पञ्चम अध्याय referred to as सन्यास योग 

अर्जुन: उवाच: संयासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंसति। यछ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् ।। (५:१)

अर्जुन said: O श्रीकृष्ण, you praised कर्म संयास (renunciation of कर्म), and you also advised to do कर्मयोग . Please tell me (ब्रूहि) decisively (सुनिश्चितम्) which of the two is more beneficial?

श्रीभगवान् उवाच । सन्न्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ ।तयोस्तु कर्मसन्न्यासात् कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ॥५.२॥

श्रीभगवान् उवाच: Both (उभौ) सन्न्यासः and (च) कर्मयोगः lead to liberation (निःश्रेयसकरौ). But (तु), of these two (तयोः), the कर्मयोगः is better (विशिष्यते) than renunciation of कर्म (कर्मसन्न्यासात्).

ज्ञेयः स नित्यसन्न्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति। निर्द्वन्द्वो  हि महाबाहो सुखं  बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते ॥५.३॥

The person (सः) who (यः) neither (न) hates (द्वेष्टि) nor (न) longs (for anything) (काङ्क्षति) should be known (ज्ञेयः) as a नित्य सन्न्यासी O महाबाहो, because (हि) one who is free from द्वन्द्व or dualities (निर्द्वन्द्वः) is effortlessly (सुखम्) released (प्रमुच्यते) from bondage (बन्धात्).

So here itself, we have one person who prefers simple responses while another is fine to dabble with some level of complexity. It is this subjective difference that is a question in itself 😀. There are those who were keen to know the message of the श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता started sincerely but left it in the 2nd or 3rd chapter itself – they found it too dry/ abstract/ repetitive. Why? It is a tough question to answer. In a sense, I guess it is essential to empathize with the enormity of अध्यात्म crisis experienced by अर्जुन. Let us take the question of decision of career:

1. At eight, an answer ‘Do what you like’ seems satisfactory
2. At eighty, one may say ‘It does not matter as long as you do it well’
3. At 16-20 only, we ask questions like – ‘What do I like’, ‘Why should I like what I do’, ‘What do we mean by like’, ‘Is money an important barometer for success’, etc. Our state determines the questions. Empathy with this crisis is key and if such a person in crisis has a lot of questions, a long answer becomes necessary. Here, we may have lazy minds who are fine doing what their parents have done or doing what friends/ environment are doing. Some rare ones who know their minds clearly and thus do not have such questions at all even though it may look as if they are also following their parents/ friends. Lazy minds do not need the श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता and rare ones also do not need श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता though for differing reasons. It is only the people like me in the middle who have to suffer the misery of the श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता ☺︎. Even in the middle, if my tendency is तमोगुण, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता will not appeal to me. If my tendency is सत्वगुण like अर्जुन, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता will be essential and I will ask a lot of questions. If my tendency is रजोगुण, I will focus on my Business as usual but use select verses of श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता to the extent it allows me to pursue by BAU and ignore other parts (I guess most of us are in this zone).

The so-called distinction between three types of योग may be given as below – using example of one who is engaged in a कर्म of climbing stairs:

1. ज्ञान योग – Discussion is only on the summit (परम्) stating how wonderful it is after one reaches the top. This then triggers one to continue to climb stairs excitedly. But this talk of परम् tends to be very abstract and dry.
2. सन्न्यासयोग – Discussion on this tends to focus on why it is necessary to ‘give up’ staying on lower floors. Once one is convinced, climbing stairs follows easily since they are happy to give up. But this discussion tends to be negative since it focuses only on why staying at lower floors is harmful.
3. कर्मयोग – Discussion is focussed on what one is already doing viz climbing stairs. Since one is climbing stairs anyway, कर्मयोग talks on what attitude one may adopt while doing the कर्म. This discussion tends to be practical since this limits itself to what we do. This talk is also supplemented by talk on परम् and negatives of life in lower floors and thus more all rounded in its structure. That is why श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता is more popular as a text unlike some other texts that focus too much on giving up or too much on परम् only.

