SANYASA THE RENUNCIATION
मनुष्यत्वे सर्ववर्णानां सङ्करात् जातिः दुष्परिक्ष्या इति मे मतिः यतः
वागादीनाम् इव मैथुनस्य अपि साधारण्यात् जातिः दुर्ज्ञेया | तस्माद् शीलं
प्रधानं च इष्टं च इति तत्त्वदर्शिनः विदुः | तत् एवं "कर्म एव ब्राह्मणहेतुः"
इतिवत् सर्वत्र ज्ञेयः |
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TLi2xMsilLWN1y3Z6bM0RTIo4h5kRp6D/view
[Mahabhartham vyasa]
manushyatve sarvavarnanam sankarat jatih dusparikshya iti me matih yatah
vagadinam iv mathunasya api sadharanyat jatih durgnyeya | tasmad shilam
pradhanam ch ishtam ch iti tatvadarshinah viduh | tat evam "karm eva
brahmanahetuh" itivat sarvatra dnyeyah |
I think that race is difficult to distinguish from the mixture of all
castes in humanity, since race is difficult to distinguish from the
generality of sexual intercourse, just like speech and other things
Therefore, the philosophers of the truth know that virtue is the principal
and the desirable That is thus to be understood everywhere as "karma is the
cause of Brahman" |
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The saurapurana - a critical study (dharma): Sannyāsa (सन्न्यास) or
Sannyāsin refers to the fourth of the four “stages of life” (asrama),
according to the 10th century Saurapurāṇa: one of the various Upapurāṇas
depicting Śaivism.—From the times of the most ancient dharmaśāstras the
number of āśramas has been four:—Brahmacarya, Gṛhastha, Vānaprastha and
Sannyāsin.— After spending the third part of his life in the forest for
some times he spends the rest of his life as a Sannyāsa. [...] Those
twice-born who live as such in the third stage of life [viz., Vanaprastha]
gets liberation. This is a stage of transition from the life of a
householder to that of the Sannyasa; and it is a period of probation
entitling one to enter a state of complete renunciation. In the twentieth
chapter of the Saurapurāṇa the duties of the Vānaprastha and the Sannyāsa
are described. The fourth stage is that of the Sannyāsa. Complete
detachment from worldly objects entitles one to enter this stage. Kindness
to all, freedom from desires and passions and complete equanimity in
pleasure and pain, gain and loss and also sameness of attitude towards
friends and foe, characterise this stage. The Sannyāsa has to observe
non-injury in thought, word and deed. He has to bath thrice a day and
besmear his body with ashes. He should mutter ‘Pranava’ study the Vedanta
and meditate on the all the pervading Atman, Lord Sankara, the cause of
creation. The Sannyāsa subsists on leaves and leads a life of peace,
silence and celibacy not expecting any reward and caring neither for life
nor death. He transcends the bonds of the flesh and rises into the realm of
the Spirit.
2 Sannyasa is the life stage of the renouncer within the Hindu
scheme of four age-based life stages known as ashrams. It is the topmost
and final stage of the ashram system and is traditionally taken by men or
women over fifty or by young Brahmacharis who wish to renounce worldly and
materialistic pursuits and dedicate their lives to spiritual pursuits. During
the sannyasa phase of life, a person abandons fire, or Agnihotra, allowed
to the Grihastha ashram or householder phase of life. {if so, how a
brahmachari and grihastha connected to fire can be termed as Sanyasi?}
People who have entered the sannyasa ashram may choose not to cook, perform
fire rituals or take heat from fire. In practice, however, Sannyasis do
various services and partake in sacred rituals to set an example for
others. Thus majority of the sanyasis are only godmen walking with the
double standard habits.
3 Sannyasa focuses only on the self and spirituality and not even
the gods (as abandoning fire suggests). Symbolically, a sannyasi casts his
physical body into fire by wearing saffron robes when entering this phase,
signifying purification of body through fire thus freeing the soul while
the body is still alive. Hence, sannyasis are not cremated after death as
most Hindus are, but may instead be buried. Saṃnyāsa (सम्̣न्यास).—The last
āśrama, that of the world renouncing mendicant, is referred to in late
Sanskrit texts by the term saṃnyāsa. Literally meaning “to cast down
together,” the term is used in Vedic texts and ritual manuals to refer to
throwing down unwanted things in a pile. This meaning of discarding and
rejecting is present in its usage within the ascetic vocabulary. In its
earliest usage, however, saṃnyāsa is specifically associated with
retirement in old age, thus in some way corresponding to the position of
ascetic institutions in the classical āśrama system. The most explicit
statement in this regard is found in the Māna-vaśrautasūtra (8.25) where
the saṃnyāsavidhi (procedure of retirement) is described with reference to
a grandfather who wishes to give up his ritual and domestic obligations. The
legal treatise of Manu (Manu-smṛti. 1.114; 6.86–96) makes a clear
distinction between such old age saṃnyāsa and the life of a wandering
mendicant, which is referred to as mokṣa.
