Shadanga Yoga

(adapted from Swami Paramarthananda’s talk “Ashtanga Yoga”)

Ashtanga yoga of Patanjali Maharishi consists of eight limbs:
1)    Yama - the five restraints or the "don'ts"

1)  Ahimsa - Non-violence,

2)  Sathyam – Truthfulness and avoidance of telling untruth

3)   Brahmacharyam - Celibacy and avoidance of indecent and inappropriate attitude towards other sex.

4)  Asteyam - Non-stealing

5)  Aparigraha - Non-covetousness and not having a feeling of possessiveness.

2)    Niyama - the five observances or the "do's"

1)    Saucham - Purity, cleanliness

2)   Santoshaha - Contentment

3)   Tapas - Austerity

4)    Swadhyaya - Self-study, study of scriptures

5)    Ishwara Pranidhanam - Surrender to God's will

3)    Asana -  Steady physical posture

4)    Pranayama - Control of prana or life force

5)    Pratyahara -  Withdrawal of the senses

6)    Dharana  -  Concentration

7)    Dhyanam -   Meditation

8)    Samadhi – Total absorption in meditation.

Of these 5 don’ts of Yama, and 5 do’s of Niyama, had been the subject of an earlier lecture of Swami Paramarthananda, or Swamiji in short, under the title “Ten commandments of Hinduism”.  The other six, namely asana, pranayama, pratyahra, dharana, dhyana and samadhi, are the subject of the present lecture under the caption ‘Shadanga yoga”, the yoga with six limbs. In an earlier lecture, Swamiji has discussed ‘What is yoga?’  In the present talk he briefly recalled some points from his earlier talk, as a prelude to the present discourse, that is given in next para.

Yoga is derived from the word ‘Yuj’, that means union, merger.  As per scriptures it is the union between Jivathma, individual self, and Paramathma, the cosmic self.  This Ikyam, called Moksham, is also called parama purushartha, Supreme goal of life.  After initially speaking about Ikyam, scriptures later point out that union is not  necessary as Jivathma and Parmathma are one only and only upadhis are different and upadhis give an appearance of separation.  Jiva in his delusion labours under the notion that Jivathma is different from Paramatma and seeks union with Paramatma. The scriptures talk of this union (yoga) also as separation (viyoga) from our delusion that Jivathma and Paramathma are different and the notions that arise out of the delusion of separation.  Removal of this notional division through Jnanam is called Jivathma Paramatma Ikyam. So, this Ikyam is called Sadhya Yoga as it is the ultimate goal of life and all the other yogas that lead to this Ikya Jnanam, are called Sadhana yogas.

Patanjali Maharishi propounded this ashtanga yoga in his Yoga sutras.  This has two parts: 1) philosophy called yoga dharsan and 2) a scheme of spiritual disciplines i.e. ashtanga yoga called yoga sadhanas.  Yoga dharsan, which talks of the existence of Iswara as supreme Purusha and spells out the aim of Yoga  as fusion or merger of individual soul with the supreme Soul is not acceptable to advaita vedantists but yoga sadhana is accepted as a means of controlling and focussing the mind and internalising the Brahma Jnanam gained through Sravanam and consolidated and made doubt-free through Mananam.  

Patanjali Maharishi defines Yoga as चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः,chitta vritti nirodaha,blocking mental vrittis, which is interpreted as regulating the mental functions, curbing involuntary thoughts and making all thought patterns satvic.  Our mind is a powerful internal organ.  Its greatness is that it is a main instrument we have for achieving all purusharthams. It is associated with the activities of all organs. And it is also a primary instrument as well, for through its thoughts it can shape one’s attitude and make hell out of heaven or heaven out of hell. That is why chitta suddhi, purity of mind, is insisted in all sadhanas.  Yama and Niyama help in attaining chitta suddhi.  But our mind has involuntary thoughts as well where thoughts happen on their own, besides voluntary thoughts which are deliberate and under our control and in a pure mind only voluntary thoughts become pure and satvic.  Special efforts are required to keep the involuntary thoughts in check and also pure and satvic.  If not, the involuntary thoughts can proliferate and cause emotional disturbances like stress, depression, anxiety etc. that will be an obstacle to progress in spiritual sadhana.  Shadanga yoga helps one to address this problem, retrieving the mind from the hold of involuntary thoughts and bringing back the mind under sadhaka’s control.

