Lesson 27

Chapter 18, Mokña-sannyäsa-yoga (part I)The Path to Liberation through Renunciation

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18.1 The Summarising FinaleÇré Kåñëa, the Guru par excellence, teaches Arjuna about the essentials of life and living till the fourteenth chapter of the Gétä. The fifteenth chapter provided a brief highlight of the salient aspects of the teaching. The sixteenth chapter elaborates an important aspect spoken of earlier in the ninth chapter and the seventeenth chapter answers a valid doubt raised by Arjuna about the role of faith in our lives and in performing actions.

The last chapter now summarises the entire teaching emphasising the practical aspects and application of the knowledge that has been revealed. It also unfolds a beautiful and happy ending to the drama created by Arjuna’s nervous breakdown in the middle of the battlefield just after the war was declared.

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18.2 Universal Question of ArjunaChoice is the unique privilege given to man. We always have the choice to do or not to do, to get or to give, to give in to temptations or to give them up.

From our childhood we are taught to acquire and achieve. Society respects those with name, fame, wealth, and power. Our self image and confidence, too, depend on success in acquiring them.

Indian culture, too, has always respected material prosperity but it reveres and extols renunciation. Stories of the rich and the mighty renouncing all © Chinmaya International Foundation 2011

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and meditating in the forests abound in our scriptures, history, and folklore. Great kings and rulers, till the present day, bow down to sages, monks, and saints living in utter simplicity. The question arises as to what is more noble – to acquire (grahaëa) or to give up (tyäga)? Is true renunciation the giving up of possessions, or of possessiveness, or the giving up of even the notion of giving up and of having given up? Can we live happily by owning possessions or without possessions? Generally speaking, ‘tyäga’ and ‘sannyäsa’ both mean the same. However, Arjuna reflects on what was said earlier and now wishes to know the essence (tattva) and distinction (påthaktva) between giving up (tyäga) and renunciation (sannyäsa). (18.1)1

18.3 Tyäga and SannyäsaGiving up (tyäga) was earlier referred to as karma-yoga or yoga and renunciation (sannyäsa) as jïäna-yoga and säìkhya-yoga (ref. 3.3 and 5.5). To understand the nature of sannyäsa, it would be ideal to recapitulate here the various types of actions (ref. Lesson 5 – What is Right Action?):(1) Niyata-karma: Duties or the specific job requirements and responsibilities that come to us unasked because of the status, stature, or position that we hold in life. These may be our daily duties (nitya-karma) or occasional duties (naimittika-karma).(2) Niñiddha-karma: Actions prohibited by the society, government, or scriptures as they are harmful to us and others.(3) Kämya-karma: Desire-prompted or selfish actions done for our own gain.(4) Präyaçcitta-karma: Compensatory or damage control actions done because of committing prohibited actions, or not doing our duty, or doing it wrongly.(5) Upäsanä: Mental actions (contemplation on deities) done to increase our inner strength or for empowering actions.

Among the above mentioned actions some feel that true sannyäsa or renunciation is to give up prohibited and desire-prompted actions and others

1. sÛyasSy mhabahae tÅvimCDaim veidtum!, TyagSy c ù;Ikez p&wKkeizin;Udn. sannyäsasya mahäbäho tattvamicchämi veditum, tyägasya ca håñékeça påthakkeçiniñüdana. (18.1)

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opine that to renounce anxiety and insistence on specific results of action is true giving up (18.2).2 Some others consider all actions to be binding as one action leads to many more in a never-ending and increasing sequence. For instance, the best of intentions have been misunderstood, and the noblest of actions have misfired, giving rise to persistent problems. Therefore, they consider that all actions should be given up.

However, since it is not possible to live without action, some wise men recommend that we give up the binding aspects of action and take care to minimise its harmful effects (18.3,3 18.44). For instance, traditionally, the Ayurvedic doctor (vaidya) would harvest only the required amount of the medicinal plant to prepare medicine taking care that minimum harm was done to the plant. This they consider as sannyäsa (renunciation).

