The Markandeya Purana (Study)

by Chandamita Bhattacharya | 2021 | 67,501 words

This page relates ‘A Successful Yogin’ of the study on the Markandeya Purana, one of the oldest of the eigtheen Mahapuranas preserving the history, civilisation, culture and traditions of ancient India. The Markandeyapurana commences with the questions raised by Rishi Jaimini (a pupil of Vyasa), who approaches the sage Markandeya with doubts related to the Mahabharata. This study examines various social topics such as the status of women, modes of worship, yoga, etc.

6. A Successful Yogin

The signs of right presentation of Yoga realisation are that the people love him and praise him in his absence. He is not injured by excessive cold or heat and does not fear other persons. He is in union with Brahman or yukta and is liberated from saṃsāra or mukta. The first signs of the successful Yogin are Good health, peace, a pleasant odour, scanty excretion, kindness, softness of voice etc.[1] According to this Purāṇa, after cleaning all the sin, one Yogī can obtain union with the Supreme Brahma being devoid of separate existence.[2] There are no dualities seen, as per the Sāṃkhya or Yoga system, in the word Brahma. But complete union with the Brahma is seen as per the Upaniṣadic texts. The Purāṇa follows Upaniṣadas in this respect.[3]

Having control over the mind, speech and actions are said to be the real tridaṇḍī of the Yogins.[4] A proper Yogin never accepts hospitality, does not attend sacrifices and performances of śraddhas and never takes part in pilgrimages to gods and festivals to fulfil his goal.[5] A Yogī must have to go seeking alms to a householder when the smoke and fire in a house have been extinguished and everyone in the householder has eaten completely.[6] He should always move without occupying in religious meditation and without spoiling the road of good so that he should not be disrespected by others. He should beg alms in the house of vagrant mendicants and to his home who is of good conduct, loyal, controlled, learned, high soul, superior in every way and not a fallen down householder. Begging from a non-caste household is considered to be an inferior means of subsistence.[7]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ibid., 36.63-65

[2]:

yatrechāsthānamapyuktaṃ yatra kāmāvasāyitā /
aiśvaryakāraṇairebhiryoginaḥ proktamaṣṭadhā // Markaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 37.34

[3]:

na viśeṣamavāpnoti tadvadyogāgninā yatiḥ /
nirdagdhadoṣastenaikyaṃ prayāti brahmaṇā saha // Ibid., 37.39
pareṇa brahmaṇā tadvatprāpyaikyaṃ dagdhakilbiṣaḥ/
yogī yāti pṛthagbhāvaṃ na kadācinmahīpate // Ibid., 37.41

[4]:

karmaṇāmiṣṭaduṣṭānāṃ jāyate phalasaṃkṣyaḥ /
cetaso’pakaṣāyatvaṃ yatra sā dhvastirucyate // Ibid., 36.22

[5]:

ātithyaśrāddhayajñeṣu devayātrotsaveṣu ca /
mahājaneṣu sidhyarthaṃ na gacchedyogavitkvacit // Ibid., 38.5

[6]:

vyaste vidhūme vyaṅgāre sarvasminbhuktavajjane /
aṭeta yogavidbhaikṣyaṃ na tu teṣveva nityaśaḥ // Ibid., 38.6

[7]:

Ibid., 38.7-10

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