yoga in india

wellness special

DIGITAL EDITION

Surya Namaskaar installation at the T3 Terminal, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi

Contents
a way of life

05

A panacea for all ills

07

yoga practice at rishikeSH

11

for healthy living

13

master of asanas and therapy 15

yoga and the bhagavad gita

19

buddhi yoga

23

way of actions

25

way of love

27

way of knowledge

29

a master goes west

31

championing the message

35

widening ripples

37

yoga through the ages

41

yoga is the way

43

A way of life
Yoga physiology
described humans
as existing of three
bodies (physical, subtle
and causal) and five
sheets (food sheet,
prana-breath, mind
sheet, intellect and
bliss) which cover the
atman and energy
flowing through
energy channels
and concentrated in
chakras. The living,
dynamic nature of yoga
can be seen from how
it has changed through
time, reinterpreted and
transmuted according
to the needs of the age.

ver the last 2,500 years, yoga has touched

nearly every aspect of contemporary global
consciousness. Over centuries, this physical,
mental and spiritual practice or discipline
that aims to transform the body and mind has
responded to the practical and philosophical needs
of seekers in myriad ways that has kept alive its
freshness and relevance.
Yoga symbolises many schools, practices and
goals with the best-known being Hatha Yoga
and Raja Yoga. Though there is no exact date of
its origin, yoga is speculated to have been born
during the pre-Vedic Indian era, mainly during
the 5th and 6th centuries BCE. The earliest
accounts of yoga practices are in the Buddhist
nikayas (classes). Around the same time, parallel
developments were recorded around 400 CE in
the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
Yoga physiology described humans as existing
of three bodies (physical, subtle and causal)
and five sheets (food sheet, prana-breath, mind
sheet, intellect and bliss) which cover the atman
and energy flowing through energy channels
and concentrated in chakras. The living,
dynamic nature of yoga can be seen from how
it has changed through time, reinterpreted and
transmuted according to the needs of the age.
Later, yoga gurus from India introduced it to the
West. During 1980s, yoga became popular as a
system of physical exercise across the Western
world and was often termed Hatha Yoga.
In this special digital edition on yoga, we bring
various aspects of this way of life that has been
compiled from the last 25 years issues of India
Perspectives with an update from The Great
Indian Yoga Masters by Birad Rajaram Yajnik.

Syed Akbaruddin

06

A panacea
for all ills
HEALTH PLUS

Yoga has the power to cure many diseases,

ensuring a healthy body and mind
text | Yash Pal

All physical
exercises are
primarily designed
to increase blood
circulation and
the oxygen intake.
This purpose is
served by any
exercise, may it be
moderate such as
yogic exercises or
violent like boxing

t has been rightly said that a healthy

body contains a healthy mind
and a healthy mind makes the body
healthier. Yoga promises the same to its
practitioners. By way of their actions on
musco-vascular and endocrine systems,
yogic exercises act upon the Central
Nervous System (CNS) rendering it
more pliable and active. They help in
curbing emotional upheavals such as
anger, excitement, depression, etc.
According to sage Patanjali, Yoga
has eight stages or limbs and that is
why it is known as Ashtanga-Yoga.
These eight stages are Yama (moral
values), Niyama (self-purification),
Asana (physical postures), Pranayama
(control of breath), Pratyahara
(withdrawal of senses), Dharana
(concentration), Dhyana (meditation)
and Samadhi (contemplation or a state of
superconsciousness).
Observance of Yama and Niyama helps
in controlling the emotions and passions.
Asanas keep the body strong and healthy
in a natural way. Pranayama, the fourth
stage, teaches the aspirant to regulate
the breathing through prescribed

