तत्राग्निमाधाय समित् समिद्धं । स्वमेब मूर्त्यन्तरमष्ट मूर्तिः ॥
तत्राग्निमाधाय समित् समिद्धं । स्वमेब मूर्त्यन्तरमष्ट मूर्तिः ॥
तत्राग्निमाधाय समित् समिद्धं । स्वमेब मूर्त्यन्तरमष्ट मूर्तिः ॥
तत्राग्निमाधाय समित् समिद्धं । स्वमेब मूर्त्यन्तरमष्ट मूर्तिः ॥
The prologue to the Sakuntalá will at once prove this great poet to have been a materialist of this kind; thus;
या सृष्टिः स्रष्टु राद्या बहति बिधि हुतं या हबिर्याचहोत्री ।ये द्वेकालं बिधत्तः श्रुतिबिषयगुणा यास्थिताब्याप्यविश्वमं ॥या माहुः प्रकृतिरिति यया प्रणिनः प्रणबन्तः ।प्रसन्नस्तनुभिरबतु बस्ताभिरष्टाभिरीशः ॥
या सृष्टिः स्रष्टु राद्या बहति बिधि हुतं या हबिर्याचहोत्री ।ये द्वेकालं बिधत्तः श्रुतिबिषयगुणा यास्थिताब्याप्यविश्वमं ॥या माहुः प्रकृतिरिति यया प्रणिनः प्रणबन्तः ।प्रसन्नस्तनुभिरबतु बस्ताभिरष्टाभिरीशः ॥
या सृष्टिः स्रष्टु राद्या बहति बिधि हुतं या हबिर्याचहोत्री ।ये द्वेकालं बिधत्तः श्रुतिबिषयगुणा यास्थिताब्याप्यविश्वमं ॥या माहुः प्रकृतिरिति यया प्रणिनः प्रणबन्तः ।प्रसन्नस्तनुभिरबतु बस्ताभिरष्टाभिरीशः ॥
या सृष्टिः स्रष्टु राद्या बहति बिधि हुतं या हबिर्याचहोत्री ।
ये द्वेकालं बिधत्तः श्रुतिबिषयगुणा यास्थिताब्याप्यविश्वमं ॥
या माहुः प्रकृतिरिति यया प्रणिनः प्रणबन्तः ।
प्रसन्नस्तनुभिरबतु बस्ताभिरष्टाभिरीशः ॥
“Water the first work of the creator, and Fire which receives the oblations ordained by law &c. &c. May Ísa, the God of Nature, apparent in these forms, bless and sustain you.”
Besides all this the Sivites of the present day, are found to be votaries of this materialistic faith in their daily adoration of the eight forms of Siva in the following formula of their ritual;
Both the Sánkhya and Saiva materialism are deprecated in orthodox works as atheistic and heretical, like the impious doctrines of the modern positivists and materialists of Europe, on account oftheir disbelief in the existence of a personal and spiritual God. Thus says, Kumárila; सांख्ययोग पाञ्चरात्न पाशुपत शाख्य निर्ग्रन्थपरिगृहीत धर्म्माधर्म्म निवन्धनानि (Max Müller’s A. S. Lit. p. 78.)
3. The Esoteric “Jnána yoga.”It is the occult and mystic meditation of the Divinity, practised by religious recluses after their retirement from the world in the deep recesses of forests, according to the teachings of the Áranyakas of the Vedas. In this sense it is called “Alaukika” or recluse, as opposed to the “laukika” or the popular form. It is as well practicable in domestic circles by those that are qualified to practise the “Jnána yoga” (ज्ञानयोग) or transcendental speculation at their leisure. Of the former kind were the Rishis Súka deva, Yájnavalkya and others, and of the latter sort were the royal personages Janaka and other kings and the sages Vasistha, Vyása and many more of the “munis.”