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ReflectAll actions – physical, verbal, and mental – are a disturbance

during meditation and should be renounced.

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18.4 Life and Yajïa, Däna and TapasÇré Kåñëa asserts that duties should not be given up, especially worship (yajïa), charity (däna), and austerity (tapas). What should be given up is our attachment to actions and their results. There are three aspects of life. They are as follows:(1) Ädhidaivika: This is the divine unseen aspect that guides and governs

2. kaMyana< kmR[a< Nyas< sÛyas< kvyae ivÊ>, svRkmR)lTyag< àa÷STyag< ivc][a>. kämyänäà karmaëäà nyäsaà sannyäsaà kavayo viduù, sarvakarmaphalatyägaà prähustyägaà

vicakñaëäù. (18.2) 3. TyaJy< dae;vidTyeke kmR àa÷mRnIi;[>, y}dantp>kmR n TyaJyimit capre. tyäjyaà doñavadityeke karma prähurmanéñiëaù, yajïadänatapaùkarma na tyäjyamiti cäpare. (18.3)4. iníy< z&[u me tÇ Tyage ÉrtsÄm, Tyagae ih pué;Vyaº iÇivx> sMàkIitRt>. niçcayaà çåëu me tatra tyäge bharatasattama, tyägo hi puruñavyäghra trividhaù samprakértitaù. (18.4)

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our individual life and the universe over which we have no control. For example, the weather.(2) Ädhibhautika: This aspect constitutes the situations, beings, and things around us over which we may have varying, but usually little, control such as a family or job situation.(3) Ädhyätmika: This aspect is related to our own body-mind-intellect over which we can learn to exercise control.

The performance of worship (yajïa), giving of charity (däna), and being austere (tapas) covers all these three aspects of life. The scriptures recommend the performance of yajïa or worship to invoke the divine powers and their grace, fulfil our debt to them (deva-åëa), and express our gratitude. Däna or charity is given so that we live in harmony with society and fulfil our debt to society (samäja- or nå-åëa) while tapa or austerity helps exercise control over our body-mind-intellect (ref. Lesson 5 – Attitude of Gratitude, and also Lesson 26). Çré Kåñëa, therefore, strongly recommends the performance of worship, charity, and austerities with the right attitude (18.6).5 These can be considered both as spiritual practices and duties.

18.5 Threefold TyägaIt seems easier to acquire than to give, and to give in to our temptations than to give them up. Acquiring and achieving needs hard work, patience, and enthusiasm. However, giving up anything is subtler and requires a greater inner strength. We all have experienced the difficulty in sacrificing our time, kicking a bad habit, forgetting a hurt, giving away our dearest possession, giving way to another, keeping aside our views, ignoring insignificant matters, gracefully exiting from an argument, giving up our rights or rightful claims and ignoring our likes, dislikes, attachments, rigid demands, and insistences. No wonder Indian culture values sacrifice over acquisition. This giving up, too, is of three types.

5. @taNyip tu kmaRi[ s¼< TyKTva )lain c, ktRVyanIit me pawR iniít< mtmuÄmm!. etänyapi tu karmäëi saìgaà tyaktvä phaläni ca, kartavyänéti me pärtha niçcitaà matamuttamam.

(18.6)

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18.5.1 SättvikaSättvika renunciation is the ability to give up or surrender one’s life, possessions, relations, or wealth for the sake of a noble cause. Moving examples are soldiers dying for their country or a spiritual seeker leaving home in search of God. Another example: A child withdraws from an interschool art competition saying, “I always represent my school and win prizes. My classmate who is also good in art never gets to participate because of me. Let me give her a chance to win too.”

Sättvika renunciation is the giving up of one’s attachments to objects, actions, beings, and circumstances and performing duties without any expectations. Swami Tapovan Maharaj (revered Guru of Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda) stayed at home till his younger brother was old enough to take charge of the home before leaving to become a renunciate.