techniques which provide immense help

in control of mind. Pratyahara enables
one to control the senses and ensure
freedom from worldly desires. The last
three stages viz Dharana, Dhyana and
Samadhi deal with mental faculties and
help aspirant achieve the ultimate goal ie
the realisation of the true self.
Yogic exercises provide the body with
adequate action required for its natural
development. Their action on the body
is manifold. These, through their action
on the musculo-vascular system provide
necessary stimulation to the endocrine
system (a ductless glandular system
which secretes hormones required for
the coordination and harmony of various
body functions). In this way, they also
help achieve coordinated functioning of
the Central Nervous System (CNS).
As may be seen, all physical exercises
are primarily designed to increase blood
circulation and the oxygen intake. This
purpose is served by any exercise, may
it be moderate such as yogic exercises
or violent like boxing or wrestling. The
skeletal muscles go through a series of
motions under any type of exercise.

08

Any imbalance
in the functions
of one or more
glands leads to
serious mental and
physical disorders.
Yogic exercises
provide suitable
solutions

These motions are constituted of stretching,

contraction and relaxation in the given
order. When muscle contracts during the
exercise, the glycogen stored in the activated
muscle breaks down to lactic acid causing an
additional release of energy. It is then utilised
for various chemical changes in the body.
Yogic exercises cause metabolic changes in
the muscles but owing to their moderate and
scientific nature, they produce a small quantity
of lactic acid in the muscles involved. The
lactic acid which requires to be reconverted
into the glycogen readily does so, for deep
and rhythmic respiration supplies sufficient
quantity of oxygen needed to oxidise it. It is
for this reason that one does not feel fatigued
or lethargic after practising yogic exercises.
Unlike violent exercises, they provide evenly
distributed stretch to the muscle involved
and activate them in a manner suitable to
their proper development. Long before the
scientists discovered the endocrine system,
the yogis knew about the existence of certain
secretions which were responsible for the
regulation of various mental and physical
functions of the man. These secretions have
been rediscovered by the modern scientists
and are termed as Hormones. It is now
scientifically established that the endocrine
glands called Pituitary, Thyroid, Parathyroids,
Pancreas, Adrenals and Gonads (ovaries
in females and testes in males) secrete
various hormones which are responsible for
harmonious coordination for various bodily
functions. For instance, hormones secreted
by the Thyroid glands are responsible for the
growth, that of Pancreas for maintaining the
blood sugar level. These glands also function
in coordination with each other and are
interdependent and complimentary to each
other. Any imbalance in the functions of one
or more of these glands leads to serious mental
and physical disorders. Yogic exercises provide
suitable mental and physical conditions
required for normal functioning of these
glands. n
The author is a teacher of Yoga

10

August 1992

Yoga practice
at Rishikesh
DESTINATION

The city is ever-growing with spiritual centres and yogic institutions

text | PK De

In many religious
institutions of
Rishikesh, yoga
is taught by
learned gurus
for the benefit
of its followers.
The philosophy
of yoga has been
evolved by learned
sages through
generations

he role of yoga towards achieving selfrealisation, as well as international

understanding in the cause of humanity,
has gained appreciable momentum in recent
years. Throughout the world, numerous
spiritual centres and yogic institutions have
been established for the purpose, and their
numbers are ever increasing.
Rishikesh, India, lies on the banks of
the sacred River Ganga and since time
immemorial, this religious place has been
the seat of meditation for the revered sages
and ascetics seeking self-realisation. In
many religious institutions of Rishikesh,
yoga is taught by learned gurus or masters
for the benefit of numerous followers. The
philosophy of yoga and the asanas (yogic
postures) of the body in unison with the
mind, have been evolved and developed by
the learned sages through the generations.
As old as civilisation, the practices are
purely of Indian origin. In Sanskrit, the term
yoga conveys union, and according to the
Upanishads and religious scriptures, or the
individual soul with the divine paramatma
or God. In the modern concept, however, yoga
may be understood as the union of the body
of an individual with his mind and soul, in
total harmony with one another that makes
him a perfect creation of God. It has been well
established that by practicing the yogasanas or
yogic postures the correct way, one can keep
blissfully healthy, effecting clarity of mind
and intelligence.
Rishikesh, the holy township, lies at
the foothills of the majestic Himalayas.
Surrounded by tranquil forests, it is the
perfect venue for purifying and upgrading
ones mind and body. n
The author is a freelance photo-journalist

