S AGE YÅJ Ñ AVA L K YA TO K I NG JANA K A

I have spoken to you about the knowledge of Såµkhya; now hear from
me about the knowledge of yoga as I have heard and seen it, O best of
kings.

There is no knowledge equal to Såµkhya; there is no power like

that of yoga. Both of these are the same path; both are said to lead to
immortality.

Only people lacking wisdom say that these are different. But we, O
king, see them as one without any doubt.

That which the yogis perceive, the followers of Såµkhya

experience.

One who sees that Såµkhya and yoga are one, is a seer of Truth.
Know that [the control of] the vital airs to be the highest [practice]
in yoga, O chastiser of the enemy. In fact, in their very same body,
yogis can wander around the ten directions.

When death occurs, my dear king, having abandoned [the physical

body], such yogis wander happily around the worlds in the subtle body,
endowed with the eight yogic powers (guñas),10 O sinless one.

In the Vedic scriptures, the wise speak of yoga as having eight qualities,
and bestowing eight subtle powers. It is this and nothing else,
O best of rulers.

They say that the topmost practice of yoga is of two kinds, according
to what is revealed in the scriptures: yoga with “qualities” and yoga
without “qualities.”13

There is concentration of the mind [dhårañå, see III.214], and there

is prånåyama [II.49ff]. Prånåyåma is saguna, and dhårañå is nirguña.

It is seen that exhaling air in the practice of nirguña, O Lord of

Maithila, causes an excess of wind. Because of this, it should not be
practiced.

Twelve ways of restraining [the breath] in the first watch of the

night are recorded in the scriptures. After sleeping in the middle
watch, the twelve ways of restraining [are prescribed again] for the final
watch. Living in solitude, tranquil, and controlled, one should
without doubt engage one’s åtman in yoga with the intelligence, delighting
in the åtman and living in solitude.

One should cast off the fivefold faults of the five senses: sound,
form, touch, taste, and smell [pratyåhåra II.54].

One should restrain the state of pratibhåm-apavargam,15 and fix the

senses on the mind (manas).

The manas should then be fixed on the ego, ahaµkåra, O Lord of

men; the ahaµkåra on the intelligence, buddhi; and the buddhi, in
turn, on prak®ti.

After undertaking this progression, one should meditate on the purußa,

which is autonomous (kevalam; II.25), a spotless lotus, eternal,
infinite, pure, unblemished, immovable, existent, indivisible, beyond
decay and death, everlasting, immutable, the lord and imperishable
Brahman.

Consider now, O king, the characteristics of the yogıñ. The character

of the yogıñ displays a tranquility like that of the contented person
sleeping blissfully.

The wise speak of the yogıñ as like the upward motionless flame of
a lamp full of oil burning in a windless place.

The character of the yogıñ is like a rock, which is incapable of being

moved even when pummeled by torrents of rain pouring down from
clouds.

The demeanor of the yogıñ is not moved by the noise of assorted

conches and drums being played together, nor by outbursts of song.

Just as a person of composed nature might ascend a staircase while

holding a container full of oil, and yet, despite being alarmed upon being
attacked by assailants armed with swords, does not spill a drop out
of fear of them, so, in the same way, the mind of one who is absorbed
in the supreme, is fully concentrated.

These are the characteristics of the sage yogıñ, which are displayed
due to resolve and to controlling the activities of the senses.
Absorbed in the self, the yogıñ beholds the supreme and imperishable
Brahman, resembling a lamp situated in dense darkness blazing
forth.
It is in this way that, after the passage of much time [in practice],
the yogıñ enters the state of transcendent liberation (kevala) upon leaving
the body, O king. This [is revealed in] the eternal scriptures.
This, indeed, is the yoga of the yogıñs. What else is the character of
yoga? Knowing this, the wise consider that they have accomplished
the goal of life.