18.5.2 RäjasikaRäjasika renunciation is when giving up is extremely painful and difficult but one is forced to do so. For example: Having to give up smoking for medical reasons. Abandoning duties or activities because they are difficult, tedious, bothersome, or boring is räjasika renunciation. One girl said she did not want to marry as it would be tedious to take on household duties and another did not want children as it would spoil her figure! All these are examples of räjasika renunciation.

To give up an object or relationship out of selfishness, for name and fame in society, or in shame is räjasika. For instance, a politician announces his retirement to get publicity and declares that he had to come back on public demand, or when a person resigns from a job to avoid the humiliation of being fired. Changing one’s religion prompted by monetary considerations also falls under this category.

18.5.3 TämasikaTämasika renunciation is to give up one’s duties and activities without thinking, impulsively, indiscriminately, swayed by strong emotions, or by

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imitating others. Examples are abandoning one’s culture for the glamour of another; giving up spiritual practices because there is no compulsion from within or without; giving up duties due to laziness; or becoming a renunciate to escape household responsibilities.

18.5.4 The Essence of Tyäga Sättvika renunciation (tyäga), and pursuit of sättvika worship, charity, and austerities (yajïa, däna, tapas) purifies the mind. It thus prepares one for the subtler renunciation of the notion of doership and enjoyership of all actions (sannyäsa) which ultimately leads to Realisation (18.10).6 This tyäga leads to sannyäsa. In short, karma-yoga prepares one for jïäna-yoga.

Giving up of all actions is not possible. Hence doing the right actions with the right attitude is recommended. It is, therefore, important for us to understand how actions happen, what they result in, how they bind, and what liberates us from them.

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18.6 Understanding ResultsAll actions give results, however small or minor they be. ‘A result is that which is created due to an interaction of various factors which we call action. It comes to the doer of action and it disappears in time like a substanceless entity.’7 For instance, a seed germinates into a sprout and grows into a plant. Once the plant is destroyed there is no trace left of the seed or sprout, its germination, or its growth. Our individual actions are powerful enough to create a body, sustain it for a life span, and destroy it in time. The results of actions could be of the following three types(18.12):8

6. n Öe:q(k…zl< kmR k…zle nanu;Jjte, TyagI sÅvsmaivòae mexavI iDÚs<zy>. na dveñöyakuçalaà karma kuçale nänuñajjate, tyägé sattvasamäviñöo medhävé chinnasaàçayaù. (18.10) 7. bähya-aneka-käraka-vyäpära-niñpannaà sad avidyä-kåtam indrajäla-mäyopamaà mahämohakaraà

pratyag-ätmopasarpi iha phalgutayä layam adarçanaà gacchati iti phalam. (Çaìkara-bhäñya 18.12)8. Ainòimò< imï< c iÇivx< kmR[> )lm!, ÉvTyTyaigna< àeTy n tu sNNyaisna< Kvict!. aniñöamiñöaà miçraà ca trividhaà karmaëaù phalam, bhavatyatyäginäà pretya na tu sannyäsinäà

kvacit. (18.12)

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(1) Conducive, joyful, or desired results (iñöa-phala). They can be heavenly experiences or rebirth in heavenly bodies. (2) Unconducive, sorrowful, or undesired results (aniñöa-phala). They can be hellish experiences or subsequent rebirth in animal or demonic bodies. (3) A mixture of joy and sorrow or indifferent experiences (miçra-phala).

Actions end only with the exhaustion of the results and not with the action; the doer of action has to experience the results of actions which will fructify in due course whether sooner in this birth itself or later in another life.

