Introduction
All human beings are bestowed with latent psychic capabilities, which can be revealed by
various methodologies mentioned by Maharshi Patanjali. By practicing these scientific
techniques, human beings can attain their natural state of bliss and thus realize the
ultimate Truth. On material front, one can gain positive attitude, enjoy better health, and lead a
harmonious &
happy life.
Why this Book?
Many authoritative commentaries on Maharshi Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra are available in the
market. But it has been observed
that the available literature is either too complex or too
bulky to generate the interest. Further, most of the literature also
appears to have been
explained with a conditioned mind set. Hence the inspiration to compose the present book.
Reader’s Segment
This book has been specifically designed to cater to the needs of both the beginners and the
advanced seekers. Its
compactness will be of special interest to busy people for whom time is
a major constraint.
Uniqueness of the Book
translation (from Sanskrit to Hindi) of the Yoga Sutra has been done with an unbiased and
pure mind. The translation is very simple and uses minimum words, without losing the essence. The result is a very
compact yet a complete book.
About Author
The composer of this book is an IT professional and has more than 22 years of experience in handling software projects in India and abroad. His last assignment was an “Engagement Manager” with American Express, Houston, Texas, USA. He has had keen interest in Adhyatam and was fortunate to have been blessed by Guru and many other learned people. Under their
expert guidance, he had deep insight and experiences in Adhyatam. All this has flowered in the shape of this book.
Noble Cause
The basic motive behind this effort is to spread the teachings of Maharshi Patanjali amongst the true seekers. But at the
same time, it was the fervent desire of author to help needy and poor students in their education. Therefore, all the profit
earned from the sale of this book will be utilized for this noble cause.
Website Support
A platform for serious interaction with the readers has been provided on http://geocities.datacellar.net/shanky_andy, where in other articles on Adhytam, Yoga, Meditation, Spirituality etc. are
also available.
Future Plans
The author proposes to bring out the English and Punjabi versions of this book, along with MP3 CD for recitation.
Book "Patanjal Yog (Ashtang Yog)", ISBN # 81-7525-725-3, can be procured from following outlets -
- Publisher Motilal Banarasidas (www.mlbd.com), New Delhi, India and abroad, MLBD book code # 8245
- Capital Book, Sector 17, Chandigarh, India
- Shivalik Book Center, Sector 17, Chandigarh, India
- Contact Author on e-mail i.e. shanky_andy@yahoo.com
- At website http://geocities.datacellar.net/shanky_andy
Avail 25% discount on bulk purcahse i.e. 10 or more books.
Buy and gift this book, and in turn help needy and poor students in completing their education.
Buy and gift this book, and in turn help needy and poor students in completing their education.
ARTICLE - Direct perception of Self (Adhyatam) from Veda’s perspective
All living beings, consciously or unconsciously, are trying to get rid of pain or suffering. Throughout the life, we keep running after pleasure, but are unable to attain the true bliss. If we examine deeply, we will realize that all pleasures are pain underneath - which means that pain is attached to all phases of the pleasure i.e. attainment, safeguard, consumption, destruction and violence. That's why Indian philosophers have meditated on the following four basic questions –- What should be eradicated?
- What is the source of pain?
- What is that state, where there is no pain?
- How to achieve the state, where there is no pain?
- Who is feeling pain? What is its true-nature (Dharma)? If suffering is true-nature, then we should not like to avoid it. This means that there is an element (Tattava), whose true-nature is not pain, and that is known as consciousness (Pursha).
- Second element, which is opposite to consciousness known as matter (Prakriti), whose true-nature is pain. Matter is ever changing and inert.
- We don’t like the pain, but we experience it. This means there is an amalgamation (union, emulsion, fusion or interplay) of consciousness and matter. In the process of amalgamation, Consciousness gets identified with matter, which is the source of the pain.
- This establishes the presence of third element, which is responsible for above amalgamation between consciousness and matter. This is known as Pure Consciousness (known as Shudh Chetan Tattava, Pramatama, Pra-Bhram), which is omnipresent. Only omnipresent element can be omniscient, controller and owner of the amalgamation.
Q. What should be eradicated?
A. Pain, which is due in the future.
Q. What is the source of pain?
A. Consciousness and matter’s union, which is based upon wrong-knowledge (Avidya), where consciousness gets identified with matter.
