Samkhya thoughts in the Mahabharata
by Shini M.V. | 2017 | 51,373 words
This page relates 鈥業ntroduction to Yoga Darshana鈥� of the study of Samkhya thought and philosophy as reflected in the Shanti-Parva of the Mahabharata. Samkhya represents one of the six orthodox schools of Indian Philosophy and primarily deals with metaphysical knowledge and explains the Universe without the need to introduce God. The Mahabharata is an ancient Sanskrit epic which includes many Sankhya theories while expounding twenty-five principles.
Introduction to Yoga Dar艣ana
Yoga is the Hindu practice of physical, mental and spiritual discipline originated in ancient India. In the Hindu philosophy the word Yoga is used to refer to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu Philosophy. 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈 惭补丑补谤峁 is the first who systematized the Yoga school. The Yogas奴tras of 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈 introduces the fundamental tenets of the Yoga system. 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈鈥檚 Yoga is linked with Kapila鈥檚 厂腻峁僰丑测补. Its aim and object is to lay down a practical path for liberation. The Yoga orders the path of action and the path of knowledge for the attainment of complete freedom and isolation of the self. A峁ａ弓膩峁単a Yoga is a superior pathway to Liberation. Yoga is defined as cittav峁泃ti nirodha -Control or arresting the modifications of mind.
The various steps prescribed for the attainment of kaivalya are eight in number. They are:
Yama i.e. restraint consists in ahimsa i.e. act of refraining, from all kinds of injury to any life. Yama also includes satya, asteya, brahmacarya and aparigraha. All these restraints are aimed at purifying one鈥檚 moral life. Cultivating good habits and improving one鈥檚 culture consists of Niyama. It consists of five steps they are Sauca, 厂补苍迟辞峁, Tapas, 厂惫腻诲丑测腻测补 and 莫svarapra峁噄dh膩na. 膧蝉补苍补 is a rigorous disciplinary control over body and Mind by which man gets health of the body and gets united with universe. This consists of a steady posture of the body. Attitudes have different types such as 笔补诲尘腻蝉补苍补, 艢iras膩sana, Mayur膩sana etc. It helps keep safe the vital energy and also purifying and strengthening both body and Mind. 笔谤腻峁嚹乱腻尘补 consists in controlling one鈥檚 own breath Puruka, kumbhaka and recaka are the three stages of it. 笔谤补迟测腻丑腻谤补 consists in withdrawing the senses from their respective objects. This discipline aims at restraining the mind from the physical side. 顿丑腻谤补峁嚹� is the attention by meditation. This is indispensable for mental discipline which consists in holding or fixing the mind on the desired object. 顿丑测腻苍补 means the even flow of thought about or rather around the object of attention held in 顿丑腻谤补峁嚹�. 厂补尘腻诲丑颈 is the last step in this stage. Mind is deeply absorbed in the object of meditation. It loses itself in the object and has no consciousness of itself. It is a kind of trance in which the subject and the object become one. Yoga system believes in the supreme God, it also recognizes the existence of many gods who are entangled in the empirical life through ignorance. Such a conception of God is contradictory to the basic principles of the Yoga system.