18.7 Understanding Actions 18.7.1 The Mechanism of Action (18.14,9 18.1510)A car is an assemblage of various parts; it runs on petrol and is driven by a driver. Each part has a role to play in its functioning. Similarly, five important factors have to come together for any action to happen. They are:(1) Adhiñöhäna: The gross body constituted of various limbs. It is the vehicle which transports us in this life along with all the experiences of life we encounter; it is the home for the indwelling individual (jéva). (2) Kartä: The individual who owns the body and all its activities with the sense of doership.(3) Karaëa: The ten organs of action and perception, and the mind-intellect through which we perceive, respond, and think.(4) Ceñöä: The five physiological functions (präëa) which energise and activate the body.(5) Daiva: The unseen elemental forces or the presiding deities. This is also referred to by some as the unknown factor which is called variously luck, destiny, or fate.

9. Aixóan< twa ktaR kr[< c p&wiGvxm!, ivivxaí p&wKceòa dEv< cEvaÇ pÂmm!. adhiñöhänaà tathä kartä karaëaà ca påthagvidham, vividhäçca påthakceñöä daivaà caivätra païca-

mam. (18.14)10. zrIrva'œmnaeiÉyRTkmR àarÉte nr>, NyaYy< va ivprIt< va pÂEte tSy hetv>. çaréraväìmanobhiryatkarma prärabhate naraù, nyäyyaà vä viparétaà vä païcaite tasya hetavaù. (18.15)

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For instance, to see a rose I need eyes (adhiñöhäna), with good sight (karaëa) in them. I need to be there (kartä), and my mind and eyes must be energised to function (ceñöä). Even if these four factors were present I will not be able to see the rose if there is no light (daiva). All these five factors are also needed to enjoy (or to suffer as the case may be!) the results of actions.

What is important to note is that actions are inert since all the five factors which constitute them are inert. ‘I’ the pure Self is the sentient principle that illumines the action and its five factors. I am neither the doer of action, nor one of the five factors, nor the enjoyer of results. I am the silent witness of whatever happens. This Self-knowledge, thus, liberates us from the bondage of action. The Man of Realisation is seen to be doing actions – ordinary or extraordinary – but he always remains as the non-doer Self unaffected by the actions and their results (ref. 4.18). Such a person alone is truly ‘actionless’.

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ReflectVedänta gives knowledge of our true nature. It is called ‘kåtänta’ (literally end of actions – kåta+anta) since Self-knowledge ends the bondage of actions by verily destroying the notion of doership in all actions and enjoyership in the results of action.

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MantrahTva=ip s #ma~LlaekaÚ hiNt n inbXyte,

hatvä’pi sa imäðllokänna hanti na nibadhyate. (18.17) Even though he (the Man of Realisation)

kills, he kills not, nor is he bound (as he is neither the doer nor enjoyer).

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This mantra should not be misunderstood to mean a licence to kill and thereafter claim to be a non-doer with no responsibility or culpability but indicates the complete freedom from action that a Man of Realisation enjoys.

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Non-doer and Non-enjoyerÇré Kåñëa’s wives once went on a picnic. Sage Durväsas joined them for lunch and had his fair share. On their return they had to cross a river with a strong current. The wives implored Sage Durväsas to help them. He said, ‘With faith that I never eat, take my name and wade across.’ They did accordingly and thus crossed the river. But they had seen Sage Durväsas eat!

The Man of Wisdom ever remains the non-doer, since he has disassociated himself from the instruments of action and thus remains always as the illuminator and not the doer of any actions.

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The Kaöhopaniñad declares, ‘One who thinks that the Self kills or that it gets killed, knows not the Truth, for the Self is neither the killer (doer of action) nor the killed (one acted upon).’11

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Mantran s pZyit ÊmRit>,

na sa paçyati durmatiù. (18.16)The unintelligent does not see the Truth.

