The Spirit of Sannyasa

By Giriraj Swami
On the occasion of the
acceptance of the renounced
order of life by Badrinarayan
Swamisome relishable
instructions from Srila
Prabhupada.
In a conversation in
Hyderabad, India, recorded
on April 12, 1975, Srila
Prabhupada spoke about the
true spirit of sannyasa.
He began, You should
submit, and you should feel, I
am worthless. My guru
maharaja has given this
chance to serve Krsna, to
offer to Krsna: My Lord, I am worthless. I have no
capacity to serve You. But on the order of my guru
maharaja, I am trying to serve You. Please do not take
any offense. Accept whatever I can do. Thats all. That is
my request.
That mantra is sufficient, Prabhupada continued. Krsna
says in the Bhagavad-gita, yo me bhaktya prayacchati.
Krsna never said, One who offers Me with Sanskrit

mantras. Yo me bhaktya prayacchatithe real thing is

bhakti, feeling, How to serve Krsna? How to please Him?
That is wanted. Not to see that you are a very good
scholar in speaking in Sanskrit or English. Always feel, I
am worthless, but I have, by the grace of my guru
maharaja, been given the chance. So kindly accept
whatever little service I can give. I am offensive. So kindly
excuse me. In this way be humble, meek, and offer your
feeling, and Krsna will be satisfied. Not that you have to
show how you can speak in Sanskrit language.
A guest interjected with a sloka from the Siksastaka (3):
Trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna amanina
manadena kirtaniyah sada harih. (One who thinks
himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a
tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is
always prepared to give all respect to others can very
easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.)
Prabhupada explained further, Anasritah karma-phalam
karyam karma karoti yah, sa sannyasi [One who is
unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he
is obligated is in the renounced order of life (Bg 6.1).]
Everyone is expecting some good result for his sense
gratification. That is asritah karma-phalam. He has taken
the shelter of good result. But one who does not take
shelter of the result of activities . . . It is my duty,
karyam. Karyam means It is my duty. It doesnt matter
what is the result. I must do it sincerely to my best
capacity. Then I dont care for the result. The result is in
Krsnas hand. Karyam: It is my duty. My guru maharaja

said it, so it is my duty. It doesnt matter whether it is

successful or not successful. That depends on Krsna.
Anyone who works in this way is a sannyasinot the
dress, but the attitude of working. That is sannyasa.
Karyam: It is my duty. Sa sannyasi ca yogi ca. He is a
yogi, first-class yogi. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna did not
officially take sannyasa. He was a grhastha, a soldier. But
he took it very seriously, karyamKrsna wants this fight.
Never mind that I have to kill my relatives. I must do it
that is sannyasa. First he argued with Krsna, This kind of
fighting is not good, family killing, and so on. He argued.
But after hearing the Bhagavad-gita, when he
understood, It is my duty. Krsna wants me to do it
karyamin spite of his being a householder, a soldier,
hes a sannyasi. He took it as karyam: It is my duty. That
is real sannyasa. Krsna wants that this Krsna
consciousness movement must be spread, so this is my
karyam. This is my duty. And the direction is coming from
my spiritual master, so I must do it. This is sannyasa,
sannyasa mentality. But there is formality. That may be
accepted.
That has got some psychological effect, a guest added.
In India especially, Prabhupada continued, people like.
A sannyasi may preach. Otherwise, the formula of
sannyasa is givenkaryam: This is my only duty. Thats
all. The Krsna consciousness movement should be
pushed. This is my only duty. Hes a sannyasi. Because
Krsna personally comes, He demands, sarva-dharman
parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Abandon all

varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me (Bg

18.66).]. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna, says, yei
krsna-tattva-vetta, sei guru haya: Anyone who knows
the science of Krsna, hes guru. And what is the gurus
business? Yare dekha, tare kaha krsna-upadesa
Whomever you meet, just try to impress upon him the
instruction of Krsna, sarva-dharman parityaja.
In this way, if you take it up very seriouslyThis is my
dutythen you are a sannyasi. Thats all. Krsna certifies,
sa sannyasi.
Hare Krsna.
Giriraj Swami