Asana is taking up a steady and comfortable physical posture that consciously relaxes the body makes It supple and flexible, balancing the different nerve impulses.  A healthy body facilitates having a healthy mind that can be groomed to bear the opposites like pain and pleasure, heat and cold with equanimity.  Pranayama involves regulation of breadth. Talking about Prana and mind, Ramana Maharishi in Upadesa saar states: शाखयोः द्वयि शक्तिमूलका sakhayoh dvayi sakthimoolaka, two branches stemming from the same power. So you control mind through control of Prana.  Asanas and Pranayama together help in owning up the mind and snatching it, as it were, from the grip of involuntary thoughts.

Pratyahara is the next step where the mind is kept under one’s control denying involuntary thoughts their food by turning the focus of sense organs inwards.  This is what Sri Krishna states as one of stithaprajna lakshnas in Gita (2-58)  

यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव शर्वशः।  Yada samharathe chaayam kurmonganeeva sarvasaha  
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्टिता॥ Indriyaneendriyarthebhyah tasya prajna prathishititha                 
When he withdraws his senses from the sense objects like a tortoise, which draws in its limbs from all directions, his mind is stable. 

Dharana is the next step where the mind is given a job like Japa or chanting a prayer slowly with awareness to keep it voluntarily engaged and to maintain control so that it may not stray away into involuntary thoughts. In Dharana concentration is tried to be maintained for five to ten minutes only.  Dhyanam is simply an extension of Dharana, where one is able to maintain a smooth unfluctuating control over the mind not letting it stray into involuntary thoughts for quite a length of time.  Vedantic dhyanam is on one of the Mahavakhyas.  The increased attention span one is able to attain, leads one gradually to the total absorption stage of Samadhi in course of time with constant regular practice and in Samadhi one effortlessly moves into Dhyanam at will and stays for a length of time.  Where effort is involved in doing Dhyanam, Samadhi is attained without effort, at will.  Whereas increase in attention span is achieved in Dhyanam, depth in attention is attained in Samadhi.  When one is conscious of one’s surroundings in Samadhi time, it is called Savikalpa Samadhi. The stage of total absorption where even the triputi of meditator, object of meditation and the process of meditation is also not there in mind, making one appear as dead to one’s environs, is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi. This is the highest state to which all these sadhanas should lead to.  These eight steps are so designed as to gradually lead a spiritual sadhaka to the Nirvikalpa Samadhi.  People like Sri Ramana Maharishi are exceptions who could go to this stage straightaway due to their purva janma vasana aided by divine grace and they cannot be taken as models by spiritual aspirants.

A spiritual aspirant should make a strong resolve, Sankalpa, to reduce the involuntary thoughts.  This can be done through a three-fold strategy -1) resolve firmly and renew the resolve every morning after getting up, 2) alertness during the waking hours by doing all actions consciously and 3) review every night before retiring - aimed at reducing the frequency, intensity and resilience of involuntary thoughts.   Doing action consciously means keeping the mind focused in the action one is doing and such a focused life is called alert life. When one acts consciously, the efficiency and efficacy of the action also increases, besides arresting the mind-wandering which is the cause for involuntary thoughts.  These steps besides Shadanga yoga will help one to win the war over involuntary thoughts, which is necessary to get established in the Ikya Jnanam and mature as Brahma Nishta.

