Part 3 - Kaivalya in Yogaśikha-upaniṣad

‘Kaivalya’ is a Sanskṛta word and an abstract noun derived from the word ‘kevala’ which means only ‘alone’ by itself. So the word kaivalya would mean the state of being alone or by itself.

Aptes Sanskrit-English dictionary gives the following meanings of the word–

(i) Perfect isolation, soleness, exclusiveness.
(ii) Individuality
(iii) Detachment of the soul from matter, identification with the supreme spirit and
(iv) Final emancipation of or beatitude.

Sir Monier William’s Sanskṛta English dictionary gives the following meanings of the word.

Isolation, absolute unity, perfect isolation, abstraction, detachment from all other connection, detachment of the soul from matter or further transmigrations, attitude leading to eternal happiness or emancipation.

Patañjali defines Yoga as (complete) cessation of the (diverse) operations of the mind (citta). But the question that arises is what for is this control of the various activities of the mind can not be purpose in itself. As such, in that sense Yoga is merely a means and not on end in itself. If that be so, then what is the end in view? This important query is answered by the great Mahaṛṣi.

He starts by saying that only then i.e. after the various operations of the mind have been brought under control or to a standstill, the seer, i.e. human soul (jīva or puruṣa) is in a position to be in its own-self, which is free from all change, suffering and limitations. It also follows that the real purpose of Yoga is to enable the soul to come into its own absolutely pure and alone, without any prop whatsoever from nature.

In this regard Yogaśikhopaniṣad says–

“There is nothing higher or greater pursuit for men than Yoga; nothing more meritorious than Yoga; and nothing more beneficent then Yoga”.

Primarily it Yoga is a method by which the individual can be united with the Absolute God, who is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent and ever blissful. For those who do not believe in the duality of God and the individual, it means the method of realize the true nature of themselves as the omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent and blissful self.

But as long as this does not happen i.e. the activities of the mind are not brought under control, the human soul identifies itself with the activities of the mind.

This isolation or kaivalya would, therefore, mean complete detachment of the soul from the various operation of the mind and consequently from all that the nature has to offer to the soul (jīva or purūṣa).

But why this insistence on complete severance of the self from contact with nature and sense objects? The answer is simple. Everyone wants happiness and that also not a transitory but on a permanent basis. Our experience shows and the scriptures confirm that indulgence in the material would does not give everlasting happiness, although it may give some flitting happiness. In fact the sense of pain is much more intense than the occasional happiness. It is claimed that detachment of the soul from worldly objects does give an everlasting happiness. If that be so, it is certainly worthwhile.^[1]

The ignorant person’s mind, always wondering, becomes impure. Such a person never reaches the desired goal. Instead he returns to the mortal again and again.

Again keep out the external contacts with sense objects. Fix the eyes in between the eyebrows. Unite the two airs viz. prāṇa and apāna which more inside the nostrils. In this way the sage bent on realizing emancipation, with his senses, mind and intellect brought well under control and totally bereft of desires, fear and anger. Ultimately becomes an emancipated soul.^[2]

A practicing yogī totally detached from the contacts with sense objects experiences within him an indescribable happiness. Such a person with his soul united with the supreme. Being through Brahma yoga experiences an exhaustible happiness.^[3]

According to Yogaśikhopaniṣad—

“There is no greater or better way as Yoga of bringing freedom (kaivaly) to man. A person who acquires that unique and distinctive knowledge, with his mind concentrated, becomes pure. Such a person reaches that ultimate goal from where he does not return to the world again.^[4]

A person who conducts himself like a highly knowledgeable charioteer, with the ruins of his mind brought well under control, is sure to reach the end of his journey. And that is the ultimate resort of Viṣṇu the supreme being.

This very Upaniṣad also says–

“All the enjoyments that arise out of the contacts with sense objects are the sources of pain and misery only. These have a beginning and an end i.e. these enjoyments are never long lasting. As such the wise man does not indulge in them.”^[5]

The Yogaśikhopaniṣad gives an exposition of what constitutes kaivalya. Without going into all the detailed analysis on effort is made here to clarify the concept.

Every human being suffers from five painful obstractions (kleśa) which prevent him from realizing the truth.

These are–ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion or ill-with and lastly, inherent instinct of clinging to life.

Of these the first one i.e. ignorance (avidyā) is the most important and forms the field in which the remaining four grow. In other words those four directly proceed from avidyā.

It is therefore, important clearly to understand the concept of avidyā at least. According to this Upaniṣad under the spell of ignorance (avidyā), the human soul believes (what in reality is) the non-eternal to be eternal, the impure as pure the painful as pleasing and the non-self as the self.

Every action even after its completion or conclusion leaves its imprint behind. A continuous accumulation of those saṃskāras (impressions) forms a sort of reservoir of works (imprints) in abstract form and these revive in due course in this life or hereafter for the simple reason that the five pain-bearing obstruction or inflictions are the roots of all those abstract impressions of the acts done.

The existence of these roots of the obstruct of actions (saṃskāras) is subtle form is responsible for different species of rebirth difference in life span and difference in experience of enjoyment or experience of material objects offered by nature.

This fruition of the roots by way of different species of rebirth, extent of age and enjoyment of material objects, some times results in pleasure and sometimes in agony, depending on whether a particular saṃskāra which has come to fruition was based on a meritorious action or an action totally devoid of merit, in fact positively faulty.

However, in so far as the wise man possessed of sense of discrimination (vivekī) is concerned for him is no such thing as pleasure giving. All this is only pain. Every one of us feels the pain of misery as long as it lasts. But what about the pain felt when the phase of happiness is over and it is missed? And so, all this is ultimately pain only.

If that be so, then actions that have been completed and are in the process of being completed are bound to come to fruition sooner or later. That has to be suffered and nothing can be done about them.

But surely we can do something about the would be result of all those actions which we have yet to undertake. Therefore every effort should be made to avert that misery which is yet to follow as a result of our future actions.

The next question may be arises is How to do it? The Upaniṣad begins an answer to this by first giving the cause of pain which we want to avoid and Upaniṣad says that the union or the contact of the Puruṣa (human soul) with Prakṛti (all that we see and experience in this material world through our senses and the mind) is the fundamental cause of this pain which we are seeking to avoid.

It is necessary to explain the two terms viz. drṣṭā the seer i.e. the human soul and the dṛśya–that which is before us i.e. the one to be experienced, by which is meant the Prakṛti, with reference to their attributes and characteristics.

Ultimately it observes that this union of the two i.e. Puruṣa and Prakṛti is in fact, intended to bring out clearly the real content of each of them i.e. the Puruṣa (human soul) and Prakṛti (nature). And this union of the soul and nature takes place only because of ignorance (avidyā).

Now if the ignorance is removed there will be no union also (soul on nature). And with that happening, the Puruṣa comes into state of kaivalya. So what is kaivalya? It is a state in which the Puruṣa comes into be its own, resulting from total severance from the Prakṛti the severance occurring through removal of ignorance (avidyā).

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

“pascāttasya bidhiḥ ……… saṃsārabhramabarjita” Ibid-I.18.

[2]:

Ibid-I. 11.

[3]:

Ibid-I.13.

[4]:

Ibid.I-67.

[5]:

Ibid-I.19, 22.