Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 41
Vānaprastha-vidhi and Sannyāsa-dharma: Austerity, Detachment, and the Paramahaṁsa Ideal
यस्त्वसंयतषड्वर्ग: प्रचण्डेन्द्रियसारथि: । ज्ञानवैराग्यरहितस्त्रिदण्डमुपजीवति ॥ ४० ॥ सुरानात्मानमात्मस्थं निह्नुते मां च धर्महा । अविपक्वकषायोऽस्मादमुष्माच्च विहीयते ॥ ४१ ॥
yas tv asaṁyata-ṣaḍ-vargaḥ pracaṇḍendriya-sārathiḥ jñāna-vairāgya-rahitas tridaṇḍam upajīvati
Sesiapa yang tidak mengawal enam dorongan khayal—nafsu, marah, tamak, keterujaan melampau, kesombongan palsu dan mabuk; yang kecerdasannya sebagai kusir indera terikat kuat pada benda duniawi; yang tanpa ilmu dan tanpa pelepasan; yang memakai tridaṇḍa dan mengambil sannyāsa untuk mencari nafkah; yang menafikan para dewa yang patut dihormati, dirinya sendiri dan Tuhan Tertinggi yang bersemayam dalam dirinya (Aku), lalu meruntuhkan dharma—orang yang masih tercemar ini tersesat dan binasa di dunia ini dan di dunia akan datang.
Lord Kṛṣṇa here condemns bogus personalities who adopt the sannyāsa order of life for sense gratification while still maintaining all of the symptoms of gross illusion. A false show of sannyāsa is never accepted by intelligent followers of Vedic principles. So-called sannyāsīs who ruin all Vedic religious principles sometimes become famous among foolish persons, but they are simply cheating themselves and their followers. These charlatan sannyāsīs are never actually engaged in the loving devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
FAQs
This verse warns that one who denies the Lord situated within the self, and thus becomes a destroyer of dharma, loses both worldly stability and spiritual progress—becoming bereft of benefits in this life and the next.
In the Uddhava Gītā, Kṛṣṇa explains true varṇāśrama and genuine renunciation. Here He cautions Uddhava against hypocritical renunciants who lack self-control and inner purification, and who reject divine authority while living by religious symbols.
Cultivate inner integrity: practice self-control, humility, and purification rather than merely external religious identity. Respect the sacred presence of the Lord within all beings and live dharmically so that spiritual practice yields real transformation.