Chapter 6, Verse 2
yaṁ saṁnyāsam-iti prāhuḥ
yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava
na hy-asaṁnyasta saṅkalpo
yogī bhavati kaścana
What they have called renunciation (Sannyas), know it to be in truth, yoga, O Pandava, for no one becomes a yogi who has not renounced desire in the mind.
Here Lord Krishna reminds Arjuna that, “One must know that, in reality, Sannyas, is not different from yoga, it is yoga itself.” The term ‘yoga’ here means the state of inaction, which is the highest form of Karma Yoga: one is doing all action, yet the action is not producing any karma. Lord Krishna says that in such a state, one is a true sannyasin: when one has renounced the sense of possession, attachments and desires, one always dwells in the awareness of the supreme reality of God. That’s true renunciation.
“… for none becomes a yogi who has not renounced desire in the mind.” Here Lord Krishna again reminds Arjuna that, “No one can be a true yogi while having many desires.” When one renounces the thoughts of the world, changing the mind’s focus from the outer reality to the inner reality, focusing it on God within the Self, then one becomes a yogi. Whereas the ones who focus on the outward reality, even if they appear to have renounced, even if they appear to have let go, inwardly in their minds, they have not let go. And if the mind has not let go, they have not let go of anything. On the other hand, if the mind has completely let go, then they are true yogis. Here Krishna says that the true yogis are the ones who have renounced desire from the mind itself and their minds are dwelling completely in the Divine.
Some devotees force themselves to run away to a cave, or they say, “Let me go live in the ashram, because everybody is going to live in the ashram.” They make it a trend. They say, “Ah, life will be good there!” However, when they are living in the ashram, their mind is still in the outside world and they think, “Oh my goodness! How is my mother? How is my father? How is my brother? How is my sister? What will I do?” When they first come to the ashram they are very excited, but later if the mind is still running to the outside world, the desires awaken and they start to feel miserable. When you ‘cross the gate’, you have to let go of the outside world. When you take the vow of Brahmacharya, if you have not, from your mind itself, renounced the outside world, it’s very difficult! Then you are not a true sannyasin. You have not renounced the world. You’re still carrying it inside you. This was what happened in the story of the two monks. (Ch. 5, v. 5) Then it’s very difficult, because when you sit down for your meditation or sadhana, the mind is always running towards what is happening outside or to what one needs. Then one becomes a slave to the mind. And when one becomes a slave to the mind, one becomes a slave to the senses. And when one becomes a slave to the senses, one is finished! So it is better if someone is a sannyasin living in the world, doing one’s sadhana with an attitude of surrendering and serving the Lord, than running away from the world.
Here Krishna says, “None of those can be called true yogis, because they are not truthful with themselves. They bring the outside world into this path, so they have not renounced anything. But the ones who have truly renounced all thoughts of the outside world and perfected themselves in their sadhana, the ones whose minds are free, can do whatever they want, they are free. God becomes the most important thing in their lives, it doesn’t matter where they are.” That’s why I said that true yogis can sit and meditate in the middle of New York. They don’t need to be in a cave in the Himalayas or the Swiss Alps.
Bhagavad Gita
