Essentials of Hinduism - Bhagavad Gita

Essentials of Hinduism

Bhagavad Gita

Chapter 5 - True Renunciation

After thus describing Karma Yoga in earlier Chapters, Krishna describes how one should intelligently renounce Karma and enter into a nobler Spiritual Technique for completing the pilgrimage to Perfection. In the Vedic literature too, we find a similar Technique. The Mantra portion expresses the vastness in strength and beauty , the Brahmana portion prescribes ways and means by which the ritualistic activities can be undertaken and then the Aranyaka portion prescribes the varities of Worship methods called the Upasanas undertaken by Pure Minds (the Saints and Rishis) who are uncontaminated by any desires. Activities in Life intelligently undertaken without Desires, is the means to reach the highest Spiritual Consummation. What is the spirit of renunciation, how the Yoga of Renunciation of Action can be practiced and how far that could contribute to the inward development and growth of the Human Personality – all these are described in this Chapter.

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Stanza 7:

The lesser the agitations, the purer we are considered by Vedanta. Through selfless actions performed without anxiety for the fruits, the practitioner exhausts his existing Vasanas. He who is devoted to the Path of action, whose mind is quite pure, who has subdued his senses, is not tainted.

Stanza 10:

He who does actions, offering them to Brahman, abandoning attachment, is not tainted by sin, just as a lotus leaf remains unaffected by the water on it. Therefore, detachment from the false (the Worldly things) can be successful only when we attach ourselves to the Real (Paramatma).

Stanza 13:

A Sanyasi is a self controlled individual, who has brought all his sense appetites under perfect control, he has renounced all his desire prompted actions, and he lives with contentment, peacefully and happily in the City-of-nine-gates (our body has nine openings: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, and, two excretal organs, front and back).

Stanza 18:

Sages look with an equal eye upon a Brahmana (endowed with learning and humility), on a cow, on an outcaste – all of them with a same presence of Divinity. An egoless man, having recognized himself to be God, can find in no way, any distinction in the outer World of names and forms. Equal vision is the hallmark of Realization.

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Stanza 19:

Even here (in this World), in this Life itself, it is possible to overcome future birth, by those whose minds rest in equality. Contrary to our vague hope, Krishna declared what the Rishis had earlier asserted a thousand times. Ego-Center can be ended and the imperfect individual can realize himself to the infinite God-Head – in this very same life, here in this very same body, among these worldly objects, one can evolve and live in the Consciousness of Paramatma.

Stanza 20:

The Man of Perfection who has won over his Mind and come to experience the Infinite Self, can no more feel any joy receiving what is Pleasant, nor grieve on receiving what is Unpleasant. One who is unaffected by the presence of things, good or bad, is the one whose Intellect is Steady, and the one whose Intellect is Steady is the one in whom all delusions have ended.

Stanza 23:

Withstand the Impulse of Desire and Anger – he is a Yogi who can live perfectly happily even while in this form, in this very World, during this very Life, if only he, in his Spiritual Evolution, learns to renounce his impulses of Desire and Hatred.

This is the end of YOGA OF TRUE RENUNCIATION.

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.