In the previous episode, we had witnessed a very important and an interesting accord on what is “Sanyaasam”. Now, this accord comes not from Arjuna, but from a Sage by name Sage Devasthaanam. After Arjuna finishes his accord, Yudishtra doesn’t seem to get convinced even a bit. Now, it is time for other key sages, Bhishmachaarya, Sage Vyaasa and Bhagawan Krishna to take over the proceedings to convince Yudishtra. As part of this broad arrangement, it is now time for Sage Devasthaanam to commence the proceedings, wherein he highlights who are the ones eligible for taking up “Sanyaasam” from regular “Grihastha” life. A person who does not have any followers, nor any kind of position or power with him / her is the one who is eligible to take “Sanyaasam”. Sage Devasthaanam highlights and justifies his point by saying that, if a powerful person in the society (like a minister or a king) takes up “Sanyaasam” and goes away to the forest by shunning all his duties, this would set a very bad and a dangerous example to the followers in lower hierarchies and echelons of the society and the administration. Upon seeing the leader going on “Sanyaasam”, the followers also might get that motivation to shun all their responsibility and go along with the leader to the forest!
If that is the case, then who will execute the duties of the administration? If everybody starts going this way by shunning family life and duties associated with it, how will the world population grow? How will the next generation of people come into this world? Won’t the human existence itself be threatened if everybody starts going towards the forest? Thus, “Sanyaasam” is not for everyone. It is only for a very few people in this world who have successfully controlled their mind, sans desires and wants. It is only for a very few people in this world who are not into worldly life or in any big responsibilities in any kind of administration. It has become a fashion and a trend in the current day that several “Mutts” and spiritual organizations across the world are “encouraging” many people to take up “Sanyaasam”. This is a wrong practice. “Sanyaasam” is not that easy that anybody and everybody can adopt. It requires a lot of focus and the “Vairagya” of not getting carried away by the world’s illusion. Many people who take up “Sanyaasam” as part of several “Ashrams” are not able to sustain this for a longer time because of this. At times, they get carried away into worldly desires with the opposite gender, or in the form of money, material, property, etc. A person undertaking “Sanyaasam” should be completely cut-off and devoid of all these things, isn’t it? This is virtually impossible for most of us, given our life situations. Of course, there’s nothing to blame here, as all of us are normal human beings. We are bound by our life situations, backgrounds, upbringing, culture, surroundings, compulsions at work and in the personal space, etc. Thus, we’ve to realize these and work in a way that we’re performing our duties, at the same time, being detached from the results of our actions.
In fact, Bhagawan Krishna Himself exactly tells this as part of the “Karma Yoga” discussion with Arjuna. When Arjuna asks a similar question to Bhagawan Krishna that why should be fight the war and instead why can’t he renounce everything and go to the forest and do penance, Bhagawan Krishna explains that “Sanyaasam” is not Arjuna’s cup of tea. Bhagawan clearly explains that one can be like a “Sanyaasin” even while being in the “Grihastha” life – By continuing to perform our duties correctly and sincerely as per the “Dharma”, but being completely detached from the result that arise out of the actions. If we’re getting more attached towards the result, the actions that we do become very selfish in nature. It becomes as if we’re doing something only for the sake of emerging victorious and attaining personal name and fame out of it. Whereas, if we are performing the duty for the welfare of the world, without getting attached to the result arising out of it, the story is entirely different. We are still performing our duty, but we are completely detached – Just like how a “Sanyaasin” is!
Hence, if we’ve to derive sense of what Sage Devasthaanam is saying here, the point is very simple – Yudishtra should continue to administer the Hastinpaura kingdom, not for his personal or materialistic gain – The agenda should be towards the welfare of the people of Hastinapura and to protect their interests. Just because Yudishtra is feeling guilty for killing so many people in the war, it doesn’t mean that he would run away from the kingdom by shunning all his responsibility. This is a very bad practice, and if he does so, many other people who see Yudishtra as a role model, will also start doing the same. If every king starts feeling guilty of fighting a war and protecting the country, then how will the people be protected? If there is a war, obviously there will be loss of lives. This is part and parcel of a king’s daily practices. This cannot be seen as a guilt. Moreover, if several other kings / ministers start replicating the “Yudishtra Model” of going on “Sanyaasam”, who will administer the kingdoms and who will work for the people’s welfare?
So for today, let us understand up to this point and we shall continue this discussion into the next episode as well! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 