SUVARNABINDU
Suvarnabindurakshobhya sarvavaagheeswareswara(Vishnusahasranaamam)
Dr Suvarna Nalapat
Om Adividushaaya Kapilaaya nama:
Aiswaryagnaanavairagyadharmaroopavibhaswathe
Rudraaya vishnavekaaya nama adisareerine
Asheshasamkhyayogaarthapravakthaamithadheer rishi:
Dharmameghaanwitha:saantho jayathu sree Pathanjali:
This is my journey into the worlds of Vyaasa,Pathanjali and VachaspathiMisra .The
journey into the world of Yoga and samkhya.The journey for a traveler has three
stages.1.The beginning of the journey or preparation for it
2.The saadhana or the actual journey
3.The sidha state or end of journey at the desired goal.
The first is only bhaava or sankalpa of the goal and the devising of methods to reach
there.The second is the actual journey with all its rasa experiences.And the third is
fulfillment of the sankalpa ,the stage of ultimate bliss of prema .This preparatory chapter
of study and analysis of yoga and its history is a welcome for the readers who are ready
to take the journey..
The first Rishi to do exposition of Samkhya and Yoga is said to be Sage Kapila.Therefore
the Yogadrishti is synonymously called a Kapilaksha.When Acharya Panchasikha
say”Aadividwan Nirmaanachitham adhistaaya Kaarunyaad paramarshiraasuraye
jignaasamaanaaya thanthram provacha”,the word thanthra means samkhya and the
method to know it ,the yoga .Nirmaanachitha originates out of yogasamadhi.To achieve
Samadhi one has to do yama and the other prescribed anushtaana.Therefore when he says
Nirmaanachitha,all these are mentioned .Kapila includes yogavidya in the
Anweekshiki.Both yoga and samkhya are eternal since the thanmathra of the elements in
samkhya is known with pragna of yoga.In Mahabharatha santhiparva these two are said
as one and as two.The knowledge achievable by athamagnaana is samkhya and the
sadhana for it as yoga.Thus they are interdependent and hence oneness is
demonstrated.Devala also has said this as explained in Mokshakaanda.Bhagavad Geetha
also says “Ekam samkhyam cha yogam cha ya :pasyathi sa pasyathi”.(Geetha 5.5)The
only way to obtain adhyathmavidya(samkhyam)is yoga.The gnaana of Yagnavalkya is
samkhya .Samkhya is the advaitha of the seen and the seer with the knowledge of it.
Athma is pure chitha.Chith which is nirguna by the kriya of birth(janma)become
saguna.About the creation of this mahat panchasikha says “Anumaathra
Aathma”.Everything that speaks of chith and achith are theoretical and subtle and known
only in samadhi state .This subtle knowledge or abstract knowledge is samkhya and
samkhya is the same as Athmavidya.
What is the importance and use of samkhya and yoga?With that all the sorrows and
miseries (including the root cause of misery,desires)are destroyed forever.Both sorrow
and its cause are destroyed only by knowledge about them.If we don’t know the cause of
sorrow we cannot destroy sorrow.Therefore,the enquiry(anweekshiki )of sorrow and its
cause is the method of controlling sorrows.The personal experience of sadhana coupled
with the knowledge aquired from scriptures remove all doubts.Therefore santhiparva says
(316/2)Naasthi samkhyasamam gnaanam naasthi yogasamam balam.It is knowledge and
power or sakthi to ward off all sorrows and disorders.The samkhyayogasasthra has
chathurvyuha(four groups).Vyaasabhaashyam says “Yathaa chikitsaasasthram
chathurvyuham”Just like the medical science this also has four parts.
Samsaara
Samsaarahethu
Moksha
Mokshopaaya
The yogaanga are the mokshopaaya.They are performed for the sake of ultimate gnaana
and moksha.It is not for theory but for practice in life.There is a world which is to be
understood,a person who understands it,and a process of cognition or understanding in
every science or art or philosophy .These are called the graahya,the graahaka and the
grahana .The yoga power makes us understand these levels of energy are the same in the
ultimate experience.The oneness of the graahaka(the saadhaka)with the grahya(the
known)and the knowledge or the cognition or consciousness makes an advaitha during
Samadhi state.This knowledge and experience of oneness is samkhya or ultimate
knowledge.And the method to attain this is yoga.Thus moksha and mokshopaaya are one
for the saadhaka. .The first yogaacharya was Hiranyagarbha .For the world this was
crodified by sage Kapila,which is called the samkhya .Whenever this knowledge system
is about to be lost ,it is revealed to a person who is pure and intelligent and thus the
dharma is rejuvenated and kept alive and anaadi.Therefore Pathanjaliyoga is not a new
creation but a revival of an old system of ancient knowledge.
Pramaana of samkhya
Pratyaksham anumaanam cha thatha cha vividhaagamam(Manu 12.15)These are the
pramaana for the samkhya also.Pratyaksha is direct perception with the sense organs.The
extended technical direct perceptions(like microscope ,telescope etc)are also sensory
perceptions and hence come under Loukikapratyaksha of samkhya.The perception
through Dhyaana is a mental perception.Samkhya includes this as
(dhyaanajapratyaksha)direct perception.Medicine,astronomy and other sciences are
coming under direct perceptions for the samkhya..The Naadi experiences of the kundalini
are dhyaanajaprathyaksha ,later collaborated by dissections etc.The first scientists speak
of their experiences and experiments and the successors experiment with them and use
them as reference material for building upof the science over generations.Thus the
opinions of earlier people(ancestors)as sruthi become pramaana after several generations
of testing and experience.The earth(prithwi)with its aapas(water)and the different objects
,living and nonliving is accountable to our direct sense perceptions.But the other
elements vaayu,agni,and akaasa are not so easily understood.To know them ordinary
sense experiences are not enough.Logic and argumentative processes of enquiry and
more concentrated efforts were done to understand them.There is nothing illogical in
yoga and samkhya because of this procedure.The questions of the Samkhya like ,can
something be created out of nothing ?has been used by Marx,Hegel,and Virchow ,the
father of cellular pathology to develop their philosophies and sciences over the years.It is
from such detailed questioning and logical analysis that the second pramaana of
anumaana is accepted and it is not mere guesswork.Thought and analysis by logical
thought is sometimes reliable than direct perception of the sense organs without
applying the thought processes as anyone of us have experienced at least once in our
lifetime.The absolute essence of everything as truth is thus logically grasped through
analysis and anumaana derived from that.The question of God/or Brahma is thus a
prathyaksha of not the physical senses but of analytical and experienced thought
perception called anumaana.It determines a common general sakthi or power present in
everything .But it cannot determine this power in a special thing alone,or in a special
individual alone.For this a different type of prathyaksha is needed and this is called
Arshadrishtipratyaksha. This is the Samadhi experience.Agama(references from ancient
scientists),anumana,dhyaanapratyaksha and the rasa experience of the Samadhi thus
makes the different and higher states of experiences and pramaana of the samkhya.
Pratyaksha or saakshatkaara is experience.It is pertaining to gnaana of the visesha type
(not a general one).Only in samadhipragna one gets this viseshagnaanam.Not in
dhaarana or dhyaana.This yogajagnaana experience of the ultimate type is characterized
by visions and hearings of sabda of specific nature.The sabda is not the gross sabda we
hear with our gross sense organs of hearing.It is the subtle sounds .It is the word beyond
the words of the world.The first formed sabda in akaasa .The aakaasa has only sabda ,and
no other qualities and is the most subtle of the five elements in Indian philosophy.The
subtle sound waves invisible and inaudible to gross human ears is heard in Samadhi
through the power of the vaayu or air ,which carry the waves to us.Therefore,the praana
and apaana of the yogi is well controlled to receive these vibratory waves when they
come in Samadhi.The praanaayaama of the yogi is only a preparatory stage for the
reception of the subtle messages in Samadhi state.Since the enrgy waves travel as light
and sound as soon as the sound waves are received by the biological kundalini fields ,the
darsana or lighteninglike visions also happen.The visualization of sound or music is a
simultaneous occurring in yoga and in our nervous energy field.Therefore the yogi
becomes a darsaka(one who is a seer)as well as a srotheeya(one who creates sruthi)and is
called a manthradrashta(seer of a manthra).The modern technological knowledge has
actually proved the consistency of these claims of the ancient Indian seers
.
The prameya of samkhyavidya
The drashta(seer-one who perceives)and the drisya(the perceived) are needed for any
knowledge system.The drishya is from different emotional percepts derived and
modified and hence is considered as a changing phenomenon.Such a changing and
multitudinous universe is grasped by the consciousness of Hiranyagarbha,the first seer of
it.as a whole .This anthakarana of the first seer has thriguna ,and hence is akin to
prakrithi.The thriguna of the anthakarana of the first seer and the thriguna of the universe
are cognized as a single whole only through concentration and sadhana .The many is seen
and comprehended as the one for the first time ,means the anthakarana of Hiranyagarbha
is able to understand the oneness of the universe and his/her position in it .Then he/she
classifies the prakrithi which he has understood as one into
prakrithi,vikrithi,prakrithivikrithi in vyaktha and avyaktha states ,for teaching about it to
others.Before the comprehension of oneness the classification into different category was
not there(taxonomy 0f living and nonliving )though they had existed.Therefore we say
that knowledge originated in the anthakarana of a seer.But we must remember that it is
the seer who has understood the oneness of entire creation who is classifying it as
different categories for easy understanding and for teaching purposes to the disciples
depending upon their grasping power and interests.Due to this the disciple can choose
the prameya of his interest ,but the pramaana and the methods applied are the same.The
seer,the seen vary with time and space but the research tools and methods being the same
,the science of samkhya is changeless.
Main principles of samkhyayogavidya
1.Samsaara is sorrow.It has contradictions,different guna and its combinations in
different proportions and different sanskaara due to these producing changes forever and
generates heat (thaapa)and dukha(sorrow)in varying proportions.Even in heaven there is
sorrow but different from that on earth.Even swarga has an end.The disciple should find
out a method to get over all such sorrows and destructions.
2.Perception and cognizance of sorrow,gnaana,swarupa and its knowledge,kaivalya
experience-These give total destruction of sorrow and its cause.
3.For chithavrithinirodha one must have yoga.With yogabalam alone one gets aiswarya
and vibhoothi and ultimate gnaana.Only these give kaivalya.
