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Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha
Arjuna said: O mighty-armed (Krishna), the controller of senses, slayer of Keśī, I aspire to know the essence of sannyāsa (renunciation); equally so, of tyāga (relinquishment, abandonment) separately.
Lord Krishna said: Some wise people regard renunciation as the relinquishment of desire-motivated actions. Some discerning experts hold that tyāga consists in abandoning the results of all actions.
“All actions are to be abandoned as evil,” say some thinkers. Again, some others hold that sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be forsaken at all.
O the best amongst Bharatas (Arjuna), listen to my considered view about relinquishment. Relinquishment, O brave (tiger) among men, is declared to be of three kinds.
Yajña, dāna and tapas are not to be eschewed, abandoned. They are to be performed. For those given to the habit of introspection, yajña, dāna and tapas are purificatory.
Even these actions should be performed leaving delusional clinging and the desire for gain. This is my well-considered view, O Partha.
It is not proper to renounce a rightly guided and necessary action. Renouncing any such action due to delusion is widely considered as tāmasa-tyāga.
To abandon activities fearing that they will cause bodily strain and discomfort, is rājasa-tyāga, and by doing it one will not get the benefit of true relinquishment.
O Arjuna, when a properly regulated action is performed because it has to be done, abandoning saṅga (delusional clinging) and desire for gain, that renunciation is considered sāttvika.
A relinquisher endowed with sāttvika qualities is wise and free of doubts. He neither dislikes unpleasant action, nor clings to the pleasant one.
For the embodied one, it is not possible to relinquish activities in full. He who relinquishes the fruits of actions is considered a tyāgī.
The result of an action is threefold: Desirable, undesirable and mixed. These accrue to the non-relinquishers, but never to the renunciates.
O mighty-armed (Arjuna), know from Me the five causes for the right fruition of all actions, as explained in Sāṅkhya or kṛtānta (the philosophy dealing with the knowledge that transcends all actions):
The body which is the seat, the actor (kartā), various instruments (senses), diverse efforts, and Providence – the fifth.
Whatever action, proper or improper, the human undertakes by his body, speech and mind, these five are its causes.
That being so, due to impure and unrefined intelligence, he who views the pure impersonal Self as the doer, verily does not see at all. He is of perverted vision (mind).
He, who has outgrown the sense of doership (ego), and whose intelligence does not get tainted, even if he kills all these people, he does not verily kill, nor does he get bound (by his killing).
Knowledge, the object to be known, and the knower – threefold is the persuasion for action. Instrument of action, action (itself) and the actor – these three form the essence of activity.
Knowledge, action and actor are threefold, based upon their guṇas, as discussed in the system classifying guṇas. Listen duly to those also.
Know that knowledge to be sāttvika, by which one perceives the singular, imperishable and undivided Presence in all the manifold beings.
Know that to be the rājasa knowledge, whereby one perceives separateness and plural attitudes and expressions in all beings.
That knowledge, which clings to a single task or proposition as though it is everything, which is unreasonable and trivial having no basis on Truth, is said to be tāmasa.
An action which is duly regulated, performed without attachment, desire and hatred, and not motivated by results, is said to be sāttvika.
An action which is motivated by desire, or performed with pronounced ego and excessive strain (undue effort looking at the personal gain), is said to be rājasa in nature.
An action undertaken from delusion, without considering the consequence, the waste of resources, the harm it may inflict, and disregarding one’s own capacity, is said to be tāmasa.
Free of delusional clinging (attachment) and ego, imbued with will (inner strength) and fervour, whoever remains unaffected by the success and failure of his effort, is said to be the sāttvika performer.
The one who is passionately desirous of the fruits of his action, greedy, and (hence) given to even violent and impure moves, swinging repeatedly between elation and depression, is called a rājasa performer.
Immoderate, vulgar, obstinate, fraudulent, malicious, lazy, melancholic and procrastinating – these are the descriptions of a tāmasa kartā.
