Gita 06.02 – Renunciation of matter and connection with spirit share the same purpose

Yam sanyasam iti prahur yogam tam viddhi pandava me sanyasta sankalpo yogi bhavati kashchana yam sanyasam iti prahur that which is considered sanyas by people yogam tam viddhi pandava know that to be yoga also yogam tam viddhi know that to be yoga why are sanyas and yoga considered the same mayya sanyasta sankalpo because if one is not having sanyas of sankalpa sankalpa is the desire for enjoyment if one has not renounced the desire for enjoyment yogi bhavati kashchana a person who has not renounced the desire can never be a yogi kashchana yogi bhavati so the previous verse made a astonishing assertion that sanyasi and yogi is the same person and Krishna is now explaining in what sense the two are equal so he says yam sanyasam iti prahur that which is called sanyas yogam tam viddhi pandava know that to be yoga how in what sense mayya sanyasta sankalpo so Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita often gives his message by using multiple meanings for the same word or using a word with a new sense of meaning in a different context so normally sanyasa is equated with the sanyasa ashram the renounced order but Krishna here equates it with something different is a sanyasta sankalpo so he talks about renunciation of desires so people are eager to renounce duties but Krishna is talking about renunces more important is renouncing desires because without renouncing desires Krishna says nobody can be a yogi and one who has renounced desires also renunciate because that person has done some renunciation so in this way the renunciate and the yogi are equivalent yoga as we know means connection connection with a higher spiritual reality and that connection is not possible without proper channelization without proper disciplining of one's interaction with matter as long as the material realm is not being worked out as long as one is attached to the material level of reality and is engaged entangled in it at that level the person cannot be an authentic yogi so sanyas essentially means disconnection from matter and yoga means connection with spirit so in that sense both are promoting the same purpose and Krishna is pointing to that commonality by stating that actually yoga as connection with spirit yoga as connection with higher spiritual reality yoga as connection with god cannot be done without renunciation of desires as long as one has the desire for bodily gratification especially unregulated bodily gratification then one stays entangled in material existence so the way out for us is by raising ourselves above the material level in our consciousness and coming to the spiritual level now here things become confusing because we normally use the word yoga in terms of higher connection with spiritual truth so in that sense it makes perfect sense as I explained earlier sanyas is disconnection from matter, yoga is connection with spirit and the two are similar in purpose they share the same purpose in fact we could say but the problem here is in the context of the Gita Gita has used the word yoga repeatedly in terms of action so for example in 3.3 Krishna's while contrasting two parts he said that so here he said he equated the word yogis with those who do karma yoga that means those who act so with this in mind if yoga is action and sanyas is renunciation then how can the two go together so then we have to understand that Krishna is talking about here that actually the yogi which he is talking about is the karma yogi who will as we look at the flow of the Gita the karma yogi will move on to ashtang yoga and from ashtang yoga will then move on to bhakti yoga at the end of the chapter so for such a yogi about whom Krishna is talking here the point is that the karma yogi has to take the slow path ahead the karma yogi cannot slow path means because the karma yogi does not have the connection with bhakti right now so doesn't have that rapid upward pull of the higher taste and the mercy of Krishna but still the karma yogi also has to give up desire so in that sense yoga as the detached work has in its very definition the requirement of giving up desire so that is the sense in which Krishna is talking about this that naya sanyasta sankalpo yogi bhavati kashchana that without renouncing work without renouncing desire sorry not work, without renouncing desire one cannot be a yogi that without renouncing desire one should simply be a karmi one will be a bhogi so one will be a fruitive worker who is a materialistic enjoyer Krishna says a yogi is one who works but with detachment so to repeat in case things are seeming very confusing here Krishna is using the word sanyas not in the sense of sanyasa ashram in the state of ashram but he is talking about attitude, disposition or detachment as a state of mind not a state of being so not a state of being state of physical ashram so sanyas is that renunciation within and yoga is detached action so Krishna is saying this was essentially that which is that which is renunciation that is the same as yoga that is what is known as renunciation is also the same as detached action because without renunciation of desire detached action is not possible so the point Krishna is conveying to Arjuna is that one should not prematurely renounce action in this world should keep acting and by acting gradually come to a level where one will be mature enough to authentically embrace the path of yoga prior to that if one tries to jump into the path of yoga there will be trouble as Krishna talked about in Mithyachara in third chapter six verses five six seven verses analyzing karma yoga and comparing it with false renunciation so to avoid such trouble Krishna is emphasizing to Arjuna that better you do your work in a mood of renunciation rather than renouncing work itself entirely thank you.