4.Samsaara is anaadi.The human beings (jeevathma)bound to samsaara also is
anaadi.From a tiniest worm to the most venerable Hiranyagarbha are different forms of
jeeva which are one with purusha in pralaya and they come and go repeatedly in a
cyclical manner in timespace.
5.Avidya of the jeeva also is anaadi.This means the one which is beyond timespace is
thought of as bound to time and space.The difference of drishya and drashta itself is the
symbol of this avidya.This difference is gone only in Samadhi and then only one can get
out of the avidya.
6.Karma is anaadi.Avidya is anaadi.Therefore the janmaparampara also must be
anaadi.Only to a purusha who is krithaaartha by Samadhi the difference between seer
and seen and gnana of it become one.For an akritharathapurusha the difference between
seer and seen always exists(duality exists).Therefore everyone should aspire to remove
the duality from oneself by resorting to the ashtanga of yoga.
7.Purusha is Jagathsarjaka or creator.For each Brahmanda there are different creators or
brahmapurusha as jagathsarjaka.There are asamkhyam brahmanda and asamkhyam
creators for each one of them.The sruthi calls him as Hiranyagarbha.He has
nirmaanachitha and nirmaanachitha is vidyaamoola.He does not have klesakarmavipaaka
or desires ,since he is all the time involved in creativity.Once the universe is created ,the
human beings as aksharapurusha,having avidya ,through Samadhi has to become one
with Hiranyagarbha by yogabalam.(Here Aksharapurusha is Kapila ,while Hiranyagarbha
is the universal creator ).The vidya of Hiranyagarbha and his creativity becomes the
quality of the sarvagna aksharapurusha jeevathma by Samadhi experience.Just like
asamkhyam Hiranyagarbha for different universes,there are asamkhyam aksharapurusha
for different times and spaces and they come whenever there is a need to uplift the
dharma(dharmasamsthaapana).
8.The paramapurusha is chidroopa(form of energy) and beyond all aiswarya.Sruthi calls
it Aksharaath paratha:para:He is achinthya(can not be thought)amana(without a
mind)aprana(with no praana)avyapadeshya(cannot be advised or
taught)alakshana(without any signs)and is beyond all knowledge and human intelligence
and words.His akhanda Oneness is beyond desa and kaala.It is not prakrithi or vikrithi
9.Jadaprakrithi is eka,thrigunaathmika and without desakaala.She is the reason for the
grahya,grahaka and grahana .Prakrithi with sthithi(position)and gathi(movement)is
always varthamaana(present action).The anthakarana is prakrithi with these guna.But it
becomes due to its concentration on aiswarya(Iswara)and dharma,able to cross the time
and space.
10..When the effect is in its avyaktharoopa it is called upaadaana kaarana(cause).Prakrithi
is this .When effect is changing ,the cause is not changing.The changeless cause cannot
be asath.For sath(truth)there is no destruction.Chith or energy is this sath (truth)which
never changes (aparinaami).
Yogaswaroopa is Kaivalya.There are two types of yogasammadhi .Sampragnaatha and
asampragnaatha.Sampragnaatha is the pereption of thathwa as graahaka,graahya and
grahana.Saswatha chithalaya(eternal merging of chitha)as kaivalya occurs only in
asampragnaathasamadhi.Just as in medical practice,due to thaamasaguna increase,the
healing can be delayed,in yogic practice also there may be delays in attainment of the
effects.Only a perfect sushtu(pure sathwik)gets the full effects of the Samadhi.In the
yogasaarasamgraha of Bhikshu,the Samadhibheda in Paathanjalayoga is to distinguish
sushtu from nonsushtu.
Yoga is either gnaanayoga or kriyaayoga.Kriyaayoga is practice of external
Iswarapranidhaana to get fixity and sthairya.Gnaanayoga is Nididhyaasana and is
internal process.The difference is in sadhanamarga only.The expected result is the same
.And the different methods are devised so that it suits all types of
individuals.Bhakthiyoga with Iswarapranidhaana is part of yoga .And it gives kaivalya
after intense practice.Santhiparva also says this.At present the bhakthimarga and
gnaanamarga appears to be at two different poles.But ,in ancient times it was not.And if
bhakthi is practiced in its true sense it is not different from gnaana is certified by all
scriptures .Since yogasasthra is saadhanaapradhaana ,the principle of karma is explained
in detail in yoga.In Iswarapranidhaana,the thinking of the swaroopa of Iswara is the main
theme.This is not external but internal saadhana.The experimentation of nature of God by
logical analysis is not seen any other religions /philosophy other than Indian .There is
only acceptance of it as taught by the book or the authority of the religious head in
them.(church).But in samkhya ,each individual applies the analytical sadhana of finding
out nature of God through Iswarapranidhana of Yoga .Each comes up with a different
interpretation but it does not contradict the original scientific law formulated.The
interpretation of Budha,Mahaveera,Sankara,Madhwa etc are to be understood in this way.
Every one of them use the samkhya and yoga and experiment with God /sorrow and
cause of sorrow to destroy sorrow of samsaara.
The vigneya(to be known)is kaivalya alone.In that state alone there is equalization of the
thriguna.Only such a person is called a sidha.The sidha and Ayurveda medical treatment
is based on the thriguna and on samkhya and yoga.The musical healing of India also is
based on this .Kaivalya alone is the end of births and deaths which is called moksha.This
is the only aim of the yogin.And of all the sadhakaas.Arshagnaana is the root of all
mokshadarsana.Thad idam arshagnaanaprakarane sidhadarsanaprakarane cha proktham is
the word of the commentator of the yoga.Whether in Utharameemamsa
,poorvameemamsa ,or in saiva,vaishnava or budhist ,jainist traditions the yoga tradition is
accepted and it is the most ancient naaga tradition of the land.All scinces and arts of the
land has accepted the yogic tradition.Vaiseshika also has
yogavichaara.Upanishad,Brahmasoothra and Geetha(Prasthaanathraya )uphold samkhya
and yoga traditions .Yogavidya is not avaidiki.It had been practiced before the IVC
Harappan period from the evidence of terracotta figures and figurines from that
period.Both ekagratha(concentration)and praanaayama(control of breath)are
vedic.Without ekagratha no knowledge is possible.Bhagavad Geetha says Sradhaavaan
labhathe gnaanam.Only in Samadhi one gets ultimate gnaanam.Mahad etc are known
only in Samadhi.Therefore ,one cant say that mahad is avaidika and Samadhi is
vaidika.(sareerakabhashyam 2.1.2).Meemamsa or enquiry is based on sradha and dhyana
and Samadhi .Even the karmakanda has to be thought out and analysed internally before
accepting it.And it is not against veda or advaitha.The external karma or yagna are to be
understood as the lecture demonstration of the old teachers to the disciples.They are the
teaching methods devised by the ancients to make the knowledge systems outlive them
through generations of disciples..
Jaimini is respected for his poorvameemamsa and is a saamagaayaka.He is
mahaayogeeswareswara according to Vishnupuranam.(4.4.48).The poorvameemamsa
being the enquiry of a samavedin and a yogin cannot be nonvedic.sabdasasthra is part of
vedic knowledge .In books on Siksha,(a vedanga)the greatness of Omkara is
explained.Naaradeeyasiksha (12)says the importance of control of senses,peaceful
countenance,lack of fear through yogavidya to get perfect control of sounds and their
pronounciation(literature and music).The geethakriyaabalam (the power of the act of the
geetha or song /music)gives chithasthairya (fixity of chitha)to
disciples(Yagnavalkyasmrithi 3/112).The pronounciation of gaana ,is rooted in
yogavidya and is given in the siksha of vedanga.For kalpa,niruktha,vyakarana,jyothisha
and ayurveda also yoga and samkhya are needed to give them scientific
explanation.Bhagavad Geetha in its entirety is a samkhya and yoga exposition.Both
nirguna and saguna are the same energy.The universe(prakrithy),the mass with
movement(panda with gathi)and its cause ,the energy or God,as it is called are one .But
they seem to be different to those who cannot understand the oneness in Samadhi.This
knowledge is expounded by Sankara in 8th century.He is not against samkhya or yoga,but
against the wrong interpretations of it by several people before him.The modern concept
of E= Mc2 is to be understood from Sankarabhashya as Brahma =prakrithi X its gathi 2.
Only with a concentrated mind an Einstein or a Sankara can reach this
understanding.Ordinary people cannot reach that so easily.They have to resort to much
easier methods .Bhakthiyoga and karmayoga according to the Geetha are such
methods.they are not inferior methods but methods suited to different people based on
their tendencies and personalities.The ishtadevathaanishta (concentration of a personal
God whom you love)in Bhakthimarga is the Iswarapranidhaana of yogasasthra.The
ishtadevatha can be a saguneswara like Vishnu,siva,or devi or Christ,or any other form
,or it could be nature,a tree,earth,sky,music,other arts or sciences etc.Each of these are
ishtadevatha on which on can do Iswarapranidhana,concentrated dharana,dhyana,and
internal manana or analysis to know its true nature.Or it could be a human Guru like
Vyasa,or Christ or Tyagaraja or any other Guru,past or present.This scientific
Outlook gives one a comprehensive understanding of nature and its laws and the
biological energy as part of it and thus an advaitha of existence.In sareerakabhashya
Sankara said ,(2.2.1)mathabheda(difference in opinion)is only a process in the
classification by different enquirers.To understand this one needs purity of
intelligence.Wisdom is not attainable by all .Lack of wisdom is seen as the bedhabudhi
(Maaya)of mine and yours which creates samsaara and sorrows by the learned.Majority
of human beings have this .Only a few attain wisdom.If one of the teachers(world
teachers)show lack of wisdom ,it just shows the lack of their ability to comprehend
truth.And even if the teacher has comprehended truth,the lack of comprehension of it by
the disciples can lead to problems.All these things are taken into account by the yoga to
determine the quality of a true teacher.Due to the anuraaga (love)of people in different
types of methodology four types of yoga are recognized.These are
Manthrayoga,Layayoga,Rajayoga and Hathayoga.These are only differences due to
practice in yoganga.In the same way one has to
understand,saiva,vaishnava,saktha,veerasaiva,pasupatha,pratyabhignaa,
,pancharathra etc In the present state of affairs with multiplicity of practices and beliefs
only one in a lakh of people can grasp the advaitha or oneness of existence and
kaivalya.It does not mean that it does not exist.Ayrveda,bharathavidya and music are all
derived based on the samkhya and yoga.So is the astronomy and astrology and
mathematics of our land.
