Meaning
Vairāgya (Sanskrit: वैराग्य — from vi-rāga, 'freedom from coloring/passion') means the inner state of being uncolored by desire for worldly objects. It is not forced renunciation or suppression of desire but the natural state that arises when one has seen through the impermanence and unsatisfying nature of saṃsāric pleasures.
Vairāgya as Inner Qualification
The classical Vedānta framework requires the aspirant to cultivate sādhana-catuṣṭaya — four qualifications — of which vairāgya is the second:
- Viveka — discrimination between permanent and impermanent
- Vairāgya — dispassion toward the impermanent
- Ṣaṭ-sampatti — six virtues (śama, dama, etc.)
- Mumukṣutva — desire for liberation
Vairāgya naturally follows viveka: once the discrimination between the eternal soul and the temporal world is clear, attachment to the temporal world loosens.
Not Dry Renunciation
Śrī Vaiṣṇava ācāryas distinguish mere tapas-based renunciation from the vairāgya of a devotee. The Āzhvārs' vairāgya was not cold asceticism but the overflow of their love for the Lord — they found the world tasteless not because it was unreal but because Bhagavān's beauty was infinitely more captivating. This is sometimes called bhagavad-anubhava-janya-vairāgya — dispassion born of experiencing the Lord's sweetness.
Vairāgya and Prapatti
For the prapanna, vairāgya in the deepest sense is the releasing of all supports (āśrayams) other than the Lord — giving up dependence on one's own abilities, rites, and merits, and relying entirely on the Lord's grace.