Q. What is that state, where there is no pain?
A. Having no wrong-knowledge.
Q. How to achieve the above state?
A. Through right-knowledge (Vivek-Khyati) i.e. consciousness is separate from matter.
ARTICLE - Interplay of Consciousness and matter
In order to understand the overall concept, we will take an analogy. In the dark, when light falls on moving fog, it creates various shapes and illusions. For illusions to exist, both fog and light are necessary. Illusions are nothing but interplay (emulsion or fusion) of reflection-of-source-of-light and moving fog.In the above analogy, source of light is the Pure Consciousness, where as fog represents ever changing and inert matter, which is made of ever changing qualities (Gunas) i.e. light (Satava), action (Rajas) and inertia (Tammas). The overall reflection-of-source-of-light on the matter is known as Atama, which is one because there is one to one relation between the source of light and reflection-of-source-of-light. Both Pure Consciousness and matter are eternal i.e. without beginning and no end. Since Pure Consciousness and matter are eternal, Pure Consciousness’s reflection is also eternal. Also, matter is dependent upon Pure Consciousness.
Pure Satava portion of this emulsion is known as Ishwar (Puresh Vishesh, Sagun Bhram, Shabal Bhram, Apar-Bhram), which is Collective Mind (Chitta) – the controller and owner. Like a magnet, Ishwar’s proximity makes cyclic changes in the matter i.e. manifestation at gross, subtle and causal level. Following 24 cascading changes takes place in matter –
- From root matter (Moola Prakriti where Sattav, Rajas and Tamas are in equilibrium) to Collective I-am-ness (Mahatattava)
- From Collective I-am-ness to Ego or “I” (Amhankara)
- From Ego to five subtle senses (Tanmatras)
- From five subtle senses to five gross elements (Butha) i.e. ether, air, fire, water and earth
- From Ego to five organ of actions (Karamindriya) i.e. speech, hand, feet, genital and anus
- From Ego to five senses of knowledge (Jyanindriya) i.e. hear, touch, see, taste and smell
- From Ego to mind (Anthakarna)
With the help of Sadhana (right understanding and right actions), Pursha realizes that "Atama is different from matter" (Vivek-Khayati) and gets established in its true-self (Samadhi). When Atama is realized by Pursha, then Pure Consciousness can be understood by inference, because Atama is the reflection of the Pure Consciousness. Then Pursha no longer identifies itself with matter and thus appears to gain freedom, which was never lost. Then individual Chitta gets absorbed (Kaivlya) in to Collective Chitta i.e. Ishwar. This completes the interplay (Leela) between Pursha and Prakriti (matter)!
ARTICLE - Three Bodies
Three bodies are -- Gross body (Sathula Shrir) is what we can see and feel – the material outer shell.
- Subtle body (Sukshma Shrir) drives gross body, which can be understood by our intellect. It consists of five organs of knowledge, five organs of action, five Prana, Mind, Intellect, Individual ego and Chitta, which is basic faculty through which mind operates i.e. combination of conscious, subconscious, unconscious, memory and more.
- Casual body (Karan Shrir) is based on wrong-knowledge (Avidya) and is the cause of the gross and subtle body.
ARTICLE - Four states of consciousness
Four states of consciousness are -- Wake (Jagrat) state, where full ego gets identified with gross material body and karma comes into play, because "I" becomes doer and enjoyer.
- Dream sleep (Svapana) state, partial ego gets identified with casual body and subtle body. Only enjoyer remains and no doer.
- Deep sleep i.e. no dreams (Shushpti) state, dormant ego gets identified with casual body and there is neither a doer nor enjoyer. At this stage we get maximum peace without senses and mind, with no concept of time, space and unit. Though deep sleep experience is without mind and senses, but bliss of deep sleep is incomparable to sensual pleasure. In deep sleep, ego is dormant, but still there is an experiencer other than ego. After deep sleep is over, one wakes up, gets associated with ego and again starts manifesting universe of duality.
- 4th satge (Turiya) stage means total absorption. This state is whole and encompasses all the above three states. It is transcendental, non-dual and supreme bliss. First three states are experienced by all of us in our normal day-to-day life. 4th stage is to be discovered in meditation.
ARTICLE - Law of Karma
Events of our life are based upon relationship of cause and effect. Our past karmas (thought, speech and deeds) give us current results and thus influence our future karma too. Our karmas act as a propeller and decide the next course of action for us. Because of karma, we become conditioned and go through the purification process created by matter (Prakriti).There are various categories of karma-s, which can be explained via Bowman's analogy –
- Accumulated actions (Sanchit karma) are the bundle of arrows in the quiver.