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Stithaprajna, the Jeevanmuktha

In the blog “Jeevanmuktha”, I referred to Arjuna’s curiosity regading Jeevanmuktha which is reflected in the question he asks Lord Krishna (2-54), about the Sthithaprajna  lakshana. This question can be summed up as ‘How does a Sthithaprajna live, talk and behave?’  Lord Krishna answers this question through a description of Sthithaprajna’s inner state and outer behaviour in detail in verses 55 to 72.  The Sthithaprajna referred to is same as Jeevanmuktha only and both these terms Acharya Sankara uses in Viveka Chudamani, in his description of one who has realized Brahman and stands firm in the knowledge that his real Self is Athma , that is none other than Brahman.  This description is given in verses 426 to 445 of Viveka Chudamni, of which 16 are devoted to outline the hall-marks of Jeevanmuktha.  In this blog let me explore briefly the exposition of Lord Krishna, as given in verses 55 to 72 of Chapter 2 of Gita. In line with my earlier blog on Jeevanmuktha I am using that term only in the place of Sthithaprajna, in this blog as well. Lord Krishna in these verses gives not only the characteristics of Jeevanmuktha, but also tips and message of warnings to the sadhakas as well, which I may not dwell upon.

In the opening verse of his reply i.e. verse 2-55, Lord Krishna states that Jeevanmuktha completely casts off all desires of the mind and is satisfied in the Self by the Self.  When he says ‘casts off all desires’, it does not mean Jeevanmuktha  is totally desireless, but only whatever desire he has, they are non-binding and selfless ones only.  His desires are in the form of preferences only and they arise out of a sense of fulfilment and a sense of contentment. As he is aware of his oneness with Brahman, the infinite Self, he has no sense of want for finite things.  Brihadaranyaka Upanishad uses three words to describe such a person, आप्तकामः aptakamaha, आत्मकामः athmakamaha and अकामः akamaha (4-3-21).  Aptakamaha is one whose desires have all been fulfilled; athmakamaha, one whose desire is for Athma only and akamaha, one who has no desires to fulfil.  As Jeevanmuktha’s desire is for Athma only and as that too he has realized, being firmly established in  Athma-jnanam, he is free from all desires and so he is athmakamaha, aptakamaha and akamaha. The peace, contentment and infinite bliss he enjoys in all places and in all circumstances is reflected in his interactions with the world. This state of internal bliss he enjoys at all times is stated in Mundakopanishad  that calles such a person as आत्मक्रीडः, athmakreedah, and आत्मरतिः, athmarathihi (3-1-4), the one who sports in himself and delights in himself . This state is possible because of his firm knowledge that there is nothing beside his Self and all that exists is his Self only.

Lord Krishna follows this up in the next verse, verse 2-55, stating that Jeeanmuktha’s mind is not depressed by sorrow nor is it carried away by excitement in happiness and he has overcome the three harmful emotions of attachment, fear and anger.  This emphasises the mental stability that comes from the state of desirelessness described in the earlier verse. His mind being always rooted in Brahman, does not run after material things nor does he feel attached to relationships or possessions. He has overcome the barrier of binding desires and attained realization of Brahman, who is asangha, unattached, and Sat Chit Aananda, as his true Self and so he has no need for external props for happiness, like possessions and relationships.

Lord Krishna outlines the ladder of fall for a person in the verses 62 & 63  in which he states that what starts as dwelling on sense objects, grows into attachment, and develops as desire for them, which when frustrated  sows the seeds of anger that leads to delusion, loss of intellect and finally to destruction.  For a Jeevanmuktha the base itself, dwelling on sense objects, is knocked out by Athma Jnanam, Self-knowledge and so he is free from its corollaries that include attachment, desire and anger. As he sees Brahman everywhere and that Brahman is his very Self, there is no duality for him, As there is no second thing, there is nothing to fear for fear comes only from a second entity as stated in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, द्वितीयाद् वै भयं भवति, fear comes only from a second entity(1-4-2). Further as Athma, his real Self is eternal, he as Athma is neither born nor is there death for him and so there is no fear of death, as well.  As his mind is under the control of the intellect and his intellect is firmly established in Athma-Jnanam, he is not swayed by what happens to the body or in the external world, be it joy or sorrow.  His control over the mind is exemplified in verse 2-58, wherein it is stated that he can withdraw his senses from sense objects at will, as tortoise withdraws its head into its shell when it senses danger. Like the ocean that absorbs unaffected the rivers entering into it, the mind of Jeevanmuktha does not lose its peace or placidity due to any desire entering into it. He has attained what Buddhists call as ‘Bodichittam’, a mind wherein anything can enter but nothing can disturb its peace.

