The Gita and the Patanjali Yoga – The Vedantic Perspective

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ShrIgurubhyo namah

 

The Gita and the Patanjali Yoga – The Vedantic Perspective

 

`Gitaa-shAstraartha-vivekaH' (An exposition of the system of the

Bhagavad Gita) is a book authored by Swami SacchidAnandendra

Saraswati, in Sanskrit. This work contains a succinct overview of

the entire Gita in several chapters. Here, in this post, two

specific chapters from this book viz., `dhyAnayoga viveka'

and `yogadarshana upasangraha' are taken up for presentation.

 

First let us see what the Swami has to say in the Yoga darshana

chapter no.22 commencing on page 174:

 

An analysis on the method of a `compare and contrast' study of the

Patanjali Yoga and the Bhagavadgita is taken up. The aspects of

Patanjali system that are admissible in the Gita shastra are

enumerated. First of all, the Yoga declaration: `Through attainment

of the `chitta vritti nirodha' one gets established in one's True

Self' is admitted to be common to both the Yoga and the Gita

shastra. The first two sutras of the Yoga:

 

1.2. Union is restraining the thought-streams natural to the mind.

1.3. Then the seer dwells in his own nature.

 

are compared with the Gita: VI. 20 and 23. –

 

English Translation - Swami Gambhirananda

 

6.20 At the time when the mind restrained through the practice of

Yoga gets withdrawn, and just when by seeing the Self by the self

one remains contented in the Self alone [A.G. construes the word eva

(certainly) with tusyati (remains contented).-Tr.];

 

6.23 One should know that severance of contact with sorrow to be

what is called Yoga. That Yoga has to be practised with perservance

and with an undepressed heart.

 

Here, what is the `one's True Self' and how is one established in it

are questions where there is difference between Yoga and Gita. This

will be considered towards the end of the chapter.

 

What is the means to be adopted to accomplish `chitta vritti

nirodha'?

 

The Yoga sutra says:

 

1.12. These thought-streams are controlled by practice and non-

attachment.

 

The Gita says:

 

6.35 The Blessed Lord said -- O mighty-armed one, undoubtedly the

mind is untractable and restless. But, O son of Kunti, it is brought

under control through practice and detachment.

 

What are these `practice and detachment' ? The Yoga sutra says:

 

1.13. Practice is the effort to secure steadiness.

[1.14. This practice becomes well-grounded when continued with

reverent devotion and without interruption over a long period of

time.]

 

1.15. Desirelessness towards the seen and the unseen gives the

consciousness of mastery.

 

In the Gita, the Bhashya for 6.35 says:

 

English Translation of Sri Sankaracharya's Sanskrit Commentary -

Swami Gambhirananda

 

6.35 Mahabaho, O mighty-armed one; asamsayam, undoubtedly - there is

no doubt with regard to this; that the manah, mind; is durnigraham,

untractable; and (calm ?), restless. Tu, but; it-the modifications

of the mind in the form of distractions-grhyate, is brought under

control; abhyasena, through practice- abhyasa means repetition of

some idea or thought of the mind one some mental plane ['Some mental

plane' suggests some object of concentration.]-; and vairagyena,

through detachment-vairagya means absence of hankering for enjoyment

of desirable things, seen or unseen, as a result of the practice of

discerning their defect. That mind is thus brought undr control,

restrained, i.e. completely subdued. By him, however, who has not

controlled his mind-

 

The method of attaining `samAdhi' characterized by `chitta vritti

nirodha' are specified in the Yoga Sutra thus:

 

1.23. Or by surrender to God.

1.37. Or the mind taking as an object of concentration those who are

freed of compulsion.

1.38. Or depending on the knowledge of dreams and sleep.

1.39. Or by meditation as desired.

 

In the Gita too we have:

 

2.61 Controlling all of them, one should remain concentrated on Me

as the supreme. For, the wisdom of one whose organs are under

control becomes steadfast.

 

6.14 He should remain seated with a placid mind, free from fear,

firm in the vow of a celibate, and with the mind fixed on Me by

controlling it through concentration, having Me as the supreme Goal.

(There is difference between Yoga and Gita regarding the nature of

Ishwara)

 

Regarding the upaasana method also there is similarity between Yoga

and Gita:

 

Yoga: 1.28. The repetition of Om should be made with an

understanding of its meaning.

 

Gita:

 

8.13 He who departs by leaving the body while uttering the single

syllable, viz Om, which is Brahman, and thinking of Me, he attains

the supreme Goal.

 

[Here, let us make a deviation to the other chapter no.

