Tyaga - the quintessential message of Sri Krishna's life

            Tyaga, the spirit of renunciation is at the very essence of Sanatana Dharma. All the diversity, structure and rigidity of the shastras are mere aid to inculcate this trait. The different methods of self realization – jnana, bhakti, karma yoga, dhyana amongst others center on infusing this essence. To realize that we are not this body, mind or intellect and sense beyond -to feel the atman within takes a spirit of tyaga bhava. To traverse beyond requires one to be well established in tyaga. Tyaga bhava is centered on a higher vision. It uplifts the individual practicing it. To understand it better, let us look at some common worldly examples.

            The secular world lacks the deeper philosophical roots behind tyaga and hence fails to grasp the real essence of it. A person may go without food due to poverty or disease, yet it does not translate to one fasting.  Similarly person fasting for mere health reasons fails to grasp the idea behind upavas, where the sadak is training how not to feed the senses. The superficial results could be the same, yet the mental and spiritual growth associated with the latter is missing. Imagine the time tested practice of honoring guests as devas (athithi devobhava). The host doesn’t hesitate to sacrifice his/her own food for the sake of the guest.

            In modern times, under the name of jihad, deluded terrorists sacrifice their own lives to take other people’s lives, fantasizing a hallucinatory afterlife. On the other hand, we have soldiers who gladly give up their life to defend the nation’s cause. Both do similar job of taking others lives and giving up their own.  Again it is obvious that higher the vision, greater is the benefit to the practitioner and society at large.

Story time: Krishna the ultimate role model

            The role models provided by avataras like Krishna and Rama are perhaps too difficult to emulate, nonetheless, they set the high standards for entire humanity to attempt. Krishna’s entire life is a message of living with tyaga bhava. Though being the Supreme Paramatman, HE subjected HIMSELF to the rules of HIS own creation. Vishnu is referred as Yajnovai Vishnu, the real yajna is out of the karuna HE feels for the created, HE descends to our levels to uplift us. This is the real Yajna spirit, casting aside even HIS full glories, subjects HIMSELF to the limitations of the created world.

            As soon as Krishna was born, to honor the feelings of his parents – Vasudeva and Devaki, HE retracts his four arms form, to become a normal human baby. HE renounces the place of birth immediately, keeping the focus on the purpose of HIS birth. Again setting the example for us to keep our minds on an elevated vision.

            Having reached Gokula, becoming the adopted son of Nanda and Yashoda, Krishna makes it filled with so many wondrous leelas that can make even the stone hearted brim with bhakti. Yet after elevating the gopas and gopis to the highest realms of spirituality, HE left them, again for the higher purpose. He did send Uddhava as a messenger, stays tuned about the gopas and gopis, yet HE teaches us that despite the deep involvement, love and interest, the ability to Tyaga at an appropriate time is paramount. The mission of eliminating Kamsa, the central purpose of his Avatara elevates his action to tyaga bhava automatically. Lesson for lesser mortals, keep the vision on the highest.

            Jarasandha, owing to the widowhood of his two daughters, married to Kamsa was irritated to the core. He repeatedly attacked Mathura with his powerful 23 akshouhini army, 17 times. Though Krishna and Balarama defended it successfully every time, they are unable to eliminate Jarasandha who was fated to end his life at the hands of Bhima much later.  Krishna renounced Mathura to keep the people under his umbrella safer, away from wars and give them a prosperous life. Krishna not only renounced Vrajabhoomi and his most favorite cows, but also Mathura, even getting dishonor and disgrace being called runchor, the one who ran away from a battle. Again keeping the higher purpose of prosperity to the masses, above getting a label from the society.

            Krishna’s promise to not lift weapons as a pact with Arjuna is challenged by his staunch bhakta – Bhishma, who vows to make Krishna break his promise. He mounts such a strong attack that the Pandava army is getting demolished under the watch of Krishnarjuna. Krishna again demonstrates tyaga – to fulfill the vow of Bhakta brings more pleasure to Paramatma than his own. So he gladly plays part in the drama to take Sudarshana chakra to both fulfill Bhishma’s vow and to motivate Arjuna at the same time. Again a wondrous demonstration of keeping the mental vision on something elevated than normal. 

            At the end of the Mahabharata war, Krishna accepts Gandhari’s curse as a blessing. The entire clan of Yadavas, Bhojas and Vrishnis were let to pay for their bad karmas, though they all prospered under the umbrella of Krishna. Krishna did not bestow any special favors even on HIS own kith and kin. Being the unchallenged race, they could have dominated the earth, thereby spoiling HIS entire mission. Having Tyaga bhava (spirit of renunciation) is more about keeping the mind on a very high selfless vision, rather than a barter or trading deal.

            Perhaps the best example of Krishna’s life message comes shortly after he exits this worldly drama stage. Arjuna, HIS most special friend, one who received the ultimate gift of Bhagwan’s wisdom in Bhagavad Gita, is given a final lesson. The warrior par excellence whose exploits need no introduction is given a special mission to take all the women and children from Dwaraka to Hastinapura. Arjuna faces the worst defeat of his life at the hands of mlechchas, mere robbers who take away many women and plunder the wealth the caravan was carrying. Aghast and ashamed, Arjuna seeks Vedvyasa’s counsel who informs that devoid of Bhagwan’s grace, this is the fate of even the most powerful. Krishna renounced Arjuna to give the world a huge lesson that everything happens due to HIS grace.  (Read more in The shifting line of Dharma perception)

            Krishna’s entire life appears to be one of demonstrating Tyaga to all around HIM.

