Yogadrstisamuccaya of Haribhadra Suri (Study)

by Riddhi J. Shah | 2014 | 98,110 words

This page relates ‘Asana (posture)’ of the study on the Yogadrstisamuccaya: a 6th-century work on Jain Yoga authored by Haribhadra Suri consisting of 228 Sanskrit verses. The book draws from numerous sources on traditional Yoga. Three important topics are stipulated throughout this study: 1) nature of liberation, 2) a liberated soul, and 3) omniscience.—This section belongs to the series “The Eight Yogadrishtis and the nature of a Liberated Soul”.

According to Yogasūtra of Patañjali āsana is to take posture which is steady and not discomforting[1] . Haribhadrasūri states that the balā dṛṣṭi beholder, very obviously, does not crave for excessive worldly gains[2] . Even though he earns to fulfill his and his family’s primary worldly needs, he is not longing for obtainment of endless materialistic pleasures[3] . He is naturally devoid of such longings. Therefore, as Haribhadrasūri says, the subject in question’s acts of taking postures turn steady as well as act are not discomforting[4] .

The Understanding:

Due to the powerful understanding the beholder of balā dṛṣṭi has forsaken selfexperienced faulty mental-distresses[5] and attained complete involvement of mind in spiritual practices. Therefore, spiritual practices viz. going temple, bowing down etc.[6] are done by him without being hasty[7] . He likes to perform them at a proper pace[8] .

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

sthirasukhamāsanamiti | -Yogasūtra 2.46

[2]:

nā'syāṃ satyāmasattṛṣṇā, prakṛtyaiva pravartate |
................,.............................. || 50 ||
   – Yogadṛṣṭisamuccaya

[3]:

(a)..............., asattṛṣṇā-sthitinibandhanātiriktagocarā, ............................................................. || 50 ||
   –Auto-commentary on Yogadṛṣṭisamuccaya

(b)....... | asattṛṣṇāyāḥ = asundaralālasāyāḥ.......... || 22.11 ||
   –Auto-commentary on Part: 5, P. 1496, Dvātriṃśad Dvātriṃśikā.

[4]:

,....................... |
tadabhāvācca savartra, sthitameva sukhāsanam ||
50 ||

...................... | tadabhāvācca-asattṛṣṇābhāvācca, sarvatra-vyāptyā sthittameva sukhāsanaṃ tathāparibhramaṇābhāvena || 50 ||

–Auto-commentary on Yogadṛṣṭisamuccaya

[5]:

(a)........, apāyaparihārataḥ–dṛṣṭādyapāyaparihāreṇa || 51 ||
   –Auto-commentary on Yogadṛṣṭisamuccaya

(b)........... | dṛṣṭānāṃ ca doṣāṇāṃ manaḥsthitijanitakleśādīnāṃ parityāgaḥ (= dṛṣṭadoṣaparityāgaḥ)............ || 22.12 ||
   –Part: 5, p. 1418,

(c)......., dṛṣṭānāṃ =svasvasvayamanubhūtānāṃ manaḥsthitijanitakleśādīnāṃ mānā'pamānādīnāṃ parityāgaḥ = parihāraḥ ‘ete mānā'pamāna–rāga-dveṣādayo na matsvarūpasya bādhakā nā vā'hameteṣāṃ vaśyaiti praśastā'vadhānapūrvaḥ = ku śalacittanyāsapūrvakaḥ| dṛṣṭadoṣaparityāgo na bāhayaparisthitiparivartanamūlakaḥ kintusvamanaḥ sthitiparivartanamūlaka iti bhāvaḥ|..... || 22.12 ||
   –Part: 5, p. 1498, line: 12-15, the Nayalatā Commentary on Dvātriṃśad Dvātiṃśikā.

[6]:

| kiṃ tadityāha–gamanaṃ devaku lādau, kṛtyameva vā vandanādi |........ || 51 ||
   –Auto-commentary on Yogadṛṣṭisamuccaya

[7]:

atvarāpūrvakamanāku lamityarthaḥ,........ || 51 ||
   –ibid.

[8]:

atvarāpūrvakaṃ sarvaṃ, gamanaṃ kṛtyameva vā |
praṇidhānasamāyukta-mapāyaparihārataḥ ||
51 ||
   –Yogadṛṣṭisamuccaya

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