ADVICE TO SANNYASINS–PART TWO
by Swami Sivananda Saraswati
Identification with the body and the mind is the cause of all sufferings. In reality, you are Satchidananda-swarupa. Identification with this real swarupa is the key to perennial peace and supreme bliss. “This atman is unborn, eternal and ancient.” Be regular in your meditation, japa, kirtan, prayer. People do kirtan for some time, attend satsanga for some time, and then they leave off. This is a sad error. Regularity is of paramount importance in sadhana. Whatever you do, do regularly. Increase the period of meditation gradually. Do not be attracted by the tantalizing tinsels of the world. Nobody has been benefited by material possessions. You may have crores [tens of millions] of rupees in the bank; you may have a hundred motorcars and a dozen bungalows, but peace of mind you cannot have from these. You can have peace of mind only if you are regular in japa, meditation, kirtan and satsanga. Only when you realize the Self will you enjoy perennial peace. Construct a meditation cave in your own heart through regular and systematic spiritual practice and realize Him, not in the unknown future, but right now this very second. Forget not the goal.
Let me remind you of the last word of the Upanishads: Tat Twam Asi–Thou art that supreme, infinite, immortal Satchidananda Brahman. Have constant namasmaran. Even when you are working, mentally repeat Sri Ram, Sri Ram. Sri Ram is not only the avatar of Lord Vishnu, consort of Sita, but He is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. Attain self-realization through constant namasmaran and continuous meditation. May the Lord bless you all!
Non-dual consciousness for sannyasins
Non-dual consciousness is the consciousness of Shuddha Satchidananda Parabrahman. It is above cosmic consciousness. Arjuna had cosmic consciousness. Hiranyagarbha has cosmic consciousness. But this non-dual consciousness is above cosmic consciousness. It is the nirvikalpa samadhi of Vedantins. It is the asamprajnata samadhi of rajayogins. In this samadhi there is no triputi–the triad of seer, sight, seen; knower, knowledge, knowable; meditator, meditation, the meditated upon or the object of meditation. There is nothing here. Here is no triputi. It is Christ Consciousness. There are no names and forms. There is no sound or color. There is neither matter nor energy. It is pure Absolute Consciousness, Consciousness per se. Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is within you.” The Kingdom of God is not a place, but a state of consciousness. It is the non-dual consciousness wherein the mind, senses and the intellect cease functioning. It is the realm of intuition.
In deep sleep also there are no names and forms. It is like a glimpse of the non-dual consciousness, but there is ignorance, avidya, karana sareera, anandamaya kosha.
In Vedanta, there are two kinds of samadhis. There is the Advaita Bhavanarupa samadhi. The aspirant meditates on the formula “Aham Brahmasmi” or “Tatwamasi,” the great Mahavakyas of the Upanishads. In the beginning stage it is called Advaita Bhavanarupa stage. He tries to identify himself with the non-dual consciousness, but later on through deep meditation and constant nididhyasana when he is established in his own Satchidanandaswarupa, it is called Advaita Avastharupa samadhi. He is fully established in non-dual consciousness. There are no names and forms, matter and energy. The thing-in-itself, the transcendent, alone remains. Sri Shankara and Dattatreya had this experience. Madalasa had this experience. She sang, “Suddhosi, Buddhosi Niranjanosi, Samsara-mayaParivarjitosi” to her children in the cradle and made them jivanmuktas, liberated Sages. “Suddhosi,” you are pure, O children. “Buddhosi”–you are full of knowledge. “Niranjanosi” you are spotless, no lust, no greed, no ashubha vasanas. “Samsaramayaparivarjitosi”–you are not touched by Maya. This Maya cannot touch you. Avidya cannot touch you. You are pure, eternal, immortal atman. Yajnavalkya had this experience. Vamadeva had this experience. Even when he was dwelling in the womb of his mother, he attained illumination. Chudalai had this experience. She was a sage and a yogini. She had powers. She walked in the sky and appeared before her husband. She stood above the ground and taught him Brahmavidya. Sulabha also was a sage and a jnani. She approached Janaka and entered his body through her yogic power. He did not like dandi swamis. She was a dandi swami. She wanted to teach him a lesson. Through her yogic power she entered his astral body, and he charged that Sulabha, as a sannyasini, should not have entered the body of a male. She taught him a lesson. “You still have the consciousness of sex, male and female. You have not attained the highest illumination.” Uddalaka had this experience of non-dual consciousness. He taught his disciple Swetaketu the knowledge of Brahman in different ways. Ashtavakra was a great sage of illumination. He has written Ashtavakra Gita, which is soul-elevating. It raises you to the supreme height of Brahmic splendor. Vyasa, Vashistha, Sukadeva, Gaudapada, Govindapada, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumara, Sanatsujata, Hastamalaka, Padmapada, Trotakacharya, Sureshwaracharya, Pattinattar, Appaya Deekshitar, Neelakantha Deekshitar, Shankarananda, Vidyaranya, Sadashiva Brahmendra, Jadabharata, Akalkot Swami–all of them had the experience of non-dual consciousness.
There are various kinds of Vakyas given in the Upanishads: “Prajnanam Brahma,” “Aham Brahmasmi,” “Tattwam Asi,” “Ayamatma Brahma.” The first is the Lakshanabodha Vakya of Brahman. What is this Brahman? It is pure consciousness. Then comes “Tattwamasi,” Upadesavakya. The teacher instructs the student, “Thou art That. You are not the body and mind. You are beyond avidya and all illusory names and forms. If you subjugate avidya and Maya, remove evil vrittis and give up body-identification, you rest in your own swarupa.” Then the student begins to meditate on the “Aham Brahmasmi” formula. This is the Anusandhana Vakya. Then comes “Ayamatma Brahma”–this atman is identical with Parabrahman. This is the Anubhava Vakya.
There is another kind of Vakya in the Upanishad. It is called Avantara Vakya. In the plantain tree, before you get the fruits you utilize the leaves, the stem and the flower. This is called “avantara.” In the interval before you get the fruits, you utilize the leaves, flower and the stem. Even so, before you attain the fullest illumination, you meditate on Satchidananda, Satyam, jnanam, anantam Brahma. Brahman is Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute. Satyam is truth; jnanam is wisdom, anantam is infinity.
