3. The Classifications of Yoga

The upaniṣads, like the yogatattva, classify yoga into four on the bases of their practice and usage such as mantras, laya, Haṭha and Rāja.

It is stated thus:

yogo hi bahudhā brahman bhidyate vyavahārataḥ |
mantrayogo layaścaiva haṭho'sau rājayogataḥ || ^[1]

Yogaśikha and yogarāja agree with this classification; and yogaśikha collectively calls these yogās as Mahāyoga.^[2] Basically these are treated as one but called by different names. Yogaśikha admits six yogas in addition to bhāvana and sahaja, referred to as‘Ṣaḍanvaya Mahavanam.’ In the commentary on Yogopaniṣad Śri.Upaniṣad Brahmayogin explains that the yogins like Bhusundaswami admit and agree with this division.^[3] Varāhopaniṣad suggests three kinds of yoga with the negation of Rājayoga.

1) Mantra Yoga

As the name indicates mantra yoga speaks about the yoga attained through the chanting of pranava mantra, such as ‘om’. Upaniṣads like Dhyānabindu, Amṛtanāda, Amṛtabindu Nādabindu, Yoga cūḍamaṇi and Yogatattva ascertain yogas through mantra.

They are regarded as the meditation upon nada, that is,

mantro nādānusandhānam |^[4].

In the Pāśupata Brahmopaniṣad it is mentioned as

mānaso haṃsaḥ so'haṃ haṃsa iti tanmayaṃ yajño nādānusandhānam |

Here the mantras are made up of mātrikas (letters of the alphabet) The very breath of every creature pronounces the mantra, Haṃsa. But when a yogi practises yoga guided by his Guru the Japa reverses and then it becomes ‘So ham’ Thus it is called mantra yoga.

Yogaśikha states it as,

so'haṃ so'hamiti yaḥ syānmantrayogaḥ sa ucyate |^[5]

It is described in the Brahmavidyopaniṣad also. According to Yogatattvopaniṣad, the continuous practice of this yoga for twelve years provides attain wisdom along with eight siddhis of anima, garima, etc. This kind of yoga is appropriate for the persons with poor intelligence. The Yogarājopaniṣad mentions that mantrayoga is confirmed by Vātsyarāja.^[6] The significance of this yoga is that the yogi is too much obstructed by the means through mantra yoga.

So the Varahopaniṣad says,

mantro nādānusandhānaṃ nādasya sarvamantramūlatvāt |^[7]

The Yogopaniṣads introduce mantra yoga as the earliest means for the common people to attain mokṣa.

2) Laya yoga

Laya yoga is regarded as the product of mantra yoga, laya hetu; mantraḥ^[8] It is the absorption of mind, that is, layayogaścittalayaḥ^[9] Here the mind relies on nāda and obtains the union between the ātman and the paramātman. The Varāhopaniṣad states in the laya yoga as mṛdu.^[10] In laya yoga the practitioner should contemplate upon the pure Īśvara even while walking, sitting, sleeping and eating, and thus should attain sukham and ānanda. Its outcome is stability of breath and great excellence. This yoga is confirmed by Vyāsa and his followers.

3) Description of Haṭha yoga

Haṭha yoga is treated as the means to laya yoga which removes the dullness obtained from all ailments:

haṭhena gṛhyate jāḍyaṃ sarvadoṣasamudbhavam |^[11]

The yoga with eight yogāngas along with their [following] twelve subdivisions constitute the haṭhayoga according to Yogatattvopaniṣad^[12] :

1. mahāmudrā,
2. mahābandha,
3. mahāvedha,
4. khecarī,
5. jālandhara,
6. uḍḍiyāna,
7. mūlabandha,
8. dīrghapraṇava,
9. saṃdhāna,
10. siddhāntaśravaṇa,
11. vajrolī,
12. amarolī and
13. sahajolī.

The Varahopaniṣad uses the term madhyama to denote Haṭhayoga as:

madhyamo haṭha |

It also describes haṭha yoga as the product of laya yoga.

