he eats, how difficult his work is or where he sleeps. This is because he has a firm conviction that everything is “Prasadam” (offering given to him by the Lord). He has no expectations from the outer world and finds “happiness in the Self.”
Why should a person not enjoy the joys of this world?
Sloka 22
“The enjoyments that are born of contacts are only generators of pain, for they have a beginning and an end, O Son of Kunti, the wise do not rejoice in them.”
It is only human nature to want to experience only happy encounters and not sad situations. However, as we all know, pleasant and painful situations do happen. It is the nature of the ebbs and flows of life. That is why Lord Krishna insists that the enjoyments born of the senses have a beginning and an end and the wise do not get caught up in them.
We saw a similar statement in chapter 2, sloka 14, where Sri Krishna said, “Aagamapayino anithyaha taams thithikshasva Bharatha” (“The contact of the senses with objects, which cause heat and cold, pleasure and pain, have a beginning and an end: endure them bravely, O descendant of Bharatha” (Arjuna).)
Sloka 23 -25
“He who is able, while still here in this world, to withstand before the liberation from the body called death, the impulse born out of desire and anger, he’s a Yogi, he’s a happy man”. “He who is happy within, who rejoices within, who is illuminated within, that Yogi attains absolute freedom himself becoming Brahman.” “Those Rishi’s obtain absolute freedom or moksha whose sins have been destroyed, whose dualities are torn asunder, who are self-controlled and intent on the welfare of all beings.”
In these three slokas, the word happy is mentioned a few times. “Happiness” here is equated with “Peace”. By focusing on the welfare of all beings and by giving up desire and anger, the Yogi gains Peace. He sees himself in others and loses the sense of “I-ness” and “my-ness” and himself becomes Brahman. This is the highest state of human evolution.
How does a person physically prepare for mental “liberation” from this world of Maya (illusion)?
Sloka 27-28
“Shutting out external objects, fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, equalizing the outward and inward breaths moving in the nostrils, the sage who has controlled the senses, mind and intellect, who is solely pursuing liberation, who has cast away desire and fear, he is verily liberated.”
This is the preparatory stage of the process of meditation, which will be discussed in detail in the next chapter. Focusing on breath control and fixing the gaze between eyebrows are described by Lod Krishna as techniques of a yogi in meditation, who is pursuing liberation (Moksha).
What then, is the end result of Sannyasa Yoga?
Sloka 29
Bhoktaaram yagna tapasaam sarva loka maheshvaram
Suhrdam sarva bhutaanaam jnaatva maam shantim richchhati
“Having known Me as the Lord of yajnas and asceticism, as the Ruler of all the worlds, as the Friend of all beings, he attains Peace.”
This is the culmination of Sannyasa Yoga. The human being has renounced himself totally to the Lord and Peace (happiness) overtakes all other emotions.
“Om That Sat iti Srimad Bhagavad Gitasu Upanishatsu Brahmavidyaayaam Yogasastre
Sri Krishnaarjuna samvade Sanyaasa yogo naama pancamo dhyayaha”
Thus, in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna,
ends the fifth discourse titled,” The Yoga of Renunciation”.
Summary:
Lord Krishna in this chapter, tells Arjuna that acting in this world as a Karma Yogi with a pure mind and with total control of the senses, sets a good foundation for the next stage, which is “Renunciation” of action (Sannyasa Yoga). He assures Arjuna that both paths (Karma Yoga and Sannyasa Yoga) will lead to the same goal. He advises Arjuna to “live in this world in a detached manner like the lotus leaf”. The lotus leaf, even though it lives in the water its entire life, is untouched by the water surrounding it. This way of living leads to the loss of the “ego” (“I am doing this” mental attitude) and the person loses himself to the “Higher Self”. (He becomes Self-Realized).
Lord Krishna further says that the Self-Realized person (Brahma jnani), looks at all the creations of the Lord with an “equal eye” and does not differentiate. He renounces the constantly changing “transitory” world and establishes himself in the unchanging Brahman. He is happy and content with whatever food he gets or the place he sleeps or the work he gets to do, since he considers them as “Prasadam” (offering) from the Lord. Such a “renounced person” (Sannyasa Yogi) attains moksha and does not return to this world.
Hari Om!
Dr. Shanmugam