4. The ExotericRája yoga.This is the “laukika” or popular form of devotion practised chiefly by the outward formulae—vahirangasof yoga, with observance of the customary rites and duties of religion. The former kind calledVidyá(विद्या) and the latterAvidyá(अविद्या), are enjoined to be performed together in the Veda, which says: यत्तद्वेदोभयं सह &c. The Bhagavadgitá says to the same effect, नकर्मणामनारम्भ्यनैष्कर्म्मं पुरुषोश्नुते. The yoga Vásishtha inculcates the same doctrine in conformity with the Sruti which says: अन्धतमम्प्रबिशन्ति येउबिद्यायांरताः । ततोभूयएबतेतमो ये उअबिद्यायांरताः ।
5. The Subjective orHansa yoga.Thehansaorparamahansayoga is the subjective form, which consists in the perception of one’s identity with that of the supreme being, whereby men are elevated above life and death. (Weber’s Ind. Lit. p. 157.) The formula of meditation is “soham,hansah” (सोऽहं हंसः) I am He,Ego sum Is, and the Arabic “Anal Haq”; wherein the Ego is identified with theabsolute.
6. The objective wordTattwamasi.The objective side of yoga is clearly seen in its formula oftat twam asi—“thou art He.” Here “thou” the object of cognition—anon ego, is made the absolute subjective (Weber. Ind. Lit. p. 162).This formula is reduced to one wordtatwamतत्वं denoting “truth,” which contained in viewing every thing as Himself, or having subordinated all cosmical speculations to the objective method.
7. The Pure yoga-Suddha Brahmacharyam.The pure Yoga has two meanings viz.; the holy and unmixed forms of it. The former was practised by the celibate Brahmacháris and Brahmachárinis of yore, and is now in practice with the Kánphuttayogisandyoginisof Katiyawar in Guzerat and Bombay. Its unmixed form is found among theBrahmavádisandVádinis, who practise the pure contemplative yoga of Vedánta without any intermixture of sectarian forms. It corresponds with the philosophical mysticism of saint Bernard, and the mystic devotion of the Sufis of Persia. (See Sir Wm. Jones. On the Mystic Poetry of the Hindus, Persians and Greeks.)
8. The Impure orBhanda yoga.The impure yoga in both its significations of unholiness and intermixture, is now largely in vogue with the followers of thetantras, the worshippers of Siva and Sakti, the modern Gosavis of Deccan, the Bullabhácháris of Brindaban, the Gosains, Bhairavis and Vaishnava sects in India, the Aghoris of Hindustan, and the Kartábhajás andNerá-nerisof Bengal.
9. The Pantheistic orVisvátmá yoga.This is well known from the pantheistic doctrines of Vedánta, to consist in the meditation of every thing in God and God in every thing; “Sarvam khalvidam Brahama” सर्ब्बं खल्विदं ब्रह्म । एतद्धैतत; and that such contemplation alone leads to immortality. भूतेषु भूतेषु बिचिन्त्य धीरः प्रेत्यास्माल्लोकादमृता भबन्ति । It corresponds with the pantheism of Persian Sufis and those of Spinoza and Tindal in the west. Even Sadi says; “Hamán nestand unche hasti tui,” there is nothing else but thyself. So in Urdu,Jo kuch hai ohi hai nahin aur kuchh.
10. The Monotheistic orAdwaita Brahma yoga.It consists in the meditation of the creed ओं एकमेवबाद्बितीयं of the Brahmans, like the “Wahed Ho” of Moslems, and that God is one of Unitarian Christians. The monotheistic yoga is embodiedin the Svetáswatara and other Upanishads (Weber p. 252 a). As for severe monotheism the Mosaic and Moslem religions are unparalleled, whose tenet it is “la sharik laho” one without a partner; and, “Thou shalt have no other God but Me.”