साङ्‍ख्ययोगौ पृथग्बालाः प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिताः ।एकमप्यास्थितः सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम् ॥५.४॥

Those who are like children (बालाः), argue (प्रवदन्ति) that ज्ञान and कर्मयोग (साङ्‍ख्ययोगौ) are different (पृथक्), are not (न) पण्डिताः. The person who follows (आस्थितः) even (अपि) one (एकम्) (of the two) properly (सम्यक्), gains (विन्दते) the result (फलम्) of both (उभयोः).

यत्साङ्‍ख्यैः प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते । एकं साङ्‍ख्यं च योगं च यः पश्यति स पश्यति ॥५.५॥

The end goal (स्थानम्) that (यत्) is gained (प्राप्यते) by the संयासी (साङ्‍ख्यैः) is also (तत् अपि) reached (गम्यते) by the कर्मयोगी (योगैः). The one who (यः) sees ज्ञान (साङ्‍ख्यम्) and (च) कर्मयोग (योगम्) as one (एकम्), that person (सः) (alone) sees (पश्यति) (the truth).

5:4/5 – सांख्य योग (word used in chapter two) or सन्यास योग mean one and the same thing. सन्यास means to give up and to give up ‘work’ to pursue ‘study’ may be wrongly seen as pursuit of सन्यास योग. श्रीकृष्ण junks such a thought as conceivable only in unreformed minds who foolishly think of सन्यास as giving up family association. There is ‘work’ in ‘study’ too as there is ‘study’ in ‘work’. So how do we understand ‘giving up’ really?  One gives up something only to gain something else as any ‘giving-up’ cannot be purposeless. One thus gives up only that which has a lower value than that one hopes to gain. So both by ‘giving up’ (sensual pursuits) or ‘pursuing’ (परम्), both mean one and the same thing.

सन्न्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः ।योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥५.६॥

सन्यास of कर्म (सन्न्यासः), O महाबाहो, is difficult (दुःखम्) to accomplish (आप्तुम्) without कर्मयोग (अयोगतः). Whereas (तु), one who is capable of reasoning (मुनिः), who is committed to a life of कर्मयोग  (योगयुक्तः), gains (अधिगच्छति) ब्रह्म quickly (नचिरेण)

योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रियः। सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते ॥५.७॥

The योगयुक्तो (meaning a कर्मयोगी) who is of purified intellect (विशुद्धात्मा) and who controls the mind & senses (जितेन्द्रियः) realize one’s आत्मा as the आत्मा in all beings. Though performing all kinds of कर्म, they are never entangled.

5:6/7 (1) – विशुद्धात्मा (purified intellect) is a key word here that enables a योगयुक्त to experience सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा. Once चित्तशुद्धि is achieved, one becomes a विशुद्धात्मा post which one is able to see one’s own आत्मा in all भूत (beings/ elements). To see oneself in a blade of grass, to see oneself in plants, animals, other living beings, in enemies as well as non-living beings too is such a state. A powerful verse is this. How does one eat if one sees oneself in plants? How does one fight if one sees oneself in an enemy? How does one step on a blade of grass if one sees oneself in it? Can one throw away garbage carelessly if one sees oneself in garbage too? Is this verse insane?

5:6/7 (2) – The moment one experiences सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा, one feels a कृतज्ञता भाव for everything since one realizes that without using what सर्व भूत are giving to him, he cannot survive. And if this कृतज्ञता भाव is accompanied by seeing oneself in all, one automatically becomes a minimalist. One eats only when needed, one fights only when needed, one talks only when needed, one sees only what is needed especially because one realizes that one is taking himself when he takes from another. One would not like oneself to reduce (in the others) as a result of such a taking and minimalism thus follows as a natural outcome. And if one lives a need based life with need driven towards exercise of स्वधर्म, कर्म by such a person does not lead to कर्मबन्धन.