12

July 1996

BOOK REVIEW

For healthy living

Dharamvirsingh Mahida presents asanas is an easy-to-follow style
Mahida suggests
the use of household items
like chairs and
blankets as props
to make the body
perfectly healthy

The authors
interaction
with medical
practitioners
has resulted in
yoga therapy for
various ailments

text | Naveen Joshi

he students of Yoga are generally

familiar with the practices which
are denoted by the word Asanas. In fact
many people who do not know anything
about Yoga confuse it with these physical
exercises. Asana or posture is the third limb
or the third component of Yoga. It answers
the question: In what pose or posture of
his body a yogi should proceed with his
accomplishment in the field of Yoga?
In Hatha Yoga, the subject of Asanas
is treated at great length. There is no
doubt that many Asanas, by affecting the
endocrine glands and other bodily currents,
tend to bring about very marked changes in
the body and if practised correctly and for a
sufficiently long time, promote health in a
remarkable way.
Hatha yoga is based on the principle that
changes in consciousness can be brought
about by setting in motion currents of
certain kind of subtler forces (prana,
kundalini) in the physical body. The
first step in realising the deeper levels
of consciousness is, therefore, to make
physical body perfectly healthy and fit.
In the book under review,
Dharamvirsingh Mahida, who has been
teaching Yoga and its manifestations for the
past ten years, has done a remarkable job
by presenting these Asanas in such a way
that a person who is less fit but keen on
learning Asanas does not feel discouraged
by their complexity and instead develops a

motivation to try and begin from the simplest

Asanas gradually shifting to the more
difficult ones.
In his innovative methodology, Mahida
suggests the use of various household items
like chairs, blankets, beds etc and walls as
props so as to make the body perfectly healthy,
resistant to fatigue and strain and bring about
an extraordinary influx of that spiritual force
which we know as willpower.
The evils of modern civilisation are not
only affecting the body; they are disastrous
to the mental make up of mankind too. In
order to understand the interconnection and
interdependence of mind and body, Mahidas
profusely illustrated manual gives sufficient
guidance and inspiration to understand both
body and mind better. Yogic exercises are
both preventive as well as curative of many
body ills if followed in a right way. The author
attempts to bring about every step and nuance
of Asanas with more than 630 illustrations.
Innovative concepts like Dynamic Yoga and
Yogaerobics have been introduced in the
book. Mahida claims that dynamic yogasanas
are more comprehensive than most of the
aerobic exercises.
The authors interaction with medical
practitioners and his long experience of
Yogasana practice have resulted in what he
describes as yoga therapy for various ailments.
Yogic asanas can help one get over many
chronic ailments like spondylitis, arthiritis etc.
These asanas also provide tremendous relief
from the ailments relating to cardio vascular,
endocranial, digestive and other systems.
One of the highlights of the book are the
weekly plans in which Mahida suggests the
type of asana for each day of the week and its
practice duration.
Yoga Illustrated by Dharamvir Singh
Mahida; Publications Division, Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting, 1995, pp 133,
Price: `200. n
The reviewer is a freelance writer

14

October 1996

TRIBUTE

Master of asanas
and therapy
BKS Iyengar, credited for the spread of yoga culture globally,
passed away in August this year, but his legacy lives on...
text | Birad Rajaram Yajnik

