𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

The beginningless bondage of the individual soul in the material world arises from desires and cravings. The Upanishads declare that as long as one remains attached to sensory pleasures, one cannot realize one’s true Self. In the Katha Upanishad , Yama says:

"परञ्चि खानि व्यतृणत् स्वयम्भूः तस्मात् पराङ् पश्यति नान्तरात्मन्।" 

"The Creator turned the senses outward; thus, man looks outside and not within."

As long as one’s gaze is outward-focused, the desire for enjoyment and the attachment it brings keep the soul bound. Śaṅkarācārya says in Vivekachūḍāmaṇi:

"मोक्षस्य न हि हेतुः अन्यः विकल्पितवस्तुनि।"

 "There is no cause for liberation other than discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal."

The constant activity of desires keeps a person entangled in choices, thereby distancing them from Truth.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna tells Arjuna:

"त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः। 

कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत्॥"

"Desire, anger, and greed—these three are the gates to self-destruction. Hence, one should renounce them."

Desire (kāma) is the root of all craving—it arises from mental projections of pleasure. In Ātma Bodha, Śaṅkarācārya writes:

"वासनानामयं देहो वासनामात्रसंभवः। 

वासनातीतता विद्या तत्संन्यासो हि मुच्यते॥" 

"This body is a product of desires and sustained by them. Transcending desires is true knowledge and renunciation, which leads to liberation."

Thus, going beyond desires is the real sannyāsa (renunciation). This knowledge is the key to mokṣa. Discerning insight into the nature of desires, and the effort to transcend them, is the first step toward Self-realization.

Drg-Drsya-Viveka declares:

"दृश्यं ज्ञानमयं किंचिद् दृश्यं ज्ञानविलक्षणम्।" 

"The seen is different from the Seer; the world of objects is different from the knower."

As long as one delights in the seen (the world), one forgets the Seer (the Self). This forgetfulness gives rise to desires, as we begin to search for wholeness in the external world. But true happiness lies in the Self, not in the external.

Vivekachūḍāmaṇi again reminds us:

"यस्मिन् दृष्टे न पुनर्दर्शनम् यः प्राप्य न पुनराप्यः।" 

"That which, once seen or attained, needs not to be seen or attained again—that alone is Brahman."

Yet desires continuously drag the person toward worldly things—things that are incomplete and fleeting. This restlessness and dissatisfaction arise from a fickle mind. Śaṅkarācārya writes:

"कामादिदोषसम्भूता दुःखसंघातहेतवः।"

 "Desire, anger, and such defects are the causes of suffering."

Until one is free from these, neither knowledge of the Self nor its peace can be attained. True victory over desires comes only when one realizes the Self as eternal, pure, conscious, and free.

The Upanishads repeatedly affirm that the Self is unthinkable, unmanifest, and indivisible. In the Muṇḍaka Upanishad, it is said:

"नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन। यमेवैष वṛṇुते तेन लभ्यः तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूं स्वाम्॥" 

"The Self is not attained by lectures, nor by intellect, nor by much learning. He whom the Self chooses, by him alone is It attained; to such a one the Self reveals Its true form."

This means that knowledge and study alone are insufficient; purity of the heart is essential. Renunciation of desires and worldly attractions is the foundation of that purity.

Ātma Bodha teaches:

"शमादिषट्कसम्पन्नः कर्तव्यो मोक्षसाधनम्।" 

"The path to liberation must be undertaken by one endowed with the six virtues, starting with śama (control of the mind)."

The cultivation of such qualities is only possible when one has overcome desires.

To sum up:

Material desires and attachments veil the true nature of the Self. To renounce them does not necessarily require leaving the world, but it does require constant Self-inquiry, discrimination, meditation, and contemplation on Brahman. When one deeply understands that there is no lasting happiness in the impermanent, and learns to control mental tendencies, one moves toward Self-realization.

As the Bhagavad Gita says:

"यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः। इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता॥"

 "When, like a tortoise withdrawing its limbs, one withdraws the senses from sense objects, that person is said to be of steady wisdom."

Such a person truly progresses toward mastery over desire and ultimately attains Brahman.