Here occurs the union of faith and mantra that is the union of the Sun and the Moon. Here ‘Ha’ is meant for the Sun and ‘Sa’ for the Moon and the union of Sun and the Moon is known as haṭha:

pratitimantrayogāñca jāyate paścime pathi hakāreṇa tu sūryaḥ syāt sakāreṇendurucyate sūryācandraramasoraikyaṃ haṭha ityabhidhīyate || ^[13]

It indicates the occurrence of sūryagrahaṇa and candragrahaṇa. The Triśikhibrāhmaṇopaniṣad illustrates many āsanas in accordance with Haṭha yogic methods like Svastikāsana, Gomukhāsana, Vajrāsana etc.

4) Rājayoga

Rājayoga is treated as the result of haṭha yoga. In the Yogatattvopaniṣad it is said,

na hi viṃśatyavayavahaṭhābhyāsamantarā rājayogo bhaktirityarthaḥ^[14]

It will be attained only after the haṭhayogic practices. All bodily activities complete with the Rājayoga. Here the yogi attains the state of vairagya out of viveka. Thus it says:

yadā tu rājayogena niṣpannā yogibhiḥ kriyāḥ tadā vivekavairāgyaṃ jāyate yogino dhruvam || ^[15]

Again yogaśikhopaniṣad regards the union of rajas and retas or the śakti and śiva as Rajayoga: It says,

rajaso retaso yogādrājayoga iti smṛtaḥ |

The Maṇḍalabrāhmaṇopaniṣad explains the requisite equipments for Rājayoga as:

navacakraṃ ṣaḍādhāraṃ trilakṣyam vyomapañcakam |
samyageta jānāti sa yogī nāmato bhavet || ^[16]

Those who know the nine cakras (mūlādhāra), svādhiṣṭhāna, maṇipūraka, anāhata, viśuddhi, ajña, talu, ākāśa and bhrūcakra) six ādhāras, region of six cakras namely roots of genital, navel heart, throat and middle of eyebrows, three kinds of introspection (external internal and intermediate), others (ākāśa, parākāśa, mahākāśa, sūryākāśa and pramākāśa) and five kinds of ethers very well only can be treated as Rājayogīs. The Yogatattvopaniṣad proclaimes viṣṇu as the role model or puruṣottama for the followers of Rājayoga. The significance of rājayoga is the attainment of the siddhīs like anima, garima etc..

The mantrayoga, layayoga, haṭhayoga, and rājayoga are connected together. Without mantra, laya is not possible; and without haṭha, laya is not possible. Haṭhayoga is possible only with the practice of aṣṭāngamārga, that is the rājayoga or haṭhayogic practice ends in rājayoga.

It is stated in the commentary of Varāhopaniṣad as:

mṛdu layaḥ madhyamaḥ haṭhaḥ mantro nādānusandhānam | mṛdumadhyamamantreṣu kramānmantraṃ nādānusandhānaṃ tato layaṃ, tatsādhanaṃ haṭhaṃ, tatra ādyahaṭhayogastu yamādyaṣṭāṅgasaṃyuto bhavatītyarthaḥ |

So each yoga is treated as the step towards the other.

These four-fold yogas are said to be the identical applications of prāṇa and apāna. This is treated as the common feature of all these yogas. The result of yoga will be achieved only by its gradual practice. Through the right analysis of the Yogopaniṣads it can be found that most of all the Yogopaniṣads promotes, haṭhayoga more than all others.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Yogatattva-upaniṣad 19

[2]:

Y.śik.U.I.129

[3]:

Yogatattva-upaniṣad com.P. 44

[4]:

Var.U.V.10.com.P.503

[5]:

Y.śik.U. I.131

[6]:

Y.rāj.U. 4

[7]:

Var.U. V.10. com.

[8]:

Ibid

[9]:

Yogatattva-upaniṣad 23

[10]:

Var. U.V.10.

[11]:

Y.śik. I.134

[12]:

Yogatattva-upaniṣad 24-27

[13]:

Y.śik. U.I.132-133

[14]:

Yogatattva-upaniṣad com.129

[15]:

Ibid, 129,130

[16]:

M.Br.U.IV.5