His unique style

called Iyengar Yoga
has inspired the
establishment of
several centres all
over the world,
both for teaching
as well as training
and certifying
teachers

he architect of Iyengar yoga was

a virtuoso of the modern yoga
world, both at home and abroad. Belur
Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar can
perhaps be chiefly credited for the spread
of yoga culture in the Western world,
beginning in the mid-1960s.
His unique style called Iyengar Yoga has
inspired the establishment of several centres
all over the world, both for teaching as well
as training and certifying teachers. The
Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute
in Pune, Maharashtra, is the hub of Iyengar
yoga, and coordinates diverse activities
including yoga research, therapy classes,
fund-raising through publication of printed
and multimedia materials and sale of yoga
props and philanthropic works.
Iyengar and yoga therapy
Having personally experienced the curative
power of yoga, Iyengar believed deeply that
this healing knowledge is essential to the
happiness and well-being of society. From
the vast storehouse of his understanding of
the human body and its responses to asana
therapy, he formulated specific programmes
of healing practices for various ailments.

He was undoubtedly successful in solving a

truly diverse assortment of ills in thousands
of patients. His books Light on Yoga, and
Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health have
considerable sections devoted to yoga
therapy with specific asana sequences for
each ailment.
To quote him on yoga therapy, The four
pillars of yoga therapy are the physician,
the medication, the attendant and the
patient. In yogic world view, sage Patanjali
is the physician, asanas are the medication,
the yoga instructor is the attendant and
the student is the patient. Asanas are
recommended to patients according to their
ailment and their physical and emotional
condition. This has to be done with care...
The process of yoga therapy is based on
selecting and sequencing asanas which
stretch specific parts of the body, and block
others... The aim is not to cure the specific
symptom but to target the cause.
Ascendancy of Iyengar yoga
In 1943, he married Ramamani who was
to become a perfect partner, advisor and
source of support in his pursuit of achieving
excellence in his chosen field. Though the

16

BKS Iyengar
taught members of
Indian aristocracy,
prominent
business, political
and sports
personalities
including surgeon
Dr Rustom Jal Vakil

couple initially led an impoverished life, his

popularity slowly but steadily began to rise.
Newly-Independent India was hosting a
large number of eminent visitors and heads
of state. Iyengar was often invited to give
demonstrations to many of them. First Indian
President Dr Rajendra Prasad and Pope Paul
IV were some before whom Iyengar held
demonstrations of yoga.
He taught members of Indian aristocracy,
prominent business, political and sports
personalities including surgeon Dr Rustom
Jal Vakil. It was through Vakil that in 1952
he was introduced to violinist-conductor
Yehudi Menuhin. The story goes that at
first, Menuhin gave Iyengar a five-minute
appointment which, upon their meeting,
extended to a three-and-a-half hours! Upon
Menuhin mentioning that he had been
feeling too fatigued to sleep soundly, Iyengar
apparently had him dozing within a few
minutes. Both men became close friends
till Menuhins death 47 years later. Under
Iyengars tutelage, he became a regular yoga
practitioner. Menuhin was instrumental in
making Iyengar travel with him to Britain,
France and Switzerland. He taught yoga to
some of the most famous names of the day
and had an audience with Queen Elisabeth,
the Queen Mother of Belgium in 1958. But
his teaching was not reserved for the rich and
famous. The healing therapy of Iyengars yoga
with its attendant physical, emotional and
spiritual benefits was available to all.
As the ordinary public became aware of his
expertise, Iyengar was increasingly asked
to teach in Britain and other European
countries. Each year ever larger numbers
would await his return and his classes. The
demand for his yoga was such that he began
to train and certify instructors in his methods
so that they could continue classes in his
absence. Today, Iyengar yoga classes and
instructors are available in every continent of
the world. n
Extracted from The Great Indian Yoga Masters
published by Visual Quest Books

18

OctoberNovember 2014

Yoga and the

Bhagvad Gita
The Bhagvad Gita is a great verse talking about yogic
and Vedic philosophy

20

In the Bhagvad
Gita Lord Krishna
outlines three Yoga
paths that lead
to the shedding
of bad karma reincarnation in
Indian religion and
philosophy

