Essentials of Hinduism - Bhagavad Gita - Liberation Through Renounciation

Essentials of Hinduism

Bhagavad Gita

Chapter 18 - Liberation Through Renounciation

This closing Chapter of the Gita is a Summary of the entire Song of the Lord. The logic of this entire Chapter revolves around the meanings of Renunciation (Sanyasa) and Abandonment (Tyaga).

The bulk of this Chapter maps out the tendencies, urges, impulses, and motives, that are to be abandoned, so that a true “Abandonment” of the undivine Personality can effectively take place.

Stanza 2:

Totally giving up all the desire-prompted activities is RENUNCIATION; giving up of all the anxieties for enjoying the fruits-of-action is ABANDONMENT.

Desire and agitation bring about restlessness, and the deeper the desire, the greater is the amount of dissipation of our energies within. Fruits of-actions belong to the future and they are always based upon the quality and quantity of action in the present moment. In short, “Renunciation” is the goal to be reached through the process of “Abandonment” of our moment-to-moment anxiety to enjoy the fruits.

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Stanza 6:

Charity, Sacrifice and Austerity (Japa) must all be performed in an attitude of detachment renouncing all anxieties for the enjoyment of the fruits. In fact, getting rid of attachment and to be free from anxieties regarding the fruits are the main limbs of the Krishna-creed in the Gita.

Stanza 9:

Krishna says: Whatever obligatory action is done, O Arjuna, merely because it ought to be done, abandoning “attachment and also fruit,” that abandoning is regarded as Sattvic (Pure). Those who execute thoroughly all their obligatory duties “because they are to be done” because to remain without accomplishing them is almost death to them – fall under the Sattvic (Pure) variety. Real Tyaga means doing actions with the correct mental attitude.

Stanza 10:

He is overwhelmed neither by extreme joy nor by extreme sorrow; equanimity becomes his essential nature. He is independent of the happenings in the outer world around him. A Sattvic Tyagi is he who has cultivated this habit to live intelligently in life practicing from moment to moment in his life.

Stanza 11:

Since all of us are embodied (we have a body), and therefore cannot abandon all activities as long as we live, the only choice left to us is to direct and discipline all our actions in such a way as to bring a harmony into our inner life and a dynamic rhythm into our outer duties. Krishna is advising us to abandon our anxiety to enjoy the fruits of our actions which are yet to come in a future period of time, and act diligently, entirely and enthusiastically in the present.

Stanza 12:

Reincarnation Theory in our Sanatana Dharma: Future Thoughts faithfully follow the foot-prints left by the Past thoughts. In the constant flow of time, the Present determines the Immediate Future. If we extend this Theory to the Very Last Moment of our days in this Embodiment, it becomes amply evident that, after the departure from here through death, our next Embodiment and the general type of Environment that we will find ourselves in, would be determined by the type of tendencies produced by our Actions. This is what is called the Reincarnation Theory in our Sanatana Dharma.

If the Vasanas are good (Sattvic), then a joyous field of Prosperity and Happiness would be the only realm wherein such a mind would discover its Destiny. When the Vasanas are good and bad and almost equal, then we enter into this World of Action – the World in which we are now living – the World of the Intelligent Man. There are the barkings and the roarings of the “lower” in us, constantly confusing and systematically distracting our vision of the ideal. We must constantly remind ourselves that if we identify ourselves with the “Higher” and live up to the ideal as best as we can, the Higher Vasanas will Multiply and ultimately silence the “Lower” completely. Renouncing our indulgence with the inheritence of the Past and leaving all our anxieties for the Future, to serve the World as a service to the Lord is Abandonment – Tyaga.

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Stanza 14:

This Stanza is dedicated to five aspects without which no Ego-Centric Activity is possible. Lord Krishna enumerates these five components that go into the constitution of any Karma (Action). Stripping off all the details, the five components are: (1) the Body; (2) the Ego; (3) the Organs-of-Perception; (4) the Organs-of-Action; (5) the five Elemental Forces (the eye by Fire, the ears by Space, the tongue by Water, the skin by Air, and the nose by Earth).

