ati sarvatra varjayet - avoid excesses

Either excessive force in doing something or abstaining from something will lead to pain in Raja Yoga saadhana (practice).

Lord suggest the "moderate" path for success in yoga and overcoming the most important obstacle for yoga i.e., pain (physical, emotional and intellectual) = "dukha".

How Yoga becomes destroyer of dukha (pain)?

Instruction 16: (important practical instruction)
नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः।
न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन।।6.16।।

युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु।
युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा।।6.17।।

nātyaśnatastu yōgō.sti na caikāntamanaśnataḥ.
na cātisvapnaśīlasya jāgratō naiva cārjuna..6.16..

yuktāhāravihārasya yuktacēṣṭasya karmasu.
yuktasvapnāvabōdhasya yōgō bhavati duḥkhahā..6.17..

6.16 Verily Yoga is not possible for him who eats too much, nor for him who does not eat at all, nor for him who sleeps too much, nor for him who is (always) awake, O Arjuna.

6.17 Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain for him who is moderate in eating and recreation (such as walking, etc.), who is moderate in exertion in actions, who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness.

Notes:

yukta Ahara & vihara = food mentioned in the above verse not only means the physical food; it also means the food for Mind in its two layers; emotional and intellectual food. Who controls the intake of food and "recreation of body and mind" in a moderate level will be successful in yoga.

yukta chesta & karma = "chesta" represents mental effort where as karma represents physical effort; one who is moderate in effort of both physical and mental layers during the "saadhana"

A balanced "input" AND "process" will lead to the balanced outcome of samadhi!
This is very useful suggestion especially for the saadhakas who are on the alternative path of iswara pranidhanam and has no living GURU to guide.


As long as one is on the correct path and in correct direction he reaches the goal without fail. No need to hurry or worry!!

om tat sat
(Vaikuntha Ekadasi)

A doubt regarding Raja Yoga - yoga bhrastha

The Raja Yoga path is quite complex and new (vs. Karma Yoga) It may take quite long time to reach the final goal of conquering the "acceptance" and "rejection" of mind. (or winning over the duality of mind to get established in the natural samadhi without vikalpas!)

After initiation in the path before attaining the final goal of Raja Yoga if one falls off from the path due to delusion or some other failure (like death of physical body) won't he get ruined?

What is the future of such a YOGA BHRASTHA? (fallen from the path of yoga before attaining its goal)?

Arjuna requests the answer for the above question in three verses 6-37,38,39 to Lord Sri Krishna.

कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति।
अप्रतिष्ठो महाबाहो विमूढो ब्रह्मणः पथि।।6.38।।
6.38 Mahabaho, O Mighty-armed one; ubhaya-vibhrastah, fallen from both, having fallen from the Path of Action and the Path of Yoga; apratisthah, without support; vimudhah, deluded-having become deluded; brahmanah pathi, on the path of Brahman, on the path leading to Brahman; kaccit na, does he not; nasyati, get ruined; iva, like; a chinna-abhram, scattered cloud? Or is it that he does not?

Instruction 15:
श्री भगवानुवाच
पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते।
नहि कल्याणकृत्कश्चिद्दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति।।6.40।।
śrī bhagavānuvāca
pārtha naivēha nāmutra vināśastasya vidyatē.
nahi kalyāṇakṛtkaściddurgatiṅ tāta gacchati..6.40..

The Blessed Lord said -- O Arjuna, neither in this world, nor in the next world is there destruction for him; none, verily, who does good, O My son, ever comes to grief.

The answer actually concludes the Sixth chapter between 6-40 till 6-47.
Anyone interested can go through the detailed answer of Lord Krishna for this above question.

But one thing is sure. There is no ruin for a YOGI.

No effort put in RAJA YOGA ever goes waste. We have seen the concluding verse 6-47 in the last post. Every small effort put in the practice of Raja Yoga will lead progressively to the goal; finally taking the YOGI to highest natural equanimity (nirvikalpa, nirbija, sahaja, samadhi) and helps the YOGI reveal/realize/merge in his own true nature.

om tat sat

iswara pranidhanam

iswara pranidhanam is
a. an alternative process of raja-yoga
b. an essential pre-requisite for the third limb of abhyasa
c. the "sufficient condition" to attain the final goal of raja yoga

Rishi Patanjali states: (yoga sutras)

Īśvara praṇidhānāt vā - 1.23

tapaḥ svādhyāya Īśvarapraṇidhānāni kriyāyogaḥ - 2.1
śauca saṅtoṣa tapaḥ svādhyāya īśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ - 2.32

samādhisiddhiḥ īśvarapraṇidhānāt - 2.45


An active complete surrender to the LORD is called iswara pranidhanam.

I. an alternative process:
Rishi Patanjali qualifies the abhyasa in three categories as soft, medium and rigorous. Depending on the "effort level" the "level of achievement" in the YOGA.