Then there are Abhedabodha Vakyas, the great sentences which treat of the identity of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. Dattatreya, says in his Avadhuta Gita, “I am the all-pervading, formless Self.” This is the essence of Vedanta. You can meditate on this formula. There are various Abhedabodha Vakyas and each aspirant may like one formula or another.
Bhuma, Sadashiva, Chaitanya: Chaitanya is that which knows itself and knows others also. Jada is that which does not know itself and does not know others also. Aham Sakshee: I am the silent witness of the mind, intellect and the senses. Aham Avasthatrayasakshee: I am the witness of the three states. This is another beautiful formula: “Shivoham, Shivoham, Shivah kevaloham.” “Shiva” here means Parabrahman only, and not the Shiva with trident. Soham–“I am He.” This is another beautiful formula. “I am He, He am I”–Hamsah Soham, Soham Hamsah. There is greater force when we repeat a formula both in its original order and in its reverse order, just as “God is Love, Love is God;” “God is truth, truth is God.” There was a sage, a contemporary of Sri Ramana Maharshi, Seshadriswami. He liked this formula, “Hamsah soham, soham. hamsah.”
Why do you weep, my Child? There are no names and no forms in you. There is neither bondage nor liberation, neither good nor evil. Stand up. Gird your loins. Fight with the mind and the senses and rest in your own Satchidananda swarupa. There are no names and no forms. The world is not in you. It is only a sankalpa.
I am avyaya—imperishable, ananta—infinite, shuddhavijnana-vigraha—a mass of pure consciousness, prajnana ghana, ananda ghana. A mountain is not so solid as the mass of knowledge. The physical mountain appears as solid, but this wisdom, knowledge of the atman, is more solid, huge, than the Himalayas. So it is called prajnanaghana, anandaghana, vijnanaghana, chidghana. I do not know what is pleasure and what, is pain.
The mental actions are not in you. The actions of the body are not in you. The actions of speech are not in you. Purity, wisdom-nectar, beyond the reach of the senses–this is your divine, essential Brahmic nature.
Then, he denies the whole world. He who is established in his own swarupa, to him the names and forms and the world vanish.
Mahat is the first manifestation of the Absolute. Then sprang up the mind, the senses, the tanmatras, the five elements. The quintuplication of the elements gave rise to the world. Where are varnas, where are the ashramas, the four kinds of orders? Everything is Brahman. There is no world. This is the highest experience of a real sannyasi, of a sage, or a jnani.
Therefore let us try to enter into this non-dual consciousness through equipping ourselves with the four means of salvation by hearing the srutis, reflection and meditation. Let us practice constant nididhyasana and meditation on these formulas and attain the state of jivanmukti and highest illumination and rest in our swarupa and radiate joy and peace and bliss to all those who come in contact with us, and radiate peace and Joy and bliss, to the different corners of the whole world.
The Gita-ideal of sannyasa
Follow the Gita-ideal of sannyasa. Practice of physical nudity does not confer mukti on you. Remaining inactive in a cave does not raise you to Godhead. Bhagavan Krishna has beautifully given the definition of sannyasa in His Gita. Everyone should follow that.
The Gita-sannyasa is for every man and woman in the world. This sannyasa is yoga; and the yoga of the Gita is sannyasa. Yoga and sannyasa are inseparable. Without the renunciation of sankalpas you cannot practice yoga. Tyaga and vairagya abhimana cling to you when you have renounced everything except the ego. Now you think, “I am a householder.” When you take sannyasa without renouncing the ego, you will think, “I am a sannyasi.” Such a sannyasi develops his own egoism. He is bound by subtler and stronger ties to the wheel of samsara; for his egoism is subtler and more powerful.
Gita-sannyasa is the culmination of buddhi yoga. You should have real viveka. You should have intelligent discrimination between the real and the unreal; you should know what to renounce.
People generally renounce some superficialities and pose to be great sannyasins. Throwing away a cloth, eating some odd things, and such other whimsical practices, mean sannyasa for them. Renunciation of objects is very necessary, no doubt, but without first renouncing the ego this mere external renunciation is of little value. With every object renounced, this internal ego will gain strength. You will proudly think and say: “I have given up sugar; I have given up shoes; I never touch money. I am a great tyagi.” If, on the other hand, you renounce the ego through vichara, selfless service, pranayama, japa, kirtan, dhyana and swadhyaya, when the ego is thinned out the objects will lose their power of attraction and drop off even without your effort. That is the Gita-ideal of sannyasa.
In the name of sannyasa people condemn service; they condemn murti-puja. It is delusion only. Only a Dattatreya, only a Suka Maharshi, could remain immersed in Brahmic bliss all the twenty-four hours. For every sannyasi today, service is necessary; worship is necessary. Without these he cannot evolve.
Yajna, dana and tapas
Bhagavan emphatically declares that yajna, dana, and tapas should not be renounced. The universe is maintained by yajna. Self-sacrifice is yajna. Sacrifice of one’s ego in the fire of selfless service unto humanity is a great yajna. Dissemination of spiritual knowledge is the greatest yajna, the womb of all yajnas. Every selfless action is yajna. Every selfless action purifies your heart and takes you nearer to the great goal of self-realization.
Charity is very essential. Gift of money alone is not charity. To pray for another is charity. To serve another with the body is charity. To be kind and loving is charity. To forgive and forget some harm done to you is charity. A kind word said to a suffering man is charity. Everyone can do charity. Everyone should do charity in whatever manner he is capable of.
Tapas is control of body, mind and speech. And the Lord has clearly pointed out that mortification of the body is not real tapas. Control your senses through sama, dama, titiksha. Control your mind through vichara and viveka. Control your speech through the practice of mauna, mita-bhashana and madhurabhashana. This is tapas.
These should never be renounced. A man of God is ever busy in the welfare of all beings. He is not an idler. The idler is afraid to work. He is effeminate. To him sannyasa is only a cloak. He cannot mix with anybody. His vairagya is only an excuse for escapism. He is, so to say, afraid of himself. He is the picture of delusion. He is pessimist and is sunk in gloom.
Qualifications of a sannyasi
The real sannyasi, on the other hand, is full of divine virtues. He is all-bliss and peace, and he serves vigorously. He works not for the sake of himself, but for the sake of service itself—in the yajna-spirit. He is outwardly seen to engage himself in actions in the same way as any ordinary man, but there is a vast difference; and that is: the sannyasi is unattached. He does not long for anything. He works selflessly. He does everything as worship of the Supreme Lord. That is the secret of his tranquillity, equanimity, and even-mindedness in success and failure, praise and censure. Such a man is a glorious sannyasi.
