7. The Scientific Interpretations of the Yogopaniṣads

The Yogopaniṣads handle yoga as a physical aspect with enough prominence to Hathayoga. Here yoga is discussed as a means to attain different abilities or qualities linked with treatment, ways to remove pāpas, jñānodpādana marga etc. These things are discussed at the materialistic level. This means that the Yogopaniṣads emphasize materialism along with spiritualism. So it is connected with our day to day affairs.

The Yogopaniṣad presents yama and niyama as the primary steps to yoga. It insists their practice with various classifications. This practice helps the yogi for comfortable seating that is āsana. So the upaniṣads illustrate various āsanas in darśana, śāṇḍiya, varāha etc. and the practices of these āsanas make the yogi fit for prāṇāyāma and others. Moreover practices of such āsanas provide remedies for diseases, pāpaśānti, etc.

Padmāsana is the most important āsana which is described in they yogakuṇḍalinī as.

padmāsane bhavedetat sarvapāpanāśanam |^[1]

The same point is also mentioned in the yogacūḍāmaṇi^[2].

Again the Yogacūḍāmani also presents mahāmudra for the curing of diseases like tuberculosis, leprosy, piles etc.

kṣayakuṣṭhagudāvartagutmājīrṇapurogamaḥ |
yānti mahāmudrāṃ tasya rogāḥ kṣayaṃ tu yo'bhyaset |^[3]

Mahāmudra helps to reduce vātapittadoṣa and promote śodhana and nādīśuddhi.^[4] The Śandiloyopaniṣad introduces certain āsanas meant for the health of the yogi. Among these vaiṣṇavīmudra is good for the eyes. This āsana leads to the right practice of prānāyāma. Different upaniṣads ascertain different siddhis and ailments through the practice of prāṇāyāma.

The upaniṣads like yogatattva, varāha, sañḍilya etc. deal with certain siddhis attained through the practices of various kinds of prānāyāmas. Yogatattva describes the siddhi named 'prasveda' to be attained through kumbhaka. The attainer of this siddhi can beat a lion by his hand and bring it under his control.^[5] It also states the yogi can attain and give up his prāna by his wish.

Again the Varāhopaniṣad describes that the practice of kumbhaka provides the kālavañcanopāya for its sādhaka. In this siddhi the yogi can stop the flow of one’s life’s duration, that is, āyuṣṭhaṃba.^[6]

This enables the yogi to acquire the things that he desires:

manasā cintitaṃ kāryaṃ manasā yena sidhyati^[7]

The Sāṇḍilyopaniṣad suggests with many siddhis through prāṇāyāma.

It says that the practice of prāna and apāna keeps the yogi as young as of sixteen years of age:

apānamūrdhvamutthāvya prāṇaṃ kaṣṭhādadho nayan yogī jarāvinirmuktaḥ ṣoḍaśo vayasā bhavet |^[8]

Further the śītala prāṇāyama reduces gulma, pleeha, jvara, pitta, and kṣudha^[9]

The Yogattavopaniṣad considers the prānayāma as the precaution for diseases:

prāṇāyāmena yuktena sarvarogakṣayo bhavet |
prāṇayāmaviyuktebhyaḥ sarvarogasamudbhavaḥ ||
hikkā kāsastathā śvāsaḥ śiraḥ karṇākṣivedanāḥ |
bhavanti vividhā rogāḥ pavanavyatyayakramāt || ^[10]

These lines mean that the practice of prānāyama leads to the curing of diseases and its absence causes diseases. The diseases like hiccup, bronchitis, asthma, diseases of eyes and ears etc are generated because of the absence of prānāyama. Besides these, many more upaniṣads deal, with the about siddhis that can be acquired through prāṇāyama. The prāṇāyāma leads a man to pratyāhāra, dhāraṇa, dhayāna and finally samādhi.

The upaniṣads like Darśana also suggest methods to destroy destroy of pāpas and diseases:

evamabhyāsayuktasya puruṣasya mahātmanaḥ |
sarvapāpāni naśyanti bhavarogaśca suvrata || ^[11]

Again it states that the possessor of pratyāhara is a highly educated vedanti:

pratyahāraḥ samākhyātaḥ sākṣādvedāntavedibhiḥ evamabhyasatastasya na kiṃcidapi durlabham || ^[12]

Praṇāyāma leads to dhāraṇa and the Śaṇḍilyopaniṣad states that the dhāraṇa at an increased level leads the yogi to the knowledge of different lokas like indraloka, agniloka etc. and such a yogi can free from all diseases and troubles:

dhārayenmanasā prāṇaṃ saṃdhyākāleṣu vā sadā |
sarvarogavinirmukto bhavadyogī gataklamaḥ || ^[13]

It also provides various offerings through dhāraṇa. The continuous state of dhārana leads dhyāna and to samādhi.

Thus the Yogopaniṣads provide various applications to the day to day affairs. These kinds of applications are treated as the scientific. In this modern age the Yogopaniṣads occupy a more prominent place than the yogasūtra and other major upaniṣads as result of which the yogopaniṣads gain exemplary significance.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Y.kuṇ.U.I. 5

[2]:

Y.cud.U. 70

[3]:

Ibid 71

[4]:

Ibid 65-71

[5]:

Yogatattva-upaniṣad 51-62

[6]:

Var.U. V. 33-34

[7]:

Ibid V.35

[8]:

Śaṇ.U.I.IV.13

[9]:

Ibid 13-14

[10]:

Y.cud.U.116

[11]:

Darśanpaniṣad VII.9.

[12]:

Ibid VII.14

[13]:

Śaṇ.U.I.44-51