11. The Dualistic orDwaita yoga.The dualistic yoga originated with Patanjali, substituting hisIsvarafor thePurushaof Sánkhya, and taking thePrakritias his associate. “From these,” says Weber, “the doctrine seems to rest substantially upon a dualism of thePurushamale andavyaktaor Prakriti—the female.” This has also given birth to the dualistic faith of theandrogynedivinity—the Protogonus of the Greek mythology, theardhanáriswaraof Manu, the undivided Adam of the scriptures, the Hara-Gauri and Umá-Maheswara of the Hindu Sáktas. But there is another dualism of two male duties joined in one person ofHari-haraorHara-hari; whose worshippers are calleddwaita-vádis, and among whom the famous grammarian Vopadeva ranks the foremost.
12. The Trialistic orTraita-yoga.The doctrines of the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, and that of the Platonic triad and Christian Holy Trinity are well known to inculcate the worship and meditation of the three persons in one, so that in adoring one of them, a man unknowingly worships all the three together.
13. The Polytheistic yoga orSarva Devopásana.This consists of the adoration of a plurality of deities in the mythology by every Hindu, though every one has a special divinity of whom he is the votary for his particular meditation. The later upanishads have promulgated the worship of several forms of Vishnu and Siva (Web. I. Lit. p. 161); and theTantrashave given thedhyánasor forms of meditation of a vast member of deities in their various forms and images (Ibid. p. 236).
14. The Atheistic orNiríswarayoga.The Atheistic yoga is found in theniriswaraor hylo-theistic system of Kapila, who transmitted his faith “in nothing” to the Buddhists and Jains, who having no God to adore, worship themselves,in sedate and silent meditation. (Monier Williams, Hindu Wisdom p. 97).
15. The Theistic orÁstikya yoga.The Theistic yoga system of Patanjala: otherwise called theseswarayoga, was ingrafted on the old atheistic system of Sánkhya with a belief in the Iswara. It is this system to which the name yoga specially belongs. (Weber’s Ind. Lit. pp. 238 and 252).
16. The PracticalYoga Sádhana.“The yoga system,” says Weber, “developed itself in course of time in outward practices of penance and mortifications, whereby absorption in the Supreme Being was sought to be obtained. We discover its early traces in the Epics and specially in the Atharva upanishads.” (Ind. Lit. p. 239). The practicalyoga Sádhanais now practised by every devotee in the service of his respective divinity.
17. The devotional orSannyása yoga.The devotional side of the yoga is noticed in the instance of Janaka in the Mahábhárata, and of Yájnavalkhya in the Brihadáranyaka in the practice of their devotions in domestic life. These examples may have given a powerful impetus to the yogis in the succeeding ages, to the practice of secluded yoga in ascetism and abandonment of the world, and its concerns called Sannyása as in the case of Chaitanya and others.
18. The SpeculativeDhyána yoga.It had its rise in the first or earliest class of Upanishads, when the minds of the Rishis were employed in speculations about their future state and immortality, and about the nature and attributes of the Supreme Being.
19. The Ceremonial orKriyá yoga.This commenced with the second class or medieval upanishads, which gave the means and stages, whereby men may even in this world attain complete union with the Átma (Web. I. Lit. p. 156). The yogáchara of Manu relates to the daily ceremonies of house-keepers, and the Kriyá yoga of the Puránas treats about pilgrimages and pious acts of religion.
20. The Pseudo orBhákta yoga.The pure yoga being perverted by the mimicry of false pretenders to sanctity and holiness, have assumed all those degenerate forms which are commonly to be seen in the mendicant Fakirs, strolling about with mock shows to earn a livelihood from the imposed vulgar. These being the most conspicuous have infused a wrong notion of yoga into the minds of foreigners.
21. TheBhaktiyoga.The Bhakti yoga first appears in the Swetáswatara Upanishad where the Bhakti element of faith shoots forth to light (Web. Ind. Lit. pp. 252 and 238). It indicates acquaintance with the corresponding doctrine of Christianity. The Bhágavad Gítá lays special stress upon faith in the Supreme Being. It is the united opinion of the majority of European scholars, that the HinduBhaktiis derived from the faith (fides) of Christian Theology. It has taken the place of श्रद्धा or belief among all sects, and has been introduced of late in the Brahma Samájas with other Vaishnava practices.
