Gita Rahasya -Tilak
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CHAPTER XI
RENUNCITATION AND KARMA-YOGA
Comte died in 1857 A. D. and Schopenhauer in 1860 A. D. The school of Schopenhauer has been continued in Germany by Hartmann. It need not be said that the English philosophers Spencer, Mill, and others are of the same opinion as Comte. But the modern Materialistic philosopher Nietzsche has gone beyond all these philosophers, and he has in his works so severely criticised those who are for giving up Action, that according to him, it is not possible to refer to the supporters of Renunciation ( karma-samnyasa) by any milder terms than 'fools of fools'. [1] Just as in Europe there have been two schools of thought from the time of Aristotle upto the present day, so also, have there been two modes of life according to the Vedic religion in India from ancient times upto the present day [2]. Out of these two, one course is known as the Samnyasa-Marga or Samkhya-nistha or merely SAMKHYA or Jnana-nistha (because, it consists of being continually steeped in Knowledge); and the other path is known as the Karma-Yoga or shortly YOGA or Karma-nistha. I have already in the third chapter clearly explained that the words Samkhya and Yoga do not respectively indicate the Kapila-samkhya and the Patanjala-yoga. But, in as much as, the word 'samnyasa' is also rather ambiguous, it is necessary to explain its meaning here more fully. The word ' samnyasa ' does not in this place mean 'not marrying', or 'giving up wife and children and wearing saffron-coloured robes ', in case one has married, or ' merely adopting the fourth stage of life '. Because, though Bhisma was a celibate, he was taking part in politics till the moment of his death ; and Srimat Sam- karacarya, after passing to the fourth state straight from the iirst state of celibacy, or in the Maharastra, Sri Samartha Ramadasa, remaining a celibate mendicant for life, have brought about the salvation of the world by spreading Knowledge. The crucial point in the present place is whether after having acquired Knowledge, a man should take part in all the activities of the world aa duties and for public welfare, or should entirely give them up, looking upon them as illusory. |
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References And Context
- ↑ Sully has in his book Pessimism given the names 'Optimism' and 'Pessimism' respectively to Karma-Yoga and Karma-Tyaga (Samkhya or Renunciation). But, in my opinion, these names are not correct. 'Pessimism' implies the meaning of ‘whiner ' or 'despondent'. But those persons who give up wordly life, looking upon it as transient are joyful; and though they give up such life, they do so joyfully Therefore, it is not correct, according to me, to refer to them as 'Pessimists'. Bather than that, it would be more proper to refer to Karma-Yoga in English as 'Energism', and to the Samkhya or the Samnyasa path as 'Quietism'. As Knowledge of the Brahman is common to boih these paths according to the Vedic religion, happiness or peace is the same according to both; we do not make the difference that ons path leads to happiness and the other to unhappiness, or that one is hopeful and the other hopeless.
- ↑ (Ma. Bha. San. 349. 72)