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In our ignorance we generally mistake the finite ego to be the true Self and live as changing and inert entities. No wonder there is so much confusion and chaos in the world. It is the touch of Self-knowledge that unites us with our true sentient Self.11. hantä cenmanyate hantuà hataçcenmanyate hatam, ubhau tau na vijänéto näyaà hanti na han-

yate. (Kaöhopaniñad 1.2.19)

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18.7.2 The Prompter of Actions (18.18)12 The doer of actions becomes the enjoyer of results and the enjoyer, in turn, prompts more actions thus becoming the doer again. In fact, we do actions to enjoy the results; therefore enjoyership seems to precede the doership. It is the desire for enjoyment (änanda), or desire for completeness (pürëatä), that prompts every action. Then, we may ask, what prompts desires? Desires arise because of:(1) The knowledge of the object of pleasure (jïänam): For instance, when I am told that Swiss chocolates are the best, I desire to eat them.(2) The object itself (jïeyam): When I see the chocolate, or even see it advertised on the television, I desire to eat it.(3) Memory or impression of past enjoyment (parijïätä): For example, remembrance of the half bar of chocolate I enjoyed yesterday creates the desire to finish the other half.

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18.7.3 The Success FactorsFor an action to succeed, the following are the constituent factors: (1) vision (jïäna or dåñöi), (2) attitude of the doer (kartä), (3) nature of the undertaking (karma), (4) intellect (buddhi), and (5) fortitude (dhåti). When all these are right, success, peace, and lasting happiness (sukha) are guaranteed. Such actions ultimately lead us to a State of Actionlessness and everlasting happiness. These success factors are elaborated in the next section.

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...to be continued

12. }an< }ey< pir}ata iÇivxa kmRcaedna, jïänaà jïeyaà parijïätä trividhä karmacodanä. (18.18)

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Questionnaire 27 (Covers Lesson 27, Mokña-sannyäsa-yoga, part i)

Answer without referring to the lesson. All sections except Q VI, Reflect, are to be answered at one stretch.

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Duration: 3 Hours Marks: 100

I. Fill in the Blanks. Marks 6 (6x1)1. _________________ prepares one for jïäna-yoga.2. __________________ renunciation is extremely painful and difficult.3. A __________________ is that which is created due to an interaction of

various factors we call action.4. Giving up requires more strength than __________________.5. __________________ is the unique privilege given to man.6. Actions end only with the exhaustion of __________________ and not with

the action.

II. Match the Following. Marks 5 (5x1)1. A person resigns from his job - Tämasika renunciation out of fear of failure 2. Abandoning one’s culture for - Miçra-phala the glamour of another 3. A home for the indwelling jéva - Sättvika renunciation 4. An efficient and successful CEO - Räjasika renunciation decides to take superannuation instead of an extension offered to allow younger blood to fulfil aspirations

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5. You win a prestigious contract, - Gross body beating much bigger competitors, but have to reduce your fees and work on wafer thin margins

III. Answer in Brief (two-line answers). Marks 24 (8x3)1. Why do some people feel all actions should be given up in renunciation?2. Since giving up of all actions is not possible, what is then to be done?3. Why is there so much chaos and confusion in the world and what is the

remedy for it?4. How does the loop of doership and enjoyership operate?5. How does Vedänta end all bondages of action?6. Who is truly actionless and why?7. Why are actions inert?8. What are the possible results of action?

IV. Write Short Notes (small paragraphs of 5-10 lines each). Marks 25 (5x5)1. What are the three aspects that govern our lives? What actions cover all

these three?2. What are the three factors that prompt desires?3. The success factors 4. Various types of karma5. What is Arjuna’s question at the beginning of Chapter 18?

V. Answer in Detail. Marks 20 (2x10)1. What is the mechanism of action? With an example show the interplay of

the various factors involved in action.2. What are the three types of tyäga? Elaborate with example.

VI. Reflect! Marks 20 (1x20)On a Sunday, for half a day feel yourself devoid of all feelings of doership and enjoyership. Function as an instrument in the hands of the Lord as you go about your chores. For the rest of the day go about your business as usual.

Questionnaire 27

Write a short narration of your experience as Lord’s instrument. How did it contrast with your experience for the rest of the day when ‘you’ took over? What in your experience turned out to be the greatest gain of operating merely as His instrument?