Abhay Bhattad: Vairāgya (वैराग्य)

Vairagya is such a beautiful concept...!! Unfortunately our society views it negatively.

Its because 99% people don't understand the true meaning of Vairagya.

Vairagya doesn't necessarily mean going to Himlayas. We can practice vairagya in normal life as well.

Vairagya Comes from Vivek (Differentiating between the right and the wrong) and then becomes strong through Abhyas (Constant practice of detachment from worldly objects and desires)

VIVEK = > VAIRAGYA <= ABHYAS

A proper definition given by Maharishi Patanjali in the Yogashastra:

"दृष्टानुश्रविकविषयवितृष्णस्य वशीकारसंज्ञा वैराग्यम् ।"

i.e. Vairagya means the absence of desire for seen & unseen objects. When one's mind no longer desires for worldly objects, it naturally inclines towards contemplation of the supreme reality.

King Bhartruhari's (भर्तृहरि) "Vairagya Shatakam" वैराग्य शतकम is a good book to read for those who are interested in the subject.

King Bhartṛuhari says in his Vairāgya-śhatakam :

उत्खातं निधिशङ्कया क्षितितलं ध्माता गिरेर्धातवो

निस्तीर्णः सरितां पतिर्नृपतयो यत्नेन सन्तोषिताः।

मन्त्राराधनतत्परेण मनसा नीताः श्मशाने निशाः

प्राप्तः काणवराटकोऽपि न मया तृष्णेऽधुना मुञ्च माम्॥

I dug up the earth looking for treasures, smelted rocks in search of precious metals, crossed the ocean, propitiated kings with great effort, spent several nights in the cemetery trying to master incantations—none of this fetched me even a single broken cowry. I beg you, Desire, leave me alone now!

Very important - Vairagya must come through Vivek. That is the only real vairagya. Otherwise if vairagya comes from some miseries which happened to you, then such vairagya is only temporary.

Two Kinds of Vairagya

Vairagya (non-attachment) can be of two kinds-

(1) Karana Vairagya (Vairagya on account of some miseries) and

(2) Vivek Purvak Vairagya (Vairagya on account of discrimination between real and unreal).

The mind of a man who has got the former type of Vairagya is simply waiting for a chance to get back the things that were given up. As soon as the first opportunity offers itself, the man gets the downfall and goes back to his former state. But the other man who has given up the objects on account of Viveka, on account of illusory nature of objects, will have spiritual advancement. He will not have a downfall.