Gita 03.06 – Outer renunciation with inner sensual contemplation is self-delusion

Thank you Indriyarthan Vimodhatma Vidhyacharas Uchyate 3.6 Bhagavad Gita Karma Indriyani Sanyamya Karma Indriyani that means the senses with which we do work Sanyamya regulating them Yasate Manasa Asmaran but with the mind one is remembering, contemplating Indriyarthan the sense objects Vimodhatma such a person is foolish Vidhyacharas Uchyate and such a person is to be called a hypocrite Vidhyachara now what exactly is Krishna saying he is talking about the inappropriateness of inaction for Arjuna and for people in Chandra so first he said that it doesn't lead to perfection that was in 3.4 3.5 was that it is impractical it is impossible to be inactive and now 6th verse is saying that it can be adharmic so how can it be adharmic because one may by sheer force of will power avoid indulging in the sense objects physically but if the attachment is there internally then one will remember those sense objects, contemplate on them, imagine enjoying the sense objects and in that way the person who has externally adopted the garb of a renunciate but is internally contemplating the sense objects will be engaging in violation of the principles of renunciation even if not physically at least mentally so renunciation is not just determined by external abnegation of sense objects but it is also by internal detachment from sense objects that is the essence of renunciation so there is external distancing oh I will not indulge in sense objects and I keep the sense objects far away that external distancing is okay and it is important at least in the early stages of spiritual life to have some distance from the sense objects and that's why most traditional cultures had some distance between had some level of separation in between the sexes between the genders, now beyond that the principle is for a renunciate one certainly has to keep a distance from the sense objects but still there is a distance externally but there is proximity internally because when one is attached and one is renounced prematurely then one cannot maintain that renunciation for long one cannot actually keep the thoughts away from long and one keeps dwelling dwelling dwelling on it and instead of dwelling on Krishna one is dwelling on the sense objects so Krishna is saying two words to describe such a person Vimudhatma Vimudhatma such a person is foolish so actually that person may imagine that I am satisfied because I am renounced from the world I am more advanced I have renounced the world but actually the person is fooling himself why because the attachment within is not allowing him to practice the essence of renunciation that the purpose of renunciation the purpose of renunciation is undistracted concentration on Krishna when we are engaged in the world often there is engagement in the world job, family home and other things these things social obligations they often become distractions from focus on Krishna although these can also be spiritualized to some extent but still they can become distractions but when one focuses on Krishna then one wants to focus on Krishna and for that purpose of focusing on Krishna one accepts the renounced order then that is a positively motivated acceptance of renunciation and one grows through the renounced order when one actually concentrates on Krishna on the higher spiritual truth if one is not knowing about Krishna if one is not a bhakta yogi but is a is a karma yogi higher spiritual truth certainly not on the sense objects so that person who is dwelling on the sense objects instead of on spiritual truths is deluding oneself and further is a hypocrite actually hypocrite is a very strong word behavior is false so the behavior is false that means that person is is pretender is cheating oneself and cheating others cheating oneself means the person is imagining that I am advanced but actually that person is not advanced and further cheating the world because the world may be offering respect thinking oh that this person is renounced and yet that person may not actually be is not actually renounced and what is dwelt on in the mind cannot stay in the mind for long so as Krishna has talked about in 2.62.63 that whatever we do that will grow and that will eventually lead to pranashyati so whatever there is manasa asmaran there will also be whatever there is contemplated on with the mind if one is contemplating on sense objects one will eventually sooner or later indulge in the sense objects and that will be a gross fall down also now the whole tenor of the Gita over here is towards denunciation of renunciation renunciation means means disapproval, strong disapproval so now does that mean that the Bhagavad Gita is completely against renunciation no that's not the point because we see that the Bhagavad Gita is a part of the Mahabharata and the Mahabharata there are so many renunciates who keep coming Nalguni himself and there are so many other great sages they are renounced sages and they are very much respected by Krishna by the Pandavas and by the general society so Krishna is not opposing the principle of renunciation per se it's not a universal opposition to the principle of renunciation rather it is a context specific instruction to Arjuna and to people like Arjuna so now today somebody wants to take the renounce to order so how does one decide does one say that if Arjuna is not qualified to renounce then am I qualified to renounce how can I be qualified to renounce here we have to understand that we should not be misled by disanalogies disanalogies means false comparisons Arjuna is a Kshatriya and for a Kshatriya to renounce the world is difficult for a person who is of a Brahminical temperament or a person who has a strong desire to serve Krishna by sharing his message and who directs emotional service to Krishna that person can take the renounce to order but this is neither a blanket denunciation of renunciation it's not a permanent ban on renunciation but it is neither a blanket but the Gita certainly does not offer a blanket endorsement of renunciation no blanket renunciation of renunciation no blanket commendation of renunciation Gita doesn't simplistically say oh you want to become spiritually advanced just renounce the world no actually the Gita is a book of not a tyaga or vairagya it is a book about Dharma and not just about Dharma but paradharma of bhakti so whatever is favourable for bhakti Bhagavata will recommend and that's why it concludes with so don't get caught up in too many of the different dharmas and wondering what is your role focus on how you can surrender to me and adopt that course of action which will enable you to surrender to me best so it's the same principle we can apply to our lives also rather than thinking of it one way or the other way in black and white terms this is good and this is bad we should focus more on what is good for me and what is favourable for me and what is not favourable for me and based on that criteria we can decide which direction one will go whether the grahastha ashram or the brahmachari ashram and even another important point is that actually Krishna is not talking about devotional renunciation at all over here Krishna is talking about the jnani's renunciation where the renunciation is characterized by inaction now for devotees for brahmachari sanyasis renunciation is not characterized by inaction there is a lot of action because the principle of bhakti process of bhakti uses practical service as a means for expressing and experiencing devotion so in that sense bhakti is quite dynamic and so this whole discussion of Krishna's discussion wherein Krishna disapproves renunciation that is not for devotional renunciation that is for jnani renunciation characterized by inaction still the underlying principles we can actually apply them so as devotees we should focus more on fixing the mind of Krishna and engaging in Krishna's service then on external renunciation and if we are going to take up external renunciation that should be as a tool for increasing internal contemplation on Krishna not that we take the external renunciation and then contemplate it for the sense of objects and crave for the sense of objects and then imagine that maybe one can enjoy them in a hidden way without being detected and that will be something by which we will deprive ourselves of spiritual advancement and will end up doing a disservice to Krishna and disservice to Krishna's movement because our actions will misrepresent the glorious tradition of Gita wisdom so therefore here the Gita cautions against superficial renunciation surface renunciation that is just masquerade for a content of attachment so if Krishna is telling that don't Arjuna become a renunciate like that so Krishna gives in this way three different reasons the fourth was he says renunciation inaction alone doesn't lead to perfection or liberation then he says inaction is impossible because it's unnatural and now he says inaction can become adharmic if one does not have adequate detachment so our focus should be on how can I best connect with Krishna how can I best remember Krishna and based how can I best serve Krishna and based on that Krishna center we can take our decisions not on making renunciation the center and considering the attainment of renunciation externally itself as the success of spiritual life.