Essay name: Yogatattva Upanishad (translation and study)
Author:
Sujata Jena
Affiliation: Utkal University / Department of Sanskrit
This study explores the philosophical and yogic concepts within the Yogatattva Upanishad—an ancient Sanskrit text wihchi s part of the Vedic literature that delves into the essence of yoga and meditation, linking mental control to spiritual enlightenment. The essay further critiques modern yoga's focus on physical exercises, advocating for its deeper philosophical and spiritual roots.
Chapter 3 - Yoga Philosophy in Yogatattva Upanisad
5 (of 60)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
bondage and liberation. The bondage of the Puruṣa (self) is due to ignorance and in-discrimination (aviveka), and liberation (kaivalya) can come from discriminative knowledge (Vivekakhyāti) alone. The bondage manifests itself through the five fold of a mistaken identification of the pure, cetana Puruṣa as unconscious or reha sattva aspect of Prakṛti. The miseries are: 1) ignorance and 5willingness to live (abhiniveśa). All of them result from want to jada, which some how have become together from beginningless sūtra of cit and jada, and have made their discrimination difficult. As soon as the real culture of the Puruṣa of the self is apprehended through Samādhi, all the results and their conjunction with Prakṛti ceases, there is and end to all the miseries. All karmas result from kleśas (miseries) and cease with their creation. 4 6 Giving the creation of yoga a “cittavṛtti nirodha�" various methods
of getting control over the Cittavṛtti have been suggested by Patanjali.
Their practice coupled with vairagya (detachment) is greatly ulogised,
Iśvara and Praṇidhāna meaning devotion to God. The prtition of Praṇava
and many other practices have been described in the first part. Having
dealt with kriyāyoga including tapas, incantation of mantras and
iśvarapaṇidhāna in the earlier part of the second pāda (chapter).
The later part is devoted to the description of five yogāngas namely,
yama, niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma and Pratyāhāra. Remaining three angas
of Dhāraṇ�, Dhyāna and Samādhi are described in a special manner in the
third pāda which also elaborately narrates the effects of Samyama
resulting from the combination of these three. Fourth pada is devoted to
the explanation of the five types of attainment rebirth, vāsanā,
karmaparipāka, nature of citta from the theoretical point of view.
.۴.ū-.24
5 .P.Y.S-I.2
6 . Ibid-II.5
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