Renunciation (सन्यास)

Q: It is generally heard that without sacrifice (त्याग) and renunciation (सन्यास) ultimate freedom is not possible. If ultimate freedom can be achieved though knowledge of the self then what is the need of renunciation. Through Purification of Chitt (चित्त) and grace (कृपा) of guru, self realization is attained. Only a renunciate does not have the right over it, anyone can attain that state.

A: What is meant by 'renunciation'? Proper and thorough sacrifice means 'renunciation'. Sacrifice of What? Why sacrifice? All this has to be duly contemplated. What is the fruit of sacrifice? First of all one can sacrifice only that which belongs to one. If any thing, does not belong to you, then how can one sacrifice it? That which belongs to you, is yours, on which you have full control, that alone can be given off. Keeping this in mind, if we look around on our possessions, nothing belongs to us. What to say of all the things, even the body in which we are living, which due to illusion we seem to think as ours, is also not ours. It does not follow your orders but follows certain rules of nature. one's desire is not that purified and that powerful yet that it can move our physical body against the rules of mother nature. It means that even our body in actual is not ours. The physical body could have been called as our own, if we could move in and out of it as per our wish. This, as we see around, is not at all possible. We can not make it big, small, heavy, light and by controlling it win over its death. Same is true in case of 'mind' too. Same can be said about our senses, through which our mind operates. If one is not owner of the body in which one is residing then how can he own other things in the creation. In essence, one owes nothing, if that is true then how can he sacrifice anything?

Now question becomes, if everything has to be sacrificed then why should we assimilate them in the first instance. Which means that exercise of knowing or assimilation in itself is a wasteful activity, whether of knowledge or else. Answer to this question is 'No, it is not true'. All this effort is not useless. Without sacrifice, one does not attain the right of use over anything. Those who are seeking nectar they must sacrifice. Sacrifice alone is the path towards experience of nectar or eternity. Without the yog of sacrifice, attainment of eternity is impossible. By riding on sacrifice, one can reach divine realm. In the divine state both sacrifice and attainment become equal.

Therefore, for sacrifice first attainment is necessary. By attainment, during first stage everything has to be made one's own, only then sacrifice will be meaningful. Whole creation has to be converted into one's own. Then one would realize that whole creation itself is your own extension. In the second stage, one would realize that 'Everything is you'. In the extreme state of attainment, one would see only oneself all around. Nothing separate from the self is seen around. On reaching this state, one experiences a limitless entity. After this one has to merge ' I am Brahm / (अहम् ब्रह्मऽस्मि)' into it. This is called ultimate sacrifice or submission (निवेदन) of self . This is called divine state or realization of self. Taste of this alone is known as drinking milk of the mother. Lying in the lap of the mother like a baby, one has to let go of everything. Before letting go of anything, that has to be assimilated first. What one understands as Yog-Vibhuti, is nothing but collection of all that is to be offered. One who has not achieved prosperity, divine powers, what can that poor person offer. So first make whole creation yours, attain full development of one's atma or self, stillness of one's self in the ocean of consciousness, taste of this alone is called ultimate freedom. Taste of nectar alone is called prasad (प्रसाद) of the mother. After offering to the lord, then only one partakes it. All his running around will stop, journey of looking for the self will complete, agitation of the mind will disappear, baby will once again lay itself in the lap of the mother to suckle her milk. 

It is said that without renunciation and sacrifice, ultimate freedom can not be attained. This is true in case of general renunciation because Vividisha (विविदिशा) sanyas or renunciation some karma is left to be neutralized. Is it possible to sacrifice anything without knowledge? Through karma one generates knowledge, which in turn generates real renunciation state.

After rising of knowledge, it is not possible that exaltation (ऐश्वर्य) will not be attained. Bhav or experience of Ishwar alone is known as exaltation (ऐश्वर्य). It is not different from the self. On rising of knowledge, curtain over self gets removed and it starts shining forth on its own. The moment a flower opens, its fragrance is developed, in the same manner on rising of knowledge, exaltation (ऐश्वर्य) is attained. After this comes the offering of exaltation (ऐश्वर्य) at the feet of the mother. This is realm offering or nivedan (निवेदन) or sacrifice (त्याग). The fruit of this is establishment in the state of parmatama. So first atma or self knowledge has to be raised, then it has to be established and then it has to be transcended. On completeness of this transcendence, one experiences eternity or nectar. Rising of this state is also same as rising of Kundalini. After raising the kundalini one has to join it with Shiv, this is the remedy for experience of nectar. The nectar which arises from the unification of Parashakti Kundalini (पराशक्ति कुण्डलिनी) and Shiva, a jeeva taste it and becomes free..........Om! shaktanand.blogspot.com.

from Yogiraj Vishuddhanand Prasang and Tattva Katha.(Chap-10)