ज्ञेय: स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ् क्षति | निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते || 3 || |
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Commentary
Sannyasi comes from the roots – Sam, ni and asi/asa. Sam means ‘everything’, ni means ‘down’ and asi means ‘throw or discard’. One who discards everything, who puts down all material desires to rise is called a sannyasi. A householder can also practice renunciation to perform all worldly duties and remain a complete sannyasi in the heart.
The material world is full of dualities. Adi Shankaracharya wrote in the 20th verse of Brahma Jnānavali Māla:
ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः ।
अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः ॥ २०॥
Mithya means a dream and cannot be categorized as real or unreal in absolute terms. It is real while dreaming and unreal after waking up. To the body and mind, the world is real and when both are dissolved, the world becomes unreal. It is Dvaita (dual) to the sense-realized person and Advaita (non-dual) to the soul-realized devotee.
Bondage exists when there is no continuity in the feeling of joy, when there is anxiety of loss after excitement of possession, when there is fear of uncertainty after thrill of achievement, when there is worry of impending illness after the cheerfulness of a healthy habit and when there is stress about the future after a celebration. One who breaks this bondage through renunciation is considered to attain liberation.