In Yoga Sutra 1.23 Rishi Patanjali is stating that the Samadhi comes also from surrender to Lord. So, this surrender is only possible for those who have "sattvik" predominance as the inherent nature.

So, iswara pranidhanam is an alternative process of Raja Yoga. This do not require a qualified external GURU; Iswara himself "from within the individual" guides on the right path for the faithful ones!

II. an essential pre-requisite
Yoga has eight limbs; yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara are the first five limbs that are done at the gross body/mind level.

The last three limbs are called dharana, dhyana and samadhi. Putting the three together is called "samyama" which need to be carriedout with subtle intellect layer.

for obvious reasons all these eight steps have to be sequentially mastered.
In the first group of 5 limbs, the first two are called "yama" and "niyama"
Yama means regulation. Control of body and mind at gross level.
niyama means observance - Control of subtle intellect.

There are five yamas and five niyamas and the last of the niyamas is the "iswara pranidhanam" (Yoga Sutras 2.32) It is also an essential component of Kriya Yoga (as per 2.1 - definition)

So, this "active surrender to the lord" is essential prerequisite for practicing the next limbs called "asana, pranayama etc.,"

III. The sufficient condition to attain samadhi.
Samadhi is primarily classified as two types.
a. Samadhi with a seed - or the samadhi which is seeded with effort and practice.
b. Samadhi without a seed - or the natural effortless samadhi.

The abhyasa and vairagya along with the practice of samyama (dharana, dhyana and samadhi) result in the seeded samadhi.

but

when the surrender becomes complete and throughly active, then the samadhi becomes established in the practitioner. This state is called "samadhi siddhi" which is attained by perfecting the "iswara pranidhanam" (Yoga Sutra 2.45)

Instruction 14:

As we have seen in "Karma Yoga" we started the Surrender process to the lord; We started with the fruits of action, slowly developed the surrender into the choice of action.

Now, during the Raja Yoga the skill is perfected to surrender the "free will" to the LORD at a gross mind level and subtle intellect level.

Such surrender gets completed when the YOGI establishes himself in perfect seedless Samadhi. This happens ONCE and ONLY ONCE. Once you are completely surrendered to the ULTIMATE POWER (iswara) that guides the whole universe, there is nothing to choose and the "free will" is completely useless!

All the effort of eight limbs of yoga is to achieve this alone. yama, niyama and samyama.

Lord Declares:

योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना।
श्रद्धावान्भजते यो मां स मे युक्ततमो मतः।।6.47।।

In Swami Sivananda's words:
Among all the Yogis he who, full of faith and with his inner self merged in Me, worships Me is deemed by Me to be the most devout.

abhyasa + vairagya = the "process" of raja yoga

samadhi is the goal to be achieved by rajayoga. But HOW?

Arjuna Asks the same question to Lord Sri Krishna having heard about this raja yoga.

अर्जुन उवाच
योऽयं योगस्त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूदन।
एतस्याहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात् स्थितिं स्थिराम्।।6.33।।
Arjuna Said:
O Madhusudana (Krishna), this yoga of equanimity taught by you; I do not see steady continuance due to the restless unsteady nature (of the mind - which is well known)

चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम्।
तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम्।।6.34।।
O Krishna, mind is turbulent, restless, strong and unyielding. Its "control" would be greatly difficult as controlling the wind (air).

Instruction 13: (Answer to the above question)

श्री भगवानुवाच
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलं।
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते।।6.35।।
6.35 The Blessed Lord said -- Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the mind is difficult to control and restless; but by practice and by dispassion it may be restrained.
असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः।
वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः।।6.36।।
6.36 I think Yoga is hard to be attained by one of uncontrolled self, but the self-controlled and striving one can attain to it by the (proper) means.

So, what is this "abhyasa" (practice) and the "vairagya" (dispassion)?
Rishi Patanjali also uses the same words and explains what they are in the Yoga Sutras.

In five sutras in the first paada (samadhi pada) Sutra 12 till sutra 16 he explains the abhyasa and vairagya as follows:

Having explained the five chitta vrittis Rishi Patanjali declares: (The discussion on chitta vrittis is done in one of the earlier posts on karma yoga)

abhyāsa vairāgyābhyāṁ tannirodhaḥ - 1.12
The chitta vrittis can be controlled by abhyasa and vairagya.

Abhyasa:
tatra sthitau yatnaḥ abhyāsaḥ - 1.13
sa tu dīrghakāla nairantarya satkāra āsevitaḥ dṛḍhabhūmiḥ - 1.14

The persistent effort is abhyasa
A long term uninterrupted practice establishes firmly (yoga - stoppage of chitta vrittis)

Vairagya:
dṛṣṭa ānuśravika viṣaya vitṛṣṇasya vaśīkārasaṁjñā vairāgyam - 1.15
tatparaṁ puruṣakhyāteḥ guṇavaitṛṣṇyam 1-16

vairagya is aversion to the vishayas perceived and those which were only heard of.
the para-vairagya is the ultimate aversion to the gunas (qualities) themselves.