His behaviour as far as the external world is concerned is given in verse 57, wherein it is stated that he moves everywhere without getting attached to a place, person or thing, treating with equanimity, the opposites be it good or evil, pleasant or painful. He is a samadarsi with samathvabhava, not swayed by likes and dislikes for people, events or things. His samatvam, unlike a karmayogi’s is spontaneous, involving no effort and is firmly based on Jnanam. When an ordinary person interacts with the world he is swayed by the happenings around him and he is alive to the pleasures and pains. For him the world is very much real and so reacts to the events around him and concerning him.  He is very much ignorant of his true nature and feels bound by samsara. For a Jeevanmuktha, there is no division between jiva, jagat and Brahman nor there is a sense of bondage. For an ordinary person, only the dream world is unreal and the waking world is very much real. For a Jeevanmuktha, who has realized his true Self as Turiyam, pure consciousness or unity consciousness, the waking state is as much unreal as the dream state and he is untouched by its happenings in the same way the waker is not affected by dream state happenings. Lord Krishna in verse 69 colourfully refers to this with the statement that what is night for all beings is day for Jeevanmuktha and where Jeevanmuktha is awake, all beings are asleep. Lord Krishna concludes the description here calling the state of Jeevanmuktha,  Brahmisthithi, the state of Brahman, and giving the assurance that at whatever age or stage one gains this Brahmisthithi, there is no going back for him and he attains oneness with Brahman from that moment.

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Jeevanmuktha

Before study of Vedanta, ‘I’ means for one, the ahamkara ‘I’, i.e.ego ‘I’  associated with the three bodies, gross, subtle and causal , together referred to as sareera triam, along with the consciousness manifested in the mind i.e. chidabasa.  While studying Vedanta, one comes to know of the second ‘I’, the witness ‘I’ or the sakshi ‘I’. One also learns that this sakshi ‘I’ is the real ‘I’ and the ahamkara ‘I’ is only the transactional ‘I’, which is useful for distinguishing oneself in one’s transactions with the world. One further learns that this sakshi ‘I’ is pure Consciousness, one without attributes, not subject to modifications, beyond time and space and has no birth or death and that this is the ‘I’ that is referred to in the mahavakhya, “Aham Brahmasmi”, I am Brahman. 

When one in ignorance considers ahamkara ‘I’ as the real ‘I’, then that one considers the limitations of the body and mind as his limitations and is subject to the emotional ups and downs caused by the raga and dwesha, likes and dislikes of the mind, and the  physical struggles to make oneself  complete and fulfilled.  This struggle and turmoil is called samsara.  This samsara is the result of Self-confusion, mistaking the ahamkara ‘I’ as real Self, and the consequent activity to overcome the resultant feeling of limitations and this samsara causes the sense of bondage. Since the sense of bondage is caused by mistaken notion, freedom from this sense of bondage can come only from correcting the wrong notion and getting established in the knowledge that one’s real self is the Sakshi ‘I’. 