Stanza 20:

A true student of Self-Development must try to maintain himself as far as possible in the Sattvic Temperament. By Self-Analysis, we can diagnose ourselves, and immediately remedy the defects in us. The “Knowledge” by which the “One Imperishable Being” is seen in all the existence, is Sattvic. The one LIFE throbs in all, expressing itself differently as It’s different Manifestations. By the Sattvic Knowledge this One Principle of Consciousness in and through all the different Equipments is recognized.

Stanza 23:

A Sattvic Action is the best, productive of Peace and Harmony, and therefore, it is the Purest of the three types of Actions. An individual with a Sattvic Intellect has recognized that the All- pervading One, Consciousness of the One Reality permeates the whole Universe. Therefore to him, the leper and the prince, the sick and the healthy, the rich and the poor are so many different parts of his own Spiritual Personality only. Summarizing, a Sattvic Karma is a Humane Action, performed without any Attachment, and not motivated either by likes (Raga) or by dislikes (Dwesha), and undertaken without any desire to enjoy the results thereof.

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Stanza 26:

A Sattvic actor is the one who is free from Attachment to his family or anyone and is non-egoistic. He is also the one who has no clinging Attachment to the things and the beings around. He sincerely feels that he has not done anything spectacular even when he has actually done the greatest good to Mankind. Besides, a Sattvic actor is one who ever strives unperturbed, both in success and in failure, both in pleasure and in pain. Finally, a Sattvic doer is one who is ever conscious of the touch of the infinite Light in all his activities.

Stanza 30:

Sattvic Buddhi is defined as one which makes known to us what type of work is to be done, and what type of work is to be renounced, which distinguishes the right from the wrong, which knows what is to be feared and what is to be faced fearlessly, which shows us the causes of our own ugliness as well as the remedies for the same. Proper “understanding” can churn out pure success from every threat of failure. Right “understanding” can convert the greatest of tragedies into the chances for ushering in a prosperous destiny.

Stanza 33:

Dhriti (Fortitude or determination) is that power within ourselves by which we constantly see the goal we want to achieve; and while striving towards it, Dhriti discovers for us the necessary constancy of purpose to pursue the path, in spite of all the mounting obstacles that arises on the way. The constancy with which one steadily controls one’s Mind and sense –organs and their activities, through single-pointed attention and faithful concentration upon a given point-of-contemplation, is the SATTVIC-DHRITI. Mind alone can control the organs-of-action (Karma-Indriyas) and the organs-of-perception (Jnyana-Indriyas). Without fixing the Mind upon something nobler and higher, we cannot detach it from its present pursuits. Therefore, Krishna insists that Yoga is essential.

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Stanza 37:

The beginning of “Sattvic Practice” is certainly very painful and extremely arduous. But one who has discovered in oneself the necessary courage and heroism to walk the precipitious path of Self Purification and Inward Balance, comes to enjoy eventually the subtlest of Happiness and the all fulfilling sense of Inward Peace. This Happiness (Sukha) arising out of Self-Control and the Self-Discipline, is classified in this Stanza as “Sattvic Happiness.” or Prasadaja. The Peace and Tranquility, the Joy and Expansion, that the Mind and Intellect come to experience as a result of their Discipline and Contemplation are the True “Prasada.” The joy arising out of Spiritual Practices, provided by the integration of the inner nature, is called “Prasada” which is the “Sattvic Happiness.”, Prasadaja.

Stanza 40:

The three Gunas (Sattvic, Rajas and the Tamas) put together are the Manifestation of “Maya”. NO CREATURE EITHER ON EARTH OR EVEN AMONG THE DEVAS IN HEAVEN (HEAVENLY BEINGS) IS TOTALLY LIBERATED FROM THE INFLUENCE OF THESE THREE GUNAS. Let us introspect and evaluate ourselves every day, every minute. Let us avoid the lower Gunas and steadily work ourselves up towards the achievement of the Sattvic State. Only after reaching the Status of the good (Sattvic) can we be ushered into the State of Godhood – Perfection Absolute. The

Brahmanas have a major portion of Sattva Guna, a little Rajas and with minimum Tamas.

Stanza 42:

Serenity, Self-Control, Austerity (Tapas), Purity, Patience, Forgiveness and Straightforwardness, Knowledge (Jnyana), Realization, Belief-in-Paramatma – are the duties of the Brahmanas. To grow and steadily cultivate Knowledge, Wisdom and Faith are the sacred duties of a Brahmana in his Spiritual Life.

