Path of Renunciation
Verse 5.25
लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः। छिन्नद्वैधा यतात्मानः सर्वभूतहिते रताः।।5.25।।
labhante brahma-nirvāṇam ṛiṣhayaḥ kṣhīṇa-kalmaṣhāḥ chhinna-dvaidhā yatātmānaḥ sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ
Word Meanings
labhante—achieve; brahma-nirvāṇam—liberation from material existence; ṛiṣhayaḥ—holy persons; kṣhīṇa-kalmaṣhāḥ—whose sins have been purged; chhinna—annihilated; dvaidhāḥ—doubts; yata-ātmānaḥ—whose minds are disciplined; sarva-bhūta—for all living entities; hite—in welfare work; ratāḥ—rejoice
Translation · English
The sages obtain absolute freedom or Moksha when their sins have been destroyed, their dualities have been torn asunder, they are self-controlled, and they are intent on the welfare of all beings.
Deep Meaning · English
In this profound verse, Sri Krishna outlines the state of the Jivanmukta, the liberated soul who walks the earth while remaining firmly established in the Infinite. The term 'Brahma-nirvanam' signifies more than a post-mortem destination; it describes the immediate cessation of the egoic illusion within the vast, non-dual expanse of the Divine. For the seeker, this state is attained through the simultaneous purification of the heart and the sharpening of the intellect, where the 'kalmashah'—the subtle residues of past impressions—are washed away by the fire of divine knowledge. By severing the 'dvaidha' (the dualistic knots of conflict between desire and duty, self and other), the practitioner realizes that the internal stillness of a disciplined mind is inseparable from the external flow of compassionate action. This verse bridges the perceived gap between contemplative renunciation and active devotion. Krishna redefines renunciation not as the abandonment of the world, but as the abandonment of the 'I-maker' or ego. When one is 'sarva-bhuta-hite ratah' (finding delight in the welfare of all beings), they are not merely performing social service; they are practicing the highest form of Yoga, recognizing the Self in every living creature. In this state, the boundaries between the server, the served, and the act of service dissolve into the singular, blissful vibration of Brahman, turning every action into a spontaneous offering of love.
True liberation is the radical realization of unity, where the purified heart ceases to see division and finds its highest joy in the welfare of all existence as an expression of the Divine.
Connected Verses
Highlights the importance of being occupied in the welfare of all as a means to reach the Unmanifest.
Articulates the yogic vision of seeing the same Self in all beings and all beings in the Self.
Confirms that those who see the equality of existence have already conquered the cycle of birth and death.
Describes the peaceful state of one who has abandoned all desires and egoism.
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