The word Sanyasa has three parts- Sam, Ni and Asa. Among these Asa is the key factor. Asa means to remain. Sam, Ni, Asa means to remain well. This implies, to remain unattached, to give up.

What should be given up? We should give up that which we are holding. We should give up with the help of the same instrument with which we are holding it. The connection between man and the world is woven by the mind. Therefore we should use the same instrument i.e. the mind, to detach from the world.

Though it is easy to talk about it, it is very hard to practice. To achieve this, we should first understand what life is. For this, we should engage in proper education. This phase of life is termed ‘Brahmacharya ashrama’. One may have vast knowledge about life but still the flood of desires which arise in the mind are strong enough to oppose it. One who ducks in front of a wave and tactfully jumps over it can escape the force of the wave. It is impossible to stop the wave. The best one can do is to remain unaffected even when standing amidst the waves. For this purpose, Grihasta ashrama (householders way of life) has been devised. In this phase, one can enjoy the fulfilment of desires and at the same time try to tactfully overcome the force of desires. To achieve this, the married person should curb his worldly desires and should live alone with his spouse. This phase is called vānaprastha ashrama. When one acquires a fair degree of control with such style of life, one can attempt to take up sanyasa.

In this state, even though one becomes agitated due to the influence of the past lives, the mind is conditioned by discrimination (brought about by the austere practices during sanyasa), which helps the person overcome the hurdles. There is another kind of sanyasa where the efforts to seek pleasures are also given up. This is called karma sanyasa (sanyasa of action). Even this is not real sanyasa.

Man has to perform certain natural karmas. For example, breathing. He also has to perform certain ordained duties like helping fellow beings. There are some karmas called ‘kāmya karmas’- those that are performed with a specific purpose like giving charity to earn merit. All karmas will have a fruit (result). The desire for the sweetness of the fruit motivates a person to perform even the most difficult task. to undertake the difficult task and yet at the same time got give up physically as well as mentally, the fruits for that task is called ‘karma phala tyāga’ (renouncing the fruit of action). This is real sanyāsa.

(Bhaktimala Nov 1997)