Krishnadwaipaayana Saamaveda saakhaa Gurusishyaparampara
1.Vyasa
2.Jaimini and Lomaharshana
3.Jaimini disciple Sukarma and Lomaharshana son and disciple Soothan
4.sukarma;s disciple Poushijji
5.Kuthumi
6.Parasara
7 After parasara is Pathanjali (vayupurana 6.1 and Brahmandapurana 1/35)There must
have been a contemporary of pathanjali ,and son of this Parasara as krishnadwaipayana
the second .Then there is 7 generations between the first vyasa and the second vyasa.And
the Mahabharatha war has happened 7 generations before pathanjali or even before that.
The parampara given above is Vyasa’s Acharyaparampara.This is not in chronological
timescale.The Lokaparampara of vyasa is in chronological timeframe.It is like this.
1 Parasara +Sathyavathy
2.Vyasa +his 4 wives
Sukan,Dritharashtran,Pandu and Vidura
3.Kourava and Pandava
4.Abhimanyu
5.Pareekshith
6Janamejaya
Vyasa was the grandfather of the great Pandavas and was alive when the deluge of
Dwaraka took place(BC 3104).Three generations after the Pandava king Yudhishtira,was
born King Janamejaya.And in his sacrifice of the serpents came the great Asthika,a
learned Naga and Brahmin ,nephew of Vasuki to stop the massacre of his race.He was a
younger contemporary of Janamejaya. And the Pathanjali of the 7th Acharyaparampara of
Vyasa .This is the reason why Pathanjali is shown as half naaga and half human.Asthika
belongs to Vyasaparampara of yoga and saamaveda and Bhagavath Sampradaaya and is
the ancient Pathanjali.(The 7th generation of Krishnadwaipayanavyasa disciple
parampara. And hence called Vyasa after the school to which he belongs.)If we
understand this,the Pathanjalavyasabhashya is very ancient and a reinterpretation of what
vyasa had done with Hiranyagarbha yogasasthra.
But according to Sreeramasankarar(pp 35)Jaimini had a friend called Kritha,who was
disciple of Hiranyagarbha,and a king belonging to the sooryavansa,and Hiranyanabha
was the classmate of Poushijji .And therefore Pathanjali is older than the Mahabharatha
period and probably the original Vyasa himself.In Mahabharatha the name of
Pathanjali does not appear.But Mahabharatha says that Vasishta memorized the
Hiranyagarbayogasasthra(santhi 3.8/45)Santhiparva uses the method of analyzing God by
shadvinsathathwa,which is a method of Hiranyagarbayoga.Anusasanaparva and
Aswamedhaparva also speaks of yoga .Lingapurana,vayupurana,Markandeyapurana
,Vishnupurana,sivapurana,bhagavathapurana speaks of yoga
.Saiva,Vaishnava,Ganapathya,and Saktheya accept yoga alike as a method to attain the
oneness of Godhead.Nyayavarthika ,Vyakarana(like Laghumanjusha),Bhaskararaya’s
Lalithasahasranaamabhashya,dharmasasthra and smrithis ,and even kavyateeka to
establish a point quotes yogasoothra showing the wide popularity of the yoga and
acceptability to all alike.Boudha and Jaina scriptures have quoted profusely from the
yogasoothra.The Maithryadisadhana of yogasoothra was renamed as Brahmavihara by
the Budhist lore.But even this term is not entirely original.Because the term Brahma is
ancient.And Vihara is used by the ancient panchasikha(older than Budha)and the term is
a combination of these two words.(Ye chai the Maithryaadayo dhyaayinaam
vihaaraa:.Yogabhashyam 4.10)A sort of fusion word.The fact that the art of yoga existed
before BC 500 (Budha’s period)is now evident from the figures and figurines excavated
from IVC Harappan sites.And early Harappan period corresponds to the time of deluge
(BC 3104).Budha ,instead of Pranidhaana uses the word Anusmrithi.(to remember
again)The synonym is Prathi Abigna..To remember something forever is the constant
dhyaana of it and this is what Iswarapranidhaana is in bhakthi traditions .Santhiparva uses
the word Budha .Its meaning being a Parikarmi for purification of chitha.(santhi 28.32)In
Aswalayanasrouthasoothra also a parikarmi is mentioned.Santhiparva says that such a
person is great among the twolegged(men) and hence calls him
Dwipadaamvara.Therefore the term Budha is an accepted term from Arshasampradaaya
and not against it.Parikarmi is needed in a healing art(Ayurveda)for a physician/surgeon
to practice healing.The Budha is a parikarmi sent by God to earth,for removing the
impurities of the earth,so that God’s healing art can work .Thus the term is more or less
equivalent to a prophet.
To start with the aspirant is known as a sramana and a Jina who has conquered the
senses..With revelation and nirvana experience the sramana is known as a Boudha or
Budha.These are only steps in the progress of one’s yogacharya(practice of yoga).
Yogasoothra is made of soothra.These are very short syllogisms which express profound
truth in a nutshell and without much ado so that only the most needed things are imparted
to the aspirant to reduce his/her confusion and doubts..Several commentaries have
appeared on yogasoothra .some of them are listed below.
1 Bhavaganesha’s Deepika
2.Bhojaraja’s Bhojavrithi
3 Ananthadevapanditha’s Chandrika
4.Sadasivendrasaraswathi’s Yogasudhakaram
5Narayanatheertha’s Yogachandrika
6 Yasovijaya’s yogasoothravrithy
7.Udayasankara’s yogasoothravrithy
8 Umapathy’s yogasoothravrithy.
9.Ganeshadeekshitha’s Pathanjalavrithy
10.Gnanananda’s Yogasoothravrithy
11.Narayanabhikshu’sYogasoothraGoodaarthadyothika
12 Bhavadevaka’s Pathanjaleeyaabhinavabhashya
13.Bhavadevaka’s yogasoothravrithi Tippani
14.Mahadeva’s yogasoothravrithi
15.Ramanuja’s yogasoothrabhashya
16.Vrindavanasukla’s yogasoothravrithy
17 Sivasankara’s yogavrithy
18.Sadasiva’s Pathanjalasoothravrithy
19.Sreedharanandayati’s Pathanjalarahasyaprakaasam
20.BaladevaMishra’s Yogapradeepika
21.Swami Narayan’s Kiranapradeepika
22.Swami Hariprasad’s yogasoothravaidikasoothravrithy
23.Kshemanandadekshitha’s Navayogakallola alias Nyayaratnaakara
24 GuruNityachaitanya Yati’s Yogaparichaya
25.Vivekanandaswami’s Rajayoga
26.Swami Satyanandasaraswathi’s four chapters of freedom
27.Harikrishnadasa Goyanka’s Pathanjalayogadarsanam
28.Thathwa vaisaaradi of Vachaspathimisra
29.Vyasabhashya of yogasoothra
The list is too exhaustive . What I can see from this long list is that all the commentators
are males over the centuries and a woman has not attempted to do a commentary of this
most important scriptural authority on spiritual,intellectual,mental and physical health
which is so important for a mother who looks after the young ones and wants them to
grow up as healthy world citizens.I,as a woman of the present century is doing a
commentary of the Vyasabhashya and its Bhashya by Vachaspathimisra
Vyasabhashya
This is the first Yogabhashya available and is also the first
Samkhyapravachanabhashya.The Vyasabhashya is knowm by these two names
.Vachaspathimisra in his commentary to Vyasabhashya says “Vedavyasena
bhashithabhashye” making it clear that it is a moolakrithi of Vedavyasa
himself.Vignaanabhikshu also has said”Vedavyasamuneendra Budhiswanitha”(The voice
of the intellect of the Vedavyas muni).During the deluge of BC 3104 Krishna was past
120 years.Arjuna was his age ,slightly younger.And Vedavyas being the great grandfather
of Arjuna,the creation of Vyasabhashya is prior to Krishna,and prior to Mahabharatha
war.The view that Vyasabhashya is created during the Budhist period has no bearing
from archeological evidence of the IVC /Harappan and Mehrgarh periods.Moreover
Panchasikha mentions Vyasa in his book so that Vyasa could not be after
Budha.Panchasikha was an Acharya who lived during the reign of Janadeva Janaka and
at that time Sidharthagouthama was not born.
What is the meaning of Vyaasa in Vyaasabhashya ? We find this word used in
Jyamithy(Measurement of the Jya –sine and cosine)or geographical calculations .It is
having mathematical connotations giving a idea to the word itself.Vyaa ,as used in
Vyaakarana,Vyaapana,Vyaasa is to spread everywhere.To spread out ,and to measure the
extend of that spread out universe. One can measure the timespace with the
swanitha(soundwaves)as all of us know in the modern age.One can also measure the
intelligence of a person with his/her words and its spread and depth .That is what
vignaanabhikshu said Vyasamuneendra Budhiswanitha.Even now ,after several years and
centuries and millennia of existence the words still attract and influence the learned
people .The swara of Vyasa has transcended spacetime boundaries and is now boundary
of a boundary .Boundary of a boundary is zero.And it is represented as a big 0 as
symbol.This figure is the discovery of Indian mathematician and the vyasa or boundary
of it is a calculable thing if it is of Prakrithi and incalculable when it transcends prakrithi
and becomes the avyaktha ,Brahma.It is the poornam of the santhimanthra of the
Upanishads.Vya is for expansion and sa is for contraction(sankocha)The expanding and
contracting universes are represented by this word and its symbol ,the zero.The fact that
Pathanjalasoothra style is very ancient and not that of the Budhist period had been noted
by several critics.The soothravakya is used in Brahmasoothra and in Yogasoothra is a
similarity of Badarayana’s style of writing.Though there are several disciples in
vyasaparampara no one is called a vyasa after Krishnadwaipaayanavyasa.But all the
adepts practicing Adhyathmavidya gets a darsana of Vyasa(As Sankara in 8th century)It is
after a Vyasadarsana in Vyas Guha ,Sankara meets his Guru Govindapaadar.The
moolavyassoothra is Hiranyagarbhasoothra and Pathanjali has taken the soothras and
reconstructed the soothra for teaching his disciples is a view of Vachaspathimisra,the
oldest known commentator .According to him ,what we now know as
Pathanjalayogasoothra is Vyasayogasoothra itself.Therefore he does his commentary on
Vyasabhashya of yogasoothra.
