Chapter 2.2 - Pramana in Yoga Philosophy

Yoga is intimately allied to Sankhya. Bhagavat Gita finds no difference between them. Mahabharata on the other hand mentions them as two eternal systems of thoughts. Yoga adopts the Sankhya metaphysics and engrafts the concept of God upon it. Yoga means spiritual action and Sankhya means knowledge. It literally means union i.e., spiritual union of the individual soul with the universal soul. Patanjali is the founder of Yoga system. According to him Yoga is a spiritual effort to attain perfection through disciplining body, senses and mind and through right determination between Purusha and Prakriti.^[1]

An integrated system of Yoga does not only concentrate on the control of mind and it’s functioning, but in its stride cures various diseases of both body and mind.^[2] Patanjali defines Yoga as the cessation of the modification of citta.^[3] It (citta) includes the three internal organs namely-buddhi or intellect, anukarna or ego and manas or mind. Yoga states that citta is all pervading in such a way that each purusha has a citta in which the phenomenon is reflected. In other words Citta is same as anthahkarana. Citta is the first evolute of Prakriti and has the predominance of sattva (goodness).

Citta has five different modifications;

1. right cognition (pramana),
2. wrong cognition (viparyaya),
3. verbal cognition or imagination (vikalpaka),
4. absence of cognition or sleep (nidra) and
5. memory (smriti).^[4]

Yoga also accepts the twenty five principles pertinent in Sankhya (prakriti, mahat, ahamkara, manas, ten external sense organs, five tanmatrias, five gross elements and Purusha). It also acknowledges that bondage is due to non-discrimination between the Self and nature and that liberation can be achieved only by knowledge. Thus, both Sankhya and Yoga aim at attaining discriminative knowledge. Although the two systems differ slightly in certain matters, they are akin to the fundamental principles.

Pratyaksha (Perception)

Perception (pratyaksha) is that in which the knowledge is obtained directly through the senses. It is of two types-external and internal. Perception resulted by any of the five sensory organs is external. Mental perception is internal.^[5]

Anumana

The inference means the method by which knowledge is derived from knowledge. The knowledge gained through this process is inferential knowledge and is called anumiti in Sanskrit. Vyasa in his Yoga Bhashya remarks anumana as coming under the system of yoga. Vyasa defined inference as modification of citta brought about by the relation which exists in objects of heterogeneous nature, and ascertains chiefly the generic nature of an object.^[6] Generally, they define knowledge as sambanda and pratibanda. The word sambanda denotes relation or invariable concomitance. Therefore, the definition of inference in Yoga denotes modification of citta brought about by vyapti. ^[7]

The five members of syllogism are applied to inference in Yoga as in Nyaya philosophy. In Yoga also there are three kinds of inference named as purvavat sheshavat and samanyatodrishta.

Verbal Testimony (agama)

Yoga accepts verbal testimony (agama) of Sankhya School as a valid means of knowledge. However, Yoga Sutra uses the term ‘agama’ instead of sruti. Vyasa Deva the commentator of Yoga Sutra clarifies about the significance of the term Agama.^[8] The reliable person communicates his knowledge to others by words.^[9] In Vyasadeva’s opinion all trustworthy persons need not know everything. Vijnanabhikshu states that an apta (reliable person) is one who is devoid of defects like confusion, negligence, desire of selfish gain and inefficiency of organs.^[10] He considers Veda as the absolute authority.

Restraint (Nirodha)

Restraint (nirodha) refers to the cessation of the process of the mind. Patanjali refers in his sutra the total restraint of the mental process to which sutra refers “abhyasavairagya bhyam tannirodhah.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sankhya Yoga Epistemology, p.34

[2]:

Fernad tola and camerdragoneti translated by KD Prithi Paul; Motilal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., Delhi, 1987, Introduction, p.10.

[3]:

-.Yogasutra (Yogasutra) 1.2

[4]:

-Yogasutra, 1-6

[5]:

ibid, p.41

[6]:

Yogasutra 1-7.

[7]:

Sankhya Yoga Epistemology, p. 161

[8]:

Yoga Bhasya (YB)- 1-7

[9]:

-

Yoga vartika (YV) on Yogasutra 1-7.

[10]:

-YV on Yogasutra 1-7.