Mapping Tyaga to the individual 

            Human beings are very unique. They have a well defined body with sense organs, an established mind that can gaze both within and without and a wonderful intellect. (Read more on BMI chart – Swami Chinmayananda’s teaching aid). Yet we see a very wondrous phenomenon, if we observe with a subtle mind. The intellect, the faculty that helps one to discriminate good and bad, real and unreal often takes a back seat. It is very evident when one is consumed by emotions like anger, passion or anything that can forcibly blunt its role. When one gets habituated to consistently not deploying the buddhi (intellect), it takes a backseat, letting the manas (mind) run the show.

            One must not confuse buddhi as the ability to handle smart activities or intelligence displayed by the brain. Having wrested the dominance from buddhi, the manas that primarily performs the role of an aggregator of information from the senses, starts steering the chariot of the jiva. The jnana indriyas (five senses) are always outward looking to bring the latest information to the manas for processing. Every experience, however subtle, leaves an impression on the manas and is called the vasanas. The vasanas generate raaga (likes) and dvesha (dislikes). As the vasanas dictate the terms due to their preferences, the manas becomes a literal slave to them. We see this not just in addicts to smoking, drinking or food, but in the pattern how we live with limited potential, despite having inexhaustible reservoir of options to grow. 

            Rishis, having realized the divinity of their Selves and others, offered numerous options to free the limiting factor. The best one is from Krishna in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Sloka 5.

            Krishna’s simplest recipe is to raise the buddhi to the feet of the Supreme Being. With this feat, the buddhi that gets purified and more saatvic, merges into the Cosmic Self, just as a doll made of salt loses its identity trying to fathom the depth of the ocean. Because the focus is on elevating the buddhi, it comes with a litany of good characters. (Read more in Whom does God love? – Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3). Higher the vision, greater is the freedom. This uplifts the manas that is usually immersed in the sense objects or vasanas. As the manas merges into the Cosmic Self, the sense objects and sense pleasures lose their vice like hold on the Jiva. In this state the Jiva having tasted a superior non sensory eternal pleasure renounces the inferior sense and manas dependant pleasure. This constitutes the foundation for the trait all aspirants hope to cultivate – TYAGA.

Translating Vedantic insight into practicality

            The above esoteric understanding may either seem too profound for the novice and also to those who need more practice in dharma. Yet we can try to extract the essence of these insights and apply in daily life. 

• Human interactions can be diverse, yet can be simply organized as exploitive, barter/trade, duty, charity and yajna spirit. It is obvious to understand the gradation of attachment to I-ness and the expanse of vision in each case. As one begins to focus in doing one’s duties, rather demand for rights alone and do charitable acts devoid of the ahamkara, the tyaga bhava increases resulting in making every action as a yajna, where the results benefit the larger society.

• Another key aspect to remember is the intention behind the action matters perhaps more than mere action. With an elevated vision, the choice in our life no longer is between good or bad, but between good and great. Adhering to duties, higher values and ideals, not out of compulsion but by choice is a good practical starting point. Parting with unnecessary attachment to emotions that bind us back to our vasanas is a big part of tyaga application.

• One of Mahabharata wisdom advises for the sake of a village, sacrifice of a few houses may be in order and the cause of a nation, a few villages may be sacrificed. This simple wisdom gives us the practical application how a doctor amputates a limb or two to save the life of a patient. Tyaga happening in a secular context though praiseworthy is still not yielding the highest dividends. Tyaga happens without any preconditions or expectations.

 

• Having the subtle understanding of Dharma is imperative to discern. This comes only by constant satsang coupled with conscious deliberate cultivation of saatvic traits.

 

• At the body level, the highest level will be giving up one’s life for a higher cause. Yet waging an inner battle over our own vices is deemed as superior as the stakes are beyond just the body. Not yielding to vasanas this internal soldier marches on. Real renunciation is not running away from responsibilities or actions, but renouncing the I-ness of the doer (kartha) and submitting to the Cosmic Will.

• Expanding the vision to include the welfare of all creations is a side effect of the tyaga of the ahamkara, mamakara, the EGO. With this tyaga, the jiva automatically propels closer to Paramatma, yet such a feat benefits the entire Universe. Tyaga is merely renouncing the limitations imposed by the EGO and accepting the eternal, ever existing divinity. What a small price to pay for, yet since the EGO resists purely because it becomes inconsequential. 

• Higher the vision behind the tyaga bhava, higher is the lift. As the vision encompasses more, beyond the immediate self, one’s family or small cross section of the society; including the entire humanity or even known universe of five elements (prapancha), the jiva gets more and more liberated from its own bondage and realizing its own true nature.

 

        May we all be guided by the wondrous example of Sri Krishna’s life of Tyaga. May HIS example stir our buddhi to be drawn to emulate it in our lives. May we grow more rooted in Dharma and Atmachintana.

Om Tat Sat