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by
Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL
No. 73
March: 2007
PURUSHARTHA, TAPASYA,TYAGA, SANYASA AND YOGA – THE HOUSEHOLDERS’ CONFUSION
Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty
For all of us who lead a normal life in this world, with a family and within a society, the ones that are commonly known as ‘householders’ or grhasti, we have a great confusion to fight out when sadhana, mukti, mokshya, liberation etc are spoken of.
As we have discussed before, all of us have come unto this world, each having a divine purpose to fulfill, an ordained task to accomplish and each of us to work our way through this world as our karmabhumi or our field of action.
The scriptures tell us that for successful accomplishment of our task, our life has to be lived under four stages known as the purushartha, which are dharma, kama, artha and mokshya.
Dharma or the righteous way is the over-riding umbrella under which we have to live. Earlier while discussing ‘What is righteous Living’ (please refer December 2000 and January 2001 issues of AHWAN) we understood the right conducts in life – the dharmic conduct. The ten characteristics of dharma as generally accepted, are designed to protect our very existence as well as facilitate our journey towards our ultimate objective. Abandoning the path of dharma leads to destruction and degradation. The scriptures therefore make it incumbent upon every individual soul (jiva), endowed with intelligence to adhere all the time to dharma throughout its existence. The Vedas advise to follow the scriptural advice and walk the right path. Dharmam cara. Dharmat na pramaditavyam –do not deviate from right conduct.
The scriptures also prescribe that one important phase of life is to devote oneself to ‘kAma’. This word ‘kAma’, though commonly understood as conjugal life, desiring and acquiring of worldly pleasures etc., in fact really means involvement and indulgence into all that the world offers. If not properly understood, this is where an ordinary clouded mind gets confused. All along our scriptural studies we grow up with the conviction that all that the world offers are bondages and obstacles to our forward progress. Yet the purushartha expects us to indulge in the world of desires. Indulgence in sense dictated pleasures is bhoga and one tied up with them is a bhogi. On the other hand, our spiritual progress demands and depends on our becoming a yogi. A yogi has to withdraw his senses from contacts with sense objects.
How can one be a yogi and bhogi at the same time?
The other confusion that arises that acquiring of artha or wealth is an essential part of the garhyastha dharma or a house-holder’s responsibilities. Naturally, people spend most of their energy and time in accumulating wealth. Again the scriptures say that wealth has never brought satisfaction and peace of mind. A proper reconciliation between these two doctrines is always difficult for a normal human being.
After all these, when we come to mokshya or seeking liberation of the soul, the scriptures talk about rejection (tyaga) and renunciation (sanyasa). When that stage arrives, one tends to think if the lifelong endevours have been all in vain and a good part of one’s life has been wasted away. By that time the bondages of kAma and artha have already gripped the man so strong that tyaga, sanyasa etc do not hold any meaning and even desirability.
One must salute the wisdom of our ancient seers that they did foresee this predicament every human being eventually faces and have taken pains in explaining well the concept behind these stages.
Unfortunately we come to gain access to these explanations and advice rather always very late in life. By that time we are already too tightly ensnared by the world. Thus our road of sadhana has already become more difficult. Gone are the days, when swadhyayana or systematic study of our scriptures were part of early upbringing. People led a balanced life and were happier.
Sanatan dharma or the spiritual approach to life has always been suggestive and strongly supports the viveka or the intellect to arrive at its own conclusion as to what is preferable as long lasting (shreyas), and what is for mere quick sense gratification (preyas).
This calls for a clear understanding of the philosophy of creation and in that context our own movement through the creation. We have discussed this often, but it is always worth coming back to it because that knowledge has to be kept always in mind otherwise no development is possible.
We all come to exist in this world with a defined task to perform and not by any biological accident. That is srsti.
To perform that task we are given a certain form (body), with a certain physical , mental and psychic set of conditions. Endowed with all these we perform or carry on our task in the life. That is sthiti.
The only arena, our workplace (karmabhumi) available to us is this world. Abandoning the world effectively shall mean abandoning our task. That will negate the purpose of our srsti and render useless. That will be absurd.
