Yogashikha Upanishad (critical study)
by Sujatarani Giri | 2015 | 72,044 words
This page relates 鈥楽amadhi (Contemplation)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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 4.8 - 厂补尘腻诲丑颈 (Contemplation)
[Full title: Eight Steps of Yoga (8) 厂补尘腻诲丑颈 or Contemplation]
In the 补峁ａ弓腻峁単补测辞驳补 鈥荣补尘腻诲丑颈鈥� is the eight and last limb. The 补峁ａ弓腻峁単补测辞驳补 may, for practical purposes, be classified into two categories viz. (1) the set consisting of the first five limbs and (2) set consisting of the last three limbs. As observed by 惭补丑补谤峁 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈 the second set of the last three limbs is far more important than the first set of five limbs, while the first set may be said to constitute the external limb, the second set constitutes the core content or the internal limb of what is termed as 蝉补尘辫谤补箩帽腻迟补 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈.
As we advance on the subject, we shall be nothing that 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 also falls into two categories. While the second set of limbs of the 补峁ａ弓腻峁単补测辞驳补 forms the inner core of the first[1] category of 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 viz, 蝉补尘辫谤补箩帽腻迟补 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈, the latter is only the external part of the second category of 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 called 苍颈谤产墨箩补.[2]
The concept of 厂补尘腻诲丑颈 needs to be explored further by bringing out what the most authorative ancient scriptures have said in this regard.
The various 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉 declare:
(i) a state in which the practitioner considers 鈥業 myself am the ultimate Brahma is known to be 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈:[3] 础尘峁泃补苍腻诲辞辫补苍颈峁诲.
(ii) This is a state in which the practitioner firmly comes to realize 鈥業 am myself Brahma鈥�, such a state is totally free from the operations of the mind.[4] 罢谤颈艣颈办丑颈 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲.
(iii) I am neither the body, nor the breath. Again I am also not the senses, not even the mind. I am nothing else but 艢颈惫补 alone, ever being in the position of a mere witness. It is this firm conviction which is called 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈-(顿补谤艣补苍补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲).[6]
(iv) 厂补尘腻诲丑颈 is a state of equipoise or a state in which the soul (箩墨惫腻迟尘腻) and God (辫补谤补尘腻迟尘腻) become one and the same (Yogatatva 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲).[7]
(v) When the practitioner experiences oneness of the mind and the self oneness being something like that of salt in water that is a state called 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 (痴补谤腻丑补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲).[8]
(vi) It is a state in which the soul (箩墨惫腻迟尘腻) and God (辫补谤补尘腻迟尘腻) becomes one 艢膩峁囜笉ily 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲.[9]
(vii) That 鈥淚 am myself Brahma鈥� is savikalpa 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈. And where one forgets even that state is called nirvikalpa 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 (Tejovindu 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲).[10]
The 骋丑别谤补峁囜笉补 厂补峁僪颈迟腻 describes 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 as: -Separate the mind from the body and unite the same with 辫补谤尘腻迟尘补苍 (the ultimate self). That is the state of 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 in which one becomes free from all other states of consciousness.[11]
The 贬补峁环补测辞驳补 笔谤补诲颈辫颈办腻 says:
The 测辞驳墨 in trance (蝉补尘腻诲丑颈stha) does not hear the sounds of musical instruments such as conch and war drums. His body variety becomes like a piece of wood. He is freed from all states and conditions free from worries in entirety and sits like a dead person.
His mind is in neither asleep nor awake. He remembers nothing such a soul neither risers nor sets. He does not feel either cold or hot, nor does he experience pleasure or pain. He could not care less either for honour or insult. Even though in normal health and in a waking state he sits like a person in sleep. He neither inhales nor exhales i.e. does not seem to be doing any breathing activity.[12]
The 驰辞驳补蝉奴迟谤补 of Dattatreya defines 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 as that state in which the soul (箩颈惫腻迟尘腻) and God (辫补谤补尘腻迟尘腻) become one and indivisible.[13]
According to Yogacu岣嵞乵a峁噄 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲[14] the Practitioner鈥�
(i) Destroys disease through 腻蝉补苍补.
(ii) Destroys sin through 辫谤腻峁嚹乱腻尘补.
According to 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈 there are five 辫腻迟补办补蝉鈥�
(i) Murder of Brahman;
(ii) Drinking liquor;
(iii) Stealing;
(iv) sex with one鈥檚 teacher鈥檚 wife and
(v) association with those who indulging in the above four.[15]
(iii) Gives up vitiation of the mind (惫颈办腻谤补) through 辫谤补迟测腻丑腻谤补.
(iv) Gets mental patience through 诲丑测腻苍补 and attains wonderful consciousness through it.
(v) Through 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈, he attains emancipation and there is a complete cessation of work both good as well as bad.
The Am峁泃an膩da 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 蝉补测蝉鈥�
鈥淛ust as the impurities of the mountain minerals are destroyed by a blowing fire, so are the impurities contracted through the senses destroyed by holding the breath. Therefore destroy impurities through 辫谤腻峁嚹乱腻尘补 and 诲丑腻谤补峁嚹�. Pr膩峁嚹亂膩ma also gives lightness. 笔谤补迟测腻丑腻谤补 gives patience.[16]
膧蝉补苍补 gives firmness. 顿丑测腻苍补 brings one face to face with reality on one鈥檚 self and 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 gives total detachment as well as emancipation (mukti).
Thus, 补峁ａ弓腻峁単补测辞驳补, is a technology for the development of the physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual faculties in man making him a fully integrated human personality
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
鈥屸赌渢rayamantara峁単a p奴rvebhya鈥�. 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈 驰辞驳补蝉奴迟谤补鈥揑滨滨-7.鈥�
[2]:
Ibid鈥揑滨滨-8.
[4]:
鈥孴ri. Br膩. Upa.-Mantra-161-162.
[5]:
顿补谤艣补苍补-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 - X-4 &5.
[7]:
鈥�Yogatattva 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 -Mantra-107.
[9]:
艢膩峁囜笉ilya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲鈥揑-齿滨.
[13]:
鈥屸赌�蝉补尘腻诲丑颈岣� samat膩basth膩 jivstmspsrsmstman膩 诲补迟迟腻迟谤别测补鈥�. mantra- 250.
[14]:
[15]:
鈥屸赌�产谤补丑尘补丑补迟测腻 sur膩p膩nam鈥�.sa峁僺arga艣c膩pi tai岣� saha鈥�.惭补苍蝉尘峁泃颈- XI-55.
[16]:
鈥孉m峁泃膩n膩da 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 鈥搈antra- 7 & 8.