नैव किञ्चित् करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित् ।पश्यञ् शृण्वन् स्पृशञ् जिघ्रन्नश्नन् गच्छन्स्वपञ् श्वसन्  ॥५.८॥

The one who is focussed (युक्तः), who knows the truth (तत्त्ववित्), thinks (मन्येत), ‘I do not (न) do (करोमि) anything (किञ्चित्) at all (एव)’ (इति) even while seeing (पश्यन्), hearing (शृण्वन्), touching (स्पृशन्), smelling (जिघ्रन्), eating (अश्नन्), walking (गच्छन्), sleeping (स्वपन्), breathing (श्वसन्),

प्रलपन् विसृजन् गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि। इन्द्रियाणी इन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति  धारयन् ॥५.९॥

…even while (अपि) talking (प्रलपन्), releasing (विसृजन्), grasping (गृह्णन्), opening (उन्मिषन्) & closing the eyes (निमिषन्), (the person) knowing (धारयन्) (fully well that) (इति) the organs (इन्द्रियाणि) are engaged (वर्तन्ते) in their objects (इन्द्रियार्थेषु).

5:8/9 – All bodily कर्म are covered here. As discussed earlier, all कर्म by the senses are within the realm of प्रकृति driven by the देवता. देवता as we saw earlier refers to forces/ impulses that trigger senses to seek their respective sense object. If we thus act under the influence of these forces with कर्तृत्व (meaning we do these कर्म as doers by seeking objects beyond our needs), such कर्म becomes OUR कर्म and thereby create कर्मबन्धन. If कर्म is done without कर्तृत्व, i.e, we live a disciplined life where urges like eating, sleeping, etc are within the confines of exercise of स्वधर्म, no बन्धन comes about for such कर्म. To take this further, one who has the mind-frame of a सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा like श्रीकृष्ण, even though he has actively engaged in numerous कर्म all his life, all such कर्म are deemed as non-actions and he remains free from facing outcomes of such कर्म. Difficult of course to comprehend this …..

ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति यः ।लिप्यते न स पापेन  पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा ॥५.१०॥

The one who (यः) performs (करोति) कर्म (कर्माणि), giving up (त्यक्त्वा) attachment (सङ्गम्), offering (आधाय) (one’s कर्म) unto ब्रह्म (ब्रह्मणि), is not (न) affected (सः लिप्यते) by पाप (पापेन), just as (इव) the leaf of a पद्म (पद्मपत्रम्) (is not wetted) by water (अम्भसा).

कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि । योगिनः कर्म  कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं  त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये ॥५.११॥

Giving up (त्यक्त्वा) attachment (सङ्गम्), कर्मयोगी (योगिनः) performs (कुर्वन्ति) कर्म purely (केवलैः) (without attachment) with the body (कायेन), मन (मनसा), बुद्धि (बुद्ध्या), and also (अपि) by the senses (इन्द्रियैः), for the purification of the mind (आत्मशुद्धये).

5:10/11 – Why is a Lotus (पद्म) our national flower? A पद्म grows in dirt but shines in beauty. ज in the name पंकज signifies birth while पंक signifies mud;  पंकज is thus another word for पद्म. A पद्म is immersed in water but never becomes wet. Beauty thus comes from detachment even though one may be living in संसार that is infested with dirt. A human body is also seen in certain texts as a repository of dirt but if one lives with a free mind untouched by sensual pulls & pressures, one shines in beauty despite being infested with dirt. Next, why is an active life proposed for a कर्मयोगी instead of giving up कर्म? For आत्मशुद्धि or चित्तशुद्धि. One may be a businessman making profit or butcher cutting animals – if such a person is a कर्मयोगी, he is leading an active life only for आत्मशुद्धि, to purify himself. He is detached even though the world sees him as visibly active & possibly conniving, cruel, etc. A famous poet भास writes that while both a मूढ and a ज्ञानी may be doing the same कर्म, there is a vast difference in the inner space of both of them.

युक्तः कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम्।अयुक्तः कामकारेण फले सक्तो  निबध्यते ॥५.१२॥

The one who is endowed with (कर्मयोग) (युक्तः), giving up (त्यक्त्वा) the फल of कर्म (कर्मफलम्), gains (आप्नोति) शान्तिम् born of a commitment to a life of कर्मयोग (नैष्ठिकीम्). (Whereas) one who is not committed to a life of कर्मयोग (अयुक्तः), led by काम (कामकारेण), is bound (निबध्यते), (being) attached (सक्तः) to the फल.

