यं संन्यासमिति प्राहुर्योगं तं विद्धि पाण्डव | न ह्यसंन्यस्तसङ्कल्पो योगी भवति कश्चन || 2 || |
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“O Arjuna! That which is called as renunciation in scriptures is the same as yoga; he who has not given up personal desire cannot be a yogi.”
Commentary : As described in the previous verse, personal desire is a wish that asks, ‘How can I alone benefit and enjoy?’. If a man wishes to enjoy alcohol, movies, cars, houses, money, sex and other pleasures for his own sake, then all these are personal desires. Any desire to please God is not a personal desire. If a person desires to build a temple for devotees to have a place of worship, it is not a personal desire therefore he is a renunciant. When husband and wife wish to please God alone with loyalty to each other, earning money and taking care of children, that wish is not a personal desire and they are renunciants.
The Law of Dharma judges our life based on the purpose behind the desire in our heart. Intention is the key!
When a desire starts to create, the first step should be to write down the purpose of achieving it. Here is an example:
One person thinks, “I want to enjoy and be happy, therefore I want to earn money”. Another person thinks, “I want to do all the things that please God, therefore I want to earn money”. The second person is a renunciant because behind every desire is the wish to please God alone, neither self nor any specific person. He will not attract further karma and another birth because of this non-personal desire. How do we know what pleases God? It can be understood by the development of intellect, intuition, conscience and devotion through study and practice of yoga under the guidance of a Guru.
A renunciant is not judged by a calm face, a saffron robe and outer actions as he may be tormented by inner desires awaiting to manifest. The devotee has to be a renunciant of personal desire in external actions and a yogi in heart. These two paths, like two rivers, merge into one ocean.