In our country of sages with such an ancient rich spiritual heritage where Moksha/Iswaraprema is the ultimate Purusartha, what is the document that ensures that all rishis were married?
Did not we have sages like Narada, Suka, Dattattreya?
As I pointed to in replying to another question, the concept of renouncing the world which is the essence of sannyasa, has been mentioned in the Main Upanishads. I am providing these documents here:
Yes, there are many slokas in the Upanishads that imply a sannyasin way of life:
- "Yadichchhanto brahmacharyam charanti"
in the Kathopanishad I think refers to Unbroken brahmacharyya which is possible only for the sannyasins. Yes, whose mind is in Brahma can not have a married life with sensual pleasures as pointed out by many saints like Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. To me, what the realised souls who practised these and realised the Truth are authentic, not the book-worms or scholars.
- The same also holds for "Tamevaikam janatha aatmanam anyaa vacho vimunchatha"(Mudankopanishad (2/2/5).
Concentrating on God alone leaving all oher talks is not possible for a normal married householder**.Excepting the Prema-unmadas, it is possible for the sannyasin way of life alone.
- Kathopanishad says:"Kaschiddhirah pratyagatmaanam aikshad aavrittachakshur amritattvamichchhan"
dhirah and avavrittachaksur mean one who has totally withdrawn himself from external pleasures, so it does mean the sanyyasin way of life.
4.Mudakopanishad says: parikshya lokaan karmachitaam brahmano nirvedam aayannaasyakritah kritena
Nirveda of the sloka definitely means a sannyasin way of life.
- Mundakaponishad also says: satyena labhyastapasaa jyesha aatmaa samyagjnaanena brahmacharyen nityam. antahsarire jyotirmayo hi subhro yam pashanti yatao kshinadoshaah
The nitya brahmacharyya or unbroken celibacy points to a sannyasin way of life. Someone having nirveda and brahmacharyya and seeing divine light inside is not expected to enjoy filthy sensual pleasures.So such persons are mentioned as yatao(sannyasins) in the above mantra.
- The same Upanishad says: Nayamaatma valahinena labhyo na cha pramadat tapaso vapyalingat
Alingat means he can not know Atmaa without external sannyasa.
The Kaivalyopanishad clearly says : na karmanaa na prajayaa tyaagenaike amritatwamanasuh: giving tyaaga or sannyasin way of life as the only prescription. "yad ahareva virajet tad ahareva pravyajet"
I have also not read the Vedas.But quoting from Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath(Srimadbhagavadgita, vol 2, page 182-184)
Sannyasa means renunciation and does not necessarily mean formal sannyasa: http://sanskritdictionary.com/?iencoding=iast&q=संन्यास&lang=sans&action=Search
Varnashrama is the Vedic dharma of the aryans.At the age of fifty, husband and wife should leave the house and go to the forest.At 75 years of age, sannyasa should be taken. Sannasi should remain alone under the sky or in temples, shaving head, wearing a piece of cloth and deer skin and should live on begging (madhukari).A sannyasi should not stay at any place for more than three nights. Sages like Manu and Daksha have prescribed this.
He has then given various quotations from and mentioned the names of Narada-Parivrajaka-Upanishad, Paramahamsa-Upanishad, Jabala-Upanishad, Turiyatittabadhut Upanishad, Sannyas Upanishad etc.
He has then discussed the Tantrik ways of sannyasa and ultimately Mahasannyasa.
Swami Vivekananda has also repeatedly said that without braahmacharya (celibacy is necessary for brahmacharya, but notvsufficient) renunciation, no spiritual realisation is possible as has Sri Ramakrishna and so there has been a continuity in this regard from the days of yore. If someone is addictedcan iota of sensual pleaure, he or she must be millions of mile away from illumination.