Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya 538

Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya

Chapter-18 Mokṣa Sannyāsa Yogaḥ

niyatasya tu saṃnyāsaḥ karmaṇo nopapadyate | mohāt tasya parityāgas tāmasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ || 7 || 7. But the renunciation (sannyāsa) of obligatory acts (nitya karma) is not proper. Relinquishment (Tyāga) of these through delusion is declared to be in the Mode of Tamas. Commentary The synonymity of these two terms Tyāga and sannyāsa is conclusively established by this verse. Obligatory acts (should not be rejected for without works even the sustenance of the body would be impossible, as already stated:— 'From inaction, not even the body can be sustained' . Nitya karmas are those acts concerned with acts of daily living such as the Five Great Sacrifices in which offerings are made and the remnants consumed as a sacramental meal. Nurturing the body by eating the remnants of food offered to the Lord produces a positive mind-set according to the Vedas. Therefore enlightenment in the form of direct perception of Brahman, is dependent on the purity of diet. The relinquishment of these obligatory duties, which contribute to the development of wisdom, through the misconception that they perpetuate material bondage is a characteristic of the Mode of Ignorance.