4 THERE ARE TWO THINGS 1 THYAGA =SACRIFICING, GIVING UP; AND
SANYASA=RENUNCIATION EVEN GOD; BOTH SHALL NOT BE CONFUSED.
काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं सन्न्यासं कवयो विदुः ।
सर्व-कर्म-फल-त्यागं प्राहुस् त्यागं विचक्षणाः ॥ २ ॥18 B G
kāmyānāṃ karmaṇāṃ nyāsaṃ sannyāsaṃ kavayo viduḥ |
sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṃ prāhus tyāgaṃ vicakṣaṇāḥ || 2 ||
kāmyānām–of fruitive; karmaṇām–activities; nyāsam–the abandonment; sannyāsam–as
renunciation; kavayaḥ–the sages; viduḥ–understand; sarva-karma-phala–of the
fruit of all activities; tyāgam–giving up; prāhuḥ–they declare;
tyāgam–detachment;
vicakṣaṇāḥ–enlightened.
Śrī Bhagavān said: According to *enlightened sages*, *completely giving up
all fruitive action* is renunciation (sannyāsa), whereas to *abandon the
fruits of all action* is called detachment (tyāga). Kamya karma and all
karma are distinguished; thyaga is higher than the sannyasa; sannyasa is
higher than the grihastha; and a grihastha is higher than the brahmacharis.
At first, to explain the different meanings of the two words sannyāsa and
tyāga on the basis of the ancient doctrines, The term sannyāsa means to
completely give up all kāmya-karma (materially motivated action), such as
performing a yajña to beget a son or attain the heavenly planets. But it
does not imply that one should give up nitya-karma (obligatory duties),
such as remembering gāyatrī-mantras. The term tyāga refers to abandoning
the fruits of all materially motivated action and obligatory action but not
abandoning the activities themselves. Even the performance of one’s
obligatory duties (nitya-karma) yields fruit, such as the attainment of
Pitṛ-loka (the planet of the forefathers) and getting free from sin. This
is expounded throughout the Śrutis. Therefore, tyāga means to perform all
actions without desiring their result. Sannyāsa, however, means to perform
all one’s obligatory duties (nitya-karma) without desiring the results and
to give up fruitive action altogether. This is the difference between these
two terms. Deliberation on both of these concepts is visible in various
places throughout scripture. However, here, by knowing the opinion of Śrī
Bhagavān Himself, as well as that of His devotees, who are conversant with
the principles of Truth, it is possible to have absolute reconciliation of
the above-mentioned concepts.
5 He instructs jñāna-yoga, the path of spiritual advancement through
transcendental knowledge. But for those moderate persons who are neither
overly attached to the results of their prescribed duty nor who are dry
renunciants, He instructs bhakti-yoga, the path of loving devotion to the
Supreme Lord. Generally, in the initial stages, a conditioned soul only has
the qualification (adhikāra) to perform karma, his prescribed duty. In
order to make him enter the stage (adhikāra) of jñāna, the instruction to
relinquish the results of prescribed action (karma-phala-tyāga) and
renounce action altogether (karma-sannyāsa) has been imparted. First, one
should practise completely abandoning fruitive action (sakāma-karma) and
then gradually, one should also renounce the fruits of obligatory and
occasional duties (nitya-and naimittika-karma). A person’s heart is
purified after performing this practice for some time and he becomes
situated on a higher platform, jñāna. His qualification to perform his
prescribed duty (karma) then ceases. In that stage it becomes possible for
him to renounce karma completely. According to the statement “jñānaṃ ca
mayi sannyaset–jñāna must also be renounced to attain Me”
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.19.1), even jñāna should be renounced upon achieving
perfection in it. However, unlike the karmīs and jñānīs, those who practice
bhakti do not need to renounce bhakti upon attaining perfection in it.
Rather, in the perfected stage, bhakti is executed in its purest, most
developed manner.
5 A Therefore, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa made the following statements:
“tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta–one should continue to perform karma as
long as he is not satiated by it or has not developed śraddhā in hearing
and reciting topics about Me” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.20.9);
“jñāna-niṣṭho virakto vā–the conduct of those dedicated to
cultivating transcendental knowledge and who are thus detached and the
conduct of My exclusive devotees is beyond the range of rules and
regulations” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.18.28);
“yas tv ātma-ratir eva syād–a person who delights in the self,
however, who remains contented and satisfied in the self, has no duties to
perform” (Gītā 3.17);
and “sarva-dharmān parityajya–completely abandon everything and
take exclusive shelter of Me” (Gītā 18.66).
