Is Sannyasa Forbidden in Kali-yuga? by Swami B.V. Giri

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

Is Sannyasa Forbidden in Kali-yuga? by Swami B.V. Giri

 

------------------------------

Krsna Talk No. 34

 

Some time ago, a sannyasi that could not maintain his vows of

renunciation wrote an apologetic letter on the internet addressed to his

disciples and friends wherein he explained the numerous reasons why he could

not continue in the renounced order of life.

 

In order to excuse his weakness, the apologetic sannyasi quoted a verse

from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana to substantiate his opinion that

sannyasa is not meant for the people of Kali-yuga.

 

asvamedham gavalambham sannyasam palapaitrkam

devarena sutopattim kalau panca vivarjayet

 

"Five things are forbidden in the age of Kali -- horse-sacrifice,

cow-sacrifice, acceptance of sannyasa, offering flesh to the forefathers and

begetting a child in the womb of the wife of one's elder brother."

(Brahma-vaivarta Purana, Krsna-jnama Khanda 185.180).

 

Regrettably, by quoting this verse from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana as

evidence that the sannyasa-asrama is ineffective in Kali-yuga, our

former sannyasi has inferred that his own spiritual master, Srila

Prabhupada, as well as his parama-guru, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

and all other great acaryas like Sri Ramanuja and Sri Madhva were

misguided or even foolish for having accepted sannyasa and having awarded

sannyasa to their disciples in Kali-yuga.

 

The now retired sannyasi has unwittingly fallen into the clutches of

the anti-devotional parties who use this very same argument against Srila

Sarasvati Thakura and his pure representatives. The anti-devotional

parties argue that in the Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Caitanyadeva Himself

quotes this verse indicating that even if one has the qualities of a

sannyasi, it is not recommended in the age of Kali.

 

However this verse was quoted by the Lord in connection with cow

killing during his conversation with the Chand Kazi, and not in connection

with sannyasa. Furthermore, soon after His dialogue with the Kazi,

Mahaprabhu traveled to Katwa in order to take sannyasa Himself from Sri

Kesava Bharati. We also find that when Mahaprabhu resided in

Purusottama-dhama, many of His close associates were sannyasis. Sri Svarupa Damodara,

Paramananda Puri, Ranga Puri, Visnu Puri, Brahmananda Bharati, Kesava

Puri, Govinda Puri, Sukhananda Puri, Brahmananda Puri, Nrsingha Puri,

Nrsingha Tirtha and others were all in the renounced order of life.

Mahaprabhu's own diksa-guru Sripada Isvara Puri Gosvami was also a sannyasi,

so how could Mahaprabhu possibly be against the acceptance of sannyasa

in Kali-yuga?

 

In the book, The Golden Staircase, Srila Sridhara Deva Gosvami Maharaja

explains what type of sannaysa has been forbidden in this present age.

 

"The answer is explained in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. This is a general

question not only for the Gaudiya sampradaya, but also for the

followers of Ramanuja, Madhvacarya, and even Sankaracarya. The Buddhists may

not care for the directions of the Puranas, but the Sankara school and

the Vaisnava schools accept sannyasa. Sankara was a sannyasi and for the

most part his successors were all sannyasis as well. This is true of

Ramanuja also, Madhvacarya, and the Visnusvami sampradaya also.

 

The interpretation is this: in Kali-yuga, sannyasa in the strict sense

of karma-sannyasa is forbidden. Karma-sannyasa means that you leave

everything, and that type of sannyasa is not possible in Kali-yuga. It is

described in the sastras that in Satya-yuga, as long as a man's bones

exist, that is how long he will live. Along with the longevity of the

bones, the life will be there. In Treta-yuga, life may be maintained by

the nervous system; but it is stated that in Kali-yuga 'kalav-annagatah

pranah' -- one's longevity depends on food. Therefore sannyasa in the

strict sense is not possible in Kali-yuga.

 

Previously, Valmiki was engaged in tapasya for so many years that the

insects captured his whole body and reduced his flesh into earth, yet he

remained present within his bones. Then later, by the help of some

spiritual miracle his whole body was restored. But in Kali-yuga, without

food it is not possible to live. All penances have been especially

adjusted for Kali-yuga, and the only continuous fast allowed in Kali-yuga is

for twenty-four hours - not more than that. In other ages, at least

twelve days fasting was generally done. If a person had done anything

wrong, then according to the smrti-sastra, twelve days fasting was the

standard punishment for any sins. But in Kali-yuga, twenty-four hours

fasting is the maximum because without food a man cannot survive.

 

If he were to take karma-sannyasa while being so extremely dependent on

material giving and taking, then he wouldn't be able to maintain his

existence. But the life of Vaisnava tridandi-sannyasa, which is not very

extreme -- take prasadam, do service -- is a sort of modified form

based on yuktahara viharas ca, and one living according to this principle

can take sannyasa.