The other topics of Prof. Monier Williams being irrelevant to our subject, are left out from being treated in the present dissertation.
22. By assimilation to the object.The Yogi by continually meditating on the perfections of the All Perfect Being, becomes eventually a perfect being himself,just as a man that devotes his sole attention to the acquisition a particular science, attains in time not only to a perfection in it, but becomes as it were identified with that science. Or to use a natural phenomenon in the metamorphoses of insects, the transformation of the cockroach to the conchfly, by its constant dread of the latter when caught by it, and the cameleon’s changing its colour for those of the objects about it, serve well to elucidate the Brahmahood ब्रह्मभूयः of the contemplative yogi.
But to illustrate this point more clearly we will cite the argument of Plotinus of the Neo-Platonic school, to prove the elevationof the meditative yogi to the perfection of the Being he meditates upon. He says, “Man is a finite being, how can he comprehend the Infinite? But as soon as he comprehends the Infinite, he is infinite himself: that is to say; he is no longer himself, no longer that finite being having a consciousness of his own separate existence; but is lost in and becomes one with the Infinite.”
By identification withthe object.Here says Mr. Lewes, “If I attain to a knowledge of the Infinite, it is not by my reason which is finite, but by some higher faculty which identifies itself with its object. Hence the identity of subject and object, of the thought and the thing thought of ज्ञाताज्ञानयोरैक्यं is the only possible ground of knowledge. Knowledge and Being are identical, and to know more is to be more”. But says Plotinus; “If knowledge is the same as the thing known, the finite as finite, can never know the Infinite, because he cannot be Infinite”. Hist. Phil. I. p. 391.
By meditation of Divine attributes.Therefore the yogi takes himself as his preliminary step, to the meditations of some particular attribute or perfection of the deity, to which he is assimilated in thought, which is called his state of lower perfection; until he is prepared by his highest degree of ecstacy to lose the sense of his own personality, and become absorbed in the Infinite Intelligence called his ultimate consummation orSamádhi, which makes him one with the Infinite, and unites the knower and the known together; ज्ञाताज्ञेययोरैक्यं ।
The Sufi Perfection.The perfection of theyogibears a striking resemblance withmaarfatof the Sufis of Persia, and it is described at length by Al-Gazzali, a famous sophist, of which we have an English translation given by G. K. Lewes in his History of Philosophy. (Vol. II. p. 55). “From the very first the Sufis have such astonishing revelations, that they are enabled, while waking, to see visions of angels and the souls of prophets; they hear their voices and receive their favours.”
Ultimate consummation“Afterwards a transport exalts them beyond the mere perception of forms, to a degree which exceeds all expression, and concerning which one cannot speak without employing a language that would sound blasphemous. In fact some have gone so far as to imagine themselves amalgamated with God, others identified with Him, and others to be associated with Him.” These states are called स्वारुप्य, सायुज्य &c., in Hindu yoga as we shall presently see.
The Eight perfections. अष्ट सिद्धिः ।“The supernatural faculties” says Wilson, “are acquired in various degrees according to the greater or lesser perfection of the adept.” H. Rel. p. 131. These perfections are commonly enumerated as eight in number (अष्ट सिद्धिः ।), and are said to be acquired by the particular mode in which the devotee concentrates himself in the Divine spirit or contemplates it within himself.
1. Microcosm orAnimá.The specific property of the minuteness of the soul or universal spirit, that it is minuter than the minutest (अण रणीयान्). By thinking himself as such, the yogi by a single expiration of air, makes his whole body assume a lank and lean appearance, and penetrates his soul into all bodies.
2. Macrocosm orMahimá.This also is a special quality of the soul that it fills the body, and extends through all space and encloses it within itself (महतो महीयान्); by thinking so, the yogi by a mere respiration of air makes his body round and turgid as a frog, and comprehends the universe in himself.
3. Lightness orLaghimá.From thinking on the lightness of the soul, the yogi produces a diminution of his specific gravity by swallowing large draughts of air, and thereby keeps himself in an aerial posture both on sea and land. This the Sruti says as (लघोर्लघीयान्).