Suvarnasapthasathi is the oldest available samkhyakaarika of Iswarakrishnakaalidaasa
(Kavi Kallidasa)and this ancient treatise is nowhere quoted in Vyasabhashya showing
the antiquity of vyasabhashya.There is no Mngalaacharana in Vyasabhashya.This also
shows it to be very ancient.The first sloka of the bhashyaTherefore it must be a
prakshipthasloka after Vachaspathimisra’s period. is not quoted by either vachaspathi or
by the vivaranateeka.There had been several teeka to yogabhashya ,the oldest being that
of vachaspathimisra.the others are given below.
1.Thathwavaisaarathi of Vachaspathimisra
2.Adisankara’s commentary
3.Yogavarthika of Vignaanabhikshu
4.Bhikshuvyaakhyaasameksha
5.Swami Hariharaananda’s Bhaswathi
Vachaspathimisra
His books:1.Thathwavaisaaradi
2.Thathwakoumudi
3.Nyayasoochini
4.Bhaamathi
5.Nyayakanika
6.Thaathparyateeka
7.Nyayavarthikathathparyateeka
8.Thathwabindu
9.Thathwasameeksha
10.Brahmasidhi.
Vachaspathimisra though known as a Budhist writer seems to be a devotee of Shiva since
he is seen to bow before many of his books to Shiva.(In Thatwavaisaradhi to
Vrishakethu,in Bhamathy and Nyayakanika to Bhavan,in Thathparyateeka to
Pinaakapaani )And while commenting on Vyasabhashya he is all praise for Vishnu ,and
thus the label of one or the other does not fit in to him,and he certainly was not a fanatic
of either Budha,Vishnu or Shiva.According to Gopinatha kaviraja elsewhere
Vachaspathi pay his respect and obeisance to Vishnu,Ganapathy and to
Thilakaswami(?).Vachaspati was contemporary of Nriga of Chowhan dynasty in AD 10th
century.Nriga is identified as Dharmapaala ,the king of MagadhaGoudadesa and the
founder of Vikramasila by some.Vachaspathi himself has recorded that he was born in
Vasuangavasuvatsara.The number being 898 in Vikrama era and 841 in Christian
calendar.He was a householder.His wife was Bhamathi ,and that name was given to his
sareerakabhashyateeka in her honour.Laghumanjusha quotes Vachaspathi several times
and Vignaanabhikshu without mentioning the name of Vachaspathi ,tries to break
vachaspathi’s observations and conclusions.The later sampradaayaas of
Vainaasika,Praavaaduka,vignaanavaadi ,naasthika have quoted vachaspathi profusely to
prove their points and that must be the reason why Vachaspathi was classified as a
budhist Nasthika writer.But his Mangalaslokas bear testimony to his devotion to a
personal Godhead.
Yogasoothrabhashya of Sankara
This is a treatise mentioned by Sreramasankarabhattacharya and is not yet obtainable in
print.The author is considered to be the author of the the prasthaanathrayabhashya.Others
say that the sankarabhashya is a bhashya of vachaspathibhashya.But this cannot happen
since Sankara lived before Vachaspathi ,at least two centuries before.
Vignaanabhikshu
The other works of Vignaanabhikshu
1.Yogavarthika
2.Smkhyashadadhyayi bhashya
3.Brahmasoothravignaanamrithabhashya
4.Samkhyasarasamgraha
5.yogasarasamgraha
6.upadesaratnamala
7.Geethabhashyam(The last two are not available)
Lived in 14th century AD.
Bhaswathi of swami Hariharananda is a comparatively new book .Hariharananda was
born on 4.12 .1869 and expired on 19.4.1947.He is considered as the avathar of Rudra in
a cave,who took human form and lived in Vihara(Bihar)in the city of Madhupura,but was
originally a native of Bangadesa(Bengal)
The commentary I am doing is based on the Vyasabhashya and Thathwavaisaradi of
Vachaspathimisra.The moola as given by Panditha Sreeramasankarabhattacharya
,released by Bharathheyavidyaprakasan ,Varanasi (1966) is used for this commentary and
explanations.
Paathanjalayogasoothra,an analysis
Vyasa has expounded yoga both in Bhagavathapuraana and in Mahabharatha.Vyaso
yogavidaam vara(Mok dha pu 12.26.4)and Vyaso vedavidaam vara(MB 15.38.19)shows
Vyasa was an adept both in veda and yoga.When Bheeshma is asked”Which is the yoga
you follow?”the answer is the Krishnasthavaraaja (12.47)which is the dhyana of
Krishna.Mahabharatha says thapa and yoga are one and the same in different
occasions.The austerity to achieve gnaana or adhyathmavidya(samkhya)is the practice of
yoga.(Vasishta to Janaka in Mok Dha pu 12.291.296)It is a method for achiving moksha
and vidya.The 25 thathwa of samkhya are explained in santhiparva by vyasa.In
jaapakopaakhyaana Bheeshma explains the japa related to yagnasanskaara during vedic
times.Jaapaka (one who chants the names/manthra)is equivalent to yogin,according to
Bheeshma.Both samkya and yoga are not having a naasthikaswabhaava.Many people
like John Brockington(Yoga in Mahabharatha .ch 1.pp15.Yoga,the Indian tradition .2003
Ed Ian Whicher and David Carpenter)thinks that these are different and that samkhya is
naasthika and yoga is aasthika .This is a misconcept .But he himself says that
Varshneyaadhyathma is a ancient samkhya method and it is asthika like the yoga.In
Varshneya,when the disciple asks the Guru “From where did we come?”the Guru
answers”From Vasudeva ,everything originated,and in him everything dwells and in him
everything merges”and Vishnu is the Purushothama in this.The Iswarapranidhaana or
devoted chanting and singing the names and thinking about its attributes and meanings is
part of samkhya knowledge and yoga.Bhagavad Geetha tells this.After the Kurukshethra
war,Krishna advices Yogasasthra in Anugeetha.How to do analysis on a subject/or object
with concentration ,(dhyaana)in a solitary quiet place and acquire the perfect knowledge
about it is given in detail in that chapter .Mahabharatha mentions yoga and yogins 900
times and of this 300 times in santhiparva alone.
Pravakshyami yogasasthram anuthamam(anugeetha)
Vidhim cha yogasya
Thapasaa sidhim anwischa yogasidhim cha Bharatha(Aranyaparva) and that devas were
victorious due to their Yogaiswaryena (aiswarya of yoga) as Sounaka advices
Yudhishtira.After that we find Yudhishtira performing Tapas,yoga,and control of Praana
and then do japa of the 108 names of surya with meanings of them in his mind
(Thapa:asthaaya dharmena ,Thapa:adhishtaath uthamam;yogam asthaaya;pranaayamena
thasthivaan etc).Kavi usanas is called Yogasidho Mahamuni.King Kuvalayaswa by his
yoga(Yogeeyogena)cooled the agni in the bones of asura Dundhu.When Devendra tried
to molest the body of his Gurupathni Ruchi (wife of Devasarma)the disciple entered her
body with yogabala(yogenaanupravisyena Gurupathnyaa kalebaram)prevented Indra
from doing such a crime.Bharadwaja entered the body of Prathardana to conquer the
successors of Veethihavya and Prathardana is able to do it as a child of 13 years.This feat
of entering another body (Parakayapravesha )of sankaracharya in 8th century is a legend.
Vyasa tells his son not to use the sidhi of the yoga,yet he uses the sidhi of akaasagamana
against his father’s advice .The ekagrachitha(concentrated mind)of a yogin is needed for
the best warrior ,as Drona tells Arjuna.In Sanathsujaatheeya ,purusha is the aim.Purusha
is for a yogin,Bhagavan and is sanaathana(eternal).(Yoginastham prapasyanthi
Bhagavantham sanaathanam).The conversation between Brahmana and Vyadha gives
samkhyagnaana and its practical aspects.The savyasachithwa of making the mind
concentrated in both day and night ,and moderate food habits,purity of soul allows one to
see ones own athma which is light energy according to Vyasa.And during the death of
Drona,he kept his bow and arrow down and sat in yoga(Yogam asthaaya)and raised to
heavens as a ray of light and Vyasa says everyone could see two lights in sky as if there
was a second sun .During the swargarohana of Krishna also Vyasa describes the ascend
of the Athma as Jyothirbhootha.Bhoorisravas is called yogayuktha and Drona as
Yukthayoga by Vyasa.Vidura by yogasakthi entered Yudhishtira’s body as a burning
light and Yudhishtira felt a new power within.In Mokshadharma yoga and samkhya are
one and the same.Sarvagnapurusha is the 26th thathwa.yama,niyama,aasana,ethical
life,control of senses,control of breath,concentrated
dhyaana,swadhyaya,daana,truth,dharma,patience,purity ,avoiding the dosha like
kaama,lobha,krodha,mada,bhaya and aalasya are all mentioned in Mahabharatha and in
Bhagavatha.Grains ,vegetables,fruits and roots as food,abstinence of food for one month
per year,Yoga in the first and last yaama of the night(sandhya)and if possible in three
sandhyaas,are advocated for healthy life.A mountain or hilltop,a chaitya,a cave,a forest ,
underneath a tree,or a lonely quiet house are best suited for concentrated meditation
according to Vyasa.Aasana and praanayama are mentioned only twice in santhiparva.In
yogadhyaya,Bheeshma telles Yudhishtira that there are four types of Dhyanayoga and
describes the stages of Samadhi.In sukaanuprasna which describes vedarahasya and
yogadarsana,the seven dhaarana are mentioned.It is said that the tapas of a yogin is more
difficult than walking over the edge of a sword(an upanishadic simili)and one who
crosses over (Yogaiswaryam athikraantho)has been liberated .Yoga is Samadhi according
to Sandilya.It is sradha and praanaayama combined as dhyaana according to
Vasishta.The Hiranyagarbhayoga of ancient times is very much older than vyasa(prior to
BC 3104 )and Vyasa has done a bhashya to this ancient text and the soothra of this text
are now known as Pathanjalayogasoothra according to vachaspathimisra,therefore stands
proven .
