This question has always struck me as interesting — and a little amusing too. Because whenever someone starts walking a spiritual path, there's usually some pull toward a fantasy: "One day there will be no responsibilities left. Just me and the Divine."
The scriptures quietly dismantle this romantic idea. They say: responsibilities don't end after self-realization. What ends is the sense of "mine" attached to them.
And that's the entire difference.
What the Texts Actually Say
1. Yogavasishtha — As Long as the Body Exists, Actions Continue
As long as this body stands, action cannot be abandoned. One's actions are rooted in the mind shaped by past tendencies — and that root cannot be severed without knowledge, as long as this body exists.
Yogavasishtha, Nirvana Prakarana Uttarardha, Sarga 3
This is a genuinely practical point. The Yogavasishtha is saying: as long as the body exists, action will continue. There's no way around it. Even breathing is action; even eating is action.
So what happens for a realized soul? They still act — but the feeling of "I am doing this" is gone. Like a fan that keeps spinning after the switch is off, carried by momentum — a realized soul's social responsibilities continue in exactly this way.
2. Yogavasishtha — Feet Move Without Intention; So Do the Realized Soul's Actions
The way a traveler's feet, moving toward their destination, twitch and step forward moment by moment without any conscious intention behind each step, in the same way, a yogi's permitted actions continue to unfold moment by moment, driven by the unseen momentum of practices carried over from past lives.
Yogavasishtha, Nirvana Prakarana Purvardha, Sarga 126
This is a beautiful analogy. When you walk a familiar road, your attention is elsewhere, but your feet keep moving on their own. You don't consciously decide, "turn left now, go straight now." You simply keep walking.
A realized soul's actions work exactly this way. Caring for children at home, serving the community — all of it continues. But there's no "I" behind it thinking, "this is my responsibility."
3. Yogavasishtha — For the Realized Soul, Everything Is Brahman; "The World" Is a Word Only for the Ignorant
For the realized soul, all of this stands established as nothing but Brahman itself. The very name "the world" exists only for the ignorant.
Yogavasishtha, Nirvana Prakarana Uttarardha, Sarga 64
This is a genuinely radical statement. We treat "the world" and "the Divine" as two separate things — and that's exactly our problem. For a realized soul, that division simply doesn't exist.
So for them, "social responsibility" and "spiritual duty" become one and the same. Helping a neighbor is service to the Divine. Teaching a child is the Divine's own work. There's no separation.
4. Yogavasishtha — Neither Joy Nor Grief at a Son's Life or Death
For the wise soul whose vision holds the entire universe to be nothing but the space of consciousness, empty of substance — what desire could possibly arise, and for what reason? Such a person feels neither joy nor grief at the life or death of a son. The world holds no appeal for them — the wise call such a person liberated.
Yogavasishtha, Nirvana Prakarana Uttarardha, Sarga 38
A significant question arises here — "no grief at a son's death?" Does that mean a realized soul becomes heartless?
No. They remain compassionate — but not devastated. Like a doctor who cares for a patient with complete dedication — but if the patient doesn't survive, the doctor isn't destroyed by it. They know that life and death are larger than any one outcome. A realized soul fulfills responsibilities in exactly this way — wholeheartedly, but without a mind that clings.
5. Bhagwat Puran — Sudama: The Ideal Realized Householder
Though a householder, he kept no possessions or hoarding of any kind, remaining content with whatever came his way through destiny.
Shrimad Bhagwat Puran, Tenth Canto, Krishna's Welcome of Sudama
Sudama — who had studied alongside Lord Krishna at the same teacher's hermitage — was realized. And yet he was a householder. He had a wife, children, and poverty.
He didn't abandon his household — but he wasn't attached to it either. Content with whatever came his way. This wasn't laziness — it was supreme contentment. This is exactly what a realized soul's social life looks like.
6. Bhagwat Puran — Disrespecting a Realized Soul Weakens Society Itself
Brahma said: You failed to honor a realized, scripture-knowing, self-disciplined brahmin. This is the fruit of that very injustice — you had to bow your heads before your own weaker enemies.
Shrimad Bhagwat Puran, Sixth Canto, Brihaspati's Abandonment of the Gods
This verse makes the point from a different angle. A realized soul may be free of social bonds — but society itself grows weaker without them. The gods disrespected Brihaspati — and lost.
In other words, a realized soul's presence in society — whether or not they actively do anything — is itself a source of energy, a source of balance. As long as they're present, they serve as an invisible pillar for society.
7. Skanda Purana — A Realized Soul Refused the King's Wealth, but Gave Knowledge
O King! Let these cows, this weight of gold, and this chariot remain with you. I am going to live for many ages yet to come. Whoever has genuine dispassion toward the world, and whose accumulated destiny of merit and sin has been exhausted — only they are entitled to receive the teaching of knowledge.
Skanda Mahapurana, Brahma Khanda, Setu Mahatmya, Chapter 162
This is a remarkable episode. A realized soul refused all the wealth a king offered — but not the act of giving knowledge. That was exactly his "social responsibility."
He didn't cut himself off from society — his contribution simply took a different form. Not accumulating wealth, but sharing knowledge. That, too, is a social responsibility — perhaps the greatest one there is.
Bringing It Together
All these texts arrive at the same conclusion — a realized soul's social responsibilities don't disappear. They transform. The feeling of "my family, my society, my responsibility" leaves. In its place comes a natural, desireless service — one in which there is no "I," only action.
Sudama didn't abandon his household. The sages didn't abandon their sacrificial duties. The realized soul in the Skanda Purana didn't stop giving knowledge. Everyone kept playing their role — just without the sense of "mine" attached to it. That's the balance.
Author's Note
Key Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Brahmajnani | A realized knower of Brahman |
| Kartapan | The sense of being the doer |
| Prarabdha | Destiny — the result of past actions |
| Sankalpa | Intention, the volition of the mind |
| Nirlipta | Unattached, untouched by outcomes |
| Sahajata | Naturalness, spontaneity |
| Parigraha | Accumulation, hoarding |
Sources
- Yogavasishtha (Maharamayana) — Nirvana Prakarana Uttarardha, Sarga 3, 38, 64
- Yogavasishtha (Maharamayana) — Nirvana Prakarana Purvardha, Sarga 126
- Yogavasishtha (Maharamayana) — Utpatti Prakarana, Sarga 81
- Shrimad Bhagwat Puran — Tenth Canto, Krishna's Welcome of Sudama
- Shrimad Bhagwat Puran — Sixth Canto, Brihaspati's Abandonment of the Gods
- Skanda Mahapurana — Brahma Khanda, Setu Mahatmya, Chapter 162