Stanza 46:

When a Man acts according to his Swabhava and Swadharma, his Vasanas get exhausted. This exhaustion of the load of Vasanas and the consequent sense of joy and relief can be gained only when he learns to work and achieve in a spirit of total Self-Surrender. By constantly remembering the higher goal towards which we are working our way, if we do our everyday Karma efficiently, the Vasana-exhaustion takes place.

Stanza 48:

The Vasanas one is born with (coming from our past lives) are to be lived through without Ego and Desire. Krishna advises that a Spiritual Seeker has to be very careful and must constantly strive hard not to be trapped by the shackling effects of the Environments. He says, Man is the master of circumstances. To the extent he comes to assert this mastery, to that extent he is evolved. The earlier we exhaust our existing bad Vasanas through actions that are without any Ego or Ego-Centric Desire of enjoying their fruits, the quicker shall the load of existing Vasanas will be lifted from our Personality.

Stanza 49:

The Ego arises when we are ignorant and forgetful of our Spiritual nature. The Self Mastery of the Mind is impossible as long as there are even the minutest traces of Desire in him. One from whom all Desires have fled alone can subdue the Mind, and such a Seeker alone can accomplish the State of complete Detachment from the World of Sense- Objects. The Gita is never tired of repeating that Self-Restraint and freedom from Desire are the unavoidable pre-requisites for Spiritual growth.

Stanza 51:

CONTROLLING THE MIND AND THE SENSES WITH DETERMINATION – These two sabotage the Harmony and Balance in a Meditator when he is at his seat of his Meditation. By controlling both these, the Seeker comes to tune himself up properly. He becomes invulnerable to all such attacks. Renouncing the Sense-Objects – controlling the Sense-Organs means allowing none of the stimuli such as sound, form, touch, taste or smell to infiltrate through their respective gateways of ears, eyes, skin, tongue and the nose. When a complete wall has been built around the Mind, the man can meditate successfully. To summarize, a successful meditator is one who has: (1) an intellect purified of all its extrovert desires; (2) a Mind, together with the sense-organs, brought under the control of the purified intellect; (3) the sense-organs do not have contact with the sense-objects anymore; and (4) a Mind that has given up its ideas of likes and dislikes.

Stanza 52:

A True Spiritual Seeker must seek solitude, eat very little, subdue his speech, body and Mind, always engage in Concentration and Meditation, and must live with in- Difference and Detachment.

Stanza 54:

BECOMING BRAHMAN – After liquidating the Ego – power, pride, lust, passion and sense of possession – the Seeker comes to experience a relatively greater peace within. This inner tranquility could be artificially propped up for the time being. This should be positively reinforced. With constant self-effort, relative peace in the Mind is to be maintained for longer periods of time and zealously guarded even when joys and sorrows will be reaching from the outer world. He now lives in the world with a totally new set of values of life, in which, there is nothing but the constant experience of the Divine presence. He develops an equanimity of Vision and a supreme Love for the Paramatma.

Stanza 55:

By devotion he knows Me in Essence, what and who I am; then, having known Me in My Essence, he is not outside of Me, but, he enters inside of Me.

Continuing from the earlier stanza - Devotion is the Love for the Supreme. When an individual has made all the above adjustments, increasingly seeks and discovers its identity with the Self, he comes to experience the true nature of the Self more and more clearly. Such a Seeker comes to understand “WHAT AND WHO I AM.”

When this experience comes through a slow and steady unfoldment of the Light of Consciousness, we come to apprehend (take into custody), IN TOTO, the Infinite. The individuality, or the ego, ends and “HE THEREAFTER ENTERS ME.”

Stanza 57:

Mentally renouncing all actions in Me, having Me as the Highest Goal, resorting to the YOGA- of-Discrimination, ever fix your Mind in Me. One who has fixed Krishna-Tattva as the Goal of his life, one who surrenders himself, mentally, at all times at this altar, and avoids all undivine thoughts and ego-self assertions – such a one alone, naturally, come to fix his thoughts constantly upon the Lord.

