Matsya Purana (critical study)
by Kushal Kalita | 2018 | 74,766 words | ISBN-13: 9788171103058
This page relates 鈥榊oga philosophy鈥� of the English study on the Matsya-purana: a Sanskrit text preserving ancient Indian traditions and legends written in over 14,000 metrical verses. In this study, the background and content of the Matsyapurana is outlined against the cultural history of ancient India in terms of religion, politics, geography and architectural aspects. It shows how the encyclopedic character causes the text to deal with almost all the aspects of human civilization.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 4 - The Yoga philosophy
The Yoga system is allied to 厂腻峁僰丑测补 system. The word yoga is used in different senses.
鈥淭he word Yoga occurs in the 峁欢-惫别诲补 in various senses such as yoking or harnessing, achieving the unachieved, connection and the like.鈥�[1]
The word is generally derived from the root yuj which means union (yujir yoge) or concentration (yuj sam膩dhan).[2] In the 骋墨迟腻, The word is used in both the senses.[3]
笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈 is regarded as the founder of Yoga system. The 驰辞驳补蝉奴迟谤补 of 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈 is the first work of this system. On this work 痴测腻蝉补 wrote a commentary called 痴测腻蝉补bh膩峁a. Other teachers of Yoga system are 痴腻肠补蝉辫补迟颈 惭颈艣谤补, Bhojor膩ja, Vij帽膩nabhik峁 who contributed to its development.
Chandradhar Sharma points out that,
鈥淎ccording to 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈, Yoga does not mean union but spiritual effort to attain perfection through the control of the body, senses and mind, and through right discrimination between 笔耻谤耻峁 and 笔谤补办峁泃颈.鈥�[4]
Thus the term yoga here denotes separation (viyoga) between 笔耻谤耻峁 and 笔谤补办峁泃颈.[5] 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈 defines Yoga as 肠颈迟迟补惫峁泃迟颈苍颈谤辞诲丑补岣�,[6] i.e., Yoga is the cessation of the modifications of citta or mind. 痴测腻蝉补 has also described Yoga as 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 (concentration).[7]
It has already been mentioned that 厂腻峁僰丑测补 and Yoga systems are allied systems. The Yoga system mostly accepts the metaphysics and epistemology of 厂腻峁僰丑测补 system. In the 骋墨迟腻, these two, i.e., 厂腻峁僰丑测补 and Yoga are mentioned together.
As Biswas points out,
鈥淔or all practical purposes 厂腻峁僰丑测补 and Yoga may be treated as the theoretical and practical sides of the same system.鈥�[8]
Like the 厂腻峁僰丑测补, the Yoga also holds that 笔谤补办峁泃颈, which consists of three 驳耻峁嘺蝉 is the ultimate cause of the material world. The world evolves from 笔谤补办峁泃颈, it comes in contact with 笔耻谤耻峁. The Yoga philosophy also accepts the twenty five principles of 厂腻峁僰丑测补 philosophy and describes the evolution of the world slightly different from 厂腻峁僰丑测补 philosophy. According to Yoga, from 笔谤补办峁泃颈 is produced mahat. Mahat develops in two ways. From mahat, on the one side, originates 补丑补峁僰腻谤补 or 补蝉尘颈迟腻 and the eleven organs and on the other side, are produced five 迟补苍尘腻迟谤腻蝉, from 迟补苍尘腻迟谤腻蝉 five 尘补丑腻产丑奴迟补蝉 are produced.[9] However, in addition to these twenty five principles, the Yoga philosophy accepts another principle, which is 莫艣惫补谤补. 莫艣惫补谤补 is a special kind of 笔耻谤耻峁 who is pure, eternal, transcendent, omniscient, omnipotent and independent.[10] According to 痴腻肠补蝉辫补迟颈 惭颈艣谤补, 莫艣惫补谤补 is the prime cause of the evolution or the world. 莫艣惫补谤补 is responsible for bringing about the contact of 笔耻谤耻峁 and 笔谤补办峁泃颈 and for removal of the barriers of 笔谤补办峁泃颈 in its way to evolution.[11]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Surendranath Dasgupta, A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume I, p. 226
[2]:
础峁ａ弓腻诲丑测腻测墨, 7.1.71
[3]:
艢补峁僰补谤补产丑腻峁补 on 骋墨迟腻, 6.23
[4]:
C Sharma, A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy, p.169
[5]:
Cf., S. Radhakrishnan, Indian Philosophy, Volume II, p.337
[6]:
驰辞驳补蝉奴迟谤补, 1.2
[7]:
驰辞驳补产丑腻峁补,1.1
[9]:
Ibid., p.40
[10]:
罢补迟迟惫补惫补颈艣腻谤补诲墨 on 驰辞驳补蝉奴迟谤补, 1.29
[11]:
Ibid., 4.3