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BHAGAVÅN KAPILA TO QUEEN KUNTI

The Lord, bhagavån, said:

O daughter of the king, I will outline the characteristics of

sabîja-yoga; by this method, the mind becomes joyful, and undoubtedly
attains the path of Truth. One should follow one’s
dharma, duty, to the best of one’s ability, and refrain from activities
opposed to dharma. Content with what one has attained
by Providence, one should worship the feet of a spiritual
teacher, one who has perceived the åtman.

Ceasing mundane religious activities, but rather being attracted

to the dharma which leads to liberation, one should
always eat a limited amount of pure food, and reside in a
peaceful, secluded place.

One should practice nonviolence (ahimså), truthfulness

(satya), non- stealing (asteya), and adopt only as many possessions
as required (yåvad- artha- parigraha). One should
practice celibacy (brahmacarya), austerity (tapas), cleanliness
(Ωaucya), study (svådhyåya) and worship the supreme being (purußa=
årcana).

Observing silence, one should become fixed [in a sitting

posture] by mastering the appropriate åsanas, gradually mastering
breath control (pråña), and practicing withdrawal of the
senses from sense objects (pratyåhåra) with the mind fixed on
the heart.

One should fix the breath on one of the cakras of the body
with one’s mind.

One should contemplate the activities of Lord Visnu and

become absorbed (samådhåna) in that way.

By these and other processes, alert, and with controlled

breath, one should gradually fix one’s mind, which is prone to
corrupt and unspiritual ways, with one’s intelligence.

Once one has mastered åsana one should establish a seat

(åsana) in a clean place, and, sitting comfortably, with the body
erect, one should perform practice.

One should cleanse the passageway of the air by performing

püra- kumbhaka- recaka breath restraints or by the reverse
processes, such that the citta can become fixed and undistracted.

The mind of the yogıñ whose breath is controlled should

soon become purified, just as iron, [melted by] fire and fanned
by wind, releases its impurities.

By pråñåyåma one can burn imperfections;26 by dhårañå,

one’s sins; by pratyåhåra, contact with sense objects; and by
dhyåna, ungodly tendencies. When one’s mind is perfectly controlled
by the practice of yoga, with one’s gaze fixed on the
tip of the nose, one should meditate on the form of God (Bhagavån).

He has pleasing lotus- like features, with reddish eyes like

the interior of a lotus, and is dark like the petals of a blue lotus.
He bears a conch, discus and club. His shiny silken garments
are yellow like the filament of a lotus, the kaustubha jewel
adorns his neck, and the mark of Ω®ivatsa his chest.27

His neck is encircled by a forest garland with intoxicated

humming bees swarming about it, and he is adorned by a magnificent
necklace, bracelets, helmet, armlets and anklets.

His hips are adorned with a brilliantly shining girdle, and

he is seated in the lotus of the heart. His countenance is
serene and he has the most beautiful appearance, gladdening
the eyes and the mind.

He is eternally gorgeous to behold, and is worshipped

by the entire universe. He has the youthful vigor of the prime
of youth, and is anxious to bestow his blessings upon his devotees.

The glories of this exalted person are worthy of recitation

in hymns, and bring renown to pious people [who glorify him].
One should perform meditation (dhyåna) upon the entire form
of the Lord, until the mind no longer deviates . . .

A person, at this point, with heart flowing with love for the
Lord, Hari, Bhagavån; with hair standing on end from ecstasy;
and constantly overwhelmed with streams of tears from intense
love, gradually withdraws the hook of the citta.

At this stage, the mind suddenly attains liberation (nirvåña), and enters the state of freedom,
detached and without objects, like the flame of a lamp [when it is extinguished].
Freed from the flow of the guñas, one now perceives the åtman,
fully manifest and autonomous.

The yogıñ, as a result of this supreme dissolution of the

mind, becomes situated in the wonders of the åtman, and, attaining
the nature of the higher self, realizes that the cause of
the experiences of pleasure and pain (du˙kha) that he had previously
attributed to his own self, were actually occurring in