When the particular task is done – whether efficiently or badly depending on our individual efforts- it is time to acquire and move on to a different set of conditions, a different form, to be able to continue our ordained task. This change of state is bilay. The cycle goes on.
So the common understanding of abandoning and running away from the world under the guise of words like tyaga or sanyasa is never- repeat never- a part of Divine scheme of things.
The confusion and clash between various aspects of purushartha, is only in wrong understanding of tyaga, sanyasa etc. When properly understood, one revels with the scriptural wisdom that purushartha, tapasya, tyaga, sanyasa etc. are all inseparable parts of our integral yoga which aims at the total liberation of the jiva in all its dimensions. These are all self-supporting and simultaneous activities.
The enveloping cover for all our activities, in this life as well as all lives, is dharma, that first principle of purushartha. Dharma or right conduct is synonymous with harmony with the divine principles. The jiva has a miserable existence in this divine creation whenever he forgets dharma. Within the boundaries of dharma we effectively participate in life and the larger creation – the great endevour or the mahayajna. Kama, artha, tapasya, tyaga, sanyasa etc all have their significance in this mahayajna only when they conform to the rules of the yajna. Nayam lokah ayajnasya. For some one who does not participate in this yajna, there is no existence.
We shall now try to understand the significance of all these different concepts in the context of this mahayajna.
Dharma is the law, the irrefutable law. Brahman the omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient is the law maker. The enforcer and controller of this law – the niyanta- is also Brahman overseeing (mayAdhyakshena) this aspect of His through this world around, created by Him and put to function by prakrti – the nature of all things. One follows the dharma, gains by that, and progresses. With non-conformity with dharma all are eventually crushed.
The jiva puts in all his efforts towards the realization of his goal. All are part of this mahayajna and offer themselves into this divine fire to burn out our sanskAras or bondages. That is our purifactory process. This effort that we put in is what is known as tapasya, the intense austere measures akin to going through fire. We are all tapasvis.
Tapasya per say is not good or bad. Its quality is determined by the object of tapasya. If the efforts are in conformity with dharma (that overriding condition again) then it brings immense benefits. If the tapasya is to achieve some intermediary prowess for any kind of desire ridden personal benefit, then the same fire eventually destroys the jiva.
How does one bring quality to the tapasya? Obviously by conformity to Dharma as we said. And the simplest way to remain in conformity with dharma is to remain ever-conscious of Brahman the one and only behind everything, and intelligently surrendering to His principles.
To be ever-conscious of Brahman is to remain ever-connected, ever-conjoined with the ways of Brahman.
When one is conscious of Brahman he is indeed in Yoga, yoga literally means ‘joining’. If all life has to be in Yoga, then all life has to be lived in full consciousness of Brahman. That is the spiritual approach to life, a yogic life, the way life is meant to be lived with Brahman as the objective
Tapasya when Brahman is not the objective, is an exercise in futility. It is not yoga. Doing penance for any other purpose of acquiring any ego-centric prowess is always considered inferior. Yoga is more important in tapasya and a Yogi is considered superior to tapasvi. Lord Krishna made it amply clear to Arjuna; tapasvibhyah adhikah yogi- a yogi is superior to a mere practitioner of austerity. Here he speaks of such tapasvis who have other than Brahman in their mind. After all Ravana, Hiranyakashipu etc were also great tapasvis and acquired great prowess for themselves. But they were not Yogis and therefore considered as inferior human beings. Purushartha urges us to become a Brahmancentric yogi and not an egocentric tapasvi. Hence Dharma remains our guiding beacon.
Yoga and dharma being inseparable, the householder has to be a practicing Yogi- always.
How then kAma, artha, tyaga, and sanyasa have their relevance in a yogic life?
What are the requirements of a yogic disposition? How do we see ourselves as Yogis? Are they contradictory to a worldly life?
When the Sanatan dharma conceived the idea of Yoga (which is indeed unique only to sanatan philosophy though freely subscribed by others), the core definition is explained as a conscious linkage with the Divine. It was verified and seen as the perfect panacea for all problems of our existence. Once the attitude of Yoga is instilled into the activities of life, all aspects of purushartha, tapasya, tyaga, sanyasa etc fit into life as a solved jigsaw puzzle.
