Yoga-sutras (with Bhoja’s Rajamartanda)

by Rajendralala Mitra | 1883 | 103,575 words

The Yoga-Sutra 2.32, English translation with Commentaries. The Yogasutra of Patanjali represents a collection of aphorisms dealing with spiritual topics such as meditation, absorption, Siddhis (yogic powers) and final liberation (Moksha). The Raja-Martanda is officialy classified as a Vritti (gloss) which means its explanatory in nature, as opposed to being a discursive commentary.

Sūtra 2.32

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Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 2.32:

शौचसन्तोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः ॥ २.३२ ॥

śaucasantoṣatapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ || 2.32 ||

32. The obligations are purification, contentment, penance, study, and devotion to the Lord.

The Rajamartanda commentary by King Bhoja:

[English translation of the 11th century commentary by Bhoja called the Rājamārtaṇḍa]

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

“Purification” (śauca) is of two kinds, external and internal. External (vāhya) means the washing of the body with earth, water, &c. The internal (antara) is the washing, by means of friendliness and the like, of all dirt from the thinking principle. “Contentment” (santoṣa) contentedness. The others have already been explained. These, purification and the rest, are indicated by the term niyama, “obligation.”

Notes and Extracts

[Notes and comparative extracts from other commentaries on the Yogasūtra]

[These obligations are common to all persons, whether Yogis or otherwise. They must be attended to very carefully as much to prepare oneself for the performance of the Yoga, as for the wellbeing of ordinary worldly life.]

How these are accessories to the Yoga, he next explains.

Addendum:

The note on Aphorism XXXII on page 94 is calculated to mislead unwary readers. The remark that purification and other obligations are common to all persons, whether Yogis or otherwise, is quite correct with reference to the text. The obligations are as imperative on Yogis as they are on householders, and none should neglect them; but purification is here taken in its ordinary acceptation, and does not refer to certain peculiar acts of washing or Śauca which some Yogīs, particularly the followers of the Haṭhayoga, recommend. They hold that ordinary washings &c., are not enough. They have accordingly devised complicated, and in some respects very repulsive, forms of purification, which they regard as absolutely necessary as preparatory steps towards the attainment of fixity of seats.

These they describe under the collective name of Ṣaṭkarma or “sixfold work,” as they are reckoned under six different names. These names are—

Dhauti;
Vasti;
Neti;
Laukikī;
Trāṭaka, and
Kapālabhāti.^[1]

These are variously subdivided by the Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā, the Niruttara Tantra, the Ādiyāmala the Brahmayāmala, the Grahayāmata, the Rudrayāmata, the Sivasaṃhitā, and other Tantras. I shall follow the first in the following notes:

I. Dhauti means washing, and it is known under four different names according to the parts of the body to which it is applied. These are, 1st, Antardhauti or washing of the intestines; 2nd, Dantadhauti or washing of the teeth; 3rd, Hṛddhauti or washing of the stomach; and 4th, Mūlaśodhana or washing of the rectum.^[2]

The first is effected in four different ways, viz., (a) by contracting the mouth in the form of a crow’s bill, and drawing in a full draft of air into the intestines, where it is retained for a time and then thrown out.^[3] As wind is the means of washing in this case it is called Vātasāra. (b) By drinking a large quantity of water up to the throat, and then forcing it down so as to expel it by the lower orifice.^[4] This is called Vārisāra. I know not how this can be effected, but to the occultist everything is possible, (c) By stopping the breath and then striking the navel a hundred times against the vertibral column.^[5] This is called Agnisāra. (d) By taking in air through the mouth contracted into the form of a crow’s bill, retaining it in the intestines for an hour and a half, and then expelling it through the lower orifice.^[6] (Vahiskaraṇa)

2nd. The Dental washing includes the purification of the teeth, the tongue, the two ears, and the foramen on the crown of the head.^[7] For the teeth a dentrifice of catechu or clean earth is recommended as appropriate.^[8] If For the tongue scraping with the index, the middle and the ring fingers is held sufficient.^[9] For the ears, rubbing the orifices with the index and the ring fingers,^[10] for the foramen on the crown of the head rubbing with the thumb are enough.^[11]

3rd. The purification of the stomach is effected in three ways: 1st, by passing the tender leaf-shoot of a plaintain, or a turmeric plant, or a cane, through the mouth into the stomach, and, after shaking it drawing it out (Daṇḍadhauti); 2nd, by drinking a large quantity of water and then vomitting it out (Vamandhauti); 3rd, by swallowing a strip of cloth three inches wide and fifteen cubits long and then drawing it out (Vāsadhauti).^[12]

4th. The purification of the rectum (mūlaśodhana) is effected by washing the part with water aided by a finger or the stalk of a turmeric plant.^[13]

II. The purification of the fundament (Vāstiśodhana [Vastiśodhana]?) is effected by repeatedly contracting the fundament while seated firmly in water up to the navel (jalavasti) or on dry land (sthalavasti).^[14]

III. Neti is the technical name of thread, a span length of which is passed through the nostrils and drawn out from the mouth with a view to purify the nostrils.^[15]

IV. Laukikī Yoga is the practice of shaking or swinging the intestines repeatedly from one side to the other.^[16]

V. For the purification of the eyes, the recommendation is that the eyes should be fixed on one point, the tip of the nose for instance, without permitting any twinkling, until tears flow in abundance. This is called Trāṭaka.^[17]

VI. Under the last head of Kapālabhāti, three practices are recommended: 1st, drawing the air through the left nostril and expelling it by the right, and then reversing the operation, and performing it alternately several times, (Vātakrama); 2nd, drawing in water by the nostrils and throwing it out by the mouth, (Vyutkrama); 3rd, by sucking up water by the mouth and throwing it out by the nostrils, (Śītkrama).^[18]

The Tantras describe several other modes of purification, and suggest many variations in the rules above quoted; but it is not worth while to quote them, particularly as first class Yogis denounce all such purifications as quite unnecessary, if not actually futile.