सर्वकर्माणि मनसा सन्न्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी ।नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन् ॥५.१३॥

The indweller of the physical body (देही), the one who is self-controlled (वशी), having renounced (सन्न्यस्य) all कर्म (सर्वकर्माणि) mentally (by knowledge) (मनसा), remains (आस्ते) happily (सुखम्) in the nine-gated (नवद्वारे) city (the body) (पुरे) neither (न एव) performing कर्म (कुर्वन्), nor (न) causing (others) to act (कारयन्).

5:12/13 – Are we a युक्त: or अयुक्त:? भगवान् clearly says that a युक्त: is in a state of शांति while a अयुक्त: is फलाकांक्षी and thus suffers. Next, one who lives in a देह (body) is a देही. An interesting idea of expressing देह as a place having नवद्वार or nine doors is seen here (and other शास्त्र too) – two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, one mouth and two below. In the उपनिषद्, two more are given – the navel & the ब्रह्मरन्ध्र (located on the top of the skull). Just like one living inside the house is not the house itself, a देही merely lives in the देह but is not the देह itself. Some elaborate temples are built on this principle of nine द्वार; the गोपुरम् representing the द्वार that surround the temple; the आत्मा representing the देही is living deep inside this देह within the गर्भ गृह in a room with no doors, windows or light. However, one who develops ज्ञानचक्षु can see It and hence we are shown परम् using दीप (that signifies ज्ञानचक्षु) in that room. परम् is also visualized as living deep inside our हृदय (and is thus अदृश्य) but can be seen once we develop ज्ञानचक्षु (third eye is lit up). Live with this idea that one is a देही who lives inside the देह having नवद्वार, be a वशी (कर्म expressed by and experienced through the नवद्वार are only for स्वधर्म) and not attaching कर्तृत्व for our कर्म, one is thus a true कर्मयोगी.

न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः। नकर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते ॥५.१४॥

आत्मा (प्रभुः) creates (सृजति) neither (न) doership (कर्तृत्वम्) nor (न) कर्म (कर्माणि) for any person (लोकस्य) nor (न) the connection with the फल of कर्म (कर्मफलसंयोगम्). But (तु) one’s own स्वभावः leads to कर्म (प्रवर्तते).

नादत्ते कस्यचित् पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः ।अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः॥५.१५॥

The आत्मा (विभुः) accepts (आदत्ते) neither (न) the पाप (पापम्) nor (नच एव) the पुण्य (सुकृतम्) of anyone (कस्यचित्). ज्ञानम् is covered (आवृतम्) by अज्ञान (अज्ञानेन) and because of that (अज्ञान) (तेन) people (जन्तवः) are deluded (मुह्यन्ति).

ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मनः ।तेषामादित्यवज् ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम् ॥५.१६॥

Whereas (तु) for those whose (येषाम् तेषाम्) अज्ञान (तत् अज्ञानम्) of the आत्मा (आत्मनः) is destroyed (नाशितम्) by ज्ञानम् (ज्ञानेन), the ज्ञानम् (ज्ञानम्) reveals (प्रकाशयति) (the self as) that (तत्) परम्, like the Sun (आदित्यवत्) (reveals objects previously covered in darkness).

5:14/16 (1) – All of us come into life with a स्वभाव or innate orientation. In a sense, all of us are not born equal. Our own कर्म over eons of lives created a certain tilt or orientation giving us our स्वभाव. We are born in a family where this स्वभाव is further nurtured either positively or negatively. And since we are born with red specs or blue specs, our world दृष्टि is thus red or blue. This tinted दृष्टि of ours is referred to as अज्ञान. Why blame our eyes when the reason for seeing the world as red or blue is that of the tinted glasses?  This tinted दृष्टि permeates our मन & बुद्धि filled with a certain kind of स्वभाव.  पाप or पुण्य thus come about on account of exercise of कर्म performed by मन & बुद्धि owing to its स्वभाव while आत्मा merely provides the operating environment.  पाप or पुण्य do not attach to the आत्मा just like one cannot blame the full moon for acts of a thief who stole money in midnight.