The visible signs of a true yogi are the very same characteristics that enrich life. Take for example shamah or serenity. Who does not want it? No undue attachment to sense driven activities – (na indriyarthesu karmasu anusajja), self control (jitatmanah), a peaceful mind (prashantah), taking pain, pleasure, honour, dishonour all in the stride, contented with knowledge and wisdom (jnanavijnanatrptatma), equal regard to friends, foes, saints and sinners, no hankering after possessions (aparigraha), desiring self-purification (atmavisuddhi), identifying one self with all others (sarvabhutastham atmanam sarvatra samadarshanah), these are some of the traits of a yogi.
The scriptures do not speak of elimination of kama, the willful involvement with the world process. If we do not experience the world, how else shall we develop discrimination? Who will teach us what is preyas and what is shreyas? Not rejection, but understanding and intelligent participation is called for so that we learn the lessons to be learnt. Only losing self control and being carried away by the sensual demands are disfavoured. Everything here is for our benefit and the use and misuse of everything has to be appreciated. Dharma only helps us in doing that and protecting us.
Same is with artha, not the money that is wrongly understood but all the required resources that support us in living through life. Scriptures again do not forbid us to go after artha. But they certainly advise us not to get carried away, eschew greed, and utilize all artha for the only purpose of living through life in accordance with dharma. To that extent, even arthasangraha is a desirable trait.
That brings us to tyaga and sanyasa – the two prerequisites for the last two stages of our journey.
Dharma has the regulatory function. But tyaga and sanyasa relate to the operating aspects of purushartha. While indulgence in the world process is necessary, the conditions to be applied for our own benefit are equally mandatory.
All activities of life have to be undertaken with a sense of vairagya or dispassion. It is the art of looking at things standing back and analyzing the cause of it. Vairagya comes from knowledge. Pricked by a thorn, an ignorant child will howl in pain. But if he happens to be a knowledgeable physician, he will concentrate in removing the thorn and applying the balm. Going through life calls for development of this attitude.
The other conditions are tyaga and sanyasa. We know that life is all about non-stop action. Where there is action, there has to be a fruit of action. That is inevitable reality. Tyaga simply means not to force your claim on that fruit. If it comes your way it has to be accepted as it is for your good only. But the moment you demand possession or endevour to covet the fruit, you interfere with the divine scheme and by that the seed of your misery is planted. When you plant a mango tree, it eventually shall produce mangoes. And if you get to eat the mangoes, be grateful to the Lord. But if you claim the mangoes are your own only, it is against the pan-creation objectives. That is not tyaga and that is not in your interest.
How is sanyasa differentiated from tyaga? Planting mango trees is a noble activity. It brings many rewards. But when this nobility of action possesses you, and you start thinking that acquiring rewards of nobility as your primary concern, it becomes a sankalpa (consuming desire) with you. Creating and doing action borne out of one’s desire is sankalpa. That is bondage. So eschewing sankalpas for all reward anticipated actions is sanyasa. Refraining from planting the mango trees until the desire for mangoes has not dried out within you is sanyasa. A sanyasi is free from sankalpa and thereby protected from bondage.
All actions as dictated by divine and universal principles, constantly present themselves in front of the jiva. All jivas go through the actions as if mounted on a moving engine. (yantrarudhavat). But a wise man’s understanding does not consider this subjugation as a forced enslavement, but as intelligent participation for his own good. That is karmayoga.
Purushartha calls for devoting oneself to the world process through vairagya, tyaga and sanyasa. Dharma provides the regulatory guidelines as the banks of the river regulate its flowing. Dharma is the way of Brahman. To follow dharma is to be ever-conscious of Brahman. To remain in Brahman consciousness is yoga.
The Lord’s advice for all in the Bhagavad Gita is “Tasmat Yogi bhava”- therefore be a Yogi. That is the foundation for purushartha.
Tyaga, Sanyasa, moksha etc all are possible within worldly environment.