14 `dhyAnayoga viveka'. Herein, on page 74, the Swami says: ]

 

Resolving the mind in Atman alone is the dhyanam, meditation, for

Jnanam, Realization:

 

Now, the dhyanam for Realization is elucidated. This is said at the

end of the 5th chapter of the Gita:

 

5.27-5.28 Keeping the external objects outside, the eyes at the

juncture of the eye-brows, and making equal the outgoing and

incoming breaths that move through the nostrils, the contemplative

who has control over his organs, mind and intellect should be fully

intent on Liberation and free from desire, fear and anger. He who is

ever is verily free. //

 

In the 6th chapter it is explained in detail:

 

6.24 By totally eschewing all desires which arise from thoughts, and

restraining with the mind itself all the organs from every side;

 

6.25 One should gradually withdraw with the intellect endowed with

steadiness. Making the mind fixed in the Self, one should not think

of anything whatsoever. //

 

6.26 (The yogi) should bring (this mind) under the subjugation of

the Self Itself, by restraining it from all those causes whatever

due to which the restless, unsteady mind wanders away. //

 

6.25 One should gradually withdraw with the intellect endowed with

steadiness. Making the mind fixed in the Self, one should not think

of anything whatsoever. This is the ultimate limit of yoga. (This

is the ultimate teaching of yoga).

 

[Here, the Author-Swami makes a footnote: For the sense organs,

their resolving in the mind is the limit. For the mind, its being

resolved in the intellect is the limit. In this manner, gradually

resolving the entire mind-stuff in the Atman free of the world is

the ultimate limit. This is being said in the Kathopanishad

(I.iii.13):

 

//The wise man should merge his speech in his mind and his mind in

his intellect. He should merge his intellect in the Cosmic Mind and

the Cosmic Mind in the Tranquil Self.//

 

Note: It is in expatiation of this Kathopanishad mantra did the

Author-Swami give a crisp and comprehensive definition of the

adhyAtma Yoga on page 104 of his book (English): The Intuition of

Reality:

 

//6. .....The highest Truth can be known only by means of suggestion

of the Shruti or an Acharya by making use of one's own purified mind

alone. By this ONE INSTRUMENT (all emphasis is of the revered

author, not mine) the seeker can practise the ADHYATMA YOGA (the

graded contemplation leading to the inmost Atman). The process of

this Yoga demands that the seeker should gradually STILL the

activities of the senes, the mind, intellect as well as the ego,

trying to MERGE each preceding entity in the next succeeding one,

till at last he BECOMES ONE with the really real Tranquil Atman,

beyond all objects of the senses and the intellect.// (unquote)

 

The above definition of the adhyAtma Yoga that is taught in the

Upanishads is authored by the revered Swamiji who has thoroughly

examined several sutra/upanishad bhashya passages of Shankara for

this purpose. He has concluded that the adhyAtma Yoga is a process

by which a saadhaka BECOMES ONE with the Atman. He has highlighted

with his own hands the major component of this adhyAtma yoga

involving `STILLING' the mind, etc. ]

 

On page 86 of the Sanskrit book that we are now seeing, the Swami

says:

 

77. The content of the abhyasa, practice, that is demanded for the

meditation directed at Realization: This `abhyasa', it is to be

remembered, is in endeavouring to make the Atman conducive to

become `realizable'. The abhyasa is taught in 6.35. After quoting

the Acharya's bhashyam, the Swami gives a note detailing the

correspondence between the terms used in Patanjali system with the

ones in the Gita. Mano-nigraha is synonymous with chitta-nirodha.

It is this abhyasa that is meant by the word `nididhyasana' in the

Shruti.

 

In conclusion, the Swami makes a compare-contrast study between the

Yoga of Patanjali and the Gita/Vedanta. The salient features of

this study are:

 

The Gita does not specify the distinction between sa-beeja and nir-

beeja Samadhi unlike the Yoga system. The ultimate result obtained

by the Yoga Samadhi is distinct from the one obtained by the Samadhi

of Adhyatma shastra. The chief distinction is: In Patanjali yoga

system, the `prajnaa' obtained in Samadhi constitutes of a

distinction between the knower and the known. This duality is

persistent there. On the other hand, in the Samahi of Vedanta, the

knower-knowing-known distinction stands eradicated, resulting in a

nirvikalpa jnanam. The Swami concludes with the note that in view

of `all' these differences, there is a considerable distinction

between the `Samadhi-prajnaa' (Realization obtained through Samadhi)

of the two systems.

 

[The quotes from the book by the Swami ends here.)

 

As this (last mentioned) is a subject that can be authentically

commented upon only by those who have actually had the experience

of Samadhi, I desist from making any observations about the Swami's

conclusions.

 

What transpires from the study of this book is: The Swami is clear

that there is `chitta vritti nirodha' involved in the Gita system in

the same manner as it is in the Yoga system. What leads to chitta

vritti nirodha is also common to both the systems. What results from

chitta vritti nirodha is also same: Samadhi. There is `samadhi' in

both the systems. It is this Samadhi that results in final

realization and release in both the systems; there being a

difference in the content of the Samadhi and realization. This book

is not available in English. There is a Kannada translation

available.

 

Pranams to the Swamiji,

Pranams to all sadhakas,

Subbu

Om Tat Sat