Bhagvad Gita

The Bhagvad Gita (Song of the Lord) is

a brilliant 700-verse summation of Yogic
and Vedic philosophy delivered by Lord
Krishna on the Kurukshetra battlefield in
the Mahabharata epic. In it, he counsels the
Pandava prince, Arjuna, who is paralysed by
confusion over the dharma (moral rightness)
of the war about to commence between them
and their Kaurava cousins. Composed about
3 millennia ago, it remains a masterpiece,
combining intricate spiritual philosophy
with supremely practical advice for union
(i.e. yoga) of the human soul with the
Absolute Brahman. The theory is Sankhya,
the practice is Yoga. As such, it is regarded
more as a Yoga Sastra (guide for yogic
attainment) rather than as a Dharma Sastra
(law-giving text).

Definitions

Tesam
satatayuktanam
bhajatam
pritipurvakam
Dadami buddhi
yogam tam yena
mamupayanti te
(Bhagvad Gita, X:10)
To those steadfast
in love and service
I confer the Yoga of
wisdom, so that they
may attain Me.

refers to when the mind,

The word Yoga embraces disciplined by meditation,
a variety of interpretations becomes tranquil. The
in the Gita.
concentration of the mind
Derived from the root
on the single-pointed
yujir yoga, it implies
goal of the innermost
eternal establishment
Self is dharana, while
the continuous flow of
in God. Lord Krishna
mind towards the Self,
gives one definition of
disregarding all other
yoga as samatvam yoga
ucyate, or yoga is balance thoughts is called dhyana
(meditation).
or equanimity (Gita,
II:48). Yoga is maintaining Deduced from the root yuj
samyamane, it also alludes
inner equilibrium in the
to the power that directs
face of victory or defeat.
divine process. When
The perfect yogi who is
revealing his true form
free from attachment (to
as the Lord of Creation
pleasure) and aversion
to Arjuna, Krishna says,
(to sorrow), and exists in
Paysa me yagam aisvaram,
constant union with the
Behold my supreme
higher Self or Godhead,
power of Yoga (Gita,
has achieved evenness of
XI:8). He does not mean
mind or yoga.
yoga in the more limited
This detachment from
the results of action leads, sense, but instead as
being the Eternal creative
in turn, automatically to
the next definition: yogah energy that continually
karmasu kausalam, or
regulates the balance of
yoga is skill in action
opposing realities. These
(Gita, II:50). Thus the yogi are progressively nuanced
who is established in the
meanings of yoga. First
higher Self at all times,
the yogi has to practice
performs action with
mindful equanimity and
dexterity, drawing upon
withdrawal from the
resources greater than the senses. Upon teaching a
individual ego.
state of mental equipoise,
From the root yuj
the attainment of divine
samadhau, it signifies
prowess (siddhis) and
stability of citta (mind),
spiritual absorption
when the mind achieves
(samadhi) follow. In the
final stage, there remains
perfect stillness during
meditation. Yatroparamate only the death of the
cittam niruddham
individual ego and the
yogasevaya, or In the
souls final merging into
still mind the Self reveals the Supreme Consciousness
itself (Gita, VI:2O),
or Paramatman. n

22

Buddhi yoga
This form of yoga mainly talks about soul conciousness

t is important to note that the Gita, while

giving emphasis to karma, jnana and
bhakti yogas, also elevates soul consciousness
(buddhi) and its cultivation. Buddhi is
accorded a high position in its relative
importance in the human persona.

Gita classifies
buddhi and dhriti
(fortitude or
firmness) as having
three qualities or
gunas; saatvic,
rajasic and tamasic

Indriyani paranyahur indriyebhyah

param manah
Manasastu para buddhir yo buddheh
paratas tu sah (Gita, III]:42) .
The senses are said to be superior (to the
physical body); the mind is superior to
the senses; the intelligence is superior to the
mind; but the Atman (the Self) is superior to
the intelligence.
Buddhi, personifying divine wisdom, is
thus the highest spiritual element. The
rational intellect is next only to this spiritual
consciousness, and should be guided by
it. This enlightened understanding is a
prerequisite for all other paths of Yoga.

