श्री गणेश मंदिर - शिक्षा वाणी
Sri Ganesh mandir - Serene
Sunday Reflections
15th September 2019 :
YOGA SASTHRAM
KEYWORDS:: Yoga, Suthram,
Vidya, Sasthram, Self, Ashtanga Yoga,
Bhagavad Gita, Upanishad
Gita is Upanishad, Brahma Vidya and Yoga Sasthram, having briefed
Brahma Vidya last week, now we shall reflect on Yoga Sasthram.
Yoga as it is very well known to the world is Yogasana, physical
exercise and maximum including breathing practice; a bit deeper will be
Ashtanga Yoga explaining eight steps (yama, niyama, asana, pranayama,
prathyahara, dharana, Dhyana, samadhi) may be without following. But Yoga
without any prefix like Hatha, Raja, Manthra, Kundalini, Laya or without a
suffix Sasthram, Vidya,
But in the Spiritual terminology, Yoga is Union / Contact /
Reaching etc.; thus, it is realizing God. Mainly, Karma Yoga - Yoga of work and
renunciation, Jnana Yoga - Yoga of knowledge, Bhakti Yoga - Yoga of devotional
service; are explained in Bhagavad Gita.
Sasthram means that is experiential and or experimentable and what
is useful for the world. In the whole Bhagavad Gita Teaching 155 times the word
Yoga (including yoga and yukta) is appearing in various discussions in the
whole of 700 slokas. Undoubtedly Gita is the most used and discussed text in
the world.
Yoga is
the Sastra of uniting individual self with cosmic consciousness, thus
here the dvaita is the base. Advaita Vedanta and Yoga are two largest surviving
schools of Hindu traditions. In principles, they are same but differ in
concepts and belief in self/soul. Advaita Vedanta uses Patanjali's yoga
practices and lessons from Upanishads for the self-realization / salvation.
The methods of Yoga Sastra as in Yoga Darshana of
Patanjali, binding (bandha) of jiva
(atma/self/soul) is due to intellect (buddhi). Jiva
is beyond all these but cannot exist without all these; body (sareera), senses
(indryia), mind (manas),
intellect (buddhi), memory (chitha) and ego (ahankara).
The self-conscious state is being with that cosmic Being by dissolving the
physical and mental consciousness;
which is the path (ways) through Yoga Sastra.
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः
(yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ)
[Yoga Sutras 1.2]
Swami Vivekananda translates the sutra as "Yoga is
restraining the mind-stuff (Chitha) from taking various forms (Vruthis). Yoga in Indian has a meditative and spiritual
core, but Yoga gurus from India when introduced yoga to the
West, following the success of Swami Vivekananda in
the late 19th and early 20th century with his adaptation of yoga tradition,
excluding asanas; it got into a posture-based physical fitness,
stress-relief and relaxation technique.
Yoga is mentioned in the Rigveda, but most likely
developed around the sixth and fifth centuries BCE, references are seen in Upanishads.
"When the five senses, along with the mind, remain still and the intellect
is not active, that is known as the highest state. They consider yoga to be
firm restraint of the senses. Then one becomes un-distracted for yoga is the
arising and the passing away”, says Katha Upanishad. Baghavad Gita (BG) deals
Yoga all through and defines "Yoga is said to be equanimity" (BG:2-48);
"Yoga is skill in action" (BG:2-50); "Know that which is called
yoga to be separation from contact with suffering" (BG:6-23).
It is high time that we reflect on Upanishad especially after reflecting
on Brahma Vidya last week and now here on Yoga Sasthram. Let us read on Upanishads
in the coming week.
----- Next Week 22nd September 2019 – Upanishads ------
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