22 May 2022

Yoga Vichara Prakaranam (The Topic of Enquiry of Union)

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1) Trigurusthāna saṅgādi—dvayorekatva pūrṇavān |
Yoga ityucyate daive, mito laukikavānapi||

[The word Yoga has a wide range of meanings. The union may start with just meeting a person by another person. This may progress further by coming more and more near and close. The nearness and closeness may increase further so that both persons become very very close. This may end with the final step of becoming one with the other person. It starts with closeness in the dualism of Madhva in which the servant becomes close with the master by sitting at the feet of the master as in the case of Hanuman and Rama. It may develop further so that the devotee sits on the lap of God as in the case of Dhruva or Prahlada and God Vishnu, as in the concept of part-whole relationship of Ramanuja. It can end with perfect merge between devotee and God as in the case of any incarnation indicating the monism of Shankara. This is a journey starting from close dualism to perfect monism. This word Yoga is confined to the union of a soul with God only even though this word can be used in worldly sense also as we say attainment of wealth is Dhana Yoga, attainment of wife through marriage is Kalatra Yoga, attainment of son is Putra Yoga etc.]

2) Dūtaputrāvatāreṣu, trisiddhāntā ssamanivitāḥ|
Sālokyādi kaivalyaantaah, sānnihitya vadāḥ kramāt||

[Yoga means becoming a messenger of God as per the dualism of Madhva. Yoga means becoming son of God sitting on the lap of the father as per the part-whole relationship of qualified monism of Ramanuja (Ramanuja says that the closest devotee sits on the lap of God Vishnu involving in close conversation with God. The part-whole relationship does not mean direct limb-body relationship but means that God treats such a devotee as His own limb like saying that the son is like the eye or hand of the father). Yoga means individual soul becoming God through knowledge as per Shankara (Shankara is not serious about this concept because He only used this concept in turning atheist to become theist. Of course, this concept of Shankara is directly true in the case of an incarnation.). Sālokya means that God and devotee are in the same world like Hanuman and Rama or Radha and Krishna are on the same earth. Sāmīpya means that God and devotee are in the same place by becoming closer. Sārūpya means that the devotee tries to look like God. Sāyujya means the devotee becoming very very close to God. Kaivalya is the final step in which God merges with the devotee perfectly to become energetic or human incarnation. These five words indicate the increasing closeness step by step.]

3. Kaivalye samatā dvaite kācit viśiṣṭatā |
Goloko Gopikānāṃ hi, pādadhūli pradā prabhoḥ||

[There is one more step beyond the ultimate step called Kaivalya also. Such step is in dualism and it is greater than monism. In Kaivalyam, God becomes equal to the devotee because both become one and the same God. In this special step of dualism, God becomes servant of the devotee by which the devotee becomes greater than God. Gopikas attained this unimaginable step. God created Goloka for the sake of Gopikas and Goloka is above the abode of God. God wanted the dust of the feet of Gopikas to fall continuously from the upper Goloka! This is something like ‘Record break’, which is above any highest result.]

4. Sālokyāddaivalaābho'tra, vikarṣānmahatīcyutiḥ|
Tapasā jiīvitaṃ pūrṇaṃ, sādhane samayo na hi ||

[The first step called Saalokya is a very very important step because it means that God and devotee are always in the same world. This means that human incarnation and human being are always on the earth whereas energetic incarnation and energetic being are always in the upper energetic world. This means that the soul can get the company of God wherever it is living. The human soul need not do long severe penance to see the energetic incarnation of God because in such effort itself, the entire human life is consumed so that there is no further time for the spiritual efforts to please God. The human soul misses human incarnation due to repulsion between common human media. Likes repel with each other. This human soul after death gets an energetic body and goes to the upper human world and meets an energetic incarnation in the upper world. But, due to the same repulsion between common energetic media, the soul misses God in the upper world also. The Veda says that if the human being misses the human incarnation here, it misses the energetic incarnation in the upper world also. This is loss of God everywhere and this is the greatest loss as said in the Veda (Mahatī vinaṣṭiḥ).]