There is no work which is specially dear to him; there is nothing which is repugnant to him. He greets every piece of work as service of the Lord. He does every work well. And he offers every work as a flower at the lotus feet of the Lord. Such sannyasins are the greatest need of the hour. The world should have ideal and dynamic sannyasins. May you all become the embodiments of the Gita-ideal of sannyasa!
This is sannyasa, Govinda!
Now you have all become Brahma-swarupa. Your body, mind, intellect, antahkarana, ahamkara and soul have all been cleansed of all dross and they have been made Brahmamaya. This is the purpose of viraja homa. You should feel this and prove this in action.
“Thou art That.” Feel this. Realize this. That is the goal of life. Study the Chandogya Upanishad where they describe the various aspects of the purport of this great utterance. Then you will feel your oneness with all that exist.
On this great occasion, remember the great acharyas, the ideal sannyasins like Shankara, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumara, Sanatsujata and Dattatreya. Always have them before your mind’s eye and keep them as your ideals. Though I initiate you into sannyasa I am only a nimitta in their hands. May you all shine like Shankara.
Adoption of sannyasa is not a joke. It is a very serious affair. You have nothing to do with the world. You have renounced the pleasures of the three worlds. You are attached to nothing. You hanker after nothing. You are dead to yourself. The praisha mantra is very, very, powerful. Your lower nature has been completely sublimated. You have offered “pinda” for yourself. Keep up this bhava throughout.
Be ever vigilant. The dignity of the entire holy order of sannyasa rests on your shoulders. You can add to it or destroy it.
Lead a simple life. Reduce your wants to the minimum in the matter of food, clothing, etc., and then, too, use whatever “luxuries” you have to, with the feeling of remorse: “When shall I be able to get rid of this too?” Always strive to reach up to the mark of a paramahansa sannyasi described in the Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad. You may not be able to follow all the instructions contained there all at once. But strive on steadily to grow in strength of vairagya. You will surely attain the goal.
Let not the prestige of the gerua cloth be lowered by any misconduct on your part. Stick to the cloth even at the cost of your life. Even if one were to cut your throat, you should not abandon the cloth; you should be prepared to cast your body away with the words, “Shivoham Satchidananda-swarupoham” on your lips. This is very, very important. Wearing the gerua cloth today, a white cloth tomorrow, a suit the day after, is no good at all; that way you will not reach the goal, and will only ruin yourself; you will get adhogati.
Read the Upanishads, Gita and Brahma Sutras. Imbibe their teachings in your everyday life. Any close contact with women, Chaitanya Maya, is very dangerous. Be very careful. You will delude yourself into the belief that you are above the clutches of Maya; and will get a terrible fall. There, are many instances of sannyasins and yogins getting a fall through this. Woman is more venomous than the cobra.
Cobra kills a man by a bite; but woman kills him by even a mere sight, and not only one life, but thousands of lives will be lost by contact with woman. Be ever vigilant. Maya is so very powerful. Be far away from women. Even if you have to serve women mentally you must be far away from them. You should just do your duty (service) and run away. Even if you are a jitendriya and jivanmukta you will have to be careful. You might have a fall. Do not also give cause for suspicion. Even though you may be pure and may have mother-bhava towards women, if you move too closely with them the world will mistake you, and the prestige of sannyasa will go down. Even if a man drinks milk under a palmyra tree, people will only say that he is drinking toddy. Though it does not affect you personally, remember, it lowers the prestige of the most holy order of sannyasa. Therefore, you should be careful. Be careful; be vigilant; be alert. If you are in a dharmashala and in the evening you find some women of bad character in the neighboring rooms, you should at once quit the place and take to your heels. Do not tarry there even a minute. Prarabdha may impel you to move among ladies; you may have to preach among them. You may have to teach them yoga. In the name of teaching yoga, do not move too closely with them. Many yogins have fallen through carelessness here. Teaching asanas, etc., by touching their bodies is very dangerous. If you teach Vedanta to a lady you must be careful not to talk freely with her. You should never live in the house of a grihastha. If you have to work in a village or a town, you should choose a temple or a lonely house as your abode and carry on your work. This applies to your purvashram family too. Even if you have to visit them, you should reside in the local temple, not in the same house. Close contact with worldly people is just as dangerous as contact with women. Beware!
Abstain from anger also. You should never, never get angry. Feel that the whole world is your own atman. Abuses and insults are mere vibrations in the air. Bear them. It is a most shameful thing to see sannyasins quarrelling amongst themselves. Give it up totally. Anger is a very powerful enemy of yoga. Beware of krodha. Control it by Brahmabhavana.
May you all become jivanmuktas in this very birth!
A sannyasin’s story
Rana Raj Singh of Udaipur was sitting in his durbar. A magician arrived and he begged the Rana for permission to display some miraculous feats. The Rana agreed. The magician threw up a thin rope above. The rope went up and remained suspended in the air without any support. The magician said to the Rana that his rope had reached the Yaksha Loka (the kingdom of the Yakshas), that the Yaksha King was coming down to fight with him with a huge army, and so he was going up to fight with the Yaksha. Saying so, he climbed up the thin rope into the sky and disappeared. After a short while the war tumults began to sound and a huge battle-cry ensued The sounds of piercing and cutting were heard. The hands, feet, and the body of the magician fell on the ground. The wife of the magician came running towards the fallen, mutilated body and began to weep. She begged the prince to get a pyre of wood, so that she might immolate herself with the dead body of her husband. The pyre was arranged and the wife of the magician got herself burned along with her husband. Shortly afterwards, the magician came down the rope. He bowed low at the feet of the Rana and enquired about his wife. The Rana narrated the whole occurrence, but the magician pretended not to believe. He called aloud to his wife, and lo! the wife at once appeared as if from nowhere.
The nature of Maya’s actions is like the feats of the magician. Her acts have no support, like the rope hanging from mid-sky. Upon the supportless thread was enacted the curious display of the magician, the battle, the defeat and the death of the magician, his wife burning herself unto death, and yet both the husband and the wife were alive in fact. Nothing had really happened. The display was a mere illusion. So are the acts of avidya (ignorance). There is birth, decay, death, change, information and deformation, and vast phenomenal transformation. But in fact nothing happens; all is an illusory appearance. Only the Absolute exists in its eternal, majestic glory. The appearances are created out of delusion.
