Conclusion

From the whole discussion this may conclude that, it is fairly evident from the evolutionary history of man that he has been in construct search for happiness. This search has led the modern man to new creations and luxuries. The grave for sensual pleasures, more comforts, better jobs, name fame and power are all aimed to get more and more happiness. This may be called the western approach of modern civilization to life, very much discernible throughout the world today. This is hopefully designed around desires and their fulfillment.

On account of too much of competition, conflict, unrealized ambition and maladjustment in social life, a large number of people all over the world today suffer from various kinds of mental diseases caused by frustration and depression. In more civilized and advanced countries the number of mentally, sick people is very large. The basic reason for mental illness is a wrong philosophy, a mistaken and narrow view of life and its dimensions, purposes and values. A sound philosophy of life based on its proper comprehension and factual understanding of life and the world and their proper relationship can lessen the number and prevalence of mental disorders, maladjustment and frustration. To lessen the moral evils and crimes in the society, men in proven and position will not only have to be above suspicion but should present a good example by leading moral lives and by being fair and just in their dealings. The modern man is badly in need of inner peace and calmness and security, which can come from self-knowledge and self-realization alone.

Yoga is the only possible remedy to counter these harardous habits. Practice of yogic principles and virtues are the only means wherein an individual can make his life and free from miseries. This requires sustained and regular practice so as to discover the effectiveness of this ancient technique.

Yoga should not be considered as an antiquated myth of yesterday because it has as much validity and value now as it had even before and can offer guidance and help to the modern man. There is genuine and urgent need today to integrate yoga concepts into the main stream of modern psychotherapeutic thought and be mad an essential integral part of the global culture of tomorrow.

Most of us are largely concerned in life with present imagination of the good consequences of what are doing. We always want an improvement in our status and position. But this is not the goal of our life. According to the Indian tradition, to seek, to attain a state which is completely free from the clutches of misery and sorrow is the ultimate goal of the life. This state may be spoken as mokṣa, kaivalya, apavarga, nirvāṇa and so on. To attain this goal, yoga is one of the tools, which if applied correctly may lead to salvation. Yoga is defined in Gītā as a state of separation from sorrow. The Gītā declares that, when the state of happiness par excellence is achieved, not even the greatest misery can even disturb that state. It is said that, such a state of yoga is attained with a high resolve.

An individual can attain the goal of Yoga, only when he has these two qualities to begin with. “Vairāgya” means lack of ambition, it is the opposite of rāga, which means attachment. One can succeed in getting rid of the tendency of the mind to run after various objects of enjoyment. “Abhyāsa” is the process of studying the mind. This can be achieved in various ways, according to one’s temperament. They are known as different types of yoga. They may be separate and different in the beginning, but they all lead to same goal of mukti.

The Upaniṣads discuss the value of life and the process of upliftment of the human consciousness; which is the theme of yogic science. The Yogaśikhopaniṣad deals with the description of subjects related to yogic science as yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna, samādhi, Mantrayoga, Layayoga, Haṭhyoga, Rājayoga, Jñānayoga, Praṇavapāsanā, Kuṇḍalinī, Cakras, Nāḍis, Indriyas and different stages of human consciousness. This very Upaniṣad observes “Yoga is the union of prāṇa and apāna, union between raijas (menstrual discharge) and retas (human semen) union between Sun and Moon (candra and surya nāḍi) in the body as well as the union between jīvātmā and paramātmā (human soul and universal soul)”.

Mantrayoga, Layayoga, Haṭhayoga and Rājayoga are the four phases and with coordination this is called caturvidha (four knowledge) Yoga which is named as mahāyoga. But where the human soul is throated as not different from God, then Yoga means realizations of ones own real self. Either way in order to achieve this end an absolute control over the mind is a sine que non, even though human endeavour has devised various methods (or paths) for the purpose. The process of achieving complete control over the mind may also be called Yoga.

There is a close link between mind and breath (prāṇa). According to Yogaśikhopaniṣad “the mind is located in all living beings, is securely tied to the breath (prāṇa). Just as a bird may be securely tied to a rope. So is the mind tied to prāṇa. The intimate and inextricable relationship between the mind and prāṇa (breath) makes it look as if they are interchangeable and interdependent. They live together and they die together”.

The body has been said to be a temple of God (abode of Śiva or Viṣṇu) which grants the attainment of objective to all human beings as per the Yogaśikhopaniṣad. Else where also the body is the abode of God and the soul (jīva) is Śiva only. One should cast away the withered flowers in the form of ignorance and worship God with a feeling of “I am that”.

The Yogaśikhopaniṣad has defined–“there are fourteen important nāḍis in the human body and these are suṣumnā, iḍā, piṅgalā, gāndhāri, hastijihivikā, kuhu, saraswati, puṣā, sankhinī, pāyaśvinī, varuṇi, alambusā, viśvodāri, yaśasvini”. Even out of the fourteen nāḍis the three viz. iḍā, piṅgalā and suṣumnā is the crown jewel. This Upaniṣad says–“The nāḍis, which is called vilambani is situated in the naval”. It is there that the nāḍis are born, spreading sideways upwards and down wards. And it is there that the naval wheel, which is like the egg of a hen is situated. As per the Upaniṣad the kāṇḍa and nābhicakra is the same thing.

The great Goddess kuṇḍalinī, who is the energy of the self. Health is said to be the gift of kuṇḍalinī. Kuṇḍalinī is the queen and guide of lives that breath, i.e. of all verte-breath animals. This is the progenitor of the air, which stimulates the fire. This kuṇḍalinī also produces semen, stimulates sound (nāda), produces the breathing process (exhale and inhale). It is also the cause of the mind. According to Yogaśikhopaniṣad kuṇḍalinī is said to be the sleeping above the kāṇḍa and the shape of the kuṇḍalinī between these points has been described as being like a serpent.

The term “ṣaṭ-cakras” refers only to the chief six cakras, viz. mūlādhāra, svādhiṣṭhāna, maṇipura, anāhata, viśudha and ājña. Above all these we have also sahasrāra cakra. This is the chief of all cakras. All the cakras have their intimate connections with this centre. Hence, this is not included as one among the ṣaṭ-cakras. This is situated above all the cakras.

The cakras are mentioned in the Upaniṣad are the same. The difference slightly among themselves as to the number of petals. For some reason the Upaniṣads do not included the centre at the head confining themselves to six cakras only and calling the centre the sahasrārapadma–the lotus of thousand petals.

So according to this very Upaniṣad, isolation or Kaivalya would therefore mean complete detachment of the soul from the various operations of the mind and consequently from all those the nature has to the soul. And lastly emancipation is attainable only through the practice of Yoga not otherwise.

So in summary, we see that integration of personality can be attained at different levels depending on individual capacity and limitations. The techniques used to achieve this end are the means, so we can see now why Yoga is referred to as the means and the end its is both, the path and the destination of our journey towards well knowledge.

Yoga in its literal sense means union. In case the human soul is taken as an entity separate and distinct from God, then Yoga is aimed at achieving its union with God or an indistinguishable merging of the two, where the result is only means i.e. the supreme Being. But where the human soul in treated as not different from God, then Yoga means realization of ones own real-self. Either way in order to achieve this end, an absolute control over the mind is a sine que non, even though human endeavour has devised various methods (or paths) for the purpose. The process of achieving complete control over the mind may also be called Yoga.