The person who has acquired this right knowledge through sravanam, then made it doubt-free through mananam, and got established in this knowledge unshakably by removing habitual dehatma buddhi through nitidhyasanam, is called Jeevanmuktha. Jeevanmuktha is one who has become a mukthapurusha, a liberated person, while living and his state is called Jeevanmukthi.  The final liberation from the cycle of birth and death which is attained when the body, which continues until exhaustion of prarabhdha karma, is shed at death is called videha mukthi.   Jeevanmukthi  is a concept unique to Advaita Vedanta.  Jeevanmuktha realizes that he has never been bound and the notion of bondage was one born out of his ignorance, Ajnanam.  Both bondage and liberation are only concepts and one’s true Self, the sakshi ‘I’ which is Athma, is always free of all concepts. Being established in this right knowledge is only called liberation.  As he is firmly established in this knowledge he is also referred to as Sthithaprajna.  Lord Sri Krishna refers to such a person as Gunatheetha (Gita-ch.14)  as well besides Sthithaprajna (Gita-Ch.2).  Athma is free of all attributes, and as one who has identified himself with Athma, he has transcended the three gunas and so is called Gunatheetha.  As Jeevan muktha is one who has realized the jeeva-Brahma-aikyam and is established unwaveringly in that, he is also called Para-Bhaktha, a supreme Bhaktha . He is also referred to as Brahmavid, knower of Brahman, since he has realized his real Self as Brahman.

Since we normally identify ourselves with the ahamkara ‘I’, we have sense of incompletion and non-fulfillment.  To complete ourselves and feel fulfilled, we go after wealth, possessions, positions, relationships, status etc. and this leads to activity aimed at self-aggrandizement and material enrichment.  Such activities in self-interest lead to karma and karmaphala, which may be beneficial or adverse.   Unfructified karmas of present birth are called agami karmas, the accumulated karmas over previous births is called sanchitha karma and that part of the sanchitha karma that determines the present birth with its environments, equipment and length of lifetime  is called prarabhdha karma.   For a Jeevanmuktha, agami karma is annihilated, sanchitha karma is liquidated and only the prarabdha karma, remains.  Prarabdha karma is like the arrow that has left the bow shot at a target.  It cannot be got back or arrested in its movement but has to exhaust by itself, by reaching the target.  But the balance of prarabdha karma does not affect Jeevanmuktha  mentally, as he does not identify himself with his body/mind.  But prarabdha’s influence can be seen in his interaction with the external world.  This accounts for different types of Jeevanmukthas.  Some retiring to a forest or a lonely place to spend their days in silence;  some being active in society, teaching, running ashrams and working for the physical and spiritual welfare of the people; some staying in Samadhi mostly, coming out of it only to satisfy essential biological needs etc. 

  

Swami Sridharananda, while explaining the term ब्रमविदां वरिष्ठः,Brahmavidham varishtaha, in Mundakopanishad (3-1-4), used to classify Brahmavids thus. ( As Jeevanmuktha  is synonymous with Brahmavid, I am using that term only.)  Jeevanmuktha superlative is one who goes out to people to help them spiritually and in other ways.  Jeevanmuktha comparative is one who does not shun society but keeps himself aloof in society and helps those people who come seeking him, in all ways possible. Jeevanmuktha positive is one who keeps away from people and society and pursues his spiritual practice in a secluded place like forest or cave.  A Jeevanmuktha engaging in pravritti, activity or nivritti, withdrawl, is due to the influence of residual prarabhdha.  But either way he is working for loka sangraha, universal welfare, only, through seva or through silence or through both.

When Lord Sri Krishna speaks about Jeevanmuktha, Arjuna’s curiousity is aroused and he wants to know how Jeevanmuktha speaks, how he sits, how he walks, in short how he behaves and conducts himself (Gita 2-54).  This curiousity is understandable as Jeevanmuktha having evolved into unity consciousness, sees everything in himself and himself in everything.  Further as he has awakened to the state of Thuriyam, the waking world is also another dream to him, only this dream is long, continuous, useful and shareable. I will not go into Lord Sri Krishna’s reply now but only state this much. Though a Jeevanmuktha is fully conscious of his identity as the sakshi ‘I’, he makes use of ahamkara ‘I’ in his interactions with the external world.  In his case, ahamkara is a non-binding one and like a roasted seed it cannot germinate fresh karma, as his desires are non-binding and actions are selfless ones arising out of a sense of fulfillment and a sense of love and compassion for all, with no sense of doership, karthrutvabhava.

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