The touchstone of sannyasa
Two sannyasins dwelt in a holy place. One was a multi-millionaire before he renounced. Even after he became a sannyasi, his children had volunteered to look after his physical needs, and, therefore, he had servants, all comforts and conveniences. The other sannyasi, was leading an extremely austere life. He lived on alms. He had absolutely no possessions except the clothes he wore, a kamandalu and a deerskin.
The poor sannyasi used to admire himself for his spirit of renunciation and laughed at the rich sannyasi. He would even speak disparagingly of the rich sannyasi whenever he met other mahatmas or devotees: “He must have found himself too old to carry on the household life; so he has made a pretence of renouncing the world and embracing sannyasa. See the luxury he revels in!”
This spark of pride and contempt grew in time into a big conflagration, and the poor sadhu proudly approached the rich man one day and sermonizing on renunciation, he said: “What a great power is there in renunciation! But it must be real, like mine. You have, no doubt, renounced wealth and family but when are you going to renounce this luxurious living, servants, etc?” The rich sannyasi replied instantly: “Just now! Narayan. Come, let us go to Uttarakashi.”
The poor sannyasi was taken by surprise. He was proud and eager to prove that the rich sannyasin’s offer was a bluff, but he was made to follow the rich sannyasi. They went a mile or two, and as they were leaving the outskirts of the village, the poor sannyasi suddenly remembered that he had left the kamandalu and the deerskin behind! He said, “Sir, please wait; I shall go and fetch my kamandalu and deerskin.” The rich sannyasi gave a significant smile. What is real renunciation? The renunciation of attachment, delusion, “I-ness” and “mine-ness.” The luxurious sannyasi was ready to give up everything in a moment; the poor man clung to his kamandalu and deer-skin
The story of a sannyasi
A person was telling his wife every day: “I am going to take sannyasa” She said, “Yes, you can take sannyasa.” He shaved his head, put on an orange robe, and sat on the bank of a river.
No one cared to give him any food; he was tormented by hunger. He returned to his house at 10 p.m. and tapped at the door. The wife asked, “Who is there?” The man replied, “I am your husband.” The wife said, “There is no place here for one who is a sannyasi. Go at once to Rishikesh, Sivanandashram.”
The man said, “My dear, I only cracked a joke with you; please open the door; I am dying of hunger; I will not think of sannyasa in future. I certainly promise, my dear! Give me some food at once. Even some cold rice will do now.”
Such sannyasins are many in the world. Do not equate them with real sannyasins.
Come, embrace sannyasa
Come, embrace sannyasa! One day or other you have to embrace sannyasa. The Upanishads declare: Nothing except renunciation can give you moksha. If not now, at a later stage, if not in this life, in a life to come. Before you attain the Supreme, you will have to embrace sannyasa.
Some people say, “Why give sannyasa to young people?” Why? They are most fit for sannyasa. Only young people can practice intense sadhana and tapasya. What can an old man do? Just when he is about to die, some one will utter the Mahavakyas in his ears which had already gone stone-deaf! Of what use is such a sannyasa? Glory to the youthful sannyasins who have dared to defy the worldly temptations and embrace the holy order!
Even ladies ought to take sannyasa. There have been most astounding examples in the Upanishads and Yoga Vashistha of ladies who possessed Brahmajnana. You are by nature nearer to God. You are loving by nature. You have many divine virtues. Ladies are more attached to their children. That is their weakness. If you try even a little bit, you can achieve the Supreme.
May you all realize the Self in this very birth!
The sannyasa flag in Sivanandashram
The sannyasa-flag with OM is flying high
In front of Viswanath Mandir at Sivananda Nagar.
So many flags as Union Jack, etc.,
Are flying in this world.
But the sannyasa gerua flag excels all others.
In days of yore Samarth Ram Das hoisted it
In the Kingdom of heroic Shivaji.
It is an emblem of renunciation.
It proclaims the message of renunciation, Advaita and peace,
And of attaining the limitless realm of Brahmic bliss.
It signifies victory over mind, nature and the fourteen worlds
It speaks about the glory of sannyasa and Sri Shankara,
Dattatreya, Sanaka, Sanandana and others,
The forefathers and gurus of sannyasins.
Glory to Sri Shankara and his followers and disciples!
Glory to sannyasins, paramahansas and avadhutas!
Glory to this flag, the symbol of nivritti and the fire of wisdom.
Renunciation and society’s duty to sannyasins
A few slokas from the Avadhuta Gita will keep your mind ever on a high plane. One sentence from the Yoga-Vasishtha will blow up the world or worldliness in your mind and give you strength. Remember always, “Kowpeenavantah khalu bhagyavantah….” You can have abiding peace and bliss only in renunciation and not in the objects of this world.
You should develop discrimination, dispassion and non-attachment. You should be able to preserve the equanimity of your mind under all circumstances, like Raja Janaka who said coolly: “If the whole of the Mithila City is destroyed, the Self is not destroyed.”
You will always find in the world such supermen of higher wisdom, who are fired with intense dispassion and yearning for liberation. They will renounce the world and embrace sannyasa. There will always be sannyasins in the world. No political or social doctrine or system can put a stop to people renouncing the world and leading the life of sannyasa. Sannyasins and bhikshus are the very lifebreath of a nation. Without men of renunciation and spiritual leaders there can be no peace or happiness in the world. They are the suns that dispel the darkness of ignorance and vice. They are the pillars of dharma on which society has been built. They are the very foundation of a nation and the world at large.
Sannyasa is one of the four ashramas of life. Everyone should prepare himself for sannyasa. And there will always be young men who would, through the force of purva-samskaras acquired in past births, boldly renounce the world and embrace sannyasa. The Upanishads emphatically declare that immortality cannot be attained either through the performance of selfish actions even though they may be good and virtuous, or by any means other than renunciation. Only by renouncing selfishness, only by renouncing kartritwabhoktritwa abhimana, only by annihilating egoism and mineness can man achieve immortality. And, remember this, immortality is your real goal, not the pittance of material enjoyments nor even the pleasures of heaven. The Ishavasya Upanishad in its very opening mantra exhorts man to renounce, and enjoy the highest bliss.
