Kama krodha resulting in Mano Vega

Currently Karthika masa is running, Kritika nakshatra is the celestial body governing now. For Kritika nakshatra Agni is the devata. This understanding is very important. Krishna says, there are two types of journeys, one is Shukla journey (journey from darkness to light) another is Krishna journey (journey from light to darkness). We can examine our own life journey in this context. Some people like more and more Tamas, they never prefer to be in light, some other people want more and more light. They will continue to move depending on their Karma phala. With this in mind, it is good to analyze our own lives.

Currently our journey is going on in 5th chapter; Krishna has dealt with the biggest challenge of today's modern world, Kama krodha resulting in Mano Vega.

शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात् ।
कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः ॥गीता ५- २३॥

If we can control this Vega, we get Shanti, the very last shloka of this chapter ends with Shanti. But how is it that we end up in Ashanti? It is because of this speed originated from Kama and Krodha. The urge to earn money as much as possible, as quickly as possible, the attitude of grabbing things through whatever means is resulting in this Mano Vega. This uncontrolled speed of mind is the root cause of all modern day psychosomatic ailments like Diabetes, Hypertension etc.

There is a famous story "How Much Land Does a Man Require?" by Russian philosopher, Tolstoy. Story goes something like this. Once upon a time, a person by name Pahom, desirous of owning a big land mass approached a Jamindar (Bashkir) who was ready to sell the land at a small price. However, the Jamindar imposed a strange condition. For one thousand rubles, he can have as much land as he wants provided he covers it on foot from sunrise to sunset and returns back to the starting point. Pahom agreed to the condition and setoff at daybreak marking the land that he wants. Driven by the greed to grab as much land as possible, he went too far without remembering the condition of returning back to the starting point. As the sunset approached, he started running back, as fast as he can towards the starting point. Finally, he could arrive at the starting point just before sunset. However, he was very much tired and fell down, he never woke up. In the greed of grabbing maximum land, he ended up losing everything including his life. We need to tell this story to all modern men and women.

Definition of Sanyasa: Nitya Sanyasi

Today even Sanyasa has become like an office work, one wears a dress, goes to a place and behaves in a particular way. What is the meaning of this word Sanyasa? Krishna has used a word Nitya Sanyasi नित्यसंन्यासी in the following Shloka.

ज्ञेयः स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति ।
निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते ॥ गीता ५- ३॥

One meaning of this word Sanyasa is "to handle oneself in a proper way in any given situation". The word Nyasa means to deposit, to place, to keep. Shankara has given a special meaning to the word Sanyasa. सं + न्यास = संन्यास;  Saṁ + Nyāsa  = Saṁnyāsa, the prefix सं Saṁ here signifies wellbeing. 

It means to keep the things in its best form and leaving it. One cannot leave just like that, he/she has to ensure everything is kept properly, every responsibility is duly taken care of and then handing over all of it to a right person who can continue to maintain it in the same way. 

In Abhijna Shakuntala of Kalidasa, Shakuntala asks Kanwa rushi, I have grown up in this beautiful ashrama, now I am going to palace to stay with my husband, when is that I will come back here? For that Kanwa rushi answers, you are wife of a noble King of Chandra vamsha, you have to lead an ideal queen's life appropriate for Chandra vamsha, then give birth to a capable prince who can carry on the legacy, give good education to him and when he becomes mature enough, handover all your responsibilities to him, after which you can come back here to lead a peaceful life. This is what Sanyasa is; leaving it after having maintained it in the best possible way and then handing it over to a deserving person.