5:14/16 (2) – In ध्यान अवस्था, there is this reference to emptying the mind. This does not mean that we become mindless but it means we declutter it with our innate tilts through चित्तशुद्धि. Once such a शुद्धि happens through practice of discipline of कर्मयोग, मन & बुद्धि act as agents of our आत्मा or we may say that when the clouds pass away, the Sun shines fully in its glory. Just like the Sun is always there, आत्मा is always present but covered by अज्ञान covering our ability to shine in fully glory.

तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः ।गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः ॥५.१७॥

Those whose बुद्धि is awake to That (तत् / परम् / ब्रह्म) (तद्बुद्धयः), for whom the आत्मा is That (ब्रह्म) (तदात्मानः), who are committed only to That (ब्रह्म) (तन्निष्ठाः), for whom the ultimate end is That (ब्रह्म) (तत्परायणाः), whose कल्मष (impurities) have been destroyed by ज्ञान (ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः) — they attain (गच्छन्ति) a state from which there is no return (अपुनरावृत्तिम्).

विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि । शुनिचैव श्वपाके  च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः ॥५.१८॥

Wise people (पण्डिताः) are indeed (एव) those who see the same (ब्रह्म) (समदर्शिनः) in a ब्राह्मण who is endowed with विद्या & विनय (विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने), in a cow (गवि), in an elephant (हस्तिनि), in a dog (शुनि) and (च) (even) in a dog-eater (श्वपाके).

5:17/18 (1) – 5:18 is the verse referring to अध्यात्म equality attained by those who are fully awakened and see and experience ब्रह्म in all. In this state all कल्मष (impurities) have been removed through ज्ञान. Such a person then has समदृष्टि towards all. Such समदृष्टि is not an academic or ideological intellectual idea of समत्व or equality but an experiential realization. Everyone is powered by the One ब्रह्म. The same ब्रह्म resides in all be it a ब्रह्मण who is संपन्न with विद्या & विनय, a dog or even a dog eater. A पण्डित is not one who knows शास्त्र or one who can chant them effortlessly. One who sees the same परम् in all is the only who really sees. While वेद refer to चतुर्वर्ण, the same texts also refer to the underlying unity that unites this diversity. While thus there is no स्वभाव unity among various beings and we are thus unequal, at an अध्यात्म level, our core identity is ब्रह्म. A पण्डित is one who experiences समदृष्टि. Chapter nine & ten expand on this idea here on how one can practice समदर्शन among all in this universe. Better than श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, one can see the highest idea of समदर्शन expressed in all grandeur in श्रीरुद्रम् or शटरुद्रीयम्. These powerful मंत्र come up within the यजुर्वेद and even hearing these are said to uplift oneself. If anyone gets a chance to listen to a commentary on these from a learned वेदज्ञानी, do listen to such ज्ञान without fail.

5:17/18 (2) – A small caution is advised here – भगवान् used the word समदर्शन: for a योगी in this state; He did not use the word समवर्तिन:. Just because medicine and poison have the same परम्, we do not consume both of them. We put a rose on our head but do not wear a garland of thorns though both are from the same plant. Once while a गुरू  was giving the ज्ञान of सम दर्शन, a mad elephant was seen rushing in the vicinity. All including the गुरू ran for their safety. A शिष्य was however very enthused by the message of सम दर्शन and did not move even while the elephant rushed towards him. The elephant caught him by his trunk and threw him away. The शिष्य came disturbed to the गुरू asking why the elephant threw him though he saw the परम् in the elephant. The गुरू replied that even the Mahout sitting on the elephant had परम् and asked the शिष्य why he ignored the urges of the परम् in the Mahout who was shouting asking people to move aside. Do not abandon common sense. True equality is not one where we behave in the same way with all but only if we practice an action that is in tune with the स्वभाव of such other person too. A criminal must be sent to jail, a naughty kid must be scolded, a king ruling well must be respected, etc. If we behave equally with all, society will collapse since we are in reality practicing inequality by ignoring the innate स्वभाव of people. Behaving in a same manner with all is what pop-spirituality encourages but such kind of spirituality is infantile and thus useless since this may encourage अधर्म.