Bhagavan Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita extols the glory of renunciation. He has clearly stated in the Gita the true meaning of sannyasa. He does not countenance the mere renunciation of actions, but He insists on the renunciation of karma-phala or the fruits of actions. The Lord extols the glory of the nitya sannyasi who longs for nothing and hates nothing. No doubt the path of renunciation is a thorny one; it is the razor’s edge. But there will always be brave, heroic men of discrimination and dispassion who will be fired with the zeal to renounce the world and lead the life of nivritti and attain self-realization. No “ism” can check them. This is the land of Lord Buddha. You all know that Lord Buddha’s fiery determination to renounce the world could not be damped by a princely life, wife and newborn babe. The supreme urge to renounce manifests itself in man and grows deep within him. Keen discrimination and fiery dispassion arise in him. He perceives: “Brahman is real. The world is unreal. The jiva is none other than Brahman.” He gets a flash of that truth. So he aspires to make it a permanent reality. That flash is quite sufficient to sustain him till he merges into the conflagration of universal consciousness. That flash of understanding destroys all the charms of sensual enjoyments. The happiness of the three worlds appears as a mere straw in his eyes. All his earthly relations appear to him as strangers. He feels he is independent even as each jiva is essentially independent of others. He knows that family ties are a sort of karma-bandhanam which are to be snapped if he is to attain Brahma-anubhava. Such an urge to renounce is irresistible when it arises in man. No obstacle could deter such a man. If society does not want him, he would seclude himself in the heart of a desert or a forest or in a mountain cave and carry on his quest.
But it is the duty of an enlightened society to support such men of renunciation and to help them in every possible way in their quest of truth. They in their turn would serve the society and give men and women the priceless spiritual food.
People very often ask me why I admit young men into my ashram and initiate them into sannyasa. These aspirants appear to be young only to your superficial vision. They appear to be young only so far as their body is concerned. But they are not young in their mind. Their heart is mature. In it have arisen viveka and vairagya. It is due to their purva samskaras. It is due to their yoga sadhana done in previous births. When millions of their follow-men were slumbering, these few brave adhyatmic soldiers toiled day and night and acquired spiritual wealth. They had made considerable progress on the path to perfection and the Lord has given them inner wisdom very early in their present birth, and also opportunity for further spiritual growth.
It may look as though they neglect their families, that they leave their parents and wife and children in the lurch. This is not the case. These young mumukshus have renounced the world in search of God. By this very act of renunciation they entrust their families to the care of the Lord. The Lord will look after them. Indeed it is God who protects everyone; it is only due to delusion and attachment that you think that you look after your children or parents. No, no, no. It is He and He alone that protects, you all. When the son renounces the world, the parents and other members of the family should at once feel that he has done the noblest act; and from that moment they, too, should regain their faith in God; and they too, should aspire in their own station to reach Him.
Rama Tirtha renounced his wife and two children. Did they perish of hunger as many people imagined they automatically would? No. The Lord looked after their comforts. Both the sons soon became the earning members of the family. None suffered. Such is the grace of the Lord.
In the case of those who marry before they renounce the world, there is a peculiar problem. You cannot ask them: “Why did you marry if you were born with such good samskaras?” It is beyond argument. Such was the will of the Lord. Such was their prarabdha. That marriage experience they had to undergo. Samartha Ramdas renounced the world when the priest who was officiating at the wedding uttered the words, “Beware! The auspicious moment has come.” He left the place immediately and became a sannyasi. Sadashiva Brahmendra got vairagya when his mother asked him to wait for his food on the wedding day. He thought within himself, “If on the very first day of marriage, I have to remain hungry and cannot get my food at the proper time, how much more misery I will have to endure during the latter years of married life!” and he renounced the world then and there.
Srutis declare, “The moment vairagya dawns in you, you should renounce the world.” No one can fix a time for a man to renounce. Everything depends on purva samskaras. Dhruva renounced when he was a boy. Jnana Sambandar attained jnana when he was a baby. Shankara renounced when he was a young man. Lord Buddha renounced after marrying and begetting a son.
It is the duty of saints and elder sannyasins to protect spiritually thirsting aspirants. A spiritually thirsting aspirant, full of vairagya and mumukshutwa, is to the saint what an invaluable treasure trove is to a worldly man. Nothing on earth gladdens a saint’s heart as much as finding a real thirsting aspirant When such an aspirant comes to him and when the guru sees that the aspirant is qualified for initiation, it is the duty of the guru to fulfil the aspirant’s spiritual yearning. He cannot say: “Oh, you are married; I cannot initiate you now.” By throwing him back into worldly life, the guru is really squandering away rare spiritual wealth. It is a serious blunder. It is a great loss to humanity.
This aspirant ought to be helped by the real guru to grow in spirituality and to attain self-realization. After reaching this ultimate goal, after attaining wisdom, this aspirant will not only shine as a jivanmukta, as a supreme example of supermanhood, but he will also render real selfless service to the world. By keeping this young man away from his family the guru is really rendering inestimable service to humanity, though this is not felt at once.
It is the duty of the wife of such an aspirant to dedicate her life, too, to God and the quest of truth. She should also lead the divine life of purity and godliness; she should also engage herself in ceaseless japa, kirtan and meditation, pray for the success of her husband’s spiritual endeavors and at the same time try to realize the goal of life herself. To enable these young women to achieve the goal, there should be ladies’ ashrams all over the country where such spiritually-inclined girls and women can be trained to become brahmacharinis, yoginis and jnanins. These institutions will take care of the children, too, and educate them till they are able to take care of themselves. Thus the couple should be enabled to vie with each other in sadhana and spiritual progress. This is an ideal society.
Sannyasa is a mental state
Sannyasa is not wearing ochre-colored clothes. People wear ochre-colored clothes so that people will welcome them saying, “Aiye Maharaj,” and give them respect. It is difficult to find out who is a real sannyasi. According to the Gita, detachment, dispassion is sannyasa. Sannyasa is a mental state, not merely showing the color of the cloth. Develop dispassion and viveka. The world is a straw for a man of dispassion. Vairagya is the greatest wealth.
“Kaupinavantah khalu bhagyavantah.” Money in the bank cannot make you fearless. It is vairagya that makes you absolutely fearless. Vairagya and abhyasa are the most important sadhana. The enjoyment of the fourteen worlds becomes like a straw to a man of vairagya. Vairagya does not mean that one should put on only a kaupina and eat neem leaves. He who wears only a kaupina and eats neem leaves, may yet fight for a few annas. Vairagya, renunciation, detachment is a mental state.
