Devanagari
नेत्थं पुंसां विराग: स्यात् त्वया केवलिना मृषा ।
मन्यसे यद्युपशमं स्नेहपाशनिकृन्तनम् ॥ ४० ॥
Verse text
netthaṁ puṁsāṁ virāgaḥ syāt
tvayā kevalinā mṛṣā
manyase yady upaśamaṁ
sneha-pāśa-nikṛntanam
Synonyms
na
—
not
;
ittham
—
in this way
;
puṁsām
—
of persons
;
virāgaḥ
—
renunciation
;
syāt
—
is possible
;
tvayā
—
by you
;
kevalinā mṛṣā
—
possessing knowledge falsely
;
manyase
—
you think
;
yadi
—
if
;
upaśamam
—
renunciation of material enjoyment
;
sneha
—
pāśa — the bonds of affection
;
nikṛntanam
—
cutting .
Translation
Prajāpati Dakṣa continued: If you think that simply awakening the sense of renunciation will detach one from the material world, I must say that unless full knowledge is awakened, simply changing dresses as you have done cannot possibly bring detachment.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Though you think that renunciation will bring tranquility and cut the knots of affection, real detachment will not arise simply by your false show in which you bewilder innocent boys.
“I recommend renunciation. From that arises tranquility of mind and from that comes cutting the knot of affection. How can you say your sons are not qualified for liberation because you think that they do not come to you, their father? It is not necessary for a renounced person to pay his three debts. Śruti says:
yad ahar eva virajyet, tad ahar eva pravrajet
yadi cetarathā brahmacaryād eva pravrajet
When one becomes detached one should leave the house. If circumstances are otherwise, one can renounce from brahmacārī life itself. Jābāla Upaniṣad
And I have given mercy to them through teachings on detachment.”
It is true that detachment is possible by the mercy of great devotees. Though you have bewildered the minds of these boys and for seven or eight days they show detachment, real detachment arising from correct rules will not appear by this false show--dressing as a renunciate without having knowledge, or thinking that you are a pure Vaiṣṇava. Though you think of tranquility, that will not arise since you are not a great devotee.
Purport
Prajāpati Dakṣa was correct in stating that changing one’s dress cannot detach one from this material world. The
sannyāsīs
of Kali-yuga who change their robes from white to saffron and then think they can do whatever they like are more abominable than materialistic
gṛhasthas.
This is not recommended anywhere. Prajāpati Dakṣa was right in pointing out this defect, but he did not know that Nārada Muni had aroused the spirit of renunciation in the Haryaśvas and Savalāśvas through full knowledge. Such enlightened renunciation is desirable. One should enter the renounced order with full knowledge (
jṣāna-vairāgya
), for the perfection of life is possible for one who renounces this material world in that way. This elevated stage can be reached very easily, as supported by the statements of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(1.2.7)
:
vāsudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
jṣānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
“By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.” If one seriously engages in devotional service to Lord Vāsudeva,
jṣāna
and
vairāgya
are automatically manifest in one’s person. There is no doubt of this. Prajāpati Dakṣa’s accusation that Nārada had not actually elevated his sons to the platform of knowledge was not factual. All the sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa had first been raised to the platform of
jṣāna
and had then automatically renounced this world. In summary, unless one’s knowledge is awakened, renunciation cannot take place, for without elevated knowledge one cannot give up attachment for material enjoyment.