“The blessed Lord said: He who is unattached to the results of his work and fulfils his duties- his face is turned toward the renunciation of life and he is a true mystic, not he who does no work and lights not a sacrificial fire.”

Context of the Verse:

            This is the verse with which Chapter 6: Dhyana Yoga  (The Yoga  of Meditation) begins. Arjuna has learned about Karma Yoga  (the path of selfless action) and Sannyasa (renunciation), and is initially confused which of the two approaches – renunciation or selfless action – is best. Reconciliation: Here Lord Krishna makes it very clear that real renunciation is not in the form of giving up cable to gain imposing, neither rituals nor work, but the attitude of non-attachment to fruits while discharging one’s duty.

Key Teachings in This Verse:

• True Renunciation = Inner Detachment: A truly renouncing person is one who discharges his or her responsibilities without attachment to the results.
• Action is Not Contrary to Renunciation: Renunciation does not imply shirking one’s duties, but to perform them with disinterestedness.
• Being a Yogi Is About Attitude, Not Posture: A Yogi is more than just meditator, it is someone who has mastered his or her desires and ego.
• Misconception Removed: One is not spiritual just by giving up rituals (Niragnih) or actions (Akriyah).

Relevance to Arjuna:

            Arjuna is a prince and warrior who, on the brink of battle, hesitates to look upon the opposing forces. Krishna deals with this shortcoming head-on: “Renunciation is nothing but discriminating action, and it is not total withdrawal but doing action with detachment.” Arjuna was the perfect person for whom this was spoken, being torn between action (that which he was bound to as a Kshatriya) and renunciation.

Explanation:

            Here Krishna is trying to explain who is a real renouncer and a real Yogi. Some of them they cease offering the fire sacrifice, which all householders are bound to offer. Since there is nothing beyond a Sanyasi, he has no duty to perform such Yagyas. But you cannot just stop the Yagyas and think now you have become liberated; this is not the way of thinking.

            So Krishna is saying that one who stops this sacrifice, is not actually a Sannyasi and whose mental calculation is ‘I am now a liberated man’. A Yogi may not be moving around at all while sitting, yet better than both. The real Yogi, the real Sannyasi is he, who is beautifully described here in the first line.

            One who does not labour to eat the fruit of his own doings. He is a real Sannyasi. Deity has legs in other two cases Agyani, even he’s also interested in the result of his actions (Pause) He surrendered his material activities but even the activity of attaining salvation has relatively no self-interest. He seeks his private peace of Moksha.

            When soul attains Moksha liberation, then there is enormous peace Brahmananda. That peace, that self-interest exists still in what you do with this whole renunciation. Similarly, a Yogi may want mystic power or may want to merge in the body of Krishna. Because those who are the followers of eightfold Yoga  system – they do it for mystic powers, the Astang Yoga , Hath Yoga . But some people, they are highly advanced, and they know that God has a form which resides in the heart. Although they know that God has got a form, they want to merge into that form. Unless they make it to the actual stage, and they do become Bhakti Yogi.

            So a Yogi, that means one who sees actually Krishna within the heart, he becomes devotee. The beauty of Krishna attracts him. It is believed that other Yogi they mediate upon the figure of Krishna inside the heart. Imagine, then seeing in the heart, the form of four-handed Vishnu Murti. They attempt to improve on their Yoga  system.

            Such devotees seek absorption within the body of Krishna. So there is also self-interest. Either I desire powers supernatural, or I crave to be absorbed into the body of Krishna. But a Bhakti Yogi or Akarma Yogi, he does not have any desires. Who just wants to renounce all the activities, the results of the activities for Krishna.

            This is called real Sannyas. This is what Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said. I don’t want any money. I don’t want followers Also. I don’t fancy too beautiful wife for myself. I don’t even want liberation. That is called the topmost Sannyas, the topmost Yogi. He has no self-interest. Other Yogi, Sannyasi, they have this self-interest, they want moksha, they want liberation. But here an actual Yogi, Krishna is speaking. Now he is a real Yogi, he is a renouncer, he is a Yogi of no self-interest at all., Whose interest is simply and only to serve God. You want that we should keep taking birth here life after life and I am released from birth and death, and then let me do it, but you want that I should do your seva. Or you need to give me salvation, need me to ram through your spiritual bardo. That’s okay too please let’s see me Join in your service. The wish of that person is like that and he is the veritable Yogi. He performs the actions but he is not bound by the results for the dedicates them to Krishna.