Philosophy (2): Yoga (Patañjali)

Patañjali, the authour of Mahābhāṣya, is said to be the author of the Yoga sūtras. This system accepts the principles of Sāṅkhyā and improves on them hence the two schools are generally taken together. This school believes, unlike the Sāṅkhyā, that knowledge alone is not sufficient for the release. Hence it prescribes methods of control over the activities of mind or buddhi technically termed–yoga.

(a) Yoga (III. 3. 22; p. 274)–

[Meditation:]

Of the many meanings of the term yoga^[1] suggested by Amarakośa, Kṣīrasvāmin illustrates the term in the sense of meditation as:

“dhyana—the cessation of tendencies or modifications of mind”

dhyānaṃ cittavṛttinirodhaḥ |^[2]

(b) Avidyā (I.4.7; p.39)–

[Ignorance:]

In explaining the term avidyā, Kṣīrasvāmin quotes the Pātañjala sūtra (II. 5) which states that avidyā is ignorance which attributes permanence, purity, happiness and the self to the impermanent, impure, sorrow and the non-Self objects–

viruddhaṃ vedanamavidyā ādharmānarthavad viparyaye nañ, yadāha–ānityaśuciduḥkhānātmasu nityaśucisukhātmakhyātiravidyā |

(c) Yama and Niyama (II. 7. 49; p. 173):

Amarakośa defines yama as actions that are obligatory depending upon the body as means for being carried out while niyama as non-obligatory.

Kṣīrasvāmin compliments this definition of Amarakośa with quotation from Pātañjala sūtra (II. 30-2) which states that the yamas are–non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy and non-receiving. He explains the niyama as self-ordained and dependant on external factors such as mud, water etc. and cites from Pātañjala sūtra according to which niyama is practice of cleanliness, happiness, penance, self learning and worship of the lord–

śarīramātreṇaiva yatkriyate tat yamyate'nena cittaṃ yamaḥ |
āha ca—
āhiṃsāsatyasteyabrahmacaryāparigrahā yamāḥ |
āgantu bāhyaṃ mṛjjalādi sādhanaṃ yatreti āta eva kṛtrimaṃ karma niyamaḥ |
yadāha—
śaucasaṃtoṣatapaḥ svādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ |

(d) Pratyāhāra^[3] (III. 2. 16; p. 264)–

[Abstraction:]

Amarakośa mentions pratyāhāra and upādāna to denote abstraction.

Kṣīrasvāmin explains pratyāhāra in accordance with Pātañjala sūtra^[4] (II. 54) as the abstinence of the mind from being attracted to external objects like food etc.,

ekatra ḍhaukanaṃ ānnādikaviṣayebhya indriyāṇāmākarṣaṇaṃ ca |

(e) Vibhūtiḥ (I. 1. 36; p. 12)–

[Divine or super natural powers:]

Amarakośa mentions that aṇimā and the like are the supernatural powers.

Kṣīrasvāmin specifies that the supernatural powers are eight in number as follows–

aṇimā, mahimā, laghimā, prāptiḥ, prākāmyam, īśitā, vaśitā, kāmāvasāyitā^[5] –

āṇimā mahimā laghimā prāptiḥ prākāmyamīśitā vaśitā īśasya yatrakāmāvasāyitetyaṣṭadhaiśvaryam |

These the eight siddhis according to Yoga philosophy.

(f) Pañcaprāṇa (I. 1. 63; p. 20)–

[The five vital airs:]

Amarakośa mentions that the air circulating in the body is called by five names–prāṇa, apāna, samāna, udāna and vyāna.

Kṣīrasvāmin explains their position in human body. He says that generally they are named so, for they lead to the destination (mokṣa)–

prasaraṇena—āpasaraṇena—āsamantāt—ūrdhvaṃvyāptyā cānityeneti ghañ |
ānayate'ntasyaitāni rūpāṇīti yogaśāstram |

He further adds that these vital airs though prevalent in the body are restricted to specific areas in the body.

He says that the seat of prāṇa air in the body is the heart, that of apāna is anus, samāna is in nābhi–[navel], udāna is throat and that vyāna circulates throughout the body–

ete śarīre vyāpakā āpi niyatasthanasthaḥyadāhuḥ—hṛdi prāṇo gude'pānaḥ samāno nābhisaṃsthitaḥ |
udāno kaṇṭhadeśastho vyānaḥ sarvaśarīragaḥ |

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

yogaḥ saṃhanopāya dhyāna saṃgāti yuktiṣu |

[2]:

Cf. Pātañjala yoga sūtra (I. 2)

[3]:

pratyahāra upādānaṃ

[4]:

svaviṣayāsaṃprayoge cittasyasvarūpānukāra ivendriyāṇāṃ pratyahāraḥ |

[5]:

Kṣīrasvāmin adds kāmāvasāyitā instead of garimā which is given in Yogic texts.