Yoga was present in Vedic times according to Yagnavalkyajanakasamvaada.(Vedeshu
Chaashtagunitham yogam ahurmaneeshina:).The vedic yoga is Hiranyagarbhayoga.Vyasa
says there was a great yogini called Sulabha ,a contemporary of King Janaka of
Mithila.She was a bhikshuki of the samkhyayoga Guruparampara.She took the form of a
beautiful maiden and met Janaka ,and tested whether his mind is really free from sansaara
by binding him to her yogic power.I think this is a very important point.During the time
of King Janaka ,apart from Gargi and Maithreyi another woman was also a great yogini
and gnaani.And that is Sulabha .It is surprising that after such great yogini traditions ,in
the modern periods we are not seeing any yogini or interpretators of yogasasthra for
several millennia..
KRIYAYOGA AS ABHYAAS
When we do an action(kriya)repeatedly ,this repetition is called an abhyaas and this is to
perfect the action.The more you repeat the same action you become more adept in it and
your performance will be perefected.So Abhyas is an educative process.The word is often
used as Vidyabhyaas(Vidya+abhyas)as synonym for education in India.When someone
repeats a action for days,months,years and the society repeats it for several years the
kriya becomes an Achaara or charya.(The lifestyle as dinacharya or rithucharya)of a
people.
In the case of kriyayoga,the effect of the yogacharya or yogabhyasa is seen only when it
is perfected by constant and rigourous practice by an individual.Samadhipaada says both
abhyasa and vairagya are needed to attain Samadhi.Then in the sadhanapada the three
limbs of kriyayoga are mentioned as Thapa,swadhyaya and Iswarapranidhaana.Tapas
gives vairagya.Swadhyaya and Iswarapranidhaana gives abhyaasa and keeps mind in a
peaceful state .The repetition of this abhyasa of quietitude of mind,creates a samskaara
(culture)and determines the quality of our mental and intellectual life.A human being
should perfect the inner life by constant abhyasa of Swadhyaya and Iswarapranidhana(in
common words the gnaanayoga and bhakthiyoga to purify mind and make it quiet).When
your inner life is perfected and mind is quiet and concentrated,naturally your actions also
become perfected.Therefore yoga is not only for the sanyasin but also for a
householder,for every individual.The yoga abhyaas is to make the
Uthithachitha(sansarin/householder)into a samahithachitha(yogin)so that his/her actions
will be for the lokakalyana(welfare of the entire world)and not restricted to ones own
selfish motives.How important this is for a welfare state has to be thought about by all the
world citizens.
Bhakthiyoga is the Ishtadevathanishta(concentration on a loved form and name of a
Godhead)and by swadhyaya of that ishtadevatha one becomes close to that devatha.By
this concentration or Iswarapranidhana ,one can attain Samadhi easily.The swadhyaya of
the ishtadevatha includes manthra and its japa.Thus the nirmanachitha(creative mind)of
the yogi is made of manthra,thapa,and samadhi state .The different kriyaas of the yogin
are classified as Krishna,sukla,krishnasukla,and suklakrishna and neither Krishna nor
sukla.Those who have tapas,swadhyaya and dhyana can do suklakriya .It is dependent on
inner action and need not have any external factors for achievement .It is a kriya or
action which is purely internal and thereby ,it does not harm anyone at all.
Tapas is one among the five niyama.And is one of the ways to achieve sidhi.It is a
method to obtain purity of outer and inner self.The karmavaasana(tendencies)and
klesa(sorrows)are destroyed by constant tapas.Thus one gets unobstructed chithaprasaada
.The tapas is the dwandasahana(suffering the opposites )according to Vyaasa.Mind
becomes equanimous in pleasure and pain,and loss and gain and sansara and nirvana.the
vrata like abstinence from food and other physical pleasures is to perfect the tapas and
purify senses.Only in a purified mind one can see the light of self.Abhyasa is based on
tapas,brahmacharya,vidya and sradha according to Vyasa.These give us vairagya .The
yajamana who takes a yagnadeeksha is practicing tapas.The
paathivratya,Ekapatneevratha etc of a householder are vrathaas equivalent to
ishtadevathaanishta.The practice of meditation on a human Guru as one with God,and
then identifying oneself with love and service of that human Guru is a vrata of a
shishya(disciple).It is the same type of vrata a woman /man practices with a loved
man/woman.Or a mother practice with a child(as Yesoda did).It is important that when
we practice it on individuals like this,the selfish motives should not creep in and we
should be like a yogin doing service of Lord,without expecting anything in
return(Nishkaamakarma of Geetha).
What is swadhyaaya? Vyasabhashya says it is Japa of Omkaara(pranava)and
adhyayana.It is one among the five niyama of yoga.Dharmasasthra says “Pavithraani
japeth(Do japa on the pavithra –the pure)and Vyasa’s manthrajapa is equal to
that.Adhyayana is a process in which one thinks again and again and analyses(manana)so
that it is fixed in mind.In this way,internally and by loud japa ,the mental idea and the
pronounciation with swara and sruthi purity is established by these two processes.This
practice of mental and pronounciatory japa is to fix the eternal memory of it in our
intellect.(Nityasmarana).Nityasmarana by tapas and swadhyaya are the day to day
activity of every child and adult whether sanyasin or householder,whether woman or man
and hence it is a form of constant and continueing adult education.Every commentator of
a ancient great text is doing swadhyaya and keeping up the nityasmarana of it in
generations of readers and enquirers to come.Swa means own.Adhyayam is learning or
education.Swadhyayam is therefore selflearning or selfeducating.One who does
swadhyaya of Veda with Brahmacharya becomes vedamaya.(veda itself )because
according to yoga what one meditates that he/she becomes.Veda reveals its light in
his/her mind and makes it bright forever.And it is there as smrithi forever due to
practice.If all the people of a nation become swadhyayaniratha(always do selflearning)the
entire nation becomes vidyaswaroopa(the form of vidya or education).The swadhyaya is
Brahmayagna in Panchamahayagna which everyone should undertake in India.Therefore
this was the best educative policy the ancients had introduced to make every brain active
and every intellect bright forever.In Rgveda purusha/Prajapathi/Brahma is
Hiranyagarbha.In Hiranyagarbha yoga,by doing athmayagna or
Brahmayagna(swadhyaya)one becomes Brahmamaya,Manthramaya,Chandomaya and
thus Jyothishmathi is produced (which is the bright enlightened mind).This enlightened
citizenship is obtained by Brahmanishta and swadhyayam.In this upaasana of Vidya the
first step is japa of omkaara(pranava)and japa of the three vyahrithi of
Gayathri.Boudhayanadharmasoothra says a householder even after accepting sanyasa has
to continue the japa of the manthra which he started during his Agnihothra.The learner
keeps silence all the time except the time of swadhyaya.The tree of veda is fixed in Om
or pranava.It is the essence of the veda.And one gets Brahmagnaana by chanting om
under the tree of veda.(Boudayana).The process is to record the language of the veda in
the brain forever and to become veda (gnaana)itself by the process of meditation on
it.The process of swadhyaya thus makes the known,the knower and the process of
knowledge as One (Advaitha).Yogacharya is this kriyaamarga .Mahabharata calls it
Thapa:swadhyaaya and swadhyaayatapa:as a single word.And proclaims that swadhyaya
is the paramatapas(ultimate tapas).In Boudhayanadharmasoothra and
Vasishtadharmasoothra swadhyaya and praanaayaama are to be done with pavithra in
hand,and with pronounciation of vyahrithi and pranava.Thus,japa,swadhyaya and
sandhya are parts of yogacharya which one cannot neglect .In the Bhagavad Geetha also
japayagna is given a high place.(B G 10.25)According to
Vasishtadharmasoothra(26.9)and Manu(2.85)”Japayagna gives ten times more power than
animal power.Swadhyayam is better than outer yagnaas.Mounajapa(silent japa)is hundred
times better than outer yagna.The internal japa is a thousand times better.”In
forests(Aranyaka)only silent and internal swadhyaya is done.But in villages and
janapadas swadhyaya is done aloud so that all can hear .The swadhyaya gives knowledge
which has to be given to others .Therefore these village swadhyas were more of a
teaching type (adhyapana)rather than a selflearning has to be understood.For wisdom
and vidya one needs sradha and yoga.Yoga is dharmalakshana.(symbol of dharma)Ethics
is based on yoga and its practice .Therefore the people should be instructed to be always
involved in practice of yoga is the educative principle of such discourses.
In yogasoothra the question why one should do swadhyaya is for
ishtadevathaasamprayoga .(For becoming one with one’s ishtadevatha and getting
Moksha is the ultimate aim.).The chithasudhi(purity of consciousness),the niyama and
swadhyaya and the transcendental visions and sounds due to their constant practice and
the effect of Iswarapranidhaana (moksha)are to be experienced by each ,not to be taught
but the adepts gives a taste of it by their experience sharing .Vyasabhashya calls the
visions of the samadhi as swaoopadarsana.The darsana or vision of the
ishtadevatha(God)is a vision of light energy of ones own consciousness .Vishnupurana
also says this.The obstacles for this visualization of light or enlightenment are various
diseases,laziness,doubts,carelessness,madness,lack of virakthi(attachment to worldly
pleasures)and the nonfixity in the positions already obtained.These are called
Chithavikshepa.If these are present sorrows,impure mind,shaking organs,and disordered
breathing etc will be there.And one cannot concentrate on the same subject/object due to
these defects.Pranidhaana is the fixity of purpose to reach the goal.Vyasa use this term
three times in Mahabharatha(3.387.19;5.47.11;5.101.21)The Iswarapranidhaana is the
process of fixity of purpose with which one meditates on the absolute power to achieve
oneness with it ,and one is allowed to choose a loved form according to one’s liking so
that the process of Samadhi is quick and easy .It is because of this there is no fanaticism
in Indian spiritual traditions.
When one practices yogacharya for a very long period ,one becomes even beyond that
charya and is liberated soul.Yogasoothra considers the human mind being formed by five
different vrithi (repeated actions).
1.Pramaana (valid cognition)
2.Viparyaya(false knowledge)
3.vikalpa(conceptualization)
4.nidra (sleep and dream)
5.smrithy(memory)
If the mind is like a clear mirror only the truth can be seen perfectly reflected in
it.Yogamarga is the process of removing the dirt accumulated by tendencies and actions
so that it is kept clean for such reflection of truth.Vyasabhashya says mind has two
directions –one is to goodness and God and the other is to badness and Desires of worldly
objects .One leads to kaivalya and the other to samsaara.Vairagya carry the flow to
nirvana by drying up the flow to samsaara.Abhyasa opens up the flow to the
nirvana.Thus both vairagya and abhyasa combined takes one to the goal of liberation.