So, the STRONG attachment to practice and STRONG detachment towards the seen and unseen temporary pleasures (bhogas) is the "means" of raja yoga.

Note: seen pleasures are seen in this world. Unseen pleasures refer to those which were told as heaven and other worlds. A YOGI should not even have least desire for either SEEN or UNSEEN/heard pleasures (bhogas).

A GURU who has understood these two terms (abhyasa and vairagya) and practiced them successfully to achieve equanimity of mind is required for successful practice of Raja Yoga.

om tat sat

samadhI - The Goal of Raja Yoga

So, the next thing one should be clear about Raja Yoga is its final Goal. 

samadhI or equanimity of being to the duality is the goal of Raja Yoga. 

 "Freedom" of being from the duality of attraction and repulsion is the Goal of Raja Yoga. 

Mind is sunk in the ocean of duality. There are infinite emotional waves that are unceasingly generated in this Ocean of Duality. These waves are called vrittis. They are originated in this ocean, they are sustained in the ocean and merge back into the ocean. One should take a "deep dive" into this ocean to realize its TRUE POTENTIAL. Other than one's own self, no one can save the mind that is entangled in the thought waves that are of various forms and shapes! 

Instruction 12: 

उद्धरेदात्मनाऽऽत्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। 

आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः।।6.5।।

uddharēdātmanā..tmānaṅ nātmānamavasādayēt. 

ātmaiva hyātmanō bandhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ..6.5.. 

uddharet atmana atmanam = One should uplift own self; na avasadayet = one should not lower himself. atma eva hi atmanah bandhu = Self alone is one's Friend atma eva ripuh atmanah = Self alone is one's own Enemy. 

बन्धुरात्माऽऽत्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः। 

अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत्।।6.6।।

bandhurātmā..tmanastasya yēnātmaivātmanā jitaḥ. 

anātmanastu śatrutvē vartētātmaiva śatruvat..6.6.. 

 yena atma eva atmana jitah = whose self is conquered by his own self tasya bandhuh atma atmanasya = his self is verily his friend. tu = but, anatmanah = for the one who has not conquered the self satrutve varteta atma eva satruvat = the self alone acts as an enemy. 

जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः। 

शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु तथा मानापमानयोः।।6.7।। 

jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ. 

śītōṣṇasukhaduḥkhēṣu tathā mānāpamānayōḥ..6.7.. 

(I am not attempting to translate this sloka; I borrow the words of Swami Sivananda as follows) 6.7 The Supreme Self of him who is self-controlled and peaceful is balanced in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, as also in honor and dishonor. 

 What does this mean? One who is "balanced" in the situations of external (physical) heat and cold, and internal (emotional) pleasure and pain and the (third party view) of honor and dishonor is verily conquered the self by self, tranquil and "paramatma samahitah" and rises above the three layered duality! Such a state of being is called samadhi; Attaining such a tranquil being is the GOAL of Raja Yoga in the words of Lord. 

Rishi Patanjali explains a step-by-step process of saM+Adhi in the first pada (quarter) of Yoga Sutras to achieve this samadhI prescribed by the Lord here. 

Raja Yoga - Prerequisites

ALL are eligible for "Karma Yoga" there are no specific pre-requisites specified.

But for Raja Yoga there are few pre-requisites.
1. The aspirant should have good mastery over the external senses and attained "skill in action" by performing the Karma Yoga.

2. The person still has a lot of predominant quality of "rajas" - inclined towards action. (A large balance either +ve or -ve in the account)

Lord Declares:
स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः।
प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ।।5.27।।
sparśānkṛtvā bahirbāhyāṅścakṣuścaivāntarē bhruvōḥ.
prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā nāsābhyantaracāriṇau..5.27..

यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्मुनिर्मोक्षपरायणः।
विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधो यः सदा मुक्त एव सः।।5.28।।
yatēndriyamanōbuddhirmunirmōkṣaparāyaṇaḥ.
vigatēcchābhayakrōdhō yaḥ sadā mukta ēva saḥ..5.28..

Instruction 11: (Meaning of above two verses)
Keeping external objects outside (bahih, sparsan, bahihi kritva),
keeping eyes fixed at the middle of eyebrows (chaksus, ca, eva, antere bhruvau)
Keeping equal breathing cycles that move through the nostrils (prana-apana samau krutva nasa abhyantara carinau)
The contemplating one (munih),
fully intent only on liberation (moksha parayana)
Who has control over the indriyas, manas and buddhi (yata-indriya-mano-buddhi)
free from desire, fear and anger (vigata-iccha-bhaya-krodha)
He is verily always free! (yah-sada-mukta-eva-sah)

The Karma Yoga helps one win over the quality of Tamas (inertia) and its products called external sense objects by mastering the indriyas (organs), which are predominantly of "rajas" nature by freeing them from the clutches of their respective sense objects (vishayas).

