Tapah svAdhyAyeshvara PranidhAnani Kriya Yogah 2.1
Tapah svAdhyAyeshvara PranidhAnani Kriya Yogah 2.1
Kriya yoga is Tapas, svadhyaya, Ishvara Pranidhana.
We must begin with Kriya Yoga, as this sutra is describing Kriya Yoga, not the Kriya yoga of Yogananda or some marketing statement about a yoga system. Rather is a reference to the 'yoga of action', where kriya means action. In this yoga of action there are three primary qualities:
1. Ishvara Pranidhana--surrendering to a supreme being. This is also requires a release of all fruits of action. This can also be applied as Bhakti Yoga-the Yoga of devotion. Additionally, it involves a surrender of the ego.
2. Svadhyaya--commonly this is translated as study of sacred texts. This interpretation appeals more to the masses. But we have taken it extremes as it was originally intended to be yogic and Hindu sacred texts. In the Puranas (I believe it was the Garuda or Vayu Purana, it is specifically stated that svadhyaya should be study of the Vedas). Rishi Vyasa states this can be study of sacred texts or repetition of sacred mantra. He further qualities that sacred texts would be texts that deal specifically with moksha (liberation). My personal inclination is toward the Vedas as they deal specifically with the actions (kriyas) in obtaining liberation and are mantra based.
3. Tapah is commonly translated as austerities. Often in India this has focused on austerities, self mortification as this is somewhat common amongst some groups of renunciates. But there is more, tapas can also mean deep meditation, but as this sutra is specifically for a distracted mind, it would require a great deal of cultivation for the mind to achieve deep meditation.
Tapas can also mean 'psychic heat' which is more common in the yoga of action. Within the samkhya philosophy Tapas is withdrawal from sensuous activity, or actions that result in hardship or suffering.
One other comment on Tapas is that it is seen as a purification. In fact, svadhyaya and Ishvara Pranidhana has a purifying effect as well.
Samkhya sees svadhyaya as verbal kriya yoga, and Ishvara Pranidhana as mental kriya yoga.
It is quite common for one to hear that mantra is not part of the 'Yoga Sutras of Patanjali', yet we see the study of sacred texts such as the Vedas which is a book of mantra, and even Rishi's stating mantra is a form of svadhyaya. In the previous pada, we saw references to chanting 'OM' within the 'Yoga Sutras' itself. So any comment that the Yoga Sutras does not contain or endorse mantra is based in ignorance.--Yogi Baba Prem
Kriya yoga is Tapas, svadhyaya, Ishvara Pranidhana.
We must begin with Kriya Yoga, as this sutra is describing Kriya Yoga, not the Kriya yoga of Yogananda or some marketing statement about a yoga system. Rather is a reference to the 'yoga of action', where kriya means action. In this yoga of action there are three primary qualities:
1. Ishvara Pranidhana--surrendering to a supreme being. This is also requires a release of all fruits of action. This can also be applied as Bhakti Yoga-the Yoga of devotion. Additionally, it involves a surrender of the ego.
2. Svadhyaya--commonly this is translated as study of sacred texts. This interpretation appeals more to the masses. But we have taken it extremes as it was originally intended to be yogic and Hindu sacred texts. In the Puranas (I believe it was the Garuda or Vayu Purana, it is specifically stated that svadhyaya should be study of the Vedas). Rishi Vyasa states this can be study of sacred texts or repetition of sacred mantra. He further qualities that sacred texts would be texts that deal specifically with moksha (liberation). My personal inclination is toward the Vedas as they deal specifically with the actions (kriyas) in obtaining liberation and are mantra based.
3. Tapah is commonly translated as austerities. Often in India this has focused on austerities, self mortification as this is somewhat common amongst some groups of renunciates. But there is more, tapas can also mean deep meditation, but as this sutra is specifically for a distracted mind, it would require a great deal of cultivation for the mind to achieve deep meditation.
Tapas can also mean 'psychic heat' which is more common in the yoga of action. Within the samkhya philosophy Tapas is withdrawal from sensuous activity, or actions that result in hardship or suffering.
One other comment on Tapas is that it is seen as a purification. In fact, svadhyaya and Ishvara Pranidhana has a purifying effect as well.
Samkhya sees svadhyaya as verbal kriya yoga, and Ishvara Pranidhana as mental kriya yoga.
It is quite common for one to hear that mantra is not part of the 'Yoga Sutras of Patanjali', yet we see the study of sacred texts such as the Vedas which is a book of mantra, and even Rishi's stating mantra is a form of svadhyaya. In the previous pada, we saw references to chanting 'OM' within the 'Yoga Sutras' itself. So any comment that the Yoga Sutras does not contain or endorse mantra is based in ignorance.--Yogi Baba Prem
Good you brought out this.
ReplyDeleteKriyayoga ( a compound word) - this is very complex thing to understand because this is a compound word - which can have many splits (the split of a compound produces a sentence). Based on the context one can split the compound in multiple ways - in each way of split the meaning changes subtly to greatly and the associated purport also changes accordingly.
I'm posting a new post on this.