The Three Gunas

Gita classifies buddhi and dhriti (fortitude

or firmness) as having three qualities or
gunas; saatvic, rajasic and tamasic. The Gita
mentions intellect and fortitude jointly, since
having mere intellect without the requisite
firmness to control the mind and senses is to
no avail.
Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca karyakarye bhayebhaye
Bandham moksham ca ya vetti buddhih sa partha
sattviki (Gita, XVIII:3O)

The discriminative intellect that discerns

between the paths of egocentric action and
renunciation, of what is right action and
what is wrong, of what causes fear and what
brings security, and what brings bondage and
what liberation: that intellect is sattvic (of
harmonious balance and goodness).
Yaya dharmam adharmam ca karyam
cakaryameva ca
Ayathavatprajanati buddhih sa partha rajasi
(Gita, XVIII:31)
The rajasic intellect confuses right and
wrong actions, distorting righteousness
(dharma) and unrighteousness (adharma).
Krishna explains the nature of the rajasic
(passionate and restlessly active) intellect,
as one which is wrongly led by excitement
and attachment, lacking clarity in vision
and acting without discrimination. Such a
materialist is beset by worries and self-doubt,
and being frequently disillusioned, tends to
build an ever-stronger fortress of blind ego.
Adharmam dharmam iti ya manyate tamsavrta
Sarvarthan viparitamsca buddhih sa partha
tamasi (Gita, XVIII:32)
The tamasic intellect is shrouded in
darkness, utterly reversing right and wrong
wherever it turns.
The tamasic (inert, ignorant and dull)
intellect, being enveloped in darkness, regards
wrong values as right, and sees all things in a
perverted manner.

24

From these explanations, we may derive

the conclusion that without being guided by
sattvic buddhi, the paths of Karma Yoga will
result only in rash and foolish action,
Bhakti Yoga in obtuse superstitious
worship, and Jnana Yoga in abstract
polemical debates. The insistence on the
foundation discipline of Buddhi Yoga is to
ensure a fully-developed, well-integrated
and dynamic soul.
This is symbolised by the Hindu worship
of Ganesh, the personification of Buddhi, at
the outset of any endeavour. n

Way of actions
The karma yoga is about ones actions in todays world

Karmanyevadhikaraste ma
phalesu kadacana
Ma karmaphalaheturbhurma
te sangostvakarmani
(Gita, II:47)
You have the right to
work, but never to the fruit
of work. Do not consider
yourself the creator of
the fruits of thy activities,
neither allow yourself
attachment to inaction.

n explaining the path of Karma Yoga, the

Gita indicates how the sincere spiritual
aspirant should act in the illusory world. There
is no escape from the necessity for action, but
Karma Yoga is the path of selfless action, i.e.
action undertaken with no attachment to its
fruits or rewards.
However, a distinction is made between
external awards and internal rewards. The
internal spiritual development resulting from
Karma Yoga is completely different in quality
and lasts beyond any material recognition
garnered in the outside world.
Nehabhikramanasosti pratyavayo na vidyate,
Svalpamapyasya dharmasya trayate mahato
bhayat (Gita, II:40)
On this path effort [Karma Yoga] never goes
to waste, and there is no failure. Even a little
effort toward spiritual awareness will yield
protection from the greatest fear [cycle of
rebirth].
God has bestowed upon man this human
body so that by performing actions in the form
of selfless service to others, he may achieve
salvation within himself.
If the seeker shifts the goal of existence from
the outside world to the inward self, and
strives only for the sake of the spiritual value
of his actions without a care for its worldly
consequences, he is truly on the path to GodRealisation.
Vyavasayatmika buddhirekeha, or inner
determination, (Gita, II:41) is essential in