4. Gravity orGarimá.This practice is opposed to the above, and it is by the same process of swallowing great draughts of air, and compressing them within the system, that the yogi acquires an increase of his specific gravity orgarimá(गुरोगरीयान्). Krishna is said to have assumed his बिश्बम्भर मूर्त्ति in this way, which preponderated all weights in the opposite scale.
5. Success orPrápti.This is the obtaining of desired objects and supernatural powers as by inspiration from above. The yogi in a state of trance acquires the power of predicting future events, of understanding unknown languages, of curing divers diseases, of hearing distant sounds, of divining unexpressed thoughts of others, of seeing distant objects, or smelling mystical fragrant odours, and of understanding the language of beasts and birds. Hence the prophets all dived into futurity, the oracles declared future events, Jina understoodpasubháshá, and Christ healed diseases and infirmities. So also Sanjaya saw the battles waged at Kurukshetra from the palace of king Dhritaráshtra.
6. Overgain—PraKámyaPrakámya is obtaining more than one’s expectations, and consists in the power of casting the old skin and maintaining a youth-like appearance for an unusual period of time, as it is recorded of king Yayáti (Japhet or Jyápati); and of Alcibiades who maintained an unfading youth to his last. By some writers it is defined to be the property of entering into the system of another person; as it is related of Sankaráchárya’s entering the dead body of prince Amaru in the Sankara Vijaya.
7. SubjectionVasitwam.This is the power of taming living creatures and bringing them under control. It is defined also to be the restraint of passions and emotions as रागादि बशित्वं, and likewise the bringing of men and women under subjection. This made Orpheus tame the wild animals and stop the course of rivers by the music of his lyre, and gave Pythagoras (who derived it from India) the power of subduing a furious bear by the influence of his will or word, as also of preventing an ox from eating his beans, and stopping an eaglein its flight. It was by this that Prospero subdued the elements and aerial spirits with his magic wand, and Draupadi and Mahommed obtained the powers of stopping the courses of the sun and moon. The Magis of Persia are said to have derived their magical powers from the Máyis of India who first cultivated the magical art.
8. Dominion orIshitwam.It is the obtaining of universal dominion either in this life or next by means of yoga, as it is recorded of Rávana, Mándhátá and others in the traditions. It is also said to be the attainment of divine powers, when the yogi finds himself in a blaze of light.
Authority of H. H. WilsonWhen the mystic union is effected, he (the yogi) can make himself lighter than the lightest substance, and heavier than the heaviest; can become as vast or as minute as he pleases; can traverse all space, can animate any dead body by transferring his spirit into it from his own frame. He can render himself invisible, can attain all objects, become equally acquainted with the present, past and future, and is finally united with Siva, and consequently exempted from being born again upon earth. (See Wilson’s Hindu Religion p. 131).
Ditto of Plato.We find the same doctrine in Plato’s Phaedrus where Socrates delivers a highly poetical effusion respecting the partial intercourse or the human soul with eternal intellectualRealia. He says moreover that, all objects which are invisible can be apprehended only by cogitation (yoga); and that none but philosophers (yogis), and a few of them can attain such mental energy during this life (जीबन्मुक्ति); nor even they fully and perfectly in the present state. But they will attain it fully after death; if their lives have been passed in sober philosophical training (ध्यानज्ञान). And that all souls enjoyed it before birth, before junction with the body, which are forgotten during childhood, but recalled in the way of reminiscence by association. The revival of the divine elements is an inspiration of the nature of madness (trance or ecstasy of the yoga). The soul becominginsensible to ordinary pursuits, contracts a passionate tendency to the universal. (Baine on Realism. pp. 6 and 7).
Authority of Plotinus.“It is ecstasy the faculty by which the soul divests itself of its personality. In this state the soul becomes loosened from its material prison, separated from individual consciousness, and becomes absorbed in the Infinite Intelligence from which it emanated. In this ecstasy it contemplates real existence; and identifies itself with that which it contemplates.” (Lewes. Hist. of Philosophy Vol. I. p. 389).