The Raja Yoga helps one win over the quality of Rajas, by mastering the manas (mind, predominantly Sattvik - illuminating nature) by freeing it from the clutches of desire, fear and anger.

Predominantly sattvik nature aspirants, having mastered the Karma Yoga can directly move to "Bhakti Yoga" skipping Raja Yoga.

Regarding the eligibility, wise men say "A person who is thirsty can only be eligible for drinking water!"

In case of Karma Yoga, an aspirant is asked to do "HIS OWN DUTY" and nothing new. Just the attachment to the fruit of action to be surrendered to the LORD. There is no training required to practice the Karma Yoga. Everybody is eligible. {in fact everybody MUST practice it}

Warning: Never try to practice "Raja Yoga" without a "living realized Guru" - It may prove counter productive in some cases because one need to take up practice of "eight limbs of Yoga" that forcibly control various internal energies of the aspirant (the energy of resolve,the energy of knowing and the vital force). If not managed with a proper balance it may cause the friction within.

There are other simpler methods like "Naama Japa" that can achieve the same result without force. Lord directs an aspirant to the right GURU when the aspirant is successful in KARMA YOGA!

om tat sat

introspection

Having dealt with the "desires" by performing the karma yoga for sufficient amount of time an individual makes himself suitable for "introspection"

1. during the first phase of karma yoga, the seeker started giving the "fruits of action" to the LORD to adjust the worst debts first and consolidate the deposit accounts.

2. during the second phase of karma yoga, the seeker started leaving the "choice of action" also to the lord. By doing so, lord will keep putting the seeker in the environment best suitable to deal with his long pending debts which were ignored by the seeker due to his own choice of selecting the work.

By doing both the above steps, lord helps an individual to consolidate all the sub accounts into a single account.

Now, an individual has an account (the identification - "I" - ahamkara) and a balance in that account. (it could be credit balance or debit balance - it is not a problem this is called "MINE" - mamakara) If the balance is positive, the person has a deposit account, if the balance is negative the person is left with the loan account. But in any case the individual should deal with it to bring it to zero balance. i.e., the original state of the account.

One one side the karma yoga leads to this account consolidation, and on the other side the karma yogi becomes suitable to get this following knowledge: (the secret of external sensual enjoyments)

Instruction 10:

बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम्।
स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते।।5.21।।
bāhyasparśēṣvasaktātmā vindatyātmani yatsukham.
sa brahmayōgayuktātmā sukhamakṣayamaśnutē..5.21..

ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दुःखयोनय एव ते।
आद्यन्तवन्तः कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुधः।।5.22।।
yē hi saṅsparśajā bhōgā duḥkhayōnaya ēva tē.
ādyantavantaḥ kauntēya na tēṣu ramatē budhaḥ..5.22..

All the "enjoyments" based on external object contact are "temporary in nature" and when the contact is finally lost, they cause "misery". Hence, a wise man will not really want to enjoy them (the BHOGAS).

The one who gets detached from the external objects will find the real infinite-bliss (sukham-akshayam) whose atma is absorbed in the BRAHMA. (Brahma means Greater than the Greatest)

So, The single account (after consolidation) represents the "single desire" for liberation and attaining the permanent un-decaying bliss of peace.

At this stage, a BOGHI is turned into a YOGI. As I mentioned earlier, it may take few moments or it may take few lifespans before this transformation happens. It is not wise to jump into "meditation" without winning the battle over the desires and bringing the "indriyas" (senses) under the control of "manas" (mind).

The key ingredient for success in Karma Yoga is "faith" on lord.

Let me explain the characteristics of "LORD" in following three statements:

a. "very existence" is LORD. If anything exists at all; then LORD exists! (One need not doubt the existence of LORD because he is the existence itself)

b. LORD clearly "knows" what is best for "each individual" (He knows it better than the individual knows about it)

c. LORD surely "gives" each individual what they best deserve. (He is not partial to one individual or gives more or less than what the individual deserves.) It may not match with what an individual "desires"!!! This rule is applicable for both "the enjoyments" and "the work assignment".

The above three statements, I have realized having performed the Karma Yoga for a good amount of time.

Lord explains the process of "Raja Yoga" or "Dhyana Yoga" in Chapter 6 (dealing with bringing the "manas" under the control of "buddhi" - the correct reasoning.) But, the preparation for the Dhyana Yoga is best explained by Rishi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. We will deal with them in the future posts.

om tat sat