the spiritual candidate for liberation. In this

quest, there is no failure or loss of effort.
To such a person, the physical world exists
only peripherally and not as an end in itself.
His actions, thus unalloyed by transient
manifold distractions and fixed by singlepointed resolve, lead his consciousness to the
experience of the Reality within. With this
divine perspective, the yogi enters a state of
deep joy which, as the Gita says, not even the
heaviest of affliction can take away.
When your mind has overcome the
confusion of duality, you will attain the state of
holy indifference to things you hear and things
you have heard. When you are unmoved by
the confusion of ideas, and your consciousness
is completely anchored in inward bliss, you will
attain the final union (yoga). (Gita, II:52-53)
Thus Karma Yoga does not mean that the
practitioner reaps no results.
God Himself in the Gita is portrayed as the
Supreme Karma Yogi, as can be seen when
Lord Krishna says:
Na me parthasti kartavyam trisu lokesu kincana,
Nanavaptam avaptavyam varta eva ca karmani
(Gita, III:22)
O Partha (Arjuna), there is nothing in the
three worlds for me to gain, nor is there
anything I do not have. Yet I continue to act,
though not driven by any need of my own.
Though God needs nothing for Himself,
and there is nothing left incomplete or yet to
be attained, He engages in constant selfless
action. He always performs His duty, never

26

abandoning it, working through the human

conscience and through Realised Masters to
awaken each soul to it true heritage. So also a
Karma yogi must offer the body, senses, mind,
and intellect in the disinterested service of the
world.
He continues, If I ever refrained from this
continuous work, everyone would immediately
follow my example. If I ever stopped working,
I would be the cause of cosmic chaos, and
finally of the destruction of this world and
these people. (Gita, III:23-24)
Hanuman, the devoted lieutenant of Prince
Rama in the Ramayana, is an example of yoga
through service. n

Way of love
Bhakti yoga talks about becoming one with the creator

created by the ego, senses and mind.

A bhakta (devotee) of God redirects this flow
toward the Paramatman instead by offering
the Lord his selfless and overwhelming love.
Such deep surrender culminates eventually
in blissful union with the object of devotion,
thereby destroying all duality forever. The
liberated Bhakti Yogi has no individual ego
left; he and the Beloved are one eternally.

The external world is

perishable
and kaleidoscopic,
while the
atman (soul) is
eternal
and unchanging
Yoginamapi sarvesam madgatenantaratmana,
Sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo
matah (Gita, VI:47)
Even among yogis, that man or woman is
dearest to Me who has become completely
absorbed in Me, and worships Me with
perfect faith.
The Lord declares that He is most attached
to the devotee who follows the path of
whole-hearted devotion or Bhakti Yoga. The
atman (soul) and the Paramatman (God) are
qualitatively one, but this truth is incredibly
difficult to realise. The individual soul is
enslaved to the external world through chains

Brahmabhutah prasannatma na socati na

kanksati,
Samah sarvesu bhutesu madbhaktim labhate
param,
Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas
casmitattvatah
Tato mam tattvato jnatva visate tadanantaram
(Gita, XVIII:54-55)
United with the Lord, ever joyful, beyond
the reach of self-will and sorrow, he serves
Me in every living creature and attains
supreme devotion to Me. By loving Me he
shares in my essence (tattva) and enters into
my boundless being.
The external world is perishable and
kaleidoscopic, while the atman is eternal
and unchanging. As long as the soul
identifies with the impermanent world, it
exists in delusions of duality and mortality.
These desires (vasanas) and psychic links
(samskaras) lead to the karmic cycle
of rebirth.
Through the practice of any of the
disciplines of Action (Karma Yoga),