What are the criteria for vairagya according to Vyasa? For him it is not just the lack of
love for worldly things as that of the apatheia of the stoics.It should have the following
signs
1.Those to be sacrificed has to be totally absent
2.Those to be achieved for liberation should be totally present
3Mind should have complete and perfect control to achieve these two states
4.Mind should have the quality of impassibility(anaabhoga)
5.Through meditation ,power for attaining total lack of desire for women,foods,drinks,desires for power and position and heaven should be achieved.
6.Should experience the videha and prakrithilaya states
7.Even if one is in the householder stage one should be able to perform its duties perfectly without feeling any attachments by remembering the shortcomings of samsaara
Vachaspathimisra gives four stages to Vairagya
1.Yathamaanasamgna(consciousness of endeavour)
2.Vyathirekasamgna(consciousnessof discrimination)
3.Ekendriyasamgna(consciousness of a single sense)
4.vaseekaarasamgna(consciousness of mastery)
Practice of Brahmacharya is to get out of desire for women.Upavaasa (not taking food)is
to get out of desires for different varieties of food and drinks.Swadhyaya of Nitya and
Anitya gives protection from desires of mine,yours,pleasure and pain and the dualities of
existence.Mahabharatha uses the term vairagya ten times.The highest stage of vairagya is
vaseekaarasmgna .yogins call it kaivalya and Budha called it Nirvaana .
Vyasa says yoga is to make mind quiet and concentrated(Prasaanthavaahitha)
This sadhana is absolutely essential for moksha.Praanaayama is only the beginning of
yoga.Not the end or aim of it.Nor is the different aasanaas the end or aim of yoga.They
are just the beginning stages .But unfortunately the modern yoga schools(at least some of
them)have misunderstood yoga as the breath control and the
positions(aasana)alone.Dhyana with a alambana (which is loved by the person doing the
dhyana)is the next and important stage and it is here the Iswarapranidhana part comes
in.Iswarapranidhaana is also called Ekathwa Abhyaasa(practice of the One alone for
concentration).For this Gurudhyaana is the best .But in the endstage even that form or
attachment to one person is gone in the perfect Samadhi state.The cultivation of a new
samskaara of knowledge ,after removing the past tendencies is called
Bhavanaabhyaasa(Practice by imagination)Ishtadevathanishta has such dhyana
practices.The manjarisadhana of the Radhakrishna sects is an example.The dhyana of
sangheethadevatha ,of raagadevatha etc are also ishtadevathanishta.This spiritual and
educational psychology of yoga is utilized both by the gnaanamarga and bhakthimarga
adepts of India .The modern psychological concept of displacing negative tendencies
with positive tendencies is seen in the yoga psychology practices.The hinsabeeja(seed of
violence)is replaced by seed of ahimsa(nonviolence)and asanthi(lack of peace)by
santhi(peace)and dukha(sorrow)by ananthasukha(eternal bliss)by yoga psychology which
is essential for all human beings globally and this is the real message of yoga of ancient
India.The positive imaginations and the new sanskaara created out of it by our pragna is
called Pragnaakrithasanskaara by Vyasa.
Indian philosophy has some practical sanskaaras for the purification of the body ,for the
purification of the mind and intellect.These later became the dinacharya and
rithucharya(way of daily life)and are actually part of kriyaayoga prescribed by the
yogasoothra.This shows how much the yoga had penetrated into the lifestyle of the
people.The daily baths,the sandhya three times a day,are for body and mind
purification.The upanayana and vivaha are for bodily and mental purification and
understanding of the life of a celibate and a householder respectively.Thus even the four
ashramaas are part of the kriyaayoga devised by yogasasthra.Sansara has more
opportunities for constant desires and the sorrows derived from them and leads to asradha
or lack of concentration.Therefore,the householder is the one who should take more care
to do yoga and practice sradha.Yogadharma is called the shishtachara (the doings of the
good people)and those who neglect it and indulge in the worldly pleasures,desires and
violence etc are called dushtaachaarins.(those who follow the path of the bad ).In a era
when shishtachara was dwindling ,Budha tried to resuurect it .And that is why Budha is
respected.Not as a new religion,but as a new impetus to the old dharma of yoga.This
understanding was the reason why it was accepted by south east Asia,Tibet and China
and in Japan and Sreelanka and in South India.The philosophy of India is advaitha and
the practical advaitha is in the rigourous practice and understanding of the kriyayoga of
the yogasoothra.It is not a mere lipservice of love and compassion,but true love and
compassion as a lifestyle ,natural and for the betterment of the individual as well as the
entire world.Without knowing this ,we will not be understanding the soul of India .
Purusha and prakrithi
Prakrithi is moving,changing panda or mass with gathi(momentum).Brahma is
movementless,nonchanging energy state without a definite form but existing in all forms.
Brahma=Prakrithi
Aham =Brahma
Therefore Aham =Prakrithy
The equation thus becomes
Aham=Brahman=Prakrithy
The contradictions of dualities of the cosmic and bioenergy fields are thus overcome by a
yogin in Samadhi state.The seemingly contradictory TWO become co-ordinates and
noncontradictory.This aesthetics of art and science is practically experienced only
through a quiet mind which concentrates without any disturbance whatsoever and this
process is practiced by the yogakriya.
The flow of sorrow of worldly life is a prathiprasava(counterflow or inverse movement)
when the differences in the proportions of guna are removed and the balance of guna is
regained in both samkhya and yoga..Prathiprasava is a flow towards the beginning stage
or to the root cause .That is the thought travels from the present ,into the known past
first(history)and to the unknown prehistoric past and to the beginning of the universes
.Only this inverse flow of thought gives a glimpse of theories of the beginnings of the
universe.This is also a inverse flow from Mrityu(death and birth)to amritha(eternal
existence of the truth).From the thriguna of prakrithi one is transcending it and going
back to the thrigunasamya(balanced)and the thrigunaatheetha(beyond the three
guna)states.When thought does this ,the sorrows of this worldly life becomes not
sorrows.The mind can view them dispassionately .Without pleasure or sorrow in
them.Without attachment to them.
Avidya(ignorance)is the samyoga(union)between purusha(the seer)and the prakrithi(the
seen .Including the chitha and the thriguna of the seer).When this avidya is removed by
the prathiprasava,Purusha see the self as Eka,as light of wisdom ,and this is kaivalya.The
seen is only the vibhoothy of the seer.It is not different from the seer.Just like the song is
the singers vibhoothi,the art is the artists vibhoothi and science is the scientists vibhoothi
,prakrithi is only the vibhoothi of purusha and is not different from him and hence have
no separate existence from him/her.This kaivalya experience is when the sathwa is most
pure.(Pathanjali 3.55)In prathiprasava the change in the chitha is very deep.It changes the
entire worldview of the seer.The knowledge of sampragnathasamadhi is now matured
into the wisdom of the asampragnathasamadhi and no trace of duality exists in such a
yogin’s chitha.He is liberated.Still he can see the gunaas .But the avidya in it,the
bondages due to it is gone forever.Nothing can move the chitha of the yogin now.He is
totally akshobhya .Vishnusahasranaama calls Vishnu as Suvarnabindurakshobhya.The
concentrated golden chitha of the yogin is spotlessly clean and totally calm and quiet and
see the entire prakrithi as his own vibhoothy within him and not outside and is not bound
by it.By vivekakhyaaathi(discriminative discernment),the purusha or the seer and the
sathwaguna the seen become one and this wisdom is revealed as if in a clean mirror.The
kaivalyaprakrithi is not a obstacle for kaivalya but a co-ordinate for it now.Thus purusha
knows his prakrithi as Himself .This thanmayatha(oneness)is comparable to a loving
man and woman in union .The simili of Radha and Krishna /Siva and Sakthi in the
Bhakthisampradaaya of India and balancing of Yin and Yan in China is of this type.
The Ayurveda of India is based on balancingof thriguna-thridosha,and the mathematics of
India is based on balancing of sine and cosine and the music of India is based on
balancing of the thriguna in the swara or sound waves and its vibrations .This shows there
are several methods to achieve the balancing of the thriguna
physically,mentally,intellectually ,artistically ,scientifically and philosophically and all
thes are practically derived from a quiet and concentrated mind following the balancing
in yogachitha.
Maxmuller in his translation of the commentary of Bhojaraja’s yoga ,misunderstands this
as the separation of purusha from prakrithi.The separation is an analytical method to
understand the duality or differences between purusha and prakrithy(the Nitya and
Anitya)and the thanmayatha is a synthesis of the two as one (as an ardhanaareeswara)as
two perfect co-ordinates in an astrophysical way.Videhamukthy is not destruction of the
body ,but doing the dharma without attachment to body or to worldly desires ,in a
nishkaama way ,and for the welfare of the entire world(lokakalyana)and not for any
selfish motive.Samyoga is a union between two things.Here ,the prakrithi and purusha
being one,samyoga does not happen.Ashtangayoga is a process by which the truth “there
is only one,no two”is dawned upon the human consciousness which is kept clean for that
specific purpose.The multiverses are One in essence.The objects on them,including us
,are one with prakrithi .Since Brahma and prakrithi are one,I am Brahma.This pragna
when it is revealed ,enlightens us and is known as Rithambhara in yogasasthra.All the
other types of pragna see only partial or relative truths or even untruths only.The
separatisms and the hatred to the “other”as identified falsely are only illusions or
maaya.The truth is One .The untruth is the duality of existence.
With kaivalya one reaches the state of Samadhi called Dharmamegha.The yogi has
reached a state where there is nothing to be expected,nothing to be received,nothing to be
sacrificed or gained.The dharmamegha is a state that shows the yogi has reached
Paravairagya .(ultimate vairagya).It is a synonym for asampragnaatha Samadhi state.The
yogi has a permanent identity shift and measurement here from Prakrithi to Purusha
state.He is absolutely free from actions and their fruits,and from the identities of the
worldly life of unions and disunions,and this is a jeevanmuktha state according to
Vignaanabhikshu.Pure action is Nishkaamakarma(see Bhagavad Geetha)or selfless action
for the welfare of all.It is altruism of the highest order.The signs of love ,compassion for
all living things are seen in such individuals.Unless these signs are seen in a yogin ,one
cannot say that he/she has attained jeevanmukhthi or the state of dharmamegha.