Find out the defects of sensual life. The world appears attractive, but there is cancer, there is tuberculosis, there is paralysis. People become hopeless and helpless. Therefore, vairagya, vivekapurvaka vairagya, vairagya born of discrimination, wisdom, only will help you, but not vairagya that comes on account of difficulties. Therefore develop vivekapurvaka vairagya and virtues like kshama, serenity, titiksha, little by little. You may fail a thousand times, but again you will rise up, if you have God’s grace, if you are eternally vigilant. Always remember the important Gita slokas:
“He who is free from all desires, free from mineness and egoism, will attain peace.”
“He who has faith attains knowledge. He who is devoted to the Self, he who has controlled the senses, attains knowledge. Attaining knowledge, he enjoys supreme peace.”
Become a real mental sannyasi
This world is a world of accidents, fractures, dislocation. So let us be careful. Let us become bodiless, so that there will be no accidents. How to become bodiless? To become bodiless, you should not do karma (action). How to avoid karma? Give up raga-dwesha, likes and dislikes. How to avoid raga-dwesha? Do not have egoism. How to give up egoism? Abandon aviveka, non-discrimination. How to give up nondiscrimination, get rid of ignorance. Ignorance is the first cause for the chain of sorrows—duhkhaparampara. How to get rid of ignorance? Attain knowledge of the Self. Then there will be no egoism, no raga-dwesha (likes and dislikes), no karma, no body and no sorrow. You will merge yourself in Parabrahman, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss. Just as rivers join the ocean, so also the individual soul will join the universal Existence: Satchidananda Parabrahman. Just as camphor melts in fire and becomes identical with fire, even so mind melts in Silence, its Source, Ananda. That is our duty. Everybody should become bodiless through self-restraint, cultivation of virtues, concentration, meditation, identification, illumination, salvation. Then there will be neither mind nor body. That is the goal. That is happiness, Brahmic seat of splendor, immaculate seat of splendor. Become, then, a real mental sannyasi.
Necessity for sannyasa
Immortality is attained, not by work, progeny or wealth, but by renunciation. Renounce your ego, Bear insult. Bear injury.
Brahmajnana is the highest wealth. Even if you possess the wealth of the three worlds, it is nothing, You will be afraid of other things. Fear should go. Worry should go. For that you should have knowledge of the Self.
The root-cause for diseases is selfishness. The root-cause is anger. The root-cause is malice. When you are angry, impurities are thrown in the blood. Hatred bacilli, malice bacilli, jealousy bacilli enter your system and produce diseases.
Our foremost duty is to attain the supreme, ancient wisdom. One may deliver lectures; he may be a learned man. But his learning is useless if he has no dispassion, if he has no detachment. He who detaches himself from the objects of the world is a real yogi, a sage of supreme wisdom. What is needed is detachment. Do not allow the mind to think of objects. Detach the mind from the senses. Then only you will have tranquillity of mind. This is sannyasa.
People are bound by hopes, expectations, works, anxieties. So they do not know that their life is passing away. All the hairs may have grown gray. Many teeth may have fallen. Only a few years of life may be left. But it does not matter. Even in a muhurta, one can attain self-realization, through devotion, dedication, discrimination, dispassion, aspiration, renunciation. You must develop these virtues. Sannyasa is necessary. Your pension should go to the poor people. “Distribute your wealth to the poor and then follow me.” You have children and bank-balance. At the same time renunciation or aspiration is not possible even in hundreds of births. You must become dhiras.
Lord Brahma has put a little rajas in the mind. Therefore, man sees only the objects of this universe and not the internal Self. But some dhira, wise man, who turns away from sensual objects, seeking immortality, beholds the Self within.
You should discipline the mind. You must remain in solitude. You must take sannyasa. Then only can you cut off moha completely. Why did Shankara become a sannyasi? Why did Mandana Mishra become a sannyasi? You may talk of Lord Rama or Krishna, but it is mere infatuation. The supreme wealth is dispassion, detachment. Detach, attach. Detach the mind from worldly objects and attach it to God. Do constant selfless service in the hospital. Bedpan Yoga is very necessary. You must do Bedpan Yoga. You must crush your egoism. Through self-surrender you can attain God. But egoism and desire assert at every step. These are obstacles for doing self-surrender. But the dhira, desirous of immortality, renounces the sensual pleasures. You should withdraw the mind, and the senses (indriyas), just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs.
Need for internal and external sannyasa
Only he who has faith, alone can be happy. He is the real man. Self-restraint, japa, kirtan, sattwic diet, getting up at 4 a.m.—all these things will make you a superman.
What do the rich people do? They earn a few lakhs [of rupees], build bungalows, and then give all their money to their grandchildren! They are eager to see that even their grandchildren are well provided for. Poor ideas! It is adharma for a man whose sons are all fixed up in life, who has completed his period of grihastha life, to remain at home and continue to be attached to his grandchildren. Why are the four ashramas ordained? Some people say, “We are mental sannyasins. We need not embrace formal sannyasa.” Mental sannyasa is necessary; but physical sannyasa also is necessary. There was no need for Yajnavalkya to embrace formal sannyasa. There was no greater sage than he. Yet, he formally renounced the world and entered the fourth order of Life, sannyasa. Ramakrishna Paramahansa, the mighty God-conscious devotee too, embraced sannyasa. Mandana Misra took sannyasa. He became one of the greatest disciples of Sri Shankaracharya.
Everybody should prepare himself for sannyasa. But people are afraid of taking sannyasa. They have two weaknesses. They have no titiksha or endurance. They are very much attached to their family. So they are not able to come to places like Rishikesh for sannyasa. Mind is so framed that it binds the individual to the family and to this world. Even sannyasins get attached nowadays. A sannyasi should not go to his country or to his native place or town, for twelve years. Maya is very powerful. Somehow or other a man gets a downfall. Everyone complains that there are not enough good sannyasins; if everyone prepares for sannyasa and then embraces sannyasa, then there will be enough glorious sannyasins in this country.
Sannyasa is the stage of life when you can destroy Maya. Otherwise, you will always be bound, you will always cling to your children. You will give your pension to them! And they will cling to you for the sake of your pension. You can take your pension and remain in some place like Rishikesh. Far from the clutches of Maya, you will be able to do more sadhana.
