Chapter 18 Shloka 2

श्री भगवानुवाच

काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं संन्यासं कवयो विदु:।

सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणा:।।२।।

The Lord says to Arjuna:

Many consider sanyas to be the relinquishment

of those deeds that are born of desire; however,

the wise savants declare the relinquishment

of the fruits of all actions to be true renunciation.

Chapter 18 Shloka 2

श्री भगवानुवाच

काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं संन्यासं कवयो विदु:।

सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणा:।।२।।

The Lord says to Arjuna:

Many consider sanyas to be the relinquishment of those deeds that are born of desire; however, the wise savants declare the relinquishment of the fruits of all actions to be true renunciation.

Dear Kamla! Explaining the essence of sanyas and tyaag the Lord says, “Several people consider the relinquishment of deeds born of desire to be tyaag. Others say the renunciation of the fruits of action is tyaag.”

1. Tyaag or relinquishment comes first.

2. Know tyaag to be the practice of sanyas.

3. First perform noble deeds and endeavour to leave the fruits of those deeds to the Lord.

4. The zenith of such renunciation of the fruits of action leads to a complete cessation of desire.

Kamla, understand tyaag and sanyas once more.

Tyaag and Sanyas – a comparison

First of all, one must understand the waking state. These states have all been discussed in great detail in the Mandukya Upanishad.

The four stages of Om

They say that Om is constituted of four stages and is comprised of three matras or syllables. These have been described in great detail in Chapter 17, shloka 23.

The waking stage

The first stage of spiritual practice is the waking stage; this could also be called the perceptible state. This state includes whatever we perceive whilst awake, and pertains to all beings whom we see before us.

1. To develop a worshipful attitude towards all.

2. To perceive the Lord’s Cosmic universality in all.

3. To know all to be the creation of the Lord.

4. To serve those who have fallen prey to adversity, recognising their attributes and acknowledging them to be blameless.

Through such practice the spiritual aspirant graduates to the second stage of his journey towards the Supreme.

The dream world

That world, which has been likened to the dream state, is:

a) an internal sphere;

b) the mental realm;

c) the realm of imagination;

d) based on an echo of the mind;

e) supported by ruminations of the mind on sense objects, following gross contact with them;

f) the realm of mental complexities;

g) the sphere where hesitancy and certainty both abide side by side.

This realm of the dream state is in reality without foundation, because:

1. It does not exist in factuality.

2. It contains a great degree of delusion.

Such is the dream state. Man abides in this dream world even whilst awake.

The mind

1. The mind brims over with one’s flights of imaginations.

2. It is ridden with duality.

3. Its vision of reality is coloured by its concepts.

4. It is bound by mental knots and cannot correctly perceive factual reality.

5. Bound by mental knots, it cannot correctly describe reality.

6. Bound by mental reservations, how can it be open to the Truth?

7. Being tainted thus by mental aberrations, it remains in the dream world.

Sadhana

a) Pertains to the waking and dream worlds.

b) Causes a change of perspective in the waking and dream states.

c) Causes detachment towards the waking and dream worlds.

d) Insures one from the effects of the dream state.

e) Renders one a gunatit or one who has transcended the qualities.

f) Embellishes one with divine qualities.

g) Takes one towards the state of the sthit pragya.

It is when one transcends even this realm that one accesses the state symbolised by the third syllable of Om.

Samadhi

Samadhi is a firm establishment in sanyas. This state can be likened to the state of deep sleep.

1. This state is akin to that of deep sleep even whilst still awake.

2. It is the state of sanyas.

3. It is the state of enduring absorption in the Supreme.

4. It is the state of Godhood.

5. It is a state of self-forgetfulness.

6. It is the state of one who has relinquished deeds filled with desire.

In this state:

1. A man forgets himself.

2. Words flow forth from him, but he does not dwell on those words.

3. A man becomes indifferent to himself.

4. A man becomes oblivious to those deeds which stem from desire.

5. A man is, so to say, asleep towards his own self.

6. He becomes completely absorbed in whoever comes before him.

7. He is completely identified with whoever comes before him.

8. He possesses an unveiled, steadfast intellect, that becomes unhesitatingly and fully absorbed in yoga – in union – with whatever comes into his line of vision.

9. He is absorbed in instant samadhi wherever his eyes rest.

10. Wherever his eyes rest his intellect follows like an obedient servant.

This state is often described by the following phrase: Yatra yatra drishti gatva, tatra tatra samadhayah (यत्र यत्र दृष्टि: गत्वा तत्र तत्र समाधय:।).

In this state:

a) there is a complete cessation of thoughts and counter thoughts;

b) there is a flow of speech but no accompanying thought or rumination;

c) there is awareness of another’s words, of his verbal assault, but these have no effect on the one absorbed in samadhi;

d) acclaim and insult have no sway over him;

e) loss or gain do not have the power to disturb the samadhi of that steadfast intellect.

Such a one is a Sarvarambha Parityagi – one who is a renunciate at the outset.

One who renounces deeds based on desire

1. Such a one is free from desire.

2. He initiates no project of his own accord.

3. He dispenses no knowledge.

4. He does not suggest any path.

5. He does not need to do anything.

6. He does nothing for his own establishment.

7. Indulgence in action or abstinence from it – both are meaningless for him.

8. He readily performs the greatest as well as the most insignificant jobs of others.

9. He is non-existent for himself.

10. He is dead for himself.

11. He, so to say, immerses his remains in the Ganga, in the river of pure knowledge.

12. Thereafter, he is silent towards himself.

13. This inner silence is samadhi – absorption in Self; it is sanyas – renunciation; it is yoga – union; it is the third stage of Om; it is the uninterrupted practice of non-duality.

Having understood all this, now understand further what must be the external form or manifestation of sanyas and tyaag.

Now one must understand the connotation of kaamya karma.

Kaamya Karma (काम्यकर्म)

1. That which is done for the fulfilment of one’s own desire;

2. That which is done keeping the fruits of action in mind;

3. That which is done keeping one’s own interest predominant;

4. That which is done for self-establishment;

5. That which is done keeping one’s inclinations and disinclinations in mind;

6. That which is done for the satiation of the ‘I’;

7. That which is in one’s interest.

The renouncer of kaamya karma

Such people renounce the body idea. When there is no relationship with the body-self, there is no further association with any desire inspired by body interest. When all connections with the body-self are severed, the ‘I’ ceases to exist.

1. It is this ‘I’ that impels a man to action.

2. It is the ‘I’ that has the strength to harness the body, mind, the sense faculties or the intellect in any work.

3. The ‘I’ is vested with the power that constantly impels a man to work for his self-establishment.

The sanyasi or the one who has renounced all kaamya karmas, initiates no action for the gratification of the desires of the mind or body – nor does he participate in any such action.

1. Such a one has no selfish objectives to fulfil.

2. He does not make any plans for himself.

3. Whatever he receives, he receives as a sanyasi.

4. He receives all through destiny.

5. He has not endeavoured for any such satiation. However, he does all he possibly can for whosoever approaches him; in his identification with the other, he forgets his own name, reputation and his very entity.

One who has renounced all actions impelled by selfish objectives has, in the eyes of the world, taken leave of himself. Any service anyone does for him is actually forced on him. He only allows the other to serve him if it is beneficial for the other. Although he does all for the other, he does nothing for himself. Nor does he participate in any such deed that leads to personal benefit.