笔谤补迟测腻丑腻谤补 (withdrawal of senses) [Part 4.5]

Yogashikha Upanishad (critical study)

by Sujatarani Giri | 2015 | 72,044 words

This page relates 鈥楶ratyahara (withdrawal of senses)鈥� of the English study on the Yogashikha Upanishad鈥攁 key text from the Krishna Yajurveda, focusing on the pinnacle of Yogic meditation. This essay presents Yoga as a crucial component of ancient Indian philosophy and spirituality and underscores its historical roots in Vedic literature鈥攑articularly the Upanishads and Vedant. The chapters of this study are devoted to the faculties of the mind and internal body mechanisms such as Chakras as well as the awakening of Kundalini.

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Part 4.5 - 笔谤补迟测腻丑腻谤补 (withdrawal of senses)

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[Full title: Eight Steps of Yoga (5) 笔谤补迟测腻丑腻谤补 or Withdrawal of senses]

笔谤补迟测腻丑腻谤补 is the fifth limb of 补峁ａ弓腻峁単补测辞驳补. The word is a combination of the preposition prati which means 鈥榓gainst鈥� 鈥榦pposite鈥�, 鈥榬everse鈥� and 腻丑腻谤补 which means 鈥�food feeding. So the word praty腻丑腻谤补 literally means 鈥榥on-feeding鈥� fasting or starving or non-enjoyment or cessation from enjoyment. If however, 丑腻谤补 is taken in the sense of 鈥榯o bring towards鈥� the praty腻丑腻谤补 would mean dragging in the opposite direction. The great 惭补丑补谤峁 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈 has defined Yoga in terms of the control of the working of the mind. He further says that only then the human soul is in a position to establish itself in its own and as long as this does not happen, the soul identifies itself with the workings of the mind.^[1] Further 惭补丑补谤峁 defines praty腻丑腻谤补 as a state of mind when the senses have ceased to have contact with their object of enjoyment and the mind as it were, looks like following the self.^[2]

According to 础尘峁泃补苍腻诲补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲: -one should think that the five functions of the five senses viz sound (of ears) touch (of skin) form (of eyes) taste (of tongue) and smell (of nose as also the extremely fickle mind are only another form of the supreme self, i.e. praty腻丑腻谤补.^[3]

⁷⁷ 鈥�鈥�tad膩dr峁ａ弓u岣� svar奴pe avasth膩nam鈥�. Ibid-I-3.

⁷⁸ 鈥�鈥�svavi峁yasa峁僷rayogacittasya鈥︹€�. indriya峁嚹乵膩 praty腻丑腻谤补鈥�. Ibid-II-54.

⁷⁹ 鈥孉m峁泃膩n膩da 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 -Mantra-5.

According to Tejovindu 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 one should see the self in the sense objects i.e. praty腻丑腻谤补. It should be practised again and again.^[4]

罢谤颈艣颈办丑颈叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 defines in this way that when the mind becomes inward looking that is called praty腻丑腻谤补.^[5]

顿补谤艣补苍补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 observes praty腻丑腻谤补 补蝉鈥�

A forcible pulling away of the sensers from their natural objects of desire is praty腻丑腻谤补.^[6]

The knowers of Brahma have declared in the past that praty腻丑腻谤补 is when all that a person sees around him appears to him to be Brahma (Supreme Being) only.

Whatever one does, pure or impure, till the end of his life, should be done only for the sake of Brahma. That is praty腻丑腻谤补 or all the desired daily activities chores, should be performed with a sense that all these are his worship only. That is praty腻丑腻谤补.

The 骋丑别谤补峁囜笉补厂补峁僪颈迟腻 蝉补测蝉:鈥�

1) A proper knowledge of praty腻丑腻谤补 destroys the enemy in the form of desires etc.

⁸⁰ 鈥�Tejobindu 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 -Mantra-30.

⁸¹ 鈥屸€渃ittasy膩ntarmukh墨bh膩ba岣� praty膩rastu sattama鈥�. Tri. Br膩. Upa.-Mantra-30.

⁸² 鈥�顿补谤艣补苍补-耻辫补苍颈峁诲- VIII-19.

2) The mind being unstable and fickle roams around anywhere. It should be taken away from all such wanderings and brought under control within the inner-self.

3) Be it reward or censure, good listening or a terrible thing, the mind should ignore all these, be stabilized and brought under control within one鈥檚 self.

4) Be it a fragrance or a foul smell, the mind gets attached to all sorts of smells. The mind should be pulled away from all these and contained within one鈥檚 self.

5) When the mind runs after different tastes like sweets, sour and astringent etc., it should be pulled away from all these and contained within one鈥檚 self.^[7]

⁸³ 鈥�骋丑别谤补峁囜笉补厂补峁僪颈迟腻-IV-1-7.