Stanza 62:

To the extent we identify ourselves with Him, to that extent His light and power become ours, and they are called His grace. (Prasada) – the individual shall obtain “THE SUPREME PEACE AND ETERNAL RESTING PLACE.” To illustrate such a total devotion, we have the examples of Radha, Hanuman, Prahlada and others. The Spiritual Truth and the right way-of-living as discussed in the Gita are termed as the “THE SECRET OF ALL SECRETS.” Any amount of listening cannot make one gain the “Wisdom”. The Knowledge gained through reading or listening must be assimilated and thought within intensely and understood. Put the ideas between the mind and the intellect and to chew them properly is “reflection.” Finally, Krishna ultimately leaves the decision to act, the will to live the higher life, to our own choice.

Stanza 65:

Krishna laid down four conditions for a successful Seeker; and to those who have accomplished them all in themselves, an assurance of Realization, “YOU SHALL REACH ME.” In order that a student may not take it lightly or ignore them completely, He endorses His statement that it is indeed all Truth: “I PROMISE YOU TRULY.” Further Krishna adds, “YOU ARE DEAR TO ME.” Now, here are the four conditions: (1) Fix your Mind upon Me; (2) be devoted to Me; (3) sacrifice for Me; (4) bow down to Me – you shall come surely then to me alone; truly I promise to you, (for) you are dear to Me.

Stanza 66:

Abondoning all Dharmas of the Body, Mind and Intellect, take Refuge in Me alone; I will liberate thee from all sins; Grieve Not (Ma Suchaha). What exactly is the Dharma of man? The non-essential factors - the innumerable endless varieties of emotions and thoughts – the nature, the conditions and the capabilities of the Body, Mind and Intellect are the non-essential factors in the human personality. Essential Dharma – the Touch of Life, the Divine consciousness, without the Atma man cannot exist – it is THAT which is the basis of existence. Therefore, the essential Dharma of Man is the Divine Spark of Existence, the Infinite Paramatma.

He wants the Meditator to accomplish three distinct adjustments in his inner personality:

(1) Renounce all Dharmas through Meditation – renouncing all Dharmas means Ending the Non-essential Dharmas or ending our Ego; extrovert tendencies of the mind are to be renounced; “Develop introspection diligently” is the deep suggestion in the phrase “RENOUNCING ALL DHARMAS.”;

(2) come to My surrender alone; and while in the state of meditation; (3) stop all worries. As a reward, Lord Krishna promises: “I SHALL RELEASE YOU FROM ALL SINS.” This is a promise given to all mankind. Nowhere has the Paramatma so directly and openly expressed His Divine willingness to undertake the service of His devotee as in this stanza.

Stanza 68:

He who, with Supreme Devotion to Me, will teach this Supreme secret to My devotees, shall doubtless come to Me.

Stanza 70:

The Lord declares that those who study the Gita – contemplate upon its meaning, understand thoroughly – and those with their well-kindled understanding, sacrifice their own ego-centric misconceptions about themselves, and about the World around them, are certainly the greatest devotees of the Infinite. The unhealthy Vasanas and false sense-of-ego due to the false Knowledge (Ajnyana) all get burned up in Right Knowledge (Jnyana).

Stanza 71:

That man also, who hears this, full of faith and free from malice, he too, liberated, shall attain to the happy worlds of those righteous deeds.

Chapter Re-cap:

Only the most important Lessons are Summarized below:

1) At the time of Gita Upadesa by Lord Krishna to Arjuna, Anjaneya was sitting on top of the chariot listening to Lord Krishna’s advice to Arjuna.

2) Chapter 18 – The Lord wants the Meditator to accomplish three distinct adjustments in his inner Personality: (1) Renounce all Dharmas (means ending our Ego) through Meditation;

(2) come to My Surrender alone; and while in the state of Meditation; (3) stop all worries. As a reward, Lord Krishna promises: “I SHALL RELEASE YOU FROM ALL SINS.” This is a promise given to all mankind.

3) It should be emphasized again – simply reading the Gita is only 50% of job completion; we have to understand thoroughly, reflect upon our understanding and live in accordance with our understanding.

4) The purpose of our Life is to get rid of our bad Vasanas and this is done by practicing item 2 above.

5) Krishna has advised different kinds of Yoga to achieve Self-Realization. You have to study your own personality and adopt the kind of Yoga that is most suitable for yourself.

This article is a snippet from the Book Essentials of Hinduism, Authored by G.S Nilakantan. Hinduism for All is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.