Sadhana Panchakam, Instruction 22

Translation and Commentary by Jayaram V

3.6 Give up pride day by day.

“Garv” means pride, arrogance, haughtiness. It may arise in a person due to various reasons such as birth, family status, wealth, knowledge, appearance, special skills, relationships, possessions and so on. In behavior it may manifest as contempt, anger, disrespect, harshness, disobedience, recklessness, feelings of superiority, disregard, aggression, etc. The Bhagavadgita describes the behavior thus, “I am wealthy, I belong to a superior lineage, who else is there like me, I shall offer sacrifices, I shall give charity, I shall rejoice, thinking thus, they are deluded by ignorance.”

Pride may arise due to three main factors namely egoism (anava), attachments (pasas) and delusion (moha). The first one creates the feeling that you are a separate and distinct individual and you are responsible for your actions and achievements. The second one causes attachment to your name and form, attachment to your worldly possessions, which includes your wealth and knowledge, and attachment to your public image or how the world treats you or approves you. All the three are obstacles to experience peace and equanimity and absorb the mind in the self.

As an offshoot of egoism, ignorance and delusion, pride arises from the numerous identities which you develop in your life, such as your family name, caste or social identity, nationality, gender, education, profession, association, etc. As your extended identities, they strengthen your individuality and prevent you from experiencing oneness with God or cultivating compassion and empath towards others. Unless you establish your mind in the knowledge of the self and in the identity that you are the eternal self or Brahman, you cannot overcome egoism or pride which arises from it.

Pride denotes duality and delusion. Neither in material life nor in spiritual life, pride is desirable. It motivates people to be egoistic and selfish and engage in desire-ridden actions to pursue their goals or promote themselves. Proud people consider themselves superior or special. They expect favors and privileged treatment in all matters, even in their relationship with God or their gurus. They are easily annoyed or angry and negatively react if they feel that they are spited, ignored or spurned. Pride can put people in direct confrontation with God and make them act as his enemies. The epics and Puranas show how pride destroyed lives and careers of great warriors such as Ravana, Duryodhana, Shishupala or Asvatthama.

Pride can cloud your judgment and your opinion of yourself and others. It is a major obstacle in spiritual practice to overcome the impurities of your mind and body and cultivate sattvic qualities. Because of it, spiritual people may take pleasure in their spiritual qualities. They may feel special for their knowledge or their status as renunciants or take pride in the exalted state of their gurus or their teachings or their lineages or in the public image of their communes or their influence. Contemplation upon Brahman as themselves or the idea that they are Brahman in essence may also fill their minds with vanity and conceit.

If you take pleasure in your spirituality or virtuosity or if you are easily disturbed by what others say or think about you or how they treat you, it means your ego is still in control, and you are still attached to your identity and self-image. When your ego is in control, you cannot truly practice detachment, sameness, equanimity and humility or practice devotion and surrender. In those situations, your spiritual practice becomes a tool for self-promotion for worldly ends, instead of leading you on the righteous path of liberation.

Pride can also hamper your learning and spiritual practice. A proud aspirant may not feel comfortable to approach a teacher whom he perceives to be ignorant or unkempt or crazy or from a lower social background, whereas history shows that outward appearance has no correlation with the enlightened state of an adept. Many enlightened people assume such odd appearances to avoid public attention and adulation or discourage worldly people from approaching. Even in normal situations proud students may not readily accept the teachings of anyone or approach them with humility, willingness and obedience to learn from them or ask questions and seek answers. Instead, they may prefer to argue with them to prove their own knowledge and erudition.

Thus, pride is a major obstacle which every initiate has to address in the very early stages of his sadhana. Therefore, you have to be always on guard against any feeling of pride or privilege which may surface in your consciousness for any reason. It may arise when others may treat you with reverence or touch your feet or seek your blessings. The very idea that you are pious and gave up a good life to pursue liberation can make you feel good about yourself and take pride in your actions or decisions.

In the practice of nidhidhyasana you have to give up all notions of self-importance, selfishness and attachment to your name and form and empty your mind of all notions of individuality and any expectation that you deserve special attention from your teacher, others or God. You have to cultivate humility and obedience, and live as if you do not exist and do not matter in the order of things, except as the pure, limitless and indistinguishable self. Giving yourself to the will of God and suppressing any desire to control others or your destiny, you must focus upon purifying your mind and body and qualify for the supreme knowledge.

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