Knowledge (Jnana Yoga) or Devotion (Bhakti

Yoga), the soul can realise its true immutable
nature (Love), and is no longer subject to
subsequent births. While all the paths are
great, the greatest of these is Love (Devotion)
for God. It must infuse the spirit of the
actions of the Karma Yogi and the intellectual
inquiry of the Jnana Yogi.
Yo mam pasyati sarvatra sarvam ca mayi pasyati
Tasyaham na pranasyami sa ca me na pranasyati
(Gita, VI:30)
He who perceives Me everywhere and
beholds everything in Me never loses sight of
Me, nor do I ever lose sight of him.
Yogis of Action and Knowledge become free
from egoism and attain spiritual realisation
with the passage of time. But the ego of the
Yogi of Devotion is surrendered at the very
outset in loving the Lord. This love is unique
in that it neither attenuates, nor withers nor
is it satiated. The Lord also longs for such
devotion, and this desire is fulfilled by His
devotee. The devotion of Krishna and Radha
is the personification of this mystical bond.
Ramana Maharishi, the great sage of
Arunachala, explains, Once the devotee has
completely surrendered, nothing remains
but God or Self, and the I and mine cease to
exist. Only the Self exists, and this is spiritual
jnana (wisdom). Thus there is no difference
between bhakti and jnana. Bhakti is jnana
mata or the mother of jnana. n

28

Way of knowledge
Jnana yoga focusses on strengthening wisdom and
intuitive knowledge

All functions of the

world, such as birth,
growth and death,
physical forces of
nature, as well as
powers of perception
are accomplished
through the three
primary qualities
(gunas, modes) of
matter (prakriti)

But the unenlightened man, deluded by ego,

divides all activities performed by cosmic
energy into two parts: involuntary ones that
occur automatically, and deliberate actions
which he thinks he controls. However, the
intellect, ego, mind, five subtle elements,
ten organs of perception and action and five
objects of senses. These are also fashioned
from the three modes (sattva, rajas and
tamas). The Gita affirms that all actions are
performed by the modes of nature and not by
individual direction.

he path of wisdom, culminating in

the intuitive knowledge of being is
Jnana Yoga.
Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah,
Ahamkaravimudhatma kartahamiti (Gita, III:27)
All actions are performed by the gunas of
prakriti; deluded by his identification with the
ego, a man thinks, I am the Doer.
All functions of the world, such as birth,
growth and death, physical forces of
nature, as well as powers of perception are
accomplished through the three primary
qualities (gunas, modes) of matter (prakriti).

Nanyam gunebhyah kartaram yada

drastanupasyati
Gunebhyas ca param vetti madbhavam so
dhigacchati (Gita, XIV:19)
The wise see clearly that all action is a
product of the modes (gunas). Knowing that
which is above the gunas, they enter into
union with Me.
The seer (jnani) perceives that there is
no doer other than the modes. When he
experiences the Self that is beyond the gunas
(nirguna Paramatman or Transcendent Soul),
he merges with Pure Being.
There is no agent other than the modes,
which alone are responsible for all actions
and modifications. The Self, the Illuminator
of the modes is only a Witness that is
unaffected by the actions of the gunas at
any point. The meditative yogi who attains

the knowledge of this Transcendent Self

becomes absorbed by it.
Arjuna asks:
What are the characteristics of those who
have gone beyond the gunas, O Lord? How do
they act? How have they risen above the three
modes? (Gita, XIV:21)
In his reply, Krishna describes the
distinguishing marks of a Jnana yogi in
Chapter XIV, verses 22-25.
They are unmoved by the harmony of
sattva, the activity of rajas, or the delusion
of tamas. They feel no aversion when these
forces are active, nor do they crave for them
when these forces subside. They remain
detached, undisturbed by the actions of the
gunas. Knowing that it is the gunas which
act, they abide within themselves and do not
vacillate. Established within themselves, they
are equal in pleasure and pain, praise and
blame, kindness and unkindness. Clay or a
rock are the same to them as gold. Alike in
honour and dishonour, alike to friend and foe,
they have given up every selfish pursuit. Such
are those who have gone beyond the gunas.
Such a seeker is truly illumined (prakasa).
The modes of nature, the senses and the
mind no longer have any power over him.
He is perfect, disinterested, compassionate,
and exists in sahaja samadhi (perpetual bliss)
as a jivanmukta (liberated while still in a
mortal body). n

30