 

Mahaprabhu took sannyasa, Sankaracarya, Ramanuja -- all the pioneers of

the different sampradayas took sannyasa. That has been interpreted as

karma-sannyasa, but still, sannyasa is of several kinds. There is also

vidvat-sannaysa, which is considered by the salvationist section to be

the highest. Their idea is that when one has fully realized that his

connection with this material realm is a negative one, he will finish his

material encasement and enter into the spiritual sphere. When he is

fully established in this firm consciousness that 'my connection with the

material world will be injurious to me,' he will then relinquish his

body and go away to the spiritual sky. That is vidvat-sannyasa.

 

There is also narottama-sannyasa:

 

yah svakat parato veha

jata-nirveda atmavan

hrdi krtva harim geyat

pravrajet sa narottamah

 

In the narottama system of sannyasa, one has realized the presence of

or existence of God within his heart, and thinking of Him, he leaves his

present engagement and duties of the household and remains outside,

anywhere and everywhere -- under a tree or in a cave or wherever --

careless of his physical needs. He does not immediately relinquish his body,

but he takes whatever food he gets and when he does not get any food he

fasts, and in this way he goes on. He leaves his household for good;

that is narotttama-sannyasa.

 

And there are also different stages of sannyasa mentioned in the

sastra: kuticaka, bahudaka, hamsa and paramahamsa progressively. But

tridandi-sannyasa is when the sannyasi engages himself in the service of

Godhead by spreading His message and doing some good to the public, and that

characteristic is different. It is categorically different. The

tridandi-sannyasi is not adopting an attitude or tactic of leaving all the

engagements of this world as a result of becoming disgusted with its many

temptations. Rather, he is engaging himself in the higher duty of the

upper world through an agent, so his body has got utility. Remaining

here, maintaining connection here, he is drawing some higher thing from

above and distributing that in the environment. That is another

conception of sannyasa, and it has positive value.

 

This is a similar engagement to that performed by the Lord's closest

associates. When an incarnation of God comes down, His favorite parsadas,

His friends and servitors, are also sent by Him to come down to do some

service to help Him. There are also sub-agents who have received some

engagement from the higher agent, and by moving within this world in

that capacity, they can earn more spiritual wealth than those who are very

eager to disconnect completely from this material plane. They want to

try to utilize their connection with this mundane plane to earn some

substantial wealth of the upper house. So like the Lord's parsadas, the

tridandi-sannyasis want to work as God's agents."

 

Although members of the anti-devotional parties and their unwitting

dupes attempt to condemn the sannyasa-asrama by using the verse from the

Brahma-vaivarta Purana, the following verse from the same Purana has

conveniently escaped their attention.

 

dandam kamandalum rakta-vastram matranca dharayet

nityam pravasi naikatra sa sannyasiti kirttitah

 

"A sannyasi accepts only a danda, water-pot, and saffron-cloth and

resides near a village -- this is the wealth of the sannyasa

asrama."(Brahma-vaivarta Purana 2.36.9)

 

In fact, throughout the vast body of Vedic literature, only one verse

can be found wherein the sannyasa order is apparently forbidden in the

age of Kali. In all the other sastras that were written for the people

of Kali-yuga a man is repeatedly urged to take up sannyasa.

 

brahmacari grhastho va mrtadaro vanecarah

jnatva samyak param-brahma tyaktva sangan-parivrajet

 

"After he has come to understand the nature of the Supreme, a student,

a householder, or a forest-hermit should become detached and become a

wandering mendicant." (Smrti-sastra)

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura desired to reinstitute the

system of daivi-varnasrama and with this in mind took up the tridanda of a

sannyasi to preach the sublime message of Sri Caitanydeva all over the

world. It is bewildering that one can claim to be a follower of Srila

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada, in the line of Srila Sarasvati

Thakura and in the same breath imply that sannyasa has no value in today's

society!

 

Indeed, it is lamentable that in this age many men have taken up the

garb of renunciation and later discarded it to enter family life. What is

even more unfortunate is that when such persons cannot admit that the

fault lies with themselves they instead vilify the sannyasa-asrama as

being impractical, useless, or even dangerous in Kali-yuga. Such a

'sour-grapes' philosophy betrays a significant lack of faith in Sri Guru,

the sattvika-sastras, the Vaisnavas and Sri Caitanyadeva who has Himself

accepted the sannyasa-asrama in the age of Kali.

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura accepted sannyasa for the

purpose of preaching Krsna consciousness all over the world and he passed

that on to his disciples who in turn passed that on to their Godbrothers

and disciples who in turn passed that on to their disciples, and who in

turn passed that on to their disciples. Therefore the conclusion is

that if a man wants to preach Krsna consciousness and serve his Gurudeva

with all his energy then he should certainly take sannyasa. This is

called sadhu-vrtti, following in the footsteps of great acaryas.

 

[ethos]

Now this is what I participate on this board for. I learned alot with this one. I'm convinced the author "knows something".