Chapter 6.6 - Observations and Findings

1. The Yogopaniṣads are twenty in number and they belong to 108 authoritative upaniṣads. They are called so, on account of their subject matter.

2. The name of each upaniṣad has its derivation. For example: In the Kṣurikopaniṣad, dhārana is related with kṣurika or knife. Here dhārana cuts ignorance or the knot of the heart just as knife cuts and removes unwanted things.

3. Among the twenty Yogopaniṣads, Tejobindūpaniṣad is the biggest which consists of 456 mantras and Mahāvākyopaniṣad is the smallest which consists of only twelve mantras

4. Some Upaniṣads are described in the running manner while some are divided and sub-divided into ten khāṇḍas.

5. The Yogopaniṣads vary among themselves upon same subjects like yogāngas, and in the number of yogāngas and its divisions.

6. Yogopaniṣads introduce eight more yogāngas such as tarka, tyāga, mauna, deśa, kāta, mūlabandha, dehasāmya and dṛksthiti.

7. They introduce ten more yamas like daya, ārjavam, kṣama, dṛtih, mitāhāra, śaucam, śītoṣṇāhāranidra vijayam, śānthi, niścalatvam, and indriyanigraham.

8. They introduce thirteen more niyamas like āstiyam, dānam, hrih, matih, tapa, vṛta, gurubhakti, satamāega, sukhāgatavastvanubhavam, nissaṅgata, ekāntavāsaṃ, manonivṛtti, phalābhilāṣa, vairāgyānubhavam

9. The Yogopaniṣads present various terms which denote different entities. For eg.,the term bindu denotes mind, nāda denotes buddhi, haṃsa means jīva, and paramahaṃsa indicates paramātma, parāśakti indicates kuṇḍalinī etc.

10. Even though the four mātras of omkāra is generally accepted twelve other divisions of it are also narrated in the Yogopaniṣads like Nādabindū and Brahmavidya.

11. The origin of nāda is in our itself from mūlagni and it is revealed through Yogaśikhopaniṣad.

12. The Advayatārakopaniṣad and the yogaśikhopaniṣad highlight rājayoga while the other yogopaniṣads give prominence to haṭhayoga.

13. The Yogas introduced in the yogopaniṣads are different in their nature while they lead to the one and the same goal, that is kaivalya.

14. The Yogopaniṣads illustrate yoga as an aid for the prevention and curing of diseases.

15. Major upaniṣads give prominence to the theoretical aspects of yoga while they Yogopaniṣads emphasize physical practices also.

16. Major upaniṣads ascertain mokṣa through jñāna while the yogopaniṣads ascertain mokṣa through yoga.

17. The Yogasūtra of Patañjali is spiritual in its nature while the yogopaniṣads are spiritual as well as physical in nature.

18. The basis of the yogopaniṣads lies on vedāntadarśana, whereas the yogasūtra lies on Sāṃkhyadarśana.

19. The Yogasūtra proclaims yoga as a means of self-realization while the yogopaniṣads treat yoga and jñāna complementary to each other for the realization.

20. The Yogic concepts in the yogasūtra are described in a systematic manner while the yogopaniṣads do not have a systematic description on it.

21. As the Yogopaniṣads introduce a number of yogas, it may make confusion among the practitioners. when they choose yoga, as explained in the Yogopaniṣads. However they provides full freedom to practise each yoga as per one’s physical fitness and mental strength, because it is said that “mental strength makes one strong.”

22. The language used in the Yogopaniṣads is comprehensive and the illustration of yogic concepts through examples are more helpful to conceive the ideas quickly, even by the ordinary people.