- Fructifying actions (Prarabdh karma) are the arrow shot, which cannot be recalled.
- Current actions (Kriyaman karma) are the arrow, which is about to shoot from the bow.
From quality perspective, karma can also be divided in the following four types -
- Negative.
- Positive and negative.
- Positive.
- Neutral i.e. neither positive nor negative.
Accumulated karma in the latent form is called Samskara, which is the subtle base of our manifested desires (Vasanas). Samskara further gets strengthened by wrong-knowledge (Avidya), and because of ignorance one starts considering –
- The short-lived as eternal.
- The impure as pure.
- The painful as pleasurable.
- The non-Soul (body, mind etc.) as Soul.
ARTICLE - Five Sheaths
Our internal organs are covered with various layers made of skeleton, bio-magnetism, muscles and skin etc. Similarly, Separated Consciousness is covered with five sheaths (Kosha).- Food sheath (Annmaya Kosha), is made up of the essence of food, and finally it returns to food i.e. earth or matter. It belongs to gross material body.
- Subtle life force sheath (Pranmaya Kosha) is made of Prana and the five organs of action. This sheath controls hunger, thirst, heat and cold. The gross subtle life force does the functions of breathing, digestion, excretion, circulation etc., and subtle life force generates thoughts.
- The mind sheath (Manomaya Kosha) consists of the emotional mind, the Chitta and the sense organs of knowledge. This sheath controls thinking and doubting, anger, lust, exhilaration, depression and delusion.
- The intellectual sheath (Vijyanmaya Kosha) consists of the intellectual and the ego working with the help of the five sense organs of knowledge. Discrimination and decision or determination, agency of doer-ship and enjoyer-ship are the functions of this sheath.
- The bliss sheath (Anandamaya Kosha) gives bliss during deep sleep state and at the time of experiencing the effect of a sattva deeds.
ARTICLE - Ego
Whole is pure existence, consciousness and bliss. Whole is complete, one, beyond, infinite, omnipresent, omniscient, owner and controller.Process of unfolding or emulsion (consciousness and matter) starts when dormant-ego becomes active, which with the help of wrong-knowledge metaphorically demarcates a fraction from the Whole. This gives rise to “I” and “Mine”, which tries to expand in a wrong direction i.e. externally, to complete itself.
From Whole, the apparent-fragmentation, inherits the ability to-know, to-desire and to-act. “Knowledge” in apparent-fragmentation creates incompleteness and “desire” to attain, which finally leads to “act” to complete the incompleteness. Since this incompleteness can never be completed externally, the know/desire/act vicious circle never comes to an end.
At the same time, the experience after an “act” gets categorized as good or bad. A good and bad experience defines likes and dislikes pattern, which gives happiness or sadness respectively. Then apparent-fragmentation tries to ensure that likes should be repeated and dislikes should be avoided at all cost. Any obstruction on the way is dealt with anger and violence. Anger and violence further leads to misery.
Happiness is less sadness and sadness is less happiness. Happiness emerges, stays and merges back on the substratum of sadness and vice versa. Happiness and sadness are two sides of the same coin. Happiness and sadness are distorted and impure version of bliss and non-bliss respectively. In fact to attain pleasure or happiness, one has to go through the series of pain such as efforts involved in attainment of an object, safeguard the attained object, pain after the object life cycle is over and violence involved in the above process. Therefore apparent happiness is sadness.
Apparent-fragmentation infected by ego, directly or indirectly, tries to attain eternal existence, consciousness and bliss externally, which is not possible, because they all belong to Whole. When this is understood fully, then the process of folding back starts - ego becomes dormant and it merges back in the Whole, which is pure existence, consciousness and bliss.
ARTICLE - Mind
When we (subject) perceive an object (or an idea), we first evolve that object with in ourselves. Then as per our conditioning, we categories the object as good or bad (duality), which gives us pain or apparent pleasure.Let’s explode the transaction between an object and subject. Objects are made of five gross elements viz Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. These objects are perceived by five senses i.e. Sound, Touch, Form, Taste and Smell respectively. For example when we look at a menu in a restaurant, our senses passes on the perceived menu items to the mind, which has three steps -
- Lower mind (Mann) : Lower mind is directly connected with five senses and controls choices, emotions and feelings etc. Flipping through various menu items is an activity carried out by lower mind.