The Yoga-vāśiṣṭha also states “na karmāṇi tyajeta yogī karmabhist
yajyate hy asāv iti–a yogī should not give up his prescribed duty because
the prescribed duty itself will renounce the yogī when he has attained an
elevated level.”
6 Generally, scripture does not instruct conditioned souls to give
up their prescribed duty;rather, it instructs them to just give up fruitive
actions or the results of their actions. This is because generally, the
living entity in his bound state is very much attached to performing
fruitive action (sakāma-karma). If, in the beginning stage of his practice,
he is instructed to give up action, he will not be able to embrace this.
Therefore, such instructions are given to gradually bring him to a higher
platform. Through this step-by-step process, by first practising the
renunciation of the fruits of action, the heart becomes purified.
Thereafter, it is only possible to give up action completely when one
achieves ātma-rati (the happiness of the self). For this reason, Śrī
Bhagavān gives the instruction na buddhi-bhedaṃ janayet…–one should not
instruct less intelligent people, who are attached to karma, or
scripturally prescribed action, to give it up. Due to their immature
intelligence, they will become confused and deviate from the spiritual
path. Rather, by example, you should instruct them how to work without
attachment” (Gītā 3.26). However, one should also remember that only for a
person who has developed the qualification to engage in kevalā-bhakti, is
it possible to completely give up all prescribed action (nitya-karma,
naimittika-karma and kāmya-karma).
6 A अर्जुन उवाच–
सन्न्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर् योगं च शंससि ।
यच् छ्रेय एतयोर् एकं तन् मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् ॥ १ ॥5-1
arjuna uvāca–
sannyāsaṃ karmaṇāṃ kṛṣṇa punar yogaṃ ca śaṃsasi |
yac chreya etayor ekaṃ tan me brūhi suniścitam || 1 ||
yogam–of karma-yoga; ca–and; śaṃsasi–You are praising; yat–which;
śreyaḥ–auspicious; etayoḥ–of these two; ekam tat–that one; me–for me;
brūhi–please tell; suniścitam–positively.
Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, after first praising the renunciation of action, You
are now praising niṣkāma-karma-yoga, action offered to Bhagavān without
attachment to its fruit. Please tell me definitively which of these two is
auspicious for me.
HERE KRISHNA IS GOING TO EXPLAIN THAT A GRAHASTHA IF HE COULD GIVE UP THE
FRUITS OF ALL THE KAMYA KARMA THEN HE IS BETTER THAN A SANYASI AS WITHOUT
THE STRENUOUS RENUNCIATION PROCEDURES, HE IS LIVING LIKE WATER ON THE LOTUS
LIFE. SO KARMA YOGAM IS BETTER THAN THE SANNYASA YOGAM. BUT ADI SHAKARA
REFUTED IT VEHEMENTLY AND HELD THAT SANYASA IS THE BEST; HENCE HE TOOK AWAY
THE SARASWATI HUSBAND BEHIND HIM FROM HIS KARMA YOGA.
The Supreme Lord said: Both the path of karm sanyās (renunciation
of actions) and karm yog (working in devotion) lead to the supreme goal.
But karm yog is superior to karm sanyās. 5.2
The karm yogis, who neither desire nor hate anything, should be considered
always renounced. Free from all dualities, they are easily liberated from
the bonds of material energy. 5.3
Bhagavad Gita 5.4 Only the ignorant speak of sānkhya (renunciation of
actions, or karm sanyās) and karm yog (work in devotion) as different.
Those who are truly learned say that by applying ourselves to any one of
these paths, we can achieve the results of both.
Bhagavad Gita 5.5 The supreme state that is attained by means of karm
sanyās is also attained by working in devotion. Hence, those who see karm
sanyās and karm yog to be identical, truly see things as they are.
Bhagavad Gita 5.6 Perfect renunciation (karm sanyās) is difficult to
attain without performing work in devotion (karm yog), O mighty-armed
Arjun, but the sage who is adept in karm yog quickly attains the Supreme.
Bhagavad Gita 5.7 The karm yogis, who are of purified intellect, and
who control the mind and senses, see the Soul of all souls in every living
being. Though performing all kinds of actions, they are never entangled.
Thus, leaving the important phrase that “Kamya karma fruits the
desire must be totally left out” and equating a grahastans to sanyasi is a
blunder which neither Krishna nor Maha Pariava ever said at all. Where
grihastha could leave out that desire then why he shall perform the Kamya
karma for the sake of family at all? IT IS NOT POSSIBLE AT HOME, HENCE
REFUTED BY ADI SHANKARA. B G ALSO HENCE SAYS KARMA YOGA IS SUPERIOR TO
SANYASA ONLY WHEN VANAPRASTHA ATTITUDE IS SET IN WHILE BEING GRAHASTHA; BUT
SUCH STAGE ONLY MADE THYAGARAJA, NOW FESTIVAL GOING ABOUT IN Tiruvarur.
K Rajaram IRS 19125
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