What is Yoga?

It is a learning which enlightens us of creation and the creator himself. Why should we not devote some time to learn Yoga? Let us now go in depth and see what yoga actually is: The Patnjali Yoga Darshan says :

“YOGAH CHITTA VRITTI NIRODHAH”

Meaning : Yogah=Yoga chitta = Combination of intellect,Egotism and Mana, i.e. faculty which receives knowledge from five senses and passes the same to intellect. Vriti = effect of Various forms, Nirodhah = stoppage.

In whole of 195 Sutras of Yoga Darshahana “Chitta ” has been used for a combination of intellect ( Budhi ), Ahankar (Ego) and Mana (Mind)

Description: Total stoppage of various forms of ‘Chitta’ is called Yoga .(we can also say stoppage of total activity of Chittah. Study of word Chittah Vriti and Nirodhah etc will be defined and clarified in respective lessons.

Objective of Yoga

The aim of yoga is to free the soul from the effect of three qualities of prakriti (Material cause of the Universe including our bodies) and by doing so it enables a man to achieve final liberation i.e., realisation of Almighty God.

UPANISHAD SAYS :

” The devotee who has purified himself by destroying the dirt of false knowledge and sins by the power of Yoga, he only does feel the merriment / pleasure of realising God. This utmost realisation merriment and realisation is not a subject of speaking because it is an intuition.”

YOGA DARSHAN AUTHENTICATES:

“Tada Darashtuhu Swarupa Avasthanam “

Meaning: With the power of Yoga there becomes an end of all dead evils and false knowledge, then the soul ( sear) realises himself. Here the soul remains in his own nature. We can say Yoga is a Union of Soul and God.

It is not out of mention to see that in the absence of Yoga Education, a life becomes full of sorrows, ills, problems and tension etc. In reality in the absence of Yoga knowledge no one can achieve good health, long life and good prospects. Similarly Lord Krishna in chapter -6 Shloka 17 of Bhagwad Gita Says:

“Yogo Bhavati Dukhaha.”

Meaning: Yoga is a destroyer of all kinds of sufferings.

Please see the condition full of joy of a devotee who attains the stage of Samadhi through the power of Yoga and thus he drinks ‘ SOMA’ .What type of supernatural words he uses in his spiritual intoxicated condition due to the effect of ‘SOMA’

A. For me the earth and sun both are not even equivalent to my one arm, because I have drunk ‘SOMA’

Note:- This is a joyful condition of a devotee who has attained Samadhi.

B: Oh, I am so happy that why not I must place this earth from one place to another, because I have drunk ‘SOMA’

C. My five senses neither affect me nor can make me greedy because I have drunk ‘SOMA’ ( Rig. Veda 10/119/6,7,and 9 )

After attaining the stage of samadhi the yogi enjoys within himself. He then becomes emotional and his emotions attain the highest stage of spiritual intoxication due to the effect of ‘SOMA’.

However the actual meaning of the word, ‘SOMA’ needs clarification as in today's world it is totally misconceived. The ignorant people understand ‘SOMA’ as wine and call it an intoxicant for the Rishis and Munis. This is a false statement due to lack of deep study of Vedas and Yoga knowledge.

‘SOMA’ is an ancient Shatpath Brahmin Holy Book by Yaska Muni : “Satyam Shri Jyotihi Soma' ' and “Anrite Papma Tamah Sura.

Meaning:- Here the ‘Soma’ is satyam shri and Jyotihi. Satyam = Truth, Shri = Venerable and Jyhotihi = Light.

All three words, i.e. satyam Shri and Jyotihi thus are adjectives of Almighty God. So the meaning of ‘Soma’ is God. Who is a Truth, Venerable and Light. Therefore, ‘Soma’ is =God = realised in Samadhi. So ‘Soma’ is also samadhi stage.

Now we came to the meaning of sura in the above Holy Book. Here Sura is Anrite, Papma and Tamah. Anrite =Falsehood , papma = sins and tamah = Darkness and Sura=Wine

Note: Falsehood, sins and darkness are related with bad deeds concerning illusion. So wine is falsehood, Sins and Darkness.

Therefore, where ‘soma’ is God, Truth and light etc, there Sura is totally opposite.

The ‘Soma ‘ is an experience of a devotee who has completely absorbed the soul (Himself ), within the utmost bliss of joy, but only after attaining the stage of Samadhi, i.e. realisation of God.

From the above we come to a conclusion that vedas and other Holy Books describe spiritual philosophy and other like matters, the Yoga Education gives spiritual eyes and unables a devotee to see and realise description right from an atom to the stage of creation and even the Creator. Why should we not adopt it?

It should be accepted that Yoga knowledge blessed by God is a duty to be discharged by all concerned.

First Yoga Guru in all aspects

The fundamental to gain the knowledge is that until and unless it is not given by anybody else, it cannot be listened to and cannot, therefore, be contained in mind failing which it cannot be used in action. This is why someone is badly needed to preach. For example, let a newly born baby be earmarked to live in a lonely cave in a dense jungle.

If we take care of him by all means but do not make any verbal contact for his any type of education, thus we will find that when he will even attain the age of twenty five years ,he will remain ignorant, foolish. When we keep him out of the cave in the open air, he will not know even any languages or worldly knowledge either spiritual or materialistic.

Question arises, “Why did he remain ignorant or foolish or illiterate?” The answer is very clear that he was not provided with his mother, the first teacher and he was not provided with any Rishi or Guru for spiritual/materialistic education etc. Nowadays too, the races are still living in the dense jungles separated from the modern world’s civilization, are still illiterate and they even do not wear the clothes. In this connection again another question arises, “Why the seven days of week, twelve months in a year the names of cow, horses, trees etc are the same in every part of the world.”

Keeping aside the languages if we think unprejudiced then we will come to the conclusion that somebody has taught us to pronounce mother as mother, father as father ,brother as brother ,tree as tree ,water as water, blood as blood, man as man, woman as woman at every part of the world and somebody has definitely taught us the science and deep knowledge of Yoga, Karmas, worship etc.

The oldest several holy books and the Rishis have already invented the answer thereof. In this connection Patanjali Rishi his Yoga Darshan has also cheerfully recited his experiences towards the facts after study of Vedas,Tapasya, trust in God ,hard Yoga practice and when he achieved the last and final motto of human life is SAMADHI i.e. realisation of God.

His superb words of realisation are quoted in Yoga Darshan as under:

“Sah Eshah purvesham api Guruhu kalena anavachhedat”.

Meaning: -The God is the Guru of the ancient Rishis also, being beyond the limitation and calculation of time.

Comments: – God is immortal. He was before the creation. He is present from the time of creation and will remain when the time will come of destruction. He will remain after the destruction too. That is why he will continue the creation as usual, and will remain again Guru of the new creation. But on the other hand human beings will not remain alive forever, and traditional Guru knowledge will be finished in human life At the time of total destruction of the world.

Vedas are originated by God and Yoga knowledge has been preached in Vedas. See Rishi Yajnavalkya Smiriti`s Shloka. “Hiranya Garbha Yogasya Vakta”. Hiranya Garbh means- God,Yogasya =of Yoga,Vakta=Teacher. So God is a teacher of Yoga knowledge.

So the result of deep study of vedas, Shastras, Bhagwat Geeta, Ramayana and other holy books concludes that the first Guru of our ancient Rishis is almighty God. Thereafter, the Rishis/Munis/Acharyas/Gurus have been teaching us spiritualism/materialistic knowledge up till now.