5. Yogabhraṣtabhava śśrīmat-yogibhinno dvayodbhavaḥ ।
Pratyayasyā’lpamahatā, durlabhaḥ para ucyate ।।5।।

[In the Gita, the Yogabhrashta (fallen from the path of union with God) is told to be born either in the house of pure, rich people or in the house of Yogis (devotees following the path of union with God). Here, the two options of the future birth of the Yogabhrashta are not equal so that anyone can be chosen by the Yogabhrashta. This means that it is not like choosing a steel plate or a mirror for the same payment of Rupees ten. The two options are different because the second option is said to be better since it is comparatively more rare (Durlabhataram). The first choice is for the Yogabhrashta having lesser faith in God about his maintenance by God. Hence, such Yogabhrashta is born in the family of pure and rich devotees so that the Yogabhrashta will have surety about his maintenance without doing any job so that he continues in the path of Yoga. The second choice is for the Yogabhrashta having full faith in God about his maintenance in this world. Since the latter is born in the family of Yogis, such Yogabhrashta need not worry since he is maintained by God in this world as per his greater faith in God. The two reasons for the fall of the devotee from the path of Yoga are ego and jealousy on the Sadguru and the climax devotee. Due to this ego-based jealousy on the Sadguru, the devotees project the climax devotee as God to revenge against the Sadguru and this leads to their fall as well as the fall of the climax devotee. The jealousy is not only on the greatest Sadguru, but also, on the greater climax devotee.]

6. Sarvadā miśramo loko, devastīrṇo yuge yuge |
Ākarṣaḥ pīta vastrāya, vikarssama vaasasah ||

[The human incarnation of God appears on this earth in every human generation so that no generation of humanity can miss the opportunity. If God came in one generation only, God is to be blamed with irrational partiality because every generation contains both good and bad people. God said that He will incarnate in every yuga and the word yuga means human generation (Yuga also means a year). The common repulsion makes rejection of God present in human form and induces attraction to an energetic being acting as a servant of God! The officer in the cotton dress is neglected by us wearing cotton dress and we are attracted to a peon in silk dress! The villagers of Brundavanam were attracted to Indra and neglected Krishna! Hence, ego-based jealousy towards common media is the main cause to neglect God appearing in common medium.]

7. Yoge Pātañjale'pyarthaḥ, sa eva sumanastanuḥ |
Dhārayet Daivamityeva, dhyātā niścala niścayaḥ ||

[The word Yoga is also frequently used in the concept of Patañjali, which has eight steps. In this Yoga, good mental health associated with good physical health of the spiritual aspirant is given importance so that the effort of the aspirant will not be disturbed. For such a person, catching the human incarnation, complete natural meditation in the sense of thinking of the goal only and finally developing unshakable determination (samādhi) is recommended. This scripture also is based on the meaning of Yoga to be to catch God and to meditate upon Him.]

8. Kṛṣṇo Yogeśvaro Gopyo, yoginaḥ kuṇḍalinyapi |
Vīciśaktimanaḥ sarpa—gatyaiti cakrabandhanāt ||

[The true Lord of Yoga is Krishna, Who is the incarnation of God Datta called Yogiraaja (King preacher of concepts of Yoga). The cowherd maidens are the real Yogis. The Kundalinii said to be moving with serpentine motion is the mind or nervous energy that propagates in the form of waves. The six cakras described are the worldly bonds that hinder the mind of the aspirant in its upward motion towards God. When the mind goes in a curved way, it need not attack directly the worldly bonds since it is not straight motion. This means that the spiritual aspirant shall not attack and displease the worldly bonds with straightforwardness. Instead, he/ she shall deal the worldly bonds with talented tactics by telling lies etc., and that will not become a sin because it is related to God. Muulaadhaara cakra representing earth stands for the bond with mother. Manipuura stands for father. Svaadhishthaana stands for spouse. Anaahata stands for issues. Vishuddha stands for false preachers. Aajnaa stands for various forms of God, some causing fascination and some causing repulsion. The final Sahasraara cakra stands for the Lord Ishvara or Datta with Whom the soul represented by Kundalinii meets.]

