Invocation

1. What is the purpose of embracing the state of renunciation (sannyasa)? Is it not only to attain here in this very life the state of abiding as the infinite reality (paripurna brahman), which is devoid of any deficiency, by destroying the ego and by uniting with God, that pure infinite reality? If anyone says that there is any other purpose in embracing sannyasa, the Vedas will not accept it.

2. The renunciation of the ego is alone sannyasa. Instead of renouncing the ego, merely renouncing and leaving one’s home and family is of no benefit. The renunciation of the ego is alone liberation; that renunciation alone is Self-knowledge (jnana); that renunciation alone is bliss. Know this for certain.

3. The afflictions that possess us exist without leaving us even for a moment, in two forms, as “I” and “mine.” Along with the renunciation of the “mine”-ness (mamakara), which is the feeling “These things are mine,” to renounce the “I”-ness (ahankara), which is the feeling “I am this body,” is the highest among all the kinds of renunciation.

4. By changing one’s external appearance (vesha) by wearing ochre cloth (kashaya), shaving one’s head, or carrying a water-pot (kamandalu), nothing special (visesha) is achieved. Unless you can discover the peerless means by which to bring about the death of yourself, the ego, O my dear sir, your renunciation will not yield any benefit.

5. Know that a person who proudly feels, “I have attained renunciation (sannyasa), which is the highest among the four external modes of life (asramas); therefore people belonging to the other three levels of development (asramas) should praise and worship me with reverential fear and respect”, can never attain salvation, the state of Self- abidance.

6. If those people whose minds are raging with the proud feeling “I am a renunciate (sannyasi”), would ponder over and understand the subtle truth contained in one lesson (upadesa) revealed by Sadguru Sri Ramana, namely, “To destroy the blemishful ego of the renunciate (sannyasi) or the man of highest learning (brahmana) is indeed very difficult”, they would be enabled thereby to attain salvation.[1]

7. If we investigate why the injunction is given to a wandering religious mendicant (parivrajaka sannyasi), “Without remaining in the same village or town where you remained yesterday, before nightfall today move to a different village or town”, we will find that it is in order to prevent his mind from developing a liking and attachment towards people who praise and honor him.

8. If a wandering religious mendicant (parivrajaka sannyasi) wanders about depending entirely upon God to provide his material needs each day, without ever seeking to acquire or save anything for the morrow with the thought, “Let this place of abode or this food be available for me for another occasion,” his faith in God will increase (and he will gain the strength to live with an attitude of complete dependence upon God alone, and not upon any people).

9. Not knowing that by this wandering (parivrajaka) life he should thus learn to develop the quality of depending only upon God for everything, if a renunciate (sannyasi) thinks every time, “Since I am a renunciate (sannyasi), the householders are dutybound to honor me and to provide all my needs,” know that he is unfit for the life of renunciation (sannyasa).

10. The renunciate (sannyasi) has undertaken this wandering (parivrajaka) life only in order that he should by practice gain the strength to live depending entirely upon God. If, instead, he expects that the householders should take care of him, he is placing his faith only in those householders and not in God.

11. For a renunciate (sannyasi), begging is a pure and exalted spiritual practice (sadhana). If people belonging to any of the other three orders of life (asramas) say that by his begging the sannyasi is being a burden to others, they are ignorant of the truth. If the sannyasi is unable to endure the mean words of worldly people who speak thus, know that he is not a true sannyasi.

12. A steadfast renunciate (sannyasi) who has abundant strength of mind, does not beg for his food due to poverty. His begging is a training, which he undergoes in order to attain a state of mind in which he can experience an equal love towards those who revile him with mean words, and those who praise him with kind words.

13. The benefit which a true renunciate (sannyasi) is to gain by living a wandering (parivrajaka) life is to attain a state of mind which is fully contented, being endowed both with an attitude of complete dependence upon God-alone at all times, and with a patient endurance, which cannot be shaken by either the abuse or the praise of others.