O Dhananjaya, listen to what is going to be told unreservedly and severally, about the three-fold distinction caused by the guṇas in intelligence and will.
O Partha, that intelligence, which is able to distinguish between ‘involvemental action’ and ‘freedom from action’, what is ‘to be done’ and ‘not to be done’, what is ‘to be feared’ and wherein lies ‘fearlessness’, what is ‘bondage’ and where lies ‘liberation’, is sāttvika.
O Pārtha, that intelligence which wrongly understands the ‘right’ and the ‘wrong’, what is ‘to be done’ and what is ‘not to be done’, is rājasa.
When under the shroud of delusion, the intelligence considers the ‘wrong’ as ‘right’, and perceives everything contrary to what it is, then that intelligence is tāmasa.
The will and drive by which one holds the activities of the mind, life forces and senses in unswerving yoga, O Pārtha, is sāttvika dhṛti.
O Arjuna, the will by which one diligently pursues dharma, artha and kāma, but with strong delusional clinging and greed for results, is rājasa dhṛti.
O Pārtha, the will due to which one, misguided and vicious, does not give up dream, fear, grief, despondency, pride and passion, is tāmasa.
O chief of Bharatas (Arjuna), listen from me now the three kinds of happiness (sukha).
That happiness (sukha) is considered sāttvika, wherein one rejoices through spiritual practice and begets end of misery, which is like poison to start with, but like nectar in the end, which is born from the placidity of Self-knowledge.
The happiness born of contact between the senses and the objects, nectar-like to begin with, but like poison in the end, is held to be rājasa.
The pleasure (sukha) that deludes one in the beginning as well as in the end, which is born of sleep, lethargy and inattention, is regarded as tāmasa.
Either upon the earth or in the heaven and amongst gods, there is none who is not subjected to the workings of these three qualities (guṇas) born of Nature.
Activities of brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras are well divided on the basis of their qualities shaped by Nature’s guṇas.
Mental discipline, sensory control, austerity, purity, forbearance, straightforwardness, knowledge, realization of the knowledge, and unflinching faith in the spiritual truth – these constitute the natural activities of a brāhmaṇa.
Valour, splendour, determination, skill, not running away from the battlefield, charity and lordship – these constitute the natural activities of a kshatriya.
Agriculture, animal husbandry and trade – these form the natural activities of a vaiśya. Service to others is the natural pursuit of a śūdra.
Performing attentively one’s own activities, man attains spiritual fruition. Listen as to how one, engaged in his own duty, reaches perfection.
By devoutly offering one’s own action (and pursuit) to That (Source), from which all beings have emerged, and by which all this is pervaded, man attains perfection.
Better is one’s own pursuit as ordained by his dharma, even if imperfect, than the dharma or pursuit of another, though performed well. No sin is incurred by one who remains engaged in activity consonant with one’s own nature.
One should not abandon his own natural pursuit even if it has a taint of evil. All activities are indeed enveloped with evil, like fire with smoke.
With dis-attached intelligence in all situations, one who is self-regulated and free of cravings, attains the supreme perfection of naishkarmya (non-doership) through sannyāsa (renunciation).
Know from me in essence, O son of Kunti, how one, having gained the naishkarmya-siddhi, attains Brahman. This is the ultimate jñāna-niṣṭhā, the exclusive practice of spiritual wisdom.
Integrated with pure intellect and regulating the mind with will; giving up sensory thrills like sound, etc., eschewing desire and dislike;
being given to aloneness (not resorting to crowd); eating but little; regulating activities of speech, body and mind; constantly pursuing contemplation; taking refuge in dispassion;
abandoning egotism, clout, arrogance, lust and rage (hatred); not accepting gifts; possessing nothing; and composed; – such a one is said to be fit to become Brahman.
Having become Brahman, one is ever cheerful, does not grieve or crave for anything. Feeling equal towards all beings, he begets transcendental devotion to Me (the Supreme).
By devotion he comes to know Me (the Supreme) – what and who I am, in essence. Knowing Me thus in essence, he next enters into the Supreme.