Disbelief in yoga.Notwithstanding all that we have said and the authorities we have cited in the preceding article on the efficacy of yoga, we find some scholars in Europe and many educated men in this country, are disposed to discredit the efficiency of yoga to effect supernatural results or to be good for any thing. We shall state some of these objections which will be found to bear their own refutation on the grounds of their misrepresentation and self-contradiction.
Its painful practices.Professor Monier Williams says that, “yoga system appears, in fact, to be a mere contrivance of getting rid of all thought, or at least of concentrating the mind with the utmost intensity upon nothing in particular. It is a strange compound of mental and bodily exercises consisting of unnatural restraint, forced and painful postures, twistings and contortions of the limbs, suppression of breath and utter absence of mind”. (Indian wisdom p. 103) (so also Wilson’s Hindu Religion p. 132).
Its questionable Features.He then starts the question, “How is it that faith in a false system can operate with sufficient force upon the Hindu, to impel him to submit voluntarily to almost incredible restraints, mortifications of the flesh and physical tortures? How is it that an amount of physical endurance may be exhibited by an apparently weakly and emaciated Asiatic, which would be impossibleto a European, the climate and diet in one case tending to debilitate and in the other to invigorate?” (Ibid p. 104).
Their Illegitimacy.Professor Monier’s statement of the existence of the aforesaid self mortifications and voluntary contortions of the limbs of the yogis for two thousand years or since the invention of yoga philosophy, is open to refutation on the ground of there being no mention of them in the old systems of yoga inculcated either in the Vedánta or Patanjali’s philosophy, or even in the yoga Vásishtha, as it is evident from the practices and processes of yoga we have already given before. Those processes are seen to be simply moral restraints, and no physical torture of any kind, and such moral restraints must be acknowledged on all hands, to be indispensable to the concentration of the mind on any subject of far less importance than the contemplation of the inscrutable nature of the Divinity.
Abuses of Hatha yoga.The abuses he speaks of must be those of the arduous practices of the Hatha yoga, which have been in vogue with pseudo yogis of the later times, from their superstitious belief in bodily tortures as their best penance and only means, (as the author himself avows), “of their fancied attainment of extraordinary sanctity and supernatural powers.” (Ibid). But such practices as have degenerated to deceptive tricks in this country, and are carried on by the cheating and cheated fools under the false name of yoga, present their counterparts also in the trickeries of the fanatics and fakirs under every form of faith on earth, without affecting the true religion or creating any misconception of the yoga doctrine.
Sacrifice of the spirit.In vindication of our spiritual yoga we have to say that it is no exoteric religion, and requires no bodily mortification or sacrifice in any shape whatever, as it is the usual practice of all forms of religion among mankind. The yoga is the speculative training of the human soul, and concerns the castigation of the spirit and not the mortification of flesh. It has nothing to do with the body which is of this earth, and which we have to leave here behind us.
Sacrifice of the Body.The universal doom of death pronounced on the original guilt of man, is not to be averted by physical death or any deadly torture of the body, as it is commonly believed by the bulk of mankind, to consist in bodily mortifications and sacrifices; but in the contrition and penitence of the spirit, and sacrifice of the soul as the only sin-offering for the atonement of our original and actual transgressions. ThePurusha medhasacrifice of the Veda which is misunderstood for the offering of amale-being, a man, a horse, a bull or a he-goat or male of any animal, meant originally the sacrifice of the human soul, or self-immolation of thepurushaor embodied intelligence to the Supreme Spirit, by means of its concentration into the same through the instrumentality of yoga abstraction. Dr. K. M. Banerjia’s interpretation of thePurusha medhaas typical of the crucifixion of Christ, is more conformable with his Christian view of the mysticism, than the spiritual sense ofself-sacrifice, in which it is generally understood by the speculative Yogi and the philosophical Vedantist.