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Chapter I - The
Philosophy of Yoga
It is said that the original propounder of classical Yoga was
Hiranyagarbha Himself. It is Patanjali Maharishi who
formulated this science into a definite system under the name
of Ashtanga Yoga or Raja Yoga. This forms one of the Shad-Darsananas
or Classical Systems of Philosophy. Vyasa has explained the
original aphorisms or Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and this has
been further elaborated through a gloss by a learned author
named Vachaspati Mishra, and through the celebrated writings
of Vijnana Bhikshu.
The Yoga, in allegiance to the Sankhya, holds that there is an
eternal and omnipresent inert Prakriti and a plurality of
omnipresent Conscious Purusha. The Yoga accepts a third
principle, viz., Ishvara. The contact of the Purusha with
Prakriti makes the latter evolve itself into its various
effects. The Purusha, due to Aviveka (non-discrimination),
feels that it is an individual on account of its
identification with Prakriti and its modifications.
The Yoga concerns itself with the method of freeing the
Purusha from this bondage through right effort. Yoga is, thus,
more a practical way of attainment than a philosophical
excursion into the realms of the Spirit. As a Darsana, it is
Sa-Ishvara Sankhya, i.e., it sanctions the twenty-five Tattvas
of the Sankhya and adds one more, Ishvara. In doing so, Yoga
fulfills its own characteristic of being an utterly practical
system of Sadhana. When covered over by the veil of ignorance
(Aviveka), the Purusha imagines that He is imperfect,
incomplete, and that fulfillment can be had only in His
conjunction with Prakriti. The Purusha then, so to say, begins
to gaze at Prakriti; and in the light of His consciousness,
the inert Prakriti commences its kaleidoscopic display of
objects. The Purusha, due to Prakriti-Samyoga, appears to
desire for enjoyment of these objects. He acts, as it were. He
seems to grasp the objects. Now bondage, though not essential
to the Purusha, is complete and the vicious circle is kept up.
Transmigration of the individual is the consequence of Aviveka
and its effects. Yoga by its scientific processes cuts these
three knots one by one and leads to Kaivalya Moksha which is
the realization of the true Purusha as independent of Prakriti
and its evolutes.
Deep within everyone there is an abiding faith in a Supreme
Being, someone to whom a Sadhaka can look up for help and
guidance, for protection and inspiration. But the ego does not
allow this to happen. Disentanglement of the Purusha from the
ego alone can lead to Its release from the snares of Prakriti.
The ego can hardly be subdued by subjective analysis only; but
it is easy to discriminate this ego as separate from the
Purusha when it is voluntarily offered as a sacrifice at the
altar of self-surrender to a Supreme Being, Ishvarapranidhana.
This is the hypothesis of the Yoga, in addition to its
exhortation to put forth effort (Sadhana-Marga).
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