ज्ञेय: स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ् क्षति |
निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते || 3||
jñeyaḥ sa nitya-sannyāsī yo na dveṣhṭi na kāṅkṣhati
nirdvandvo hi mahā-bāho sukhaṁ bandhāt pramuchyate
jñeyaḥ—should be considered; saḥ—that person; nitya—always; sanyāsī—practising renunciation; yaḥ—who; na—never; dveṣhṭi—hate; na—nor; kāṅkṣhati—desire; nirdvandvaḥ—free from all dualities; hi—certainly; mahā-bāho—mighty-armed one; sukham—easily; bandhāt—from bondage; pramuchyate—is liberated
Translation:
O Arjuna! He who neither hates nor desires should be known as of eternal renunciation; He who is not subject to the pairs of opposites is easily set free from bondage.
Commentary:
The meaning of Sannyasa is determined here. It signifies the abandoning of likes and dislikes and all the host of the pairs of opposites to which man is subjected every moment of his life. Sannyasa does not mean the abandoning of action.
Thus he who has freed himself from Raga and Dvesha is to be known as Nityasannyasi – the sage of eternal renunciation. The renunciation of others is only of a temporary accidental character. They may wear the ochre robes and appear outwardly to belong to the class of Sannyasins, but so long as their hearts are not tainted with desire and aversion, they are not the sannyasis in the real sense of the term. So, renunciation of the hindering influence of Raga and Dvesha is Sannyasa. Abandoning the pairs of opposites is Sannyasa. Elimination of the internal tendencies is Sannyasa. He who has not these qualities, though he adopts the external form is not really a Sannyasi. He who has these qualities, though he is a householder engaged in a hundred tasks is a real Sannyasi.
Easily set free from bondage: Many people want to know if there is an easy path to salvation. Yes. There is. It is just giving up the selfishness which binds a man to the world by attachment and aversion. Such a man is ‘nirdvandva’. He cuts the knots of Karma easily, though he may be a house-holder performing all the duties of his station in life.
Swami Vivekananda Says —
The whole world is a mere child’s play — preaching, teaching, and all included. “Know him to be the sannyasin who neither hates not desires.” And what is there to be desired in this little mud-puddle of a world, with its ever-recurring misery, disease, and death? “He who has given up all desires, he alone is happy.”[Source]
Sri Ramakrishna Says —
MASTER (to M.): “What need of the sandhya has a man who thinks of God day and night?
What need of rituals has a man, what need of devotions any more,
If he repeats the Mother’s name at the three holy hours?
Rituals may pursue him close, but never can they overtake him.
Charity, vows, and giving of gifts do not appeal to Madan’s mind;
The Blissful Mother’s Lotus Feet are his whole prayer and sacrifice.
“The sandhya merges in the Gayatri, the Gayatri in Om. A man is firmly established in spiritual life when he goes into samadhi on uttering ‘Om’ only once.
“There is a sadhu in Hrishikesh who gets up early in the morning and stands near a great waterfall. He looks at it the whole day and says to God: ‘Ah, You have done well! Well done! How amazing!’ He doesn’t practise any other form of japa or austerity. At night he returns to his hut.
“What need is there even to bother one’s head about whether God is formless or has a form? It is enough for a man to pray to Him, alone in solitude, weeping, ‘O God, reveal Yourself to me as You are.’
“God is both inside and outside. It is He who dwells inside us. Therefore the Vedas say, Tattvamasi — That thou art.’ God is also outside us. He appears manifold through maya; but in reality He alone exists. Therefore before describing the various names and forms of God, one should say, ‘Om Tat Sat.’ (“Om. That alone is Reality.”)
“It is one thing to learn about God from the scriptures, and quite another to see Him. The scriptures only give hints. Therefore to read a great many scriptures is not necessary. It is much better to pray to God in solitude.
“It isn’t necessary to read all of the Gita. One can get the essence of the Gita by repeating the word ten times. It becomes reversed and is then ‘tagi’. The essence of the book is: ‘O man, renounce everything and worship God.'” (Source: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)
Question: Who is a Nityasannyasi?
Answer: He who has given up attachment and aversion, who has gone beyond the pairs of opposites, is a Nityasannyasi.
Question: What is the result of transcending the pairs of opposites?
Answer: He is easily freed from the bondage of samsara.
Question: What is the easy path to freedom?
Answer: Giving up all the pairs of opposites is the easiest path to freedom.
