In plain words
If my son hears it, he may become a virāgī, who knows!’ he thought. At once he went to the paṇḍita. ‘Paṇḍita! Tomorrow I am sending my son to the satsaṅg. Do not teach him fierce Vairāgya. Give him teachings too that will grow attachment to the world,’ he pleaded. Then the paṇḍita said, ‘Am I to give up Vedānta for the sake of your one son? Śeṭṭigāru! For six days you heard my talks. How much Vedānta has come to you? How much tyāga has come to you? Will tyāga come to your son merely because he listens for one day? How will sins like mountains, the distortions of births upon births, be cleared away? This is not something that is cut away so easily.’ In the same way, scrubbing and scrubbing, Śaṅkara took a vow to bring Vairāgya into the young. Only then can we use it every day. The vessel we use every day, we must scrub every day! All the big, big vessels people use at weddings; for those alone, scrubbing once a year is enough. The tumbler we use every day, we must keep washing time after time. In the same way, we must go on scrubbing the body that is in youth every day and keep it pure. Giving teachings of that kind, Śaṅkara went on awakening Vairāgya in the young.
There is no happiness to be had in the passing world
What do you think Vairāgya is? I have told you before. After vomiting food, would anyone try to eat it again? Aversion must come the way it comes for vomited food, as fierce as that. If you think in some vague way, ‘I shall try’, it goes dry. Must do, must do. I am telling you this for your own sake. There is no happiness that comes in this world. There is no Ānanda that is had in this world. However much income and joy you have, one day you must give all of it up and go! God alone is the one we must hold on to firmly. He alone is the God worthy of worship, the eternal Satya. You must lay hold of such divinity. There must be that strong determination, that resolve.