Chapter 5: Karma-yoga-Action in Kåñëa Consciousness
Bg 5.6
TEXT 6
sannyasas tu maha-baho
duhkham aptum ayogatah
yoga-yukto munir brahma
na cirenadhigacchati
SYNONYMS
sannyäsaù—the renounced order of life; tu—but; mahä-bäho—O mighty-armed one; duùkham—distress; äptum—to be afflicted with; ayogataù—without devotional service; yoga-yuktaù—one engaged in devotional service; muniù—thinker; brahma—Supreme; na—without; cireëa—delay; adhigacchati—attains.
TRANSLATION
Unless one is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, mere renunciation of activities cannot make one happy. The sages, purified by works of devotion, achieve the Supreme without delay.
PURPORT
There are two classes of sannyäsés, or persons in the renounced order of life. The Mäyävädé sannyäsés are engaged in the study of säìkhya philosophy, whereas the Vaisnava sannyäsés are engaged in the study of Bhägavatam philosophy, which affords the proper commentary on the Vedänta-sütras. The Mäyävädé sannyäsés also study the Vedänta-sütras, but use their own commentary, called Çäréraka-bhäñya, written by Çaìkaräcärya. The students of the Bhägavata school are engaged in devotional service of the Lord, according to päïcarätriké regulations, and therefore the Vaiñëava sannyäsés have multiple engagements in the transcendental service of the Lord. The Vaiñëava sannyäsés have nothing to do with material activities, and yet they perform various activities in their devotional service to the Lord. But the Mäyävädé sannyäsés, engaged in the studies of säìkhya and Vedänta and speculation, cannot relish 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 Bhägavatam without proper understanding. Consequently their study of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam becomes troublesome. Dry speculations and impersonal interpretations by artificial means are all useless for the Mäyävädé sannyäsés. The Vaiñëava sannyäsés, 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 Mäyävädé sannyäsés 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 Kåñëa consciousness are better situated than the sannyäsés engaged in simple Brahman speculation, although they too come to Kåñëa consciousness, after many births.