The eighteenth and last chapter of the Geeta is known as the Moksha Sanyasa Yoga or the Yoga of liberation through renunciation. Liberation is the purest state of consciousness. Dualism of the material world comes to an end and the seeker perceives the Cosmic Consciousness as one and undivided. The liberated state dissolves all suffering, delusions and ignorance. Liberation is the goal of an individual. The realisation of the liberated state comes in the present life itself. The means through which liberation is attained is renunciation. The Geeta defines renunciation as the performance of duties without being attached to it. A renunciate is not one who retires to jungles and mountains, but one who has self-control and equanimity of the mind.

 

Time and again the Geeta emphasises to concentrate on the present. Going back to the past and getting stuck in the future is the cause of anxiety. Hence it is always better not to be attached with the fruits of actions which are associated with the future. Some of the schools of philosophy have advocated the total abandonment of actions. But the Geeta does not subscribe to this type of thought. It recommends performance of actions without attachment. Sacrifice, charity and austerity are the purifying actions. Abandonment of obligatory actions under delusion is Tamasic or the lowest type. Leaving such actions for fear of pain is Rajasic or passionate type. To perform such actions without getting attached to them is Satvik or pure type.

 

Whatever actions humans perform lead to three types of fruits, good, mixed and evil. Any action has five components, the body, the ego, senses of actions, senses of perception and elemental forces. The pure consciousness expresses itself through these components. There are three types of impulses which give rise to actions. They are knowledge, known and knower. Similarly, any action has the collective constituents of sense organs, ego and act. As there are three types of actions, good, mixed and evil, similarly there are three types of understanding also. The Geeta propounds to engage in pure act and understanding by practising Yoga , Pranayamas and meditation. There are three forms of pleasures also. The pure pleasure is like the poison in the beginning, but turns into the nectar at the end. It is the outcome of self control and harmonious intellect.

 

The second type of pleasure emanates from sensuous enjoyment. It tastes like the nectar at the beginning, but becomes poisonous towards the end. The third and worst type of pleasure deludes the consciousness and generates over sleep, depression and arrogance. Everybody is supposed to perform actions as per his temperamental tendencies and aptitude. Based upon this concept, the Vedic system developed the functional division of the communities. The pinnacle of self-evolution is achieved through knowledge , self control and Yogic practices based upon renunciation and dispassion. As a result the awareness which is embedded into the lower nature of ego, arrogance, anger, self aggrandisement, etc, gets elevated and transformed into the supreme state of consciousness.

 

The Geeta declares that divinity resides in the hearts of every individual. In the philosophical term, the heart is the part of the brain which generates noble and virtues emotions like love, compassion, wisdom, etc. By the end of the chapter, Arjun’s delusion is destroyed, memories restored and doubts cleared. According to neuroscience, this is the best state of the human mind when intellect and emotions work in harmony. (The writer is Former DG Police & CG, Homeguards, Maharashtra) ■