Principles in Yoga Philosophy

Three guṇas (constituents) are considered as the Yoga Philosophy namely Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. They have qualities of effulgence, action and inaction. Due to mutual help of these guṇas manifestation takes place. The Prakṛti (dṛśya) has the quality of light (prākāśya), kriya (action) and sthiti (inaction) due to three guṇas respectively.^[1]

The guṇas have four stages which are the steps of the Energies.^[2] —

1. the specific (viśeṣa),
2. the Unspecific (aviśeṣa)
3. the pure traceable (liṅgamātra) and
4. the Untraceable (liṅga).

The undifferentiated phenomenal stage is the state of three guṇas that means buddhi. When there is only Spandana (pulsation) of the guṇas in Mahat it is called liṅgamātra. This Mahātattva is the vikṛti (modification) of Prakṛti (unmanifest). It is the Prakṛti of further creation. From this mahat, self sense, that is, asmita or ahaṃkāra appears. The reflection of the conscious in this asmita, is jīva (the being) which has the preponderance of Sattva. This jīva is made up of five gross elements. From this asmita due to components of tamas, five tanmātras originate. The group of ahaṃkāra and the five tanmātras, are called aviśeṣa. From the constituent of Sattva existing in five tanmātras, five sense organs and mind originate. From rajas five organs of action and from the elemental of tamas five gross elements are born. These entire sixteen principles composes the specified state. Thus the knower (draṣṭṛ), Puruṣa manifestation (dṛśya) that is prakṛti, mahat, ahaṃkāra five tanmātras, five sense organs, five organs of actions, manas and five gross elements, form the twenty five principles. In addition to these twenty five elements, Yoga Philosophy also includes Īśvara as the twenty sixth elements.

The consciousness is only draṣṭṛ the seer. However even though he is pure, he cognises ideas by ignorance.^[3] In fact he is not touched by the qualities; he is nothing other than the power of becoming conscious, still he recognises intellect (buddhi) by reflex action. He is neither similar nor dissimilar to. Due to ignorance, he, as if becoming one with buddhi and cognises ideas as buddhi and gets transformed in to them. He then appears as it were the very self of the buddhi although in reality he is not so. The purpose of knowable dṛśya is for the knower.^[4] The union of dṛśya and draṣṭṛ is brought about by Avidya. The draṣṭṛ is united with dṛśya for the purpose of knowing. Once there is knowledge of the nature of the knower, the being is emancipated. Thus this conjunction ends when it has caused knowledge. Knowledge is the cause of disunion of the knower and the knowable.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

prakāśa kriyāsthatiśīlaṃ bhūtendriyātmakaṃ bhogāpavargārthaṃ dṛśyam | Yogasūtra of patañjali, II-18.

[2]:

viśeṣāviśeṣaliṅgamātrāliṅgāni guṇaparvāṇi | Ibid., 19.

[3]:

draṣṭā dṛśimātraḥ śuddho'pi pratyayānupaśyaḥ | Ibid., 20.

[4]:

tadartha eva dṛśyasyātmā | Ibid., 21.