An intense urge to merge with the Divine after abandoning all cravings and attachments for wealth and pleasures is called vairaag, that is, seriousness of realisation of the Omnipresent. During the course of this spiritual journey, a stage is reached when the seeker acquires the wisdom to realise that the world is a mere illusion, and desires are obstacles to realise the Divine within and performs the worldly duties without any personal motive or attachment.
Thus, he develops an urge with immense devotion and love to merge with the Divine within, while performing the worldly duties according to His divine Will. This state of mind is called Vairagya Virti, that is, detachment from the cravings of the egoistic mind. Thus, by reciting the Divine Name with full love and devotion, he is in tuned with the Divine within, while living in the world by performing the duties, destined by the Divine.
Vairaag is of three types: Sutte Vairaag, innate worldly detachment: The blessed person who is completely detached from worldly affairs and cultivates the holy urge to meet the Divine within, is known to have experienced sutte vairaag. This state can even be found in childhood due to a person’s attachment with the Divine from his previous births. Some such children are richly endowed with spiritual capital from the past lives, which carries over to the present one. The Sikh Gurus and great saints of the past all had innate detachment.
Some kind-hearted, pious individuals develop the vairaag virti, inclination towards spiritual life, leading to God realisation after being associated with God-conscious persons and following their teachings.
Kaaran Vairaag, detachment arising out of sudden misfortune, for example, the loss of a loved one, wealth or material possessions.
Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha, a renowned Sikh scholar, in his encyclopaedia of the Sikhs, Mahan Kosh, has classified vairaag into four types:
i) Yattmaan: Considering that life is full of sufferings, one is inclined to tread the divine Path under the guidance of saints
ii) Vaiterek: After deep consideration, one realises that acquiring material wealth is negatively correlated with spirituality and one finds himself engrossed in a wretched life. And thus, he starts treading the divine Path by renouncing the worldly life.
iii) Eikendriye: Frustration sets in after indulgence in worldly pleasures. On account of this, one takes to the life of divine devotion and prayer. With an aim to attain Self-realisation, one treads the spiritual way of life with complete love and devotion and thus, does not run after worldly pleasure.
iv) Vashikaar: With the utmost urge to realise the Divine within, one performs exercises with complete love and devotion and recites the Divine Name. Having thus controlled the mind, he does not have any craving for worldly pleasures except to realise the Divine within and without.
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