Budha during his ifetime proclaimed that five hundred of his disciples had attained
Nibbaana (nirvana)and each of them have established a Brahmavihaara.What is meant by
Brahmavihaara? Yogasoothra (1.33)says the four Brahmavihaara are
Maithri,Karuna,Muditha and shanthi.In paali language these are called by the Budhists as
Metha,Karuna,Muditha and Upekka or Upeksha.We have to go back to the Mahabharatha
of Vyasa and the exposition of the Bhagavad Geetha by Sreekrishna to find out the
antiquity of this philosophy of yoga.
According to Christopher key Chapple (pp 85 ref Ed Ian Whicher and David
carpenter)these 500 arhathaas misunderstood the Rithambara pragna full of energy of
truth ,as the nihilism of I do not exist,I am not this,and I have nothing.The chitha of a
yogi is like a pure crystal ,clean and bright ,and without any colours of likes and
dislikes,without any timespace boundaries and is eternal .This eternal energy state
(yogasoothra 1.36)is not emptiness or nihilism but everything,the origin of
everything.Why the 500 arhathas misunderstood it while budha had understood it
correctly?Simply because yoga is not a mass movement ,but an individual endeavour to
be practiced by each and everyone and attainable according to his/or her guna proportion
only.It cant be taught .It has to be selflearned by austerity and practice.It is not an
organized institutionalized religion .It is a way of seeking truth.A way of self
exploration.A lifestyle.When Budha tried to make an organization(a sangha)this
misunderstanding was inevitable.
How does a yogi do traveling in the sky or space? By Praanaayaama Jwalana
happens.This is because the oxygen (praana) supply increases to body parts and the blood
circulation correspondingly increases and gives rakthaprasaada (radiance ).It also gives
laghuthoola state(The state of lightness as a cottonwool).According to Yogasoothra these
two things are responsible for the flights in sky/space.To fly in space or sky the body
should be light and there should be enough oxygen supply are two facts the modern
science also agrees.So was the Akasagamana of suka(son of Vyasa)akin to that of the
modern people?Was the akasagamana of sage Kardhama (father of kapila)of this
type?Was the akaasagamana of raavana in his pushpak the same as that of modern
science?In principle it seems to be.
In the state of Videha,one does not have the desire for samyoga of prakrithi.The five
elements have been conquered.The body and senses controlled .The Pradhaana is
conquered which is the same as Nirvichaarasamadhi .Samskaara are conquered .Then
comes purity of satwapurusha and kaivalya.In this way ,stage by stage the yogin
conquers everything and reaches the final goal.Both Vignaanabhikshu and
Vachaspathimisra speaks of Prathibha ,which is the shadow of the chaithanya(chith or
light)reflecting on a clean mirror.Prathibha is the shadow of the self of a human being.It
is defined as pragna which is Navanavollekhasaalini.( one which creates newer and
newer things forever –the creativity that is eternal).The prathibha of creation of all is
considered as the vibhoothi of a sarvagnachitha.And sarvagnachitha is nothing but
yogichitha.In 8th century Sankaracharya was considered as such a sarvagnachitha capable
of all vibhoothis of a yogin including parakayapravesha and akaasagamana and being
one with own self /prakrithi as Mookambika,the Goddess of
learning.yogasoothra(3.3.38)says Bandhakaaranasaithilyaath prachaarasamvedanaascha
chithasya parasareeraavesa: Chith can enter all bodies by two reasons.One is the
destruction of the cause of bondage to ones own body,and the other is the communication
of the chitha through its prachaara (when ones thoughts are communicated to all by
proper awareness of it or may be in modern sense a little marketing of the ideas)
By the first ,the attachment to the selfish motives and the boundaries thereby created are
totally destroyed and the person is doing karma for lokakalyana.By the second,this fact is
made known to others by proper awreness classes or by proper marketing so that people
willingly come to the person and allow his/her ideas to influence them.Only when the
people feel that the person is selfless they willingly allow themselves to be influenced
by him/her.The fact that in all the institutions established by Sankara Ashtangayoga is a
must shows how much importance Sankara had given to its practice.Sankara had done
yoga starting from the Asparsayoga of Goudapaada,his Guru’s Guru and proceeding from
there. The Bhashya to Bhagavad Geetha by Sankara includes avidya as a klesha or
sorrow just as the yogasoothra does.And in his Brihadaranyaka bhashya and its vaarthika
by Sureswara treat yoga in a very important manner.
Chithavrithinirodha in Advaitha.
Br Ar Bhashya 1.4.7 Sankara replies to the theory of the opposition that due to the
apoorvavidhi (rare rules)Brahmadhyana gives mukthi(liberation).He says like yoga and
advaitha,even with the vidhiprathishedha achaara (karma against the prescribed rules)of
poorvameemaamsa (Jaimini –disciple of vyasa is creator of poorvameemamsa) one can
attain liberation.Sankara says the Athman is everpresent .It is not the fruit or result of
anything.Therefore,for its mukthy(liberation)before it,there cant be any rule(apoorvavidhi
means rare rules as well as rules which were not there before).The Athma being the
first,what rules can exist before that?therefore the results of all karma are temporary only
and liberation by karma cannot be called eternal.
Opposition:Bythe chithavrithinirodha prescribed in the different thanthraas one gets
liberation.
Sankara:Athmagnaana means Brahma and Athma are one.This understanding alone is
liberation.No thanthra or thanthranthra teaches except this truth.(The chithavrithinirodha
is for concentration.It does not give liberation.It can be done even without getting
liberation.This is what Sankara implies.One can have chithavrithinirodha in one’s
art,science etc or in one’s business but these does not give liberation ).The only
sadhana(ananyasadhana)for chithavrithinirodha has to be athmavignaana and its
remembrance if one wants to be liberated.
The word Athmavignaana thath smrithisanthaana means the wisdom of self,its continued
memory for generations (for parampara)as prathyabigna is the only sadhana on which
chithavrithinirodha has to be done to attain liberation.Doing chithavrithinirodha for
getting other types of knowledge does not give liberation.To attain chithavrithinirodha
one has to do swadhyaaya,manana(self learning and analysis) and for that one should
have power of cognition and memory ,and for developing them one should cultivate
sradha,dhaarana,and dhyaana and reach Samadhi state.And to prevent the distractions
to such enquiry the practice should be done with involvement and daily for several years
continuously.And for several generations continuously so that the knowledge is not lost
and is perpetuated through generations.One has to show models of sacrifice (tyaga of
self)and vairagya to worldly pleasures to become a true teacher to influence generations
of true disciples.the swadhyaya of Upanishad and sruthi is not contradictory to yoga
teachings but a necessary corollary to it.Sankara accepts swadhyaya as a
rule(niyamavidhi)and says there is no apoorvavidhi(rule prior to athma).What does that
mean?He simply says that athma is the first /akin or equivalent to Brahma and there is no
rule prior to that for attaining it.And also that athmagnaana is not obtained by death,when
body is separated from athma.The memory of athma is not attached to a body which is
perishable and hence it is not an apoorvasmrithy but a poorvamrithy of previous births
and deaths(poorvajanmasmrithy) which are still in the lingasareera not in the gross
body.It is more like the archetypal memory of Jung ,in modern psychological
parlance.The rules of conduct we follow like swadhyaaya etc are to prevent new
tendencies of attachment being formed in the present and they cannot destroy the
archetypal memories accumulated in the past.
In Br Aranyaka bhashya (4.4.21) Sankara accepts Vignaayaa pragnaam kurveethaa as the
rule for memory of athmagnaana.And quoting Mundaka he says one should meditate on
Athma as OM and this is the rule of the yoga.The bhashya also says(2.3.39).Samadhi is
taught for for getting athmagnaana.Athma alone is to be seen ,heard,analysed and
thought about(Br U 2.4.5).No one can win success over the cycle of birth and deaths
without yogadharma and Parisamkhyaagnaana according to Sankara (B U Bh
4.4.2).Dharma means yogadharma which gives protection from death and birth (Bh G Bh
2.39)and yoga is samadhiyoga.Yoga alone can remove all dualities according to him.In
Upadesasaahasri(2.3)Sankara teaches Parisamkhyaanadhyaana for disciples who wants
liberation from all the past actions. The yogin who negates the world and its objects ,get
athmadarsana by bhakthi(devotion)dhyana(meditation)and pranidhaana(thinking and
analyzing the Godhead in a saguna form) according to Sankara (Br Soo Bh 3.2.24)
Sankara’s Disciple and creator of Vaarthika ,Sureswara maintains that no
parisankhyavidhi or rule can remove and control the likes and dislikes
(Raagadwesha)completely.For it ,and for athmagnaana vairagya alone is the wayOne has
to negate everything that is Anathma to realize Athma.After sacrificing all
karma,through dhyaana of Om ,one has to attain Athmagnaana.Only after sacrificing the
karmas ,one should take yogabhashya according to Sureswara.But even for sacrifice of
Karma,the help of yogabhashya is needed is what Sankara implies.Both Sankara and
Sureswara are advising Yogamarga for the mumukshu(one who seeks liberation).With
Athmagnaana and its continuous remembrance(pratyabhigna)chithavrithinirodha has to
happen naturally.And such an Athmagnaani is the best Yogin according to Sankara
.Sureswara certifies that Sankara was the best yogin by his words “Vishno
Paadaanugaam yam nikhilabhavanuthaam Sankarovaapayogaath”.From all these
evidences quoted I just make it clear that the view of some scholars that Sankara negated
and destroyed the Samkhya, and the yoga systems of the land is baseless.And the
theoretical,analytical and logical flaws which entered into these ancient systems through
the later writers was what Sankara clarified and rectified to rejuvenate and protect it for
posterity as a true Guru ,who wants only Lokakalyana and nothing in return for himself..
Vidhinishedha(breaking of rule)is only applicable to the karma(actions).Not to
gnaana(wisdom)which is eternal.One cannot make a rule and create wisdom.It has to
bloom naturally as a prathyabhigna and for that certain qualities are necessary .The karma
are to create such qualities.And when we negate the actions for creation of such qualities
in human consciousness we knowingly or unknowingly are obstructing prathyabhigna
and athmagnaana.The rule and breaking of rule ,which is thus part of the
kriyayoga,determines one’s ability for cognition and memory and thereby knowledge
acquisition and wisdom.And this is part of kriyaayoga.Kriyayoga is not gnaana but the
methods to obtain gnaana .This distinction is not there for a perfect yogin in samadhi for
whom the seer,seen and the knowledge and the way to it has merged.But for others the
distinctions exist and has to be explained in the most logical and comprehensible way
.This exposition of the scriptures is not a selfish karma,but a karma done to help others
to cross samsaara and reach the state of wisdom,reached by the yogin and for the
lokakalyana,and the most nishkaamakarma which can be identified .