9. Āvartāḥ saṃsṛtāvabdhau, padmānyaḷi grahāṇi ca |
Ajñā bhrāntā Yogaśāstre, na teṣāṃ kathanaṃ kvacit ||

[In this way, the swimmer of the worldly ocean has to cross several worldly bonds which are like rotating whirlpools using tactics of curved motion. Otherwise, if the swimmer is captured by the whirlpool (worldly bond) the swimmer gets some entertainment for some time in the rotation, but finally is drowned and killed. These worldly bonds are also compared with lotus flowers, which bind the attracted black bee like soul (black color indicates Tamas or ignorance of the soul) by the closure of petals. In this way, the Kundalinii and cakras are given nice comparisons, which are not understood by human beings who are totally misled. Since all these are comparisons only, they are not mentioned in the Upanishads or the Brahmasuutras or the Giitaa. Hence, one shall understand these in proper sense and get the path correctly.]

*Note: Verse no.10 below is newly added on 24 Sept 2023

10) Punarāvṛttyanāvṛtti bhāṣaṇā dubhayaṃ sakṛt ।
Tatsevayā ‘bandhabhavāt sa evaiti punaḥ punaḥ ।।

In the Gita, two mutually contradicting concepts were spoken, which are that the residents of even the abode of God will be born again in this world (Ābrahma bhuvanāt…- Gita). At the same time, it is told that if one reaches God, he or she will not be re-born again (Māmupetya tu…- Gita) and also it is told that the soul reaching God’s abode will not take birth again in this world (Yadgatvā na nivartante…- Gita). How to resolve this contradiction? The resolution is like this:- Since God Himself is born in this world as contemporary human incarnation again and again, the servant of God (liberated soul) must be born accompanying God in human form to do this divine service of God. But the servant will not be entangled with worldly bonds and will remain in this world as a totally liberated soul only. This means that even though the devotee is re-born in this world accompanying God, the devotee is not taking the worldly birth again. In this way, re-birth and absence of re-birth (worldly birth) are correlated.

The last Brahmasutra says (Anāvṛttiśśabdāt) that the devotee reaching the mediated unimaginable God (God Datta) will also not return back to the worldly birth because the mediated unimaginable God Datta, is called the Kārya Brahman and the unmediated unimaginable God is called Kāraṇa Brahman. There is no difference between these two since one is naked without medium and the other is clothed with medium. Here also, ‘not returning back’ applies only to worldly birth; otherwise, returning back as a liberated soul to assist in the mission of God Datta is as usual. The abode of God is only one, called Brahmaloka or Satyaloka or Vaikuṇṭha or Śivaloka or Dattaloka. Some philosophers say that the permanent abode of God (Kāraṇabrahmaloka) is different from the lower temporary abode of God, called Kāryabrahmaloka. This is not acceptable because in the last chapter of the Brahmasutra, the devotee travelling to Kāryabrahmaloka is also told not returning back. This contradicts their philosophy. The Kāraṇabrahmaloka is completely unimaginable and can be never referred by anybody.

11. Sāmyopādhi Bhāgavatāt, sāro'yaṃ gṛhyate yadi |
Jīvānāṃ sulabho yogaḥ, mūla mīrṣyā jayaḥ khalu ||

[Gopikas captured (dhāraṇā) the contemporary human incarnation and attained Goloka, which is higher than the highest fruit (abode of God). It is not possible to capture the energetic incarnation like God Vishnu or God Śiva etc., for human beings through penance. They conquered the repulsion between common human media by surpassing ego and jealousy towards co-human forms. If this essence is understood, the attainment of God called ‘Yoga’ becomes very simple. The fundamental clue in Yoga for humanity is only conquering ego-based jealousy towards co-human forms. All this is clearly mentioned in the Veda (Iha cedavedīt…).]

Chapter-1: Matāntarīkaraṇa Prakaraṇam

Chapter-2: Parabrahma Prakaraṇam

Chapter-3: Māyā Śakti Prakaraṇam

Chapter-4: Īśvara Prakaraṇam

Chapter-5: Avatāra Prakaraṇam

Chapter-6: Ākāśa Tejaḥ Prakaraṇam

Chapter-7: Vibhūti Prakaraṇam

Chapter-8: Sṛṣṭilakṣya Prakaraṇam

Chapter-9: Jagat Sṛṣṭi Prakaraṇam

Chapter-10: Jīvātma Tattva Prakaraṇam

Chapter-11: Matasamanvaya Prakaraṇam

Chapter-12: Yoga Vicāra Prakaraṇam