14. But alas, not knowing this truth, so many people nowadays after assuming the ochre garb of the blemishless order of a renunciate (sannyasa asrama), are seen to be seeking and running after worldly people who possess much wealth, or who hold high positions in society, instead of depending entirely upon God as their sole refuge and support

15. Some other renunciates (sannyasis) are caught in the bondage of trying to accumulate wealth by the power of mantras, by practicing astrology, by giving medicines, and by many other such tricky means (tantras). For such people who are caught thus in bondage, tell me, what is the use of their assuming the outward guise of a sannyasi by growing a beard and long matted hair, by wearing ochre cloth, and by carrying a stick and a water-pot?

16. When will they ever attain salvation, those people who giving Vermillion kunkuma) and sacred ash (vibhuti) as divine food (prasada), gathering a crowd of people around themselves, and proclaiming that they will give divine sight (darsana) to common people on only one day a month or one day a year – thus consider themselves to be exalted gods who are far superior to all other people, even though they are in truth only petty egos who are devoid of even the least greatness? (Therefore, if you wish to be saved) be still (giving up all such pomp and show).

17. A person who is naturally humble and submissive to every person and every living being – having the constant remembrance that, except himself, each and every living being in this world possesses some good quality and is in some way superior to himself – is alone the king among true renunciates (sannyasis).

18. A person who has attained true renunciation is verily dead to this world. Such a true renunciate (sannyasi) is indeed superior to all the other people of this world. He is the embodiment of all virtue and ethical conduct (dharma). Therefore, he alone is an object worthy to be worshipped and adored by this entire world.

19. If it is asked how such a true renunciate (sannyasi) has attained the greatness of being worshipped by all the other people in this world, the answer will be that, since he is completely devoid of ego, he has truly bowed his head in humility and paid obeisance to each and every person before they have paid obeisance to him. Therefore, what he has given to others naturally comes to him.

20. On the other hand, the renunciate (sannyasi) who is devoid of true humility and whose mind is full of guile, thinking, “All other people should worship and pay obeisance to me”, will be left without any means of attaining salvation, and will become entirely worthless, sinking lower and lower on account of the surging and swelling of his ego.

21. If a person takes renunciation (sannyasa) with the desire that other people should honor and revere him that renunciation sannyasa will only destroy his true happiness. The abstinence or austerity, which is to be observed in this world by a pure renunciate (sannyasi), who has given up all worldly attachments, is only to refrain even in the least from becoming a victim to the disease of self-esteem or pride.

22. If a renunciate (sannyasi) endowed with good qualities who lives as a kutichaka (an ascetic who remains in one place living in a small hut instead of wandering from place to place), gradually allows himself to become a mathadhipati (the head of a monastery or religious institution), he will be making himself into a place meant for the experience of all kinds of unbearable sufferings. Therefore, a good sannyasi will never desire to become a head of a monastery (mathadhipati).

23. For an ordinary worldly person there is the trouble of having only one family. But a renunciate (sannyasi), who has thus become a head of a monastery (mathadhipati), has become a person caught in the bondage of having many crores of families. All that is gained by him from the religious foundation (matha) that has come to him, is only misery. Thus, the action of becoming a mathadhipati is nothing but one’s cheating oneself.

24. Hence, (when seen from the standpoint of a true aspirant who seeks only liberation) all endeavors such as establishing asramas and religious institutions are only purchasing great sufferings and difficulties for a price. To seek to establish asramas and public institutions by collecting money by going from place to place, climbing on platforms and giving lectures and discourses, is just like going and playing with a venomous snake.

25. Since (as per an ancient saying) to a renunciate (sannyasi) even a king is mere straw, a renunciate should not engage in politics. Know that, having completely renounced the liking to enjoy even the ordinary rights to which one is entitled as a citizen of society, a renunciate should live majestically (without being a subject or slave to anyone,

26. With the firm dispassion (vairagya) of not cherishing or hoarding anything for the morrow (having an unshakable faith that God will provide you each day with whatever is good for you), pass the days of accepting whatever comes to you of its own accord on each occasion without giving any work to your brain (to investigate whether each thing which comes is good or bad and to decide whether it is to be accepted or rejected).

27. If you, who have come to this world alone, live alone (being free of attachment to anything) and subside in Self by knowing what is the reality of yourself, know that that is the greatest help which you can render to all the other people in this world.

28. Going and approaching the people of the world (collecting money and engaging in many external activities) in the name of social service (paropakara seva) and desireless action (nishkamya karma) is not behavior befitting the purity of renunciation (sannyasa). Without a sense of doership, do whatever good action comes to you of its own ac- cord forcibly prompting you to act, by making you feel that it is necessary to do so, and then at once forget it.

