Gita 5.3 – Renunciation in action is lasting renunciation

Audio link: https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/gita-05-03-renunciation-in-action-is-lasting-renunciation/

jñeyaḥ sa nitya-sannyāsī
yo na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati
nirdvandvo hi mahā-bāho
sukhaṁ bandhāt pramucyate

Synonyms:
jñeyaḥ — should be known; saḥ — he; nitya — always; sannyāsī — renouncer; yaḥ — who; na — never; dveṣṭi — abhors; na — nor; kāṅkṣati — desires; nirdvandvaḥ — free from all dualities; hi — certainly; mahā-bāho — O mighty-armed one; sukham — happily; bandhāt — from bondage; pramucyate — is completely liberated.

Translation:
One who neither hates nor desires the fruits of his activities is known to be always renounced. Such a person, free from all dualities, easily overcomes material bondage and is completely liberated, O mighty-armed Arjuna.

Explanation:
jñeyaḥ sa nitya-sannyāsī: Know that person to be a constant renunciate,
yo na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati: who neither resents nor hankers,
nirdvandvo hi mahā-bāho: who is free from dualities, O mighty-armed one,
sukhaṁ bandhāt pramucyate: and who thus happily becomes liberated from bondage.

Kṛṣṇa answers Arjuna’s question about which path is superior—karma-sannyāsa or karma-yoga. In the previous verse, He stated that both are beneficial, but karma-yoga is better. Here He continues His answer, explaining that one should know a person to be a perpetual renunciate who neither resents nor craves.

What does “nitya-sannyāsī” signify? While karma-sannyāsī refers to one who formally renounces work and adopts the life of a sannyāsī, Kṛṣṇa introduces a deeper concept here—nitya-sannyāsī, one who is perpetually renounced. This does not merely describe someone who was earlier not a renunciate and later took to renunciation; rather, it denotes a person who, by an inner disposition of detachment, lives in a state of continual renunciation.

Kṛṣṇa is expanding Arjuna’s understanding, urging him to see beyond a simple black-and-white view. Arjuna’s question was which path is superior—karma-sannyāsa or karma-yoga. Kṛṣṇa explains that, in reality, all the virtues and benefits obtained through karma-sannyāsa can also be achieved through karma-yoga.

In one sense, Kṛṣṇa uses the term “nitya-sannyāsī” to describe a karma-yogī, for such a person continues to act yet does so without resentment or hankering—yo na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati.

Generally, when we obtain the desired result for our efforts, we feel happy, and when we do not, we become unhappy and resentful. Thus, before performing an action, we crave a particular outcome, and if that outcome does not materialize—or if the opposite occurs—we resent it. In this way, we bind ourselves in illusion.

The way out is to recognize that these material dualities are ultimately insubstantial. Whether we gain or lose something, real happiness is not found in such things. Therefore, one should strive to rise above duality (nirdvandvaḥ).

What does the word “nirdvandvaḥ” mean? In reality, it is not possible for a person to eliminate duality itself, because duality is an inherent feature of material existence. Being free from duality, or nirdvandvaḥ, does not mean that dualities cease to exist; rather, it means that a person elevates their consciousness to such a level that they no longer perceive or are disturbed by those dualities.

For instance, consider traveling on a road that is bumpy and uneven. The rough terrain can make the ride uncomfortable and irritating. Conversely, on a smooth expressway, the journey is easy and comfortable. In this example, the smoothness or roughness of the road represents a duality we encounter.

However, if we are flying in an airplane above the road, even while traveling in the same direction as the vehicles below, we are unaffected by the terrain’s roughness or smoothness. The road’s condition still exists—it is a reality—but from our elevated perspective in the plane, we are not impacted by it. Similarly, rising above duality in consciousness allows one to remain undisturbed by the material dualities present in life.

In the same way, as long as we remain in material consciousness, the ups and downs of material life affect us profoundly. If material success is all we know and our only conception of happiness, then the absence of success becomes a severe blow, while its attainment brings great elation.

However, when our consciousness is elevated, we gain a broader perspective of reality, recognizing that it is not merely material but also transcendental and spiritual. What occurs in the spiritual realm is far more substantial, consequential, and fulfilling than anything in the material world.

With this understanding, we are no longer swayed by material events. Instead, we act from the spiritual level, focusing on our purification, growth, and liberation. We conduct ourselves according to our highest interests, remaining undisturbed by worldly ups and downs. While we remain aware of the conditions below, we are not affected by them.

We may wonder: is it truly possible to be detached from worldly things in this way? Yes, detachment is possible, and it occurs at different levels depending on the nature of our attachments. For example, a person who has never consumed alcohol is unaffected by its presence or absence at a party—they may not even notice it. In contrast, someone addicted to alcohol experiences elation when it is available and disappointment when it is not.

Another example is a person who is not attached to baseball but is in an area where people are passionate fans of the sport. He observes the fans’ highs and lows as their favorite team wins or loses, yet remains unaffected himself. Similarly, in cultivating detachment, we recognize that we are distinct from the objects of our attachment.

In this example, it is clear that baseball fans understand they are physically separate from the players. However, detachment here refers not merely to physical difference but to emotional distance—remaining unaffected by the emotional swings associated with attachment.

The baseball match may be happening thousands of miles away, yet the fans, following it on television, become so absorbed that it feels as if they are on the field themselves. As a result, they are affected by every play—though physically distant, they lack emotional distance, experiencing emotional proximity instead.

True detachment occurs when there is emotional distance. In that state, a person remains unaffected, observing events without being swayed by them.

Similarly, the less we are attached to material things, the less we are affected by worldly dualities. This allows us to act with a higher purpose in mind—the purpose of contributing to our own long-term spiritual growth and the overall well-being of the world. In this way, a person who works with a spiritual purpose is engaged in a higher endeavor and can maintain a state of nirdvandva.

Having risen above material dualities, such a person remains unaffected by the ups and downs of life. The more a karma-yogī acts with detachment, the more he realizes the virtue and strength of detachment—how it sustains peace and fortitude at all times. In this way, the karma-yogī progresses in realization and ultimately transcends the misery of material existence.

Therefore, this verse describes how the nitya-sannyāsī transcends the dualities inherent in material existence. Such a person acts in the world, yet, by maintaining a higher level of consciousness, remains unaffected by adverse influences. And through his actions, the person gradually gets liberated.

Thank you.