LIFE: Upayog or Upabhog

Life:   Upayog or Upabhog

Do we live a life of Upbhog or do we live a life of Upyog ?  What dooes it mean ?  We all have many resources, every individual has them.  These include time, the most important one, but also other tools, the most important being the body, mind and intellect. Minor tools also include money and other material assets. 

Upbhog is when these resources are used primarily for gratification and enjoyment of the senses.  But in Gita Krishna says:


Gita Ch 5 v 22

ye hi saḿsparśa-jā bhogā

duḥkha-yonaya eva te

ādy-antavantaḥ kaunteya

na teṣu ramate budhaḥ

An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kuntī, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.

Since these pleasures derived from sense gratification are temporary, the individual keeps going after more and more and before one realises, life is over.  And than start over and that  cycle for some keeps repeating over and over again, birth after birth.

पुनरपि जननं पुनरपि मरणं
पुनरपि जननी जठरे शयनम् .
इह संसारे बहुदुस्तारे
कृपयाऽपारे पाहि मुरारे .. २१..

Born again, death again, again to stay in the mother's womb !
It is indeed hard to cross this boundless ocean of samsaara . Oh
Murari ! Redeem me through Thy mercy.

When we live a life of Upbhoga, we do not respect natural resources, we abuse,  overuse and misuse natural resources.  We do not make others a partner in our wealth, we do not share it with others.  A person like this never commands respect from others. He may command fear but not respect.  People never remember him for any good deeds.  This person is bound to go through the endless cycles of life and death.

Where as if these resources and tools are used for the benefit of others without a selfish motive, without the desire to enjoy the fruits of our actions than these actions are non binding.  Use the reources with balance, reason, discipline, discretion and concern for others.   Apply viveka and discrimination while using these resources. 


Gita ch 3, v 9

yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra

loko 'yaḿ karma-bandhanaḥ

tad-arthaḿ karma kaunteya

mukta-sańgaḥ samācara

Work has to be performed as a sacrifice to the Lord, otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti,  perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage.

gita ch 4, verse 19

yasya sarve samārambhāh

kāma-sańkalpa-varjitāh

jñānāgni-dagdha-karmānam

tam āhuh panditam budhāh

One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every endeavor is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker for whom the reactions of work have been burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge.

When actions are performed as a service to the Lord, As a service to the fellow human beings than it is a true use of the God given resources of time, body, mind etc and that has a purifying effect.  when we use natural resources with respect, when we apply our wealth for the benefit of others  This is true Upyoga.

 Some of the examples of people who lived a life of Upyoga include Swami Vivekananda, Adi Sankara, Guru Goving Singh to name  a few.  These individuals did not live for a hundred years, they did not accumulate lot of material wealth, but the way they lived their life, it set a great example of what a life lived with Upyoga can be.

If we wnat to look for examples of people who lived a life of Upbhoga, we do not need to look too hard.  It is all around us. We do not need to go too far.  We can look at ourselves.