Aparokshanubhuti-04

Verses 3 and 4 discussed here.

3 - "By performing austerities (tapas) in the form of one's own varṇa and āśrama duties (svavarṇāśrama-dharma), one pleases Lord Hari (haritoṣaṇa); thus (tasmād) — although the components of the sādhana-catuṣṭaya (fourfold spiritual discipline) such as viveka, etc., follow a sequential, cause-effect relationship — nevertheless, vairāgya (dispassion) has been mentioned first (ādau grahaṇam kṛtam) in order to indicate its special causal importance (asādhāraṇa-kāraṇatā). This is to be understood."

4 - The text introduces the fourfold spiritual discipline by starting with a deep definition of vairāgya — not just as renunciation of worldly pleasures, but even detachment from the pleasures of higher divine realms, including Satyaloka and Brahmaloka.

This philosophical dispassion is not pessimism, but discernment (viveka) arising from the vision of truth.

Hence, it adds a qualifier to the vairāgya being described: ‘That’ (tad) vairāgya is called pure (nirmalaṁ) — that is, it is untainted by longing, aversion, or personal utility, i.e., free from impurities like rāga (attachment), dveṣa (aversion), etc.