Importance of mental sannyasa
You must have read the story of Queen Chudalai in the Yogavasishtha. Queen Chudalai was a yogini. She was endowed with wisdom though she was ruling the kingdom. She had internal vision. She had intuitive experience—aparoksha anubhuti. Sikhidhwaja had no belief in the Queen. He wanted to practice renunciation and meditation, and decided to go to the forest. Queen Chudalai told him: “Remain here. You will get wisdom. I will help you to attain the eye of intuition.” He did not hear. He went to the forest. He practiced various kinds of tapas of a foolish type. Queen Chudalai wanted to examine him. She had yogic powers. She moved in the sky and appeared before him, standing a few feet above the ground in the form of a kumbha muni. (A yogi shows all these miraculous visions just to show the aspirant that the teacher has got superhuman powers, so that the aspirant will have faith; and only on such occasions does he exhibit such powers.) Sikhidhwaja was much astonished to see the guru standing above the ground. He prostrated before the muni and wanted spiritual instruction.
The muni (who was Queen Chudalai in disguise) said: “You have no idea of renunciation; you have not renounced anything.” He said: “I have renounced everything. I have renounced my kingdom. I have, renounced my wife, How can you say that I have renounced nothing?” The muni said: “No, you have renounced nothing.” He thought that he had the kamandalu and the staff; and he threw away the staff and the kamandalu. Yet, the muni said: “You have no real renunciation at all.” He thought: “I have only this body to renounce.” He ascended a tree and wanted to commit suicide. The muni said: “Yet, you have not attained real renunciation. Real renunciation consists in renouncing desires, in renouncing the vasanas, cravings and the desires, in renouncing the deha-atma-buddhi–buddhi that makes you identify the perishable body with the soul, that makes you mistake the body for the soul. This you will have to renounce; and only that constitutes real renunciation.” Then the muni (Queen Chudalai) gave further instructions. Sikhidhwaja understood the real essence, of renunciation, practiced sravana, manana and nididhyasana and attained the goal of life.
You can remain in the world. What is wanted is internal mental state of renunciation. That is to be cultivated. Again and again you will have to discipline the mind and free it from the objects. “Detach; attach,” through the practice of the Patanjali Yoga or Raja Yoga: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.
More Articles on Sannyasa
• A Brief Life of Swami Sivananda
• Advice to Sannyasins–part 1 by Swami Sivananda Saraswati
• Advice to Sannyasins–part 2 by Swami Sivananda Saraswati
• The Ideal of Sannyasa by Swami Sivananda Saraswati
• Sannyasa Dharma by Swami Sivananda Saraswati
• Perspective of the Renunciate
by Swami Sivananda Saraswati
• Reflections on Sannyasa by Swami Sivananda Saraswati
• The Rugged Path by Swami Sivananda Saraswati
1) Sadhana: Spiritual practice. [Go back]
2) Namasmarana: Remembrance (repetition) of the Name of God. Remembrance of the Lord through repetition of His name. [Go back]
3) Shuddha: Pure; clear; clean; untainted. [Go back]
4) Hiranyagarbha: Cosmic intelligence; the Supreme Lord of the universe; also called Brahman. [Go back]
5) Nirvikalpa Samadhi: Samadhi in which there is no objective experience or experience of “qualities” whatsoever, and in which the triad of knower, knowledge and known does not exist; purely subjective experience of the formless and qualitiless and unconditioned Absolute. [Go back]
6) Asamprajñata samadhi: Highest superconscious state where the mind and the ego-sense are completely annihilated. [Go back]
7) Triputi: “The triple form.” The triad of: knowing, knower, and object known; cognizer, object, and cognition; seer, sight, and seen. [Go back]
8) Nididhyasana: Meditation; contemplation; profound and continuous meditation. It is a continuous, unbroken stream of ideas of the same kind as those of the Absolute. It removes the contrarywise tendencies of the mind. [Go back]
9) Ashubha: Inauspicious unfortunate. [Go back]
10) Yogini: A female practicer of yoga. [Go back]
11) Brahmavidya: Science of Brahman; knowledge of Brahman; learning pertaining to Brahman or the Absolute Reality. [Go back]
12) A dandi swami is a monk of strict observance who carries a staff (danda) as an insiginia of his monastic status. [Go back]
13) Secondary [Go back]
14) Bhuma: The unconditioned Infinite; Brahman. [Go back]
15) Sadashiva: Eternally auspicious; eternally happy; eternally prosperous. A title of Shiva, the eternally asupicious One. [Go back]
16) Chaitanya: The consciousness that knows itself and knows others; absolute consciousness. [Go back]
17) Jada: Inert; unconscious; matter. [Go back]
18) “I am Shiva; I am Shiva; I am Shiva alone.” [Go back]
19) Varna: Caste. (Literally: color.) In traditional Hindu society there were four divisions or castes according to the individual’s nature and aptitude: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra. [Go back]
20) Ashram(a): A stage of life. In Hinduism life is divided ideally into four stages (ashramas): 1) the celibate student life (brahmacharya); 2) the married household life (grihasta); 3) the life of retirement (seclusion) and contemplation (vanaprastha); 4) the life of total renunciation (sannyasa). [Go back]
21) That is, people observing the four ashramas: brahmacharis, grihastas, vanapasthas, and sannyasis. [Go back]
22) Sruti: Sacred scripture. The Vedas and Upanishads. [Go back]
23) Mukti: Moksha; liberation. [Go back]
24) Bhagavan: The Lord; the Personal God. [Go back]
25) Tyaga: Literally: “abandonment.” Renunciation–in the Gita, the relinquishment of the fruit of action. [Go back]
26) Abhimana: Egoism; conceit; attachment; I-sense; pride; the function of the ego; the delusion of “me” and “mine;” identification with the body. [Go back]
27) Buddhi: Intellect; understanding; reason; the thinking mind. [Go back]
28) Tyagi: A renouncer, an ascetic. [Go back]
29) Pranayama: Control of the subtle life forces, often by means of special modes of breathing. Therefore breath control or breathing exercises are usually mistaken for pranayama. [Go back]
30) Murti: Image; statue; idol; figure; embodiment. [Go back]
31) Puja: Ceremonial (ritual) worship, usually involving the image of a deity. [Go back]
