What Is Vairagya? The Glory of Vairagya - Swami Sivananda.

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Thursday, January 12, 2023. 06:00.

 What Is Vairagya? The Glory of Vairagya - Swami Sivananda.

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1.Vairagya : An Internal Mental State :

Raja Janaka, though he ruled a kingdom, was a perfectly dispassionate man. So was Raja Bhagiratha, too. Queen Chudala possessed perfect Vairagya, though she ruled a dominion, while her saintly husband, Raja Sikhidhvaja, who retired into the forest to practice penance and Yoga, was intensely attached to his body and Kamandalu (waterpot).

You cannot form a correct opinion of any Sadhu or Sannyasin or even householder as to his mental state of Vairagya or mental condition by just having a casual talk with him for a few hours or staying with him for a few days. You will have to live with him for a very long time to study his internal mental state.

Generally most people commit serious blunders in these matters. They are deluded by mere external appearances. They mistake a physically nude Sadhu for a great Mahatma in the beginning. Later on they feel obliged to change their impression after closer contact. Physical nudity alone will not constitute real Vairagya. The mind of the physically nude Sadhu may be full of fantastic desires, cravings and appetites. Who knows! What is wanted, therefore, is mental nudity, i. e., complete eradication of Vasanas, egoism, etc. Do not be deceived by external appearances. Beware! Beware!! Beware!!!

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The Glory of Vairagya :

What should be renounced is that Bhedabuddhi which says: “I am superior to that man. I have done that. I have done this. I am the body” and the Kartritwa abhimana which thinks: “I am the doer.” There is no use of renouncing your home, wife and children, if you cannot renounce these also.

He cannot be truly regarded as having renounced the world altogether who has merely withdrawn himself from worldly possessions. But he, who living in actual contact with the world, finds out its faults (Doshas), who is free from every passion and whose soul depends on nothing, may well be said to have truly renounced the world. Read the story of Raja Sikhidhvaja in the Yoga-Vasishtha. You will clearly understand this point.

Renounce this world. Renounce the desire for Moksha. Renounce renunciation itself. Then you will become That. You will become itself.

Dear brother! If you have no real sustained Vairagya, you will find no improvement or progress in spirituality. Vows, austerities, energy and meditation will leak out like water from a cracked pot. Be careful.

There is verily no sword more powerful than Vairagya to cut off all sorts of attachment to this world. Hold this sword in your hand and march along in the spiritual path. You will safely reach the goal.

The shadow of clouds, the friendship with a fool, the beauty of youth, wealth, all these last only for a very short time. They are impermanent. Shun them all ruthlessly.

Only a thirsty man drinks water. Only a hungry man eats food. Even so, a man who is spiritually hungry and thirsty will only drink the Nectar of Immortality.

The life of Vemanna is worthy to be read. He was a Jnani of Andhra Desa. He was leading a voluptuous life, most abominable indeed. The moment Vairagya dawned in him, he became an entirely different man. He made no Sadhana as he was a Yoga Bhrashta , or one who had fallen from Yogic practices in his previous birth, and became a Jnani . He was, and is very much revered by devotees.

This search after God and God-Realization is a question of supply and demand. If you really want God, if there is a real demand from your heart for God, then the supply would come.

He is really a Sannyasin who is free from passion, egoism and who possesses Sattvic qualities.

Atma-Vichara (enquiry into the nature of the Atman, or Self) and Yogic practices done without intense Vairagya becomes fruitless.

To get Vairagya one should seriously ponder over the various entanglements and bondage of married life.

If you get Vairagya, rest assured that is a sign of purification of mind (Chitta-Suddhi).

The things that used to afford you delight before give you displeasure now. That is a sign of Vairagya.

Vairagya that comes momentarily after such accidents as the loss of some dearly loved relative or wealth is known as Karana Vairagya. It will not help you much in your spiritual advancement. The mind will be simply waiting for an opportunity to catch hold of the sensual objects, when an opportunity arises.

Therefore, Vairagya born of discrimination or Viveka is the premonitory symptom of spiritual development. That will help the aspirant. That will give him a good spiritual uplift.

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