Ashtangayoga in Advaitha
In BhagavadGeetha Bhashya (BH G BH 3.3)Sankara says Gnaanayoga is the direct way
to Liberation and Karmayoga is the indirect stage by stage way to it(kramamukthi).Both
leads ultimately to gnaana and mukthi.And in the stages of karmayoga to gnaanayoga he
describes dhaaranaayoga,dhyaanayoga and samadhiyoga (Bh Gee Bh 6.3) .Here Sankara
calls yoga as Dhyanayoga and elsewhere(4.38) he classify Yoga as karmayoga and
samadhiyoga.According to him the equanimity of darsana or samyagdarsana gives instant
liberation(4.39.5.27.and introduction to Bhashya of 6th ch)
Dhyanayoga is the internal process of samyagdarsana and practice of karma is only an
organ or part of the internal dhyaanayoga.Those who have no intellectual acumen to
accomplish the internal dhyaanayoga,have to do the external karma or aachaara ,and
thereby slowly and steadily purify intellect to get the ability for
concentration.Samyagdarsana removes avidya.He says there is no need to toil to get
athmagnaana ,because Athma is by itself light of knowledge and is everywhere ,in
everyone.then why do the elaborate process of yoga?He says ,people have misunderstood
the anathema as Athma for such a long time,and this impurity has to be removed from
their chitha ,and it is for that the elaborate yama and niyama are prescribed.In
Upadesasahasri (2.3)parisamkhyaanadhyaana part,he teaches the wisdom of
differentiating between Athma from Anathma.By this wisdom,one can avoid mistaking
the anathema as athma .A sthithapragna (as described by the Bhagavad Geetha)is such a
person.The viveka,vairagya,sama,dama,uparathi,thithiksha,sradha,and samaadhaanam or
shanthi are qualities of the sthithapragna according to the Geetha.That is,sthithapragna is
a yogin.Yama and niyama are to remove the covering of dirt from the mirror of chitha,so
that we get a perfect vision of our self according to Sankara and as we all know these
yama and niyama are the first two limbs of yoga..
In Thaithereeya Upanishad bhashya(1.9)and in Bh Geetha bhashya Sankara again
explains the Tapas and swadhyaya of yoga respectively.Bhagavad Geetha(17.14-
16)speaks of three types of tapas of mind,body and words.Soucha,ahimsa,and
brahmacharya are predominantly of body’s tapas,Manaprasaada,soumyatha and mouna
are of mental tapas,and satya and anudwega are word’s tapas.What does he mean by the
tapas of the word by satya and anudwega? He cites as example,that doing swadhyaaya in
silence and in quietitude,and speaks only the truth,and then both yoga and kshema
happens .(yogakshemam vahamyaham says Krishna in Geetha).Soumyatha is the
peaceful countenance and compassion for all in all situations and is obtained by
Athmavinigraha or control of the mind .Mouna is total silence of the mind and body and
words. Or in other words of all vrithys.In Brihadaranyaka bhashya (4.4.2)he speaks of
yogadharma and in Brahmasoothrabhashya(1.3.33)he quotes from yogasoothra on
swadhyaaya.Thithereeyabhashya(3.6)says one who wants Brahmagnaana must get peace
through tapas.Yoga is the Athma or soul of Vignaanamayakosa and it is called
Samadhaana there (Thi.bh 2.4).
When Purusha is saguna ,He is Lord of Prakrithi and has thriguna ,and because of the
presence of guna(avidyaguna)he is called the Maaya of Iswara.Therefore ,Maya or
saguna as Prakrithi and Nirguna as Brahma are two different states of the same
Iswara.Hence both are anaadi and universes are created ,sustained and destroyed in
it.Iswara is thus two in oneness.Or like two sides of the same coin.Maya is seen as the
many forms and names of the universe.Jeeva is seen as the purusha or the one
controlling power or cause of everything.This is the heart of samkhyasidhantha.It is
Iswara himself who takes human form and sustain the dharma and culture of the
ancients.And all the karma of all the jeevaas are dependent on the laws of nature and
hence of Iswara.Liberation and bondage also are dependent on it.Karmayoga is not only
nishkaamakarma,but doing all karma as dedication to Iswara(Karmaarpana/as
Brahmaarpana).Dedicating every act to God is seen in his soundaryalahari(Japojalpa
verse 27).Thus Bhakthy to a personal Iswara links gnaana to karma through the
pranidhaana or Iswarapranidhaana of yoga.Both in Yoga and vedantha upaasana of
pranava as OM is ultimate for liberation.In Bh Geetha Bhashya Sankara says those who
meditate on Om in the last muhoortha of life,remembers Krishna and reaches
Paramapadam(8.13).In Yogasoothrabhashya Pranava is Iswaravaachi (1.27.28)The same
is said by Sankara in Geethabhashya.(Vaachakaroopa,Abhidhaanabhootha,and Thad
arthabhootha are the words used by Sankara)Prasnopanishad also teaches upaasana of
Pranava(5.1-2)This is quoted by Sankara both in Geethabhashya (8.12-13)and
Brahmasoothrabhashya(1.3.13).He says that for those who have lesser intelligence also
this method is useful.They can reach the kramamukthimarga first ,to saguna and nirguna
and samyagdarsana later.
According to Sankara the entire 8th chapter of Geetha is to teach Dhaaranaayoga through
meditation on OM.Dharana fixes the mind to one object.Samyama is a combined process
of dharana,dhyana and Samadhi.So ,to get samyama,one must have practiced these for a
long time.Sankara describes in detail the process of fixing the chitha in the heart’s
lotus,and raising the praana through the oordwanaadi ,and winning the different
bhoomika stage by stage ,and then fixing it in the center of the forehead in Agna.(Bh Ge
Bh 8.10)This is exactly as described in Yogasoothra and bhashya of vyaasa.The
devayaana and pithruyaana of the Upanishads and of the Geetha are compared to
Kundaliniyoga.Chandogya Upanishad Bhashya (8.6.6.)speaks of the oordwanaadi and
100 other subordinate naadi for the kundalini power.Of these the 100 are having cyclical
recurrence while the single upward naadi has no recurrence and is the path to
liberation.Sankara in his bhashya says the pranavadhyana and praanayama are to raise
praana through the single oordhwanaadi and to get relief from births and deaths.Thus
praanaayaama and pratyaaahara are advised as dhaaranaayoga.Sankara also mentions
pooraka ,rechaka ,kumbaka(Bh Gee Bh 4.29) and calls Indriyanigraha(or control of
senses)as Vaseekaara just like yogasoothra does(2.55).Brahmasoothra bhashya mentions
Aasana for dhyana (4.1.7-11)Why one should in a sukhaasana to do dhyaana? In
discussion of this point in Bh Gee Bh 6.110Sankara describes Padmaasana position of the
yogasoothra.And for him dhyana is the sign of samyagdarsana,and he prescribes a seat of
kusa grass on which clothes or barks of trees are spread for aasana .Sankara has quoted a
very old sloka from Yogasasthra which is not Pathanjalayoga.It is like this.:-
Yogasaasthre paripaataath……Ardharasavyanjanaannasya thritheeyam udakasya cha
vaayo ssanjaranaartham thu chathurtham avaseshayeth”(Bh Gee Bh 6.16).It could be
from Hiranyagarbhayogasaasthra.It says,a person sitting for meditation should follow a
laghuaahaara(minimum food) and his stomach should have only half part
annam(food)quarter part water and the rest quarter part should be free for movement of
vaayu or air.For Sankara Upasamhaara of Indriya from their sensory objects is
Pratyaahara(BG B 2.58).Dhyana is gradual upasamhaara from karma(BG B 6.3)and
Samkhya is sanyaasa(BG B 3.3).these are different stages in the life of a seeker of truth.
Brahmasothrabhashya(2.3.38)discusses the Omkaaradhyana of Mundaka(2.2.6)and
Athmagnaana of Brihadaranyaka(2.4.5)and Samadhi of yogasoothra(Br Soo B 2.3.40).In
none of these treatises and commentaries Sankara is opposing yoga or Samadhi .Samadhi
is for him the way to athmagnaana.What he has been opposing is the false notions that
had crept into the system by people who interpreted it with their inferior intellects .He
was not the enemy of anyone or any system ,though many thoughtless critics and
historians have given him that aura.There is nothing which is detested or disliked in
scientific logical advaitha philosophy.What is not logically acceptable has to be removed
from science and philosophy by a superior intellect to protect that particular dharma or
science for posterity.Sankara did only that with his extremely clear superior intellect
which was bright and enlightened with the knowledge /wisdom of Samadhi experience.If
it had destroyed any system of knowledge systems it only shows how inferior they were
logically to his wisdom and how the people understood their mediocrity when compared
to his intellectual superiority.
According to the medieval Vaishnavasahajeeyathanthra of Bengal (Johnson M.The body
in the mind.The bodily basis of measuring ,imagination and reason.Chicago uty.Uty of
Chicago press 1987) for every journey there is a way.For every way there is a
plane.Sadhana has a plane but it leads one to a totally different plane .The traveler has to
share the experiences of his journey and communicate the ways through which he/she
traversed one plane of existence to another.Sharing of such experiences also is a sadhana
for educating the posterity.Vyasa ,Vachaspathi and Pathanjali shared their journey with
us through their eternal works.When I write these words ,I do it with a similar sankalpa
or bhaavana..A hope that by sharing my experiences in my life’s sojourn,I may be able
to enrich theexperiences of my successors,nameless formless imaginary readers as
successors of posterity ,and stimulate them to explore the realms of sadhana and
Samadhi ,to havevisions and sruthis of the most beautiful and compassionate realms of
existence.And to bring peace and love to humanity through those darsana and sruthi .
Vignaanasaarathiryasthu
Mana :pragrahavaan nara:
Swodhwana :paramaapnothi
Thadh Vishno:paramam padam(Katha Upanishad 1.3.9)
May the entire creation be blessed by that ultimate goal through this journey .
Dr Suvarna Nalapat
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