4.1. The Concept of Brahman (according to the Yoga-Upaniṣads)

[Full title: The Vedantic Principles Reflected in the Yogopaniṣads (1) The Concept of Brahman]

Yoga is considered as the practical level of Vedanta darśana Various vedāntic principles are embedded in the Yogopaniṣads like Brahman, Jīva etc. These ideas are being discussed here.

The Yogopaniṣads like Śandilya, Tejobindu, Amṛtabindu, etc. describe Brahman differently. It is described in the Śāṇḍilyopaniṣad as:

satyaṃ vijñānamanantaṃ brahmaṃ^[1]

This also describes the anirdeśyatva (non-demonstrability) and avāṅgmanasa-gocaratva (non-describability).

It says Brahman is devoid of hands, feet, eyes, ears tongue, body etc:

yasminnidamotaṃ ca protaṃ ca yasminnitaṃ saṃ ca yasmin vijñāte sarvamidaṃ vijñātaṃ bhavati tadapāṇipādamacakṣuḥ śrotramajihvamaśarīramagrāhyamanirdeśyam |^[2]

Again, it gives a hint on the non-describability also.^[3] This upaniṣad also describes the three forms of Brahman as Niṣkala, Sakala, sakala-Niṣkala. Here sakala Brahman means the truth which is pertains to wisdom (vijñāna) bliss (ānanda), actionlessness (niṣkriyatva) non-attachment (nirañjana), all pervading nature (sarvagata), subtlety (sasūkṣma), facing direction (sarvatomukha) non-demonstrability (anirdeśya) and

immortality (amṛta)^[4] which are also termed as Niṣkalam Brahma (indivisibility). The sakala Brahman is described as: which means the entity which is joined with, mūlaprakṛti, maya with a red, white and black colour, which exists with God in the colours of black and brown colour that is in the form of ajñāna that is termed as sakalm.

The sakalaniṣkalam is referred to as that which exists from the beginning to the end-as the the niṣkalam remain within sakalam and this is explained in in the Bhaṣya as:

ādyantayoḥ sakalaṃ madhyo niṣkalaṃ yatra dṛśyate tat sakalaniṣkalasvarūpam |

It is also described in different upaniṣads like, the Amṛtabindu, and the Tejobindu, as saviśeṣatva and nirviśeṣatva of Brahman. The Yogśikha the Dhyānabindu and the Tejobindu state it as the stūla sūkṣma and bīja forms. The Trśikha-brāhmanopaniṣad state that the whole universe originated from Brahman itself.

So Brahman is treated as the cause of the universe in this upaniṣad:

brāhmaṇo'vyaktam avyaktānmahat |
mahato'haṃkāra ahaṃkārāt pañcatanmātrāṇi |
pañcatanmātrebhyaḥ pañcamahābhūtāni |
pañcamahābhūtobhyo'khilaṃ jagat |^[5]

Thejobindopaniṣad assigns Bramattva for everything as natvam, nāham, navākyam, nadukha etc.; and there only exists Brhman.^[6]

It is described in the yogaśikha thus:

upādānaṃ prapañcasya brahmaṇo'nyatra vidyate |
tasmāt sarvaprapañco'yaṃ brahmaivāsti na cetarat |
vyāpyavyāpakatayā mithyā sarvamātmeti śāsanāt
itijñāte pare tatve bhedasyāvasaraḥ kutaḥ || ^[7]

The idea is that Brahman is treated as the upādāna karaṇa of the universe but it is assigned to other things as because of ajñāna only exists. But when the Brahman is realized, mithyatva is removed. The Yogakuṇḍalyupaniṣad refers to Brahman as the ādhāra of all^[8] and advocates Gurūpadeśa as the means to Brahmajñāna.^[9] The Maṇḍalabrāhmaṇopaniṣad suggests nirvikalpasamādhi as the means to Brahmajñana.^[10] While the Tejobindopaniṣad describes certain sādhanas like āhāra, śuddhi, avoidance of anger, restraining of sense organs, absence of dvandvabhāva, nirahaṃkāratva and aparigraha for the attainment of Brahma^[11]. The Darśanaopaniṣad, says that saviśeṣa-brahmadhyāna are the requisites and nirviśeṣa-brahmadhyāna are the requisites for this attainment.

Through saviśeṣa-brahmadhyāna the yogi finds that Iśvara dwells, in him and reach to the nirviseṣa-brahmadhyāna and experience this entity as Brahma and realizes itself as himself, that is ‘ahaṃ Brahmāsmi’. Here, the yogi experiences the entity which is beyond the body.

It is also described in the Amṛtbindūpaniṣad as:

naiva cintyaṃ nācintyaṃ na cintyaṃ cintyameva ca
pakṣapātavinirmuktaṃ brahma saṃpadyate tadā |^[12]

Meaning Brahmajñana leads to the Brahmaprāpti.

The Darśanopaniṣad regards Brahman as paraṃ and aparaṃ.

satyaṃ jñānaphalaṃ param |
ṛtaṃ karmaphalaṃ aparam || ^[13]

Many upaniṣads, like the Pāśupata, also accept this Brahmātmattva of a yogi. Most of all major upaniṣads assign upon yoga based on astāngas as the very means to Brahma .

The Tejobindu states it as:

imaṃ cākṛtimānandaṃ tāvat sādhu samabhyaset |
lakṣye yāvat kṣaṇāt puṃsaḥ pratyaktvaṃ saṃbhavet ||
tataḥ sādhananirmuktiḥ siddho bhavati yogirāṭa |
tatsvarūpaṃ bhavet tasyā viṣayomanaso giram || ^[14]

These lines imply that those who practise the yogāngas very well will unite with the Brahman itself.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Śan.II.2

[2]:

Ibid.II.3 com

[3]:

Ibid. II.4

[4]:

Ibid. 4

[5]:

Tri.B.U.13

[6]:

Tej.bi.6.3.39

[7]:

Y.śik.IV.3,4

[8]:

Y.kuṇ III.21.23

[9]:

Ibid.17

[10]:

Man.Br.U. II-5,2

[11]:

Tej.I.3-5

[12]:

Amṛ.b.U6

[13]:

Darśanpaniṣad 9.1,2

[14]:

Tejobindu-upaniṣad I.38-39