32) Yajna: Sacrifice; offering; sacrificial ceremony; a ritual sacrifice; usually the fire sacrifice known as agnihotra or havan. [Go back]
33) Dana: “Giving;” gift; charity; almsgiving; self-sacrifice; donation; generosity. [Go back]
34) Sama: Calmness; tranquility; control of the internal sense organs; same; equal. [Go back]
35) Dama: Self-control; control of the senses; restraint. [Go back]
36) Titiksha: Endurance of opposites; forbearance; tolerance; the ability to withstand opposites like pleasure and pain, heat and cold, etc., with equal fortitude; the bearing of all afflictions without caring to change them and without anxiety or lament. [Go back]
37) Mauna: Silence–not speaking. [Go back]
38) The gist of a lecture delivered to the sannyasins on the day of their initiation into the order on September 12, 1947. [Go back]
39) Antahkarana: Internal instrument; fourfold mind; mind, intellect, ego and subconscious mind. [Go back]
40) Ahamkara: Egoism or self-conceit; the self-arrogating principle “I,” “I” am-ness; self-consciousness. [Go back]
41) Formed of Brahma; filled with Brahma. [Go back]
42) Nimitta: Instrument. [Go back]
43) Pinda: Small ball of rice offered to one’s ancestors as an oblation. Sometimes in the sannyas ritual the prospective sannyasi performs his own funeral obsequies (shraddha ceremony), including making offerings of rice balls to/for himself. [Go back]
44) Bhava: Subjective state of being (existence); attitude of mind; mental attitude or feeling; state of realization in the heart or mind. [Go back]
45) “I am Shiva. I am the embodiment of Satchidananda.” [Go back]
46) Brahma Sutras: A treatise by Vyasa on Vedanta philosophy in the form of aphorisms. [Go back]
47) The advice Sivananda gives to sannyasis regarding the perils of association with women would be given in relation to association with men if he were speaking to sannyasinis. [Go back]
48) Conscious Delusion. [Go back]
49) Jitendriya: One who has controlled the indriyas–the senses. [Go back]
50) Dharmashala: A place for pilgrims to stay, either free of charge or at a minimal cost. [Go back]
51) Prarabdha: Karma that has become activated and begun to manifest and bear fruit; karmic “seeds” that have begun to “sprout.” [Go back]
52) Asanas: Hatha Yoga postures. [Go back]
53) Purvashram: Previous stage of life. [Go back]
54) Brahmabhavanam: Meditation on Brahman; feeling of identity with Brahman, as well as of everything as Brahman. [Go back]
55) Yaksha: There are two kinds of yakshas: 1) semidivine beings whose king is Kubera, the lord of wealth, or 2) a kind of ghost, goblin, or demon. [Go back]
56) Loka: World or realm; sphere, level, or plane of existence, whether physical, astral, or causal. [Go back]
57) Mahatma: Literally: “a great soul [atma].” Usually a designation for a sannyasi or a saint. [Go back]
58) Narayana: A proper name of God–specifically of Vishnu. The term by etymology means a Being that supports all things, that is reached by them and that helps them to do so; also one who pervades all things. He Who dwells in man. Literally: “God in humanity.” Sadhus often address one another as Naryana and greet one another: “Namo Narayana”–I salute Narayana [in you]. [Go back]
59) It is often the practice in India to attach an orange pennant (sometimes with Om stamped or embroidered on it) to a pole wherever a sannyasi is in residence so people may know and come to benefit by his company. [Go back]
60) Vishvanatha: “Lord of the Universe;” a title of Shiva. [Go back]
61) Mandir(a): Temple. [Go back]
62) Nagar(aº: City; town. Sivananda Ashram was so large and influential that the area was designated as a town (with its own post office) by the government of India. [Go back]
63) Avadhuta: “Cast off” (one who has cast off the world utterly). A supreme ascetic and jnani who has renounced all worldly attachments and connections and lives in a state beyond body consciousness. The highest state of asceticism or tapas. [Go back]
64) Nivritti: Negation; the path of turning away from activity; withdrawal. Literally, “to turn back.” The path of renunciation. [Go back]
65) Bhikshu: One who lives on bhiksha (almsfood); a mendicant; a sannyasi. [Go back]
66) Karmaphala: The fruit of actions; the consequence of a deed. [Go back]
67) Nitya: Eternal; permanent; unchanging. [Go back]
68) “Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path, so the wise say—hard to tread and difficult to cross.” (Katha Upanishad 3:14) [Go back]
69) Karma bandhanam: Karmic bondage; karmic tie. [Go back]
70) Brahma-anubhava: Direct personal experience of Brahman. [Go back]
71) Purva samskaras: Previous samskaras; that is, samskaras brought over from previous lives. [Go back]
72) Adhyatmic: Pertaining to the Self, individual and Supreme. [Go back]
73) Mumukshu: Seeker after liberation (moksha). [Go back]
74) Mumukshutwa: Intense desire or yearning for liberation (moksha). [Go back]
75) A small coin–one sixteenth of a rupee. [Go back]
76) Dhira: Steadfast; strong; bold; courageous. One who possesses these qualities. [Go back]
77) Rajas: Activity, passion, desire for an object or goal. [Go back]
78) As not having been sannyasis. [Go back]
79) Lakh: One hundred thousand. [Go back]
80) Kumbha: Pot; water vessel. Muni: “Silent one” ( one observing the vow of silence (mauna); sage; ascetic. A kumbha muni is one who carries a kamandalu (kumbha)–a sannyasi. [Go back]
81) Shravana: Hearing; study; listening to reading of the scriptures or instruction in spiritual life. [Go back]
82) Manana: Thinking, pondering, reflecting, considering. [Go back]
83) Yama: Restraint; the five Don’ts of Yoga: 1) ahimsa–non-violence, non-injury, harmlessness; 2) satya–truthfulness, honesty; 3) asteya–non-stealing, honesty, non-misappropriativeness; 4) brahmacharya–continence; 5) aparigraha–non-possessiveness, non-greed, non-selfishness, non-acquisitiveness. [Go back]
84) Niyama: Observance; the five Do’s of Yoga: 1) shaucha–purity, cleanliness; 2) santosha–contentment, peacefulness; 3) tapas–austerity, practical (i.e., result-producing) spiritual discipline; 4) swadhyaya–self-study, spiritual study; 5) Ishwarapranidhana–offering of one’s life to God. [Go back]
85) Pratyahara: Abstraction or withdrawal of the senses from their objects. [Go back]
86) Dharana: Concentration of mind; fixing the mind upon a single thing or point. [Go back]
