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Saathvika ThyAgam

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • December 31, 1997 


Dear Sri Ram Gopala Swamy :

Since you have not heard from anyone else , I will
comment on Saathvika ThyAgam . I have also touched upon 
it in my postings on DayA sathakam .

ThyAgam means to give up or abndon . 

When one abandons prescribed karmAs 
casually and does not care , that kind of 
giving up is called Taamasa ThyAgam . 
This is considered to result in MahA Paapam 

When one gives up karmAs because of
laziness or thinks that some one else is going to do
them and gives them up with that excuse , this is
Raajasa ThyAgam . This leads to Paapam as well .    

When one gives up the fruits of one's karmAs , 
then it is called Saathvika ThyAgam . Superior 
sense of discrimination ( VivEkam ) and spiritual
attainments would be needed to train oneself to perform 
this type of ThyAgam . Lord KrishNA in Srimadh Bhagavdh
GeethA dwells on Saathveeka Thyagam and its 
superior status in Chapter IV ( Jn~Ana Karma SanyAsa
YOgam) . The Slokam ( III.30 ) also refers to Saathvika
ThyAgam :

yE yE mathamidham nithyam anuthishtanthi mAnavA : I
sraddhAvanthOanusUyanthO muchyanthE tEapi karmabhi: II

Saathvika ThyAgam is defined by AchAryA RaamAnujA 
as " SaasthrArtham " . This is the essence of Upanishads
according to AchArya RaamAnujA . 

The other slOkam ( SrimAn VenkatanAthArya:---hrudhi ) 
is a salutation to Swami Desikan ( 1268-1369 AD ) by
one of His disciples . He sis saluted as the lion among 
Poet-logicians ( kavi-thArkika Kesari) ; he is consdiered as 
the foremost among VedAnthA AchAryAs . The disciple 
prays for the memory of such great AchAryan should reside
permanently in his hrudhayam . 

Hope this helps ,

V.Sadagopan