By always doing all activities with wholesome reliance on Me (the Supreme), one attains by My grace, the eternal, imperishable Abode.
Mentally renouncing all actions to Me (the Supreme), regarding Me as the Supreme, let your mind, resorting to buddhi-yoga (anchoring the intelligence in the inmost Reality), abide constantly in Me.
With the mind resting on Me (the Supreme), you will surmount all hardships by My grace. But if egoistically you do not heed these words, you will be led to ruin.
Resorting to ego should you think ‘I will not fight’, your decision is in vain. For, Nature will compel you to fight.
O Kunti’s son (Arjuna), that which you are unwilling to undertake due to delusion, you will still perform irresistibly, bound by karma born of your own nature.
O Arjuna, God dwells in the heart of all beings. Reigning there, by His inscrutable power (māyā), He makes everyone whirl around, as in a revolving machine (yantra-ārūḍha).
Seek refuge under Him alone, with all your emotional notes (bhāvas). By His grace, you will attain supreme peacefulness as well as the eternal Abode.
Thus by me is imparted to you the Knowledge, which is a secret greater than all other secrets. Discreetly reflecting on this fully, act as you wish.
Listen again to my supreme word, the most secret, which I shall explain for your good, as you are most dear to me.
Be engrossed in My thoughts and devoted to Me (the Supreme); offer sacrifice to Me, and prostrate before Me. Then indeed will you attain Me. I swear upon this truth, as you are dear to Me.
Abandoning all considerations of dharma (ethics and codes of life), take refuge in Me alone. I shall redeem you from all sins. Grieve not!
This gospel is never to be instructed to one who is not austere, is not a devotee, does not want to listen to these words, or who envies Me (the Supreme).
He who exposes this most secret Truth among My devotees, cherishing supreme devotion to Me, reaches Me (the Supreme), no doubt.
There is none among humans, who does something more dear to Me than what he (the exponent of the Gita) does. Nor will there be anyone on this earth dearer to Me.
He who will study faithfully this dharmic (righteous) dialogue of ours, by him I shall be worshipped with the oblation (offering) of knowledge, Jñāna-yajña. This is My considered view.
Whosoever listens to this discourse with attention, and is free from envious distractions, also becomes liberated. He attains the auspicious worlds of the holy performers.
Have you listened to this, O Pārtha, with unswerving mind? Has your delusion resulting from ignorance been completely removed, O Dhananjaya?
Arjuna said: By your grace, O Krishna, my delusion is gone, memory (of my true identity) is regained; I stand with doubts dispelled. I shall do as you say.
Sanjaya said: Thus have I listened to this wonderful dialogue between the great Soul Krishna and Partha, causing my hair to stand on end. By virtue of Vyāsa’s grace, I heard this most profound secret Yoga directly from Krishna, the Lord of Yoga (Yogeśvara), who himself narrated it.
Sanjaya said: Thus have I listened to this wonderful dialogue between the great Soul Krishna and Partha, causing my hair to stand on end. By virtue of Vyāsa’s grace, I heard this most profound secret Yoga directly from Krishna, the Lord of Yoga (Yogeśvara), who himself narrated it.
O King, recalling repeatedly this wonderful, sacred dialogue between Keśava (Krishna) and Arjuna, I am thrilled again and again.
O King, remembering again and again the extremely astonishing form of Lord Hari (Krishna), I am delighted again and again in great wonderment.
Wherever is the Master Yogin Krishna, wherever stands Arjuna wielding the bow, there will reign prosperity, victory, glory and the ultimate righteousness. This is my firm conviction.
Om – the symbol of Brahman, tat – that singular Reality (Brahman), sat – the ever abiding presence (Brahman).
Thus ends the eighteenth chapter entitled Mokṣa-sannyāsa Yoga, during the Srikrishna-Arjuna dialogue in Śrīmad Bhagavad Gita, constituting Yoga-śāstra, which falls within Brahmavidya as presented in the Vedic Upanishads.
Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha
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