- Intelligence (Buddhi) : Lower mind passes on the menu choices to intelligence, which sits between lower mind and Chitta. Intelligence controls discrimination, decision, thought and rationality etc. The final selection of a menu item is made by intelligence.
- Chitta : Chitta is the basic faculty through which mind operates i.e. combination of conscious, subconscious, unconscious, memory and more. Chitta controls higher wisdom (Viveka).
Body and Separated Consciousness are two extreme, but complimentary (not opposite) ends, and mind lies in between. Depending upon our will and past Samskara, ego can be placed at either end. A materialistic and spiritual person will keep his ego at body and Chitta respectively. While doing creative work, Scientists and artists, keeps their ego is at Chitta, which is different from spiritualism because still the energy is being used on external material world. Energy has a tendency to drain out through five senses. If we try to block out one channel, water flows to rest of the available channels. That’s why blind people possess extra-ordinary smelling and hearing powers. Ever since only a small percentage of mind is used on the external material world and therefore mind has become atrophied.
Mind is thought, and thought is time. No thought means no-mind and thus timelessness, which leads to an experience beyond five senses. For example deep sleep experience is without mind and senses.
From material angle, spiritualism is irrational teaching to a rational mind. Our knowledge (base of the logic) is based upon five imperfect senses and relativity. Thus spiritualism is beyond five senses and logic. From spiritual perspective, spiritualism is rational teaching to an irrational mind.
ARTICLE - Mirror for Self (Books)
- PatanjalYogPradeep, book code # 47, in Hindi/Sanskrit, By Swami Omanand Tirath, published by Gita Press Gorakhpur, India.
or
Alternatively you can opt for Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali with Bhasvati, in English, by Hariharananda Aranya, Published by Calcutta University Press, India. - Patanjal Yog (Ashtang Yog) ISBN # 81-7525-725-3, MLBD book code # 8245, in Hindi/Sanskrit, distributed by Motilal Banarasidas (www.mlbd.com), New Delhi, India
- Gita, book code # 17, in Hindi/Sanskrit, by Shri J. Goenka, published by Gita Press Gorakhpur, India
- Talks on Gita, in Hindi and English, by Shri Vinoba, published by Gandhi Book Centre, Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal, Mumbai, India
- Samkhya Darshan, in Hindi/Sanskrit, by Udayvir Shastri, published by Govindram Hasanand, Delhi, India
- Bhram Sutra, by Swami Sivananda
- Astavakra Gita, in Hindi/Sanskrit, by Nandlal Dashora, published by Randhir Pocket Books, India
- Upnishad Ank, in Hindi/Sanskrit, published by Gita Press Gorakhpur, India.
- Layayoga: The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini, in English, by Shyam Sundar Goswami
- Book of Mirdad, in Hindi/English, by Mikhail Naimy
- Sahaj Sadhana, in Hindi (Gita Press code # 433) and English (Gita Press code # 638), by Swami Ramsukhdas, published by Gita Press Gorakhpur, India.
- Book of Nothing (Hisn Hisn Ming), in English, by Osho
ARTICLE - What is God as per Veda
| Om | Form | Nature | To be worshiped | Worshipper | Level of worshipper's Consciousness | Attribute | Body/Kosha |
| A-kara | Gross | Bhrama the creator | Virat is the owner and controller of Collective Consciousness + gross inert nature | Vishav is individual Consciousness + gross inert body | Wake, where worshipper is enjoyer and doer | Tamas = non-action |
|
| U-kara | Subtle | Vishnu the sustainer | Hirnyagarbha is the owner and controller of Collective Consciousness + subtle inert nature | Tejas is individual Consciousness + subtle inert body | Dream, where worshipper is enjoyer and non-doer | Rajas = action |
|
| M-kara | Cause | Shiv the re-cycler | Ishvara is the owner and controller of Collective Consciousness + causal inert nature | Pragya is individual Consciousness + causal inert body | Deep-Sleep, where worshipper is neither enjoyer nor doer, but suspended ego | Sattav = Light |
|
| Stop | Source | Parmatama or Bhram | Parmatama or Bhram is the owner and controller of all above | Atma | 4th stage where worshipper is neither enjoyer nor doer and dorment ego | Without attributes |
|