Proper Renunciation

Prapanna-Jivanāmṛtam

तृतियोऽध्यायः

CHAPTER III

श्री भक्त वचनामृतम्

Śrī Bhakta-vacanāmṛtam

Soul-tonic:

 Words from the bhaktas
continued...
Acceptance of what is favorable.

3.5

उत्साहादि गुण अनुकूलत्वाद् आदरणियः

utsāhādi guṇa anukūlatvād ādaraṇiyaḥ

Enthusiasm is primordial for Kṛṣṇa-bhakti.

उत्साहान् निश्चयाद् धैर्यात्

तत्-तत्-कर्म-प्रवर्तनात्

सङ्ग-त्यागात् सतो वृत्तेः

षड्भिर् भक्तिः प्रसिध्यति

utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt

tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt

saṅga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥ

ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati [5]

bhaktiḥ–Devotion prasidhyati–is nourished ṣaḍbhiḥ–by these six [qualities]: utsāhāt–enthusiasm, niśchayāt–conviction, dhairyāt–perseverance, pravartanāt–engaging [in] tat-tat–suitable karma–activities, tyāgāt–giving up saṅga–[bad] association, [and] vṛtteḥ–[following] the conduct sataḥ–of the great souls.

Dedication to Kṛṣṇa is a six-fold path: It requires enthusiasm and faith, but also perseverance.  One must take up suitable activities, those that are favourable to devotion, give up bad association and follow the conduct and teachings of the great souls.

युक्त वैराग्यम् एवानुकूलम्

yukta vairāgyam evānukūlam

The practice of  proper renunciation or "Yukta-Vairāgya" is most favorable for dedication.

[note: yukta-vairagya has a special meaning. The word yukta and yoga are related. yukta means joined, linked, yoked, united, proper, just, regulated. Vairāgya means "renunciation." So yukta-vairāgya means "proper renunciation," or "renunciation linked with service,"  "practical renunciation," or "regulated renunciation."

A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
Bhagavad-gita As It Is 9.28 Purport:




One who acts in Krsna consciousness under superior direction is called yukta. The technical term is yukta-vairagya. This is further explained by Rupa Gosvami as follows:

anāsaktasya visayān yathārham-upayuñjatah
nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe
yuktam vairāgyam ucyate
(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 2.255)


Rupa Gosvami says that as long as we are in this material world we have to act; we cannot cease acting. Therefore if actions are performed and the fruits are given to Krsna, then that is called yukta-vairāgya. 


Actually situated in renunciation, such activities clear the mirror of the mind, and as the actor gradually makes progress in spiritual realization he becomes completely surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore at the end he becomes liberated, and this liberation is also specified. By this liberation he does not become one with the brahmajyoti, but rather enters into the planet of the Supreme Lord. It is clearly mentioned here: mam upaisyasi, "he comes to Me," back home, back to Godhead. There are five different stages of liberation, and here it is specified that the devotee who has always lived his lifetime here under the direction of the Supreme Lord, as stated, has evolved to the point where he can, after quitting this body, go back to Godhead and engage directly in the association of the Supreme Lord.




Anyone who has no interest but to dedicate his life to the service of the Lord is actually a sannyasi. Such a person always thinks of himself as an eternal servant, dependent on the supreme will of the Lord. As such, whatever he does, he does it for the benefit of the Lord. Whatever action he performs, he performs it as service to the Lord. He does not give serious attention to the fruitive activities or prescribed duties mentioned in the Vedas. For ordinary persons it is obligatory to execute the prescribed duties mentioned in the Vedas, but although a pure devotee who is completely engaged in the service of the Lord may sometimes appear to go against the prescribed Vedic duties, actually it is not so.




It is said, therefore, by Vaisnava authorities that even the most intelligent person cannot understand the plans and activities of a pure devotee. The exact words are tanra vakya, kriya, mudra vijneha na bujhaya (Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 23.39). A person who is thus always engaged in the service of the Lord or is always thinking and planning how to serve the Lord is to be considered completely liberated at present, and in the future his going back home, back to Godhead, is guaranteed. He is above all materialistic criticism, just as Krsna is above all criticism."

3.6

यावता स्यात् स्व-निर्व्वाहः स्वीकुर्य्यात् तावद् अर्थबित्

आधिक्ये न्यूनतायाञ् च च्यवते परमार्थतः

yāvatā syāt sva-nirvvāhaḥ svīkuryyāt tāvad arthabit

ādhikye nyūnatāyāñ ca cyavate paramārthataḥ [6]

A person with genuine insight will accept what he needs to keep body and soul together. Both accepting more than what one needs as well as neglecting one's needs can lead one from the path.

Śrī Vyāsadeva

In a letter to Hayagriva Das dated June 14, 1968, Śrīla Prabhupāda defines yukta-vairāgya as follows: 

One can advance in transcendental life by process of negativating the general practice of materialistic life. The exact adjustment is in Vaisnava philosophy, which is called Yukta Vairagya, means that we should simply accept the bare necessities of our material part of life, and try to save time for spiritual advancement. 

http://vanisource.org/wiki/680614_-_Letter_to_Hayagriva_written_from_Montreal

Another iteration of the same idea... "A devotee should not live very gorgeously and imitate a materialistic person. Plain living and high thinking are recommended for a devotee. He should accept only so much as he needs to keep the material body fit for the execution of devotional service. He should not eat or sleep more than is required."  Prabhupāda, http://prabhupadabooks.com/d.php?qg=849

Śrīdhara Mahārāja points out that both exploitation and renunciation are undesirable: And renunciation is not the remedy. That is the next point. The Buddhists and Sankarites say, "Yes, renunciation is the remedy, leave everything." But the Vaisnavas come with a third proposal. They know it is temporary living in the land of exploitation, but one cannot exist without engagement, Only renunciation means withdrawal, to return to zero. That is not desirable. So the Vaisnavas say that there is a land of dedication, and that is normal, where every unit is a dedicating unit. And dedication must be towards the centre. 

http://www.bvml.org/SBRSM/erd.html

The real principle of knowledge is to see everything in relation to Kṛṣṇa:

तत्र कृष्ण सम्बन्धयस्यैव प्राधान्यम्

tatra kṛṣṇa sambandhayasyaiva prādhānyam

त्वयोपभुक्त-स्रग्-गन्ध वासो ऽलङ्कार चर्च्चिताः

उच्छिष्ट-भोजिनो दासास् तव मायां जयेम हि

tvayopabhukta-srag-gandha vāso 'laṅkāra carccitāḥ

ucchiṣṭa-bhojino dāsās tava māyāṃ jayema hi [7]

O Kṛṣṇa, your servants will easily defeat Māyā, armed as they are with your flower garlands, with remnants from your worship, and the prasādam of your offerings. As they are immersed in your worship they will certainly cross over the ocean of birth and death.