इहैव तैर्जितः सर्गो येषां साम्य स्थितं मनः ।निर्दोषं हि समं  ब्रह्म तस्माद्ब्रह्मणि ते स्थिताः ॥५.१९॥

The cycle of birth and death (सर्गः) is won over (जितः) by those (तैः) whose (येषाम्) mind (मनः) is rooted (स्थितम्) in the same (that is ब्रह्म) (साम्ये) here (इह) itself (in this life) (एव). Since (हि) ब्रह्म that is free from any defect (निर्दोषम्), is (always) the same (समम्), therefore (तस्मात्) they (the wise people) (ते) abide (स्थिताः) in ब्रह्म (ब्रह्मणि).

न प्रहृष्येत् प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत् प्राप्य चाप्रियम् ।स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्मविद् ब्रह्मणे स्थितः ॥५.२०॥

The one who knows ब्रह्म (ब्रह्मवित्), who is established (स्थितः) in ब्रह्म (ब्रह्मणि), whose knowledge is firm (स्थिरबुद्धिः), and who is free from delusion (असम्मूढः), should (does) not (न) rejoice (प्रहृष्येत्) over gaining (प्राप्य) that which is desirable (प्रियम्) and (च) should (does) not (न) resent (उद्विजेत्) gaining (प्राप्य) that which is undesirable (अप्रियम्).

5:19/20 – इहैव is a key word here. गीता talks about gaining the ब्रह्म state here only. Right here, right now. It is not an after-death gain. Such a person who gains ब्रह्म while having a body remains स्थित in that state and is called here as ब्रह्मवित् (earlier names in the श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता – तत्ववित/ कृत्स्नवित्). Since he has a glimpse of the ब्रह्म state, he will not bother about the so-called gains and losses that are relevant from a human body perspective. Will an ant who gained an elephant body continue to be enamoured by the ant-mind gains & losses? When one is established in the higher, the lower automatically falls away. One may achieve stupendous gains from a human perspective, but if one remains distant from ब्रह्म awareness and instead lives within the स्वभाव prism even in old age, one will not gain ब्रह्म even after one’s death. ब्रह्मज्ञान does not offer any  post-death magic; if one has not achieved दृष्टि of the सत् while living, how can one expect such दृष्टि post death? Human life is thus a rare opportunity; avoid squandering it by pursuing the petty पुण्य & पाप कर्म. Orient oneself properly towards the One, gain स्थिरबुद्धि (stable mind) in the One and success is guaranteed इहैव.

बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम् । स  ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते ॥५.२१॥

The one whose mind is not attached (असक्तात्मा) to the external विषय that contact (इंद्रियाँ) (बाह्यस्पर्शेषु) gains (विन्दति) that happiness (सुखम्), (fullness), which (यत्) is in oneself (आत्मनि). One (सः) whose mind is endowed with the knowledge of ब्रह्म (ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा) gains (अश्नुते) that happiness (सुखम्) that does not wax & wane (अक्षयम्).

ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दुःखयोनय एव ते ।आद्यन्तवन्तः कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुधः ॥५.२२॥

Because (हि) those (ये) enjoyments (भोगाः) that are born of contact (between the इन्द्रियाँ & विषय) (संस्पर्शजाः) are the (ते) sources of pain (दुःखयोनयः) alone (एव), and have a beginning and an end (आद्यन्तवन्तः), O कौन्तेय, the wise person (बुधः) does not (न) revel (रमते) in them (तेषु).