29. He who remains like a dead person in all worldly affairs without rising as “I” under any circumstances, is alone the most exalted among the renunciates (sannyasis); he alone is a Jivanmukta (enlightened while still in the body); he alone is a true non-doer (because he has no sense of doership in whatever actions he may appear to be doing). Therefore, he alone is a true karma yogi (a person who does actions without any selfish motivation or desire).

30. The path of karma yoga (selfless service), which is practiced by anyone other than such a Jivanmukta (see previous verse), will gradually remove the impurities from the mind, and it will stop with thus imparting complete purity of mind. After thus attaining purity of mind, it is proper that a person should give up the path of karma yoga and should follow either the path of devotion (bhakti) or the path of Self-inquiry and thereby attain the egoless state of Self.

31. The fruit to be attained from selfless service (karma yoga), which bestows purity of mind (chittasuddhi), is only to make one mature and fit to follow the paths of devotion (bhakti) or Self-inquiry (vichara). But unless a true renunciate (sannyasi) is already fit to follow either of these two paths, know that he will not gain the real fruit of the renunciation (sannyasa), which he has taken.

32. For a person who has taken renunciation (sannyasa) in order to attain God, the supreme reality, it is not proper to go outwards seeking worldly people and climbing on platforms to give lectures. Instead of turning within towards God and becoming established in Self-abidance, if a renunciate (sannyasi) turns towards the alluring and deceptive world, diverting his mind to the habit of giving lectures, he will be doing great harm to himself.

33. You have taken this renunciation (sannyasa) not for the sake of giving spiritual instructions (upadesa) to the people of this world, but only to attain the infinite Self, and to remain firmly established in Self-abidance. Why do you forget this truth and wander about in the world giving lectures?

34. Only the real renunciate (sannyasi), who never deviates from the state of firm Self-abidance is a person who is correctly teaching true knowledge to all other people. Rather than by climbing on platforms to give lectures by mouth, if one turns the mind within away from the world and abides in Self, then the entire world, which seems to exist eternally, will be awakened into the state of true knowledge.

35. Without renunciation (sannyasa), to attain liberation is not in the least possible; but renunciation (sannyasa) truly means only inward renunciation (that is, the renunciation of the first thought “I am this body”) and not anything else (that is, not the assuming of any traditional outward guise such as ochre cloth and shaven head). Therefore, in whichever one of the four stages of spiritual development (asramas) one may be in outward appearance, according to one’s prarabdha, know that that level or stage of development (asrama) is not an obstacle to one’s attaining liberation.

36. Just as a wife comes to one only in accordance with prarabdha, which is the fruit of karmas done by one in former lives, so the outward renunciation (sannyasa) also comes to one only in accordance with prarabdha. If outward sannyasa does not come to you of its own accord in accordance with prarabdha, do not have desire for it; if you remain free of all desire (including even the desire to live the outward life of a sannyasi), that itself is true sannyasa.

37. To become devoid of all impurities in the mind is true renunciation (sannyasa). If one abides in the true state of Self, which is devoid of all thoughts, that itself is all virtues and ethical conduct (dharmas). If one attains the state of being devoid of even the desire to become a renunciate (sannyasi), that itself is the true attainment of renunciation (sannyasa).

38. Even though he outwardly lives the life of a grihastha (a householder living with his family), a person who is devoid of the defect of thinking “I am a grihastha” is superior to a sannyasi that proudly thinks “I am a sannyasi”. This is a saying graciously uttered by Sri Ramana Bhagavan, the supreme philanthropist.

39. A renunciate (sannyasi) is one who has severed all connection with the four castes (varnas). Therefore, to inquire about a sannyasi, “In which caste was he born? Is he a low-caste sudra sannyasi, or a high-caste brahmana sannyasi?“ is only mischief born of the ego.

40. All distinctions of caste (varna) and stages of development (asrama) relate only to the filthy body, and not to Self, which is the form of Grace. Know that those people who have renounced and escaped from the attachment to the body, by gaining a clear knowledge of Self, are not bound by distinctions of varna and asrama, which are fetters of maya.