BHAGAVAD-GITA 5:6

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 5:6

 

sannyasas tu maha-baho

duhkham aptum ayogatah

yoga-yukto munir brahma

na cirenadhigacchati

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

sannyasah--the renounced order of life; tu--but; maha-baho--O

mighty-armed one; duhkham--distress; aptum--afflicts one with;

ayogatah--without devotional service; yoga-yuktah--one engaged in

devotional service; munih--a thinker; brahma--the Supreme; na

cirena--without delay; adhigacchati--attains.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Merely renouncing all activities yet not engaging in the devotional

service of the Lord cannot make one happy. But a thoughtful person

engaged in devotional service can achieve the Supreme without delay.

 

PURPORT

 

There are two classes of sannyasis, or persons in the renounced order

of life. The Mayavadi sannyasis are engaged in the study of Sankhya

philosophy, whereas the Vaisnava sannyasis are engaged in the study of

Bhagavatam philosophy, which affords the proper commentary on the

Vedanta-sutras. The Mayavadi sannyasis also study the Vedanta-sutras,

but use their own commentary, called Sariraka-bhasya, written by

Sankaracarya. The students of the Bhagavata school are engaged in the

devotional service of the Lord, according to pancaratriki regulations,

and therefore the Vaisnava sannyasis have multiple engagements in the

transcendental service of the Lord. The Vaisnava sannyasis have

nothing to do with material activities, and yet they perform various

activities in their devotional service to the Lord. But the Mayavadi

sannyasis, engaged in the studies of Sankhya and Vedanta and

speculation, cannot relish the transcendental service of the Lord.

Because their studies become very tedious, they sometimes become tired

of Brahman speculation, and thus they take shelter of the Bhagavatam

without proper understanding. Consequently their study of the

Srimad-Bhagavatam becomes troublesome. Dry speculations and impersonal

interpretations by artificial means are all useless for the Mayavadi

sannyasis. The Vaisnava sannyasis, who are engaged in devotional

service, are happy in the discharge of their transcendental duties,

and they have the guarantee of ultimate entrance into the kingdom of

God. The Mayavadi sannyasis sometimes fall down from the path of

self-realization and again enter into material activities of a

philanthropic and altruistic nature, which are nothing but material

engagements. Therefore, the conclusion is that those who are engaged

in Krsna conscious activities are better situated than the sannyasis

engaged in simple speculation about what is Brahman and what is not

Brahman, although they too come to Krsna consciousness, after many

births.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.