5:21/22 – Dependence on बाह्य (meaning external) स्पर्श alone for seeking joy in life is also deemed as painful. Why? As they say, one Jalebi gives joy but ten ruins my stomach (too much of a good thing is also painful).  The body स्वभाव cannot allow eating ten Jalebis even though there is joy in eating it. One may argue – I agree that eating ten does not maintain the same joy level but why can I not be happy the whole life eating one Jalebi daily instead of terming even such a joy as a पाप? So the natural answer in the form of a counter question is – is there happiness in the Jalebi itself or is its स्पर्श with my tongue the cause of joy? One will have to answer – स्पर्श with our tongue brings joy to the mind. If the joy is in Jalebi only, all of humanity will have the same joy eating a Jalebi which we know is not the case. If joy is within our इंद्रिय, logically, all इंद्रिय must have similar experience. Equally, the इंद्रिय must not feel tired even after eating ten – but what we see is that joy reduces as an additional Jalebi is consumed. We have to thus conclude that neither our इंद्रिय stimuli nor Jalebi (विषय) have joy within them. But why does the mind experience joy? There is a certain स्वभाव lodged in the मन that makes it experience joy for certain tastes and feel revulsion at some other tastes. Past experience of a wrongful ascribing of joy or unhappiness to a certain kind of कर्म has embedded this idea onto the मन causing these two extreme reactions. As per our शास्त्र, It is आत्मा that loans a bit of Itself by giving us what our own स्वभाव seeks. And when we obtain what we seek and when we are able to avoid what we do not seek, we experience joy as an outcome. But this joy is also painful since it is an expression of अज्ञान, a mistake of the मन that keeps us away from seeking the fountain of joy already lying within. If we can find a way to dip into this fountain of joy, we have cracked the mystery of life since we have discovered राम within us. When this source of all joys, the ब्रह्म state is achieved, we remain perpetually in that state free of the dependency on बाह्य स्पर्श between इंद्रिय & विषय.

शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात् ।कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः ॥५.२३॥

The one who (यः) is able (शक्नोति) to master (सोढुम्) the force (वेगम्) born of काम and क्रोध (कामक्रोधोद्भवम्) here (in this world) (इह) before (प्राक्) release from the शरीर (शरीरविमोक्षणात्) is a युक्त: (सः युक्तः). He (or she) (सः) indeed (एव) is a सुखी person (नरः).

योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथाऽन्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः ।स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति ॥५.२४॥

The one (यः) whose fulfilment is in oneself (अन्तःसुखः), the one who revels in oneself (अन्तरारामः), the one whose mind is awake to oneself (तथा अन्तर्ज्योतिः), that (सः) योगी alone (एव), whose self is ब्रह्म (ब्रह्मभूतः), gains (अधिगच्छति) the निर्वाणम् that is ब्रह्म (ब्रह्मनिर्वाणम्).

5:23/24 – How does one define a free person? Both these verses are popular in this connection. We are a bundle of energy. This energy comes from the power source within us, our आत्मा. However, owing to tinted nature of our स्वभाव present in मन & बुद्धि, we get distracted by काम & क्रोध. In fact, there are six holes or causes of leakage also known as षड्रिपु – काम (longing), क्रोध (anger), लोभ (greed or covetousness), मोह (delusion), मद (pride/ arrogance) and मात्सर्य (jealousy). If we gain control over ourselves, these leakages are plugged. The energy within us then shines in its glory and our tinted vision becomes clear. Gaining such clarity, we attain freedom. So be  अन्तःसुखः, revel in अन्तरारामः and be situated in अन्तर्ज्योतिः – you are then in ब्रह्म.

लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणम् ऋषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः ।छिन्नद्वैधा  यतात्मानः सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥५.२५॥

ऋषि (ऋषयः) whose कल्मष have been destroyed (क्षीणकल्मषाः), whose doubts arising from द्वन्द्व भाव have been resolved (छिन्नद्वैधाः), who have self-mastery (यतात्मानः) (and) who are happily engaged (रताः) in the good of all beings (सर्वभूतहिते), gain (लभन्ते) निर्वाण (ब्रह्मनिर्वाणम्).

कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम् ।अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम् ॥५.२६॥

For यती (यतीनाम्), those who are free from काम & क्रोध (कामक्रोध वियुक्तानाम्), whose mind is under control (यतचेतसाम्), (and) who know the आत्मा (विदितात्मनाम्), there is (वर्तते) निर्वाण (ब्रह्मनिर्वाणम्), both here and in the hereafter (अभितः).

5:25/26 – Four aspects given here to gain निर्वाण

1. Destruction of कल्मष (impurities) which comes through अध्यात्म कर्म like नित्यपूजा , जप, दान, etc. This is an active engagement but can get routine if done mechanically.
2. Destruction of द्वन्द्व (duality) – us & them, good and bad, friend & enemy, us and परम् – these ideas of duality get removed through ब्रह्म ज्ञान as postulated in 2:16 that there is only One. Disciplines of भक्ति starts appealing to such people. This is hugely intellectual though the study tends to get dry.
3. One achieves mastery over oneself through pursuit of कर्मयोग orientation. This can be done well after basics of 1 & 2 above are absorbed to some extent.
4. Practice of हित of सर्व भूत (all beings) then becomes a natural outer expression of one who has achieved all the three given above.

Such a यती (सन्यासी) gains निर्वाण इहैव and remains in that state both here (viz during lifetime) as well as hereafter (even after the body drops away).

स्पर्शान् कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यान् चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः ।प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा  नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ ॥५.२७॥

Keeping (कृत्वा) out (बहिः) the external (बाह्यान्) objects (स्पर्शान्), and (चएव) keeping (कृत्वा) the eyes (चक्षुः) between (अन्तरे) the two eyebrows (भ्रुवोः), (closed), keeping (कृत्वा) the movement of the प्राण and अपान (प्राणापानौ) in the nostrils (नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ) equal (समौ),

यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्मुनिर्मोक्षपरायणः ।विगतेच्छभयक्रोधो यः सदा मुक्त एव सः ॥५.२८॥

… the मुनिः (यः मुनिः), who has mastered his (or her) organs of action, senses, मन, and बुद्धि (यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिः), one for whom मोक्ष is the ultimate end (मोक्षपरायणः), who is free from इच्छा, भय, and क्रोधः (विगतेच्छभयक्रोधः), that person (सः) is always  (सदा) मुक्तः indeed (एव). 

भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् । सुहृदंसर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति ॥५.२९॥

Knowing (ज्ञात्वा) Me (माम्) as the sustainer (भोक्तारम्) of यज्ञ and तप (यज्ञतपसाम्), the महेश्वरम् of सर्व लोक: (सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम्), friend (सुहृदम्) of all beings (सर्वभूतानाम्), he gains (ऋच्छति) peace (शान्तिम्).

5:27/29 – 27 & 28 talk about mode of ध्यान leading us straight to ध्यानयोग in Chapter six that focuses approach / attitude to ध्यान. In श्लोक 29, भगवान् refers to Himself as महा ईश्वर of all लोक, सुहृदम् (friend of all) and interestingly, the भोक्त (eater, taker, etc) of all यज्ञ & तप कर्म done by all – this thread is elaborated from Ch 7 onwards. When we use the word God, it gives impression of an entity that is at a distance from us and someone separate from us. However, the presence of HER to the Universe as well as each of our lives is as fundamental as tracks over which trains run or air we breathe to live. No train can exist without tracks nor can we without air but we do not feel their presence; just so, we do not see HER though we live in HER bosom owing to HER being the subtlest expression of life. SHE allows us to do all our कर्म and equally, all our कर्म are resolved in HER. SHE is all there is, the तत्, परम्, ब्रह्म, देवी, विष्णु, शिव, etc, all are HER different expressions. Just like we give up a lower step when we move to the higher one, our giving up lower कर्म cannot happen nor can ध्यान happen unless we cling on to something higher viz HER. Given that SHE is the most fundamental truth of all and the only one worth pursuing, योगी clings to HER by aligning his mind and entire persona on HER only. Because SHE is everything, once the mind rests in HER, one becomes HER and one thus becomes everything. भगवान् has just given a hint of this idea here and will elaborate of HERSELF in the later chapters.

Thus ends सन्यास योग पञ्चम अध्याय.