Reading section 8

The Chárvákas—call the organs and sensations as soul; इन्द्रियान्येबात्मेति ।

Do. Another sect—take the cognitive faculties as such; चेतनान्यात्मेत्यपरे चार्ब्बाकाः ।

Do. Others—Understand the mind as soul मनो एबात्मेत्यन्ये ।

Do. Others—call the vital breath as soul प्राण एबात्मा ।

Do. Others—understand the son as soul पुत्र एबात्मा ।

The Digambaras—say, the complete human body is the soul देहपरिमानमात्मा ।

The Mádhyamikas—take the vacuum for their soul शून्यमेबात्मेति ।

The Yogácháris—understand the soul to be a transient flash of knowledge in the spirit in meditation. क्षणं विज्ञाणं ।

The Sautrántas—call it a short inferior knowledge. ज्ञानाकारानुमेय क्षणिक बाह्यार्थः ।

The Vaibháshikas—take it to be a momentary perception क्षणिक बाह्यार्थमिति वैभाषिकाः ।

The Jainas—take their preceptor to be their soul अध्यापक आत्मा इति जैनाः ।

The Logicians—A bodiless active and passive agency देहाद्यतिरिक्त्त संसारी कर्त्ता भोक्त्तेति ।

The Naiyáyikas—understand the spirit to be self manifest प्रकाश्य इति नैयायिकाः ।

The Sánkhyas,—call the spirit to be passive, not active भोक्त्तेब नकर्त्तेति सांख्या ।

The Yogis—call Him a separate omnipotent Being अस्ति तद्ब्यतिरिक्त ईश्वरः सर्ब्बज्ञः सर्ब्बशक्तिरिति ।

The Saivas,—designate the spirit as knowledge itself अनुक्षेत्रज्ञादि पद बेदनीय इति शैबाः ।

The Mayávádis,—style Brahma as the soul ब्रह्मैबात्मेति मायाबादिनः ।

The Vaiseshikas,—acknowledge two souls—the Vital and Supreme जीबात्मा परमात्मा च प्रत्यक्ष एब ।

The Nyayá says—because the soul is immortal there is a future state आत्म नित्यत्वे प्रेत्यभाबसिद्धः ।

And thus there are many other _theories_ about the nature of the soul.

The Atmávádis—spiritualists, consider the existence of the body as unnecessary to the existence of the soul.

VIII. FINAL EMANCIPATION OR BEATITUDE.

The object of _Yoga_, as already said, being the emancipation of the soul from the miseries of the world, and its attainment to a state of highest felicity, it is to be seen what this state of felicity is, which it is the concern of every man to know, and which the _Yogi_ takes so much pains to acquire. The Vedantic Yogi, as it is well known, aims at nothing less than in his absorption in the Supreme Spirit and loosing himself in infinite bliss. But it is not so with others, who are averse to loose the sense of their personal identity, and look forward to a state of self existence either in this life or next, in which they shall be perfectly happy. The Yogis of India have various states of this bliss which they aim at according to the faith to which they belong, as we shall show below.

The Vedantic Yogi has two states of bliss in view; _viz._; the one _inferior_ which is attained in this life by means of knowledge तत्रामरः जीबन्मुक्ति लक्षणं तत्वज्ञानान्तरमेव, and the other _superior_, obtainable after many births of gradual advancement to perfection परं निःश्रेयसं क्रमेण भबति ।

The Chárvákas say, that it is either independence or death that is bliss. स्वातन्त्र्यं मृत्युर्ब्बा मोक्षः ।

The Mádhyamikas say; it is extinction of self that is called liberation आत्मोच्छेदो मोक्षः ।

The Vijnáni philosophers—have it to be clear and elevated understanding निर्मलज्ञानोदयः ।

The Arhatas have it in deliverance from all veil and covering आबरण बिमुक्तिर्मुक्तिः ।

The Máyávádis say, that it is removal of the error of one’s separate existence as a particle of the Supreme spirit ब्रह्मांशिकजीबस्य मिथ्याज्ञान निबृत्तिः ।

The Rámánujas called it to be the knowledge of Vásudeva as cause of all, बासुदेब ज्ञानं ।

The Mádhyamikas have it for the perfect bliss enjoyed by Vishnu बिष्णोरानन्दं ।

The Ballabhis expect it in sporting with Krishna in heaven कृष्णेण सह गोलके लीलानुभाबः ।

The Pásupatas and Máheswaras place it in the possession of all dignity परमैश्वर्य्यं ।

The Kápálikas place it in the fond embraces of Hara and Durga हरपार्ब्बत्यालिङ्गनं ।

The Pratyabhijnánis call it to be the perfection of the soul. पूर्णात्मालाभः ।

The Raseswara Vádis have it in the health of body produced by mercury पारदेन देहस्थैर्य्यं ।

The Vaisesikas seek it in the extinction of all kinds of pain दुःखः निबृत्तिरिति कणादादयः ।

The Mimánsakas view their happiness in heavenly bliss स्वर्गादि सुख भोगः ।

The Sarvajnas say that, it is the continued feeling of highest felicity नित्य निरतिशय सुखबोधः ।

The Pánini philologers find it in the powers of speech ब्रह्म रूपाया बाण्या दर्शनं ।

The Sánkhyas find it in the union of force with matter प्रकृतौ पुरुषस्याबस्थानं ।

The Udásína Atheists have it as consisting in the ignoring of self identity अहंङ्कर निबृत्तिः ।

The Pátanjalas view it in the unconnected unity of the soul पुरुषस्य निर्लेप कैबल्यं ।

The Persian Sufis call it _ázádigi_ or unattachment of the soul to any worldly object.

IX. ORIGIN OF YOGA IN THE VEDAS.

[Sidenote: Not in the Vedic Period.]

The origin of yoga meditation is placed at a period comparatively less ancient than the earliest Sanhita or hymnic period of vedic history, when the Rishis followed the elementary worship of the physical forces, or the Brahmanic age when they were employed in the ceremonial observances.

[Sidenote: Some _Traces_ of it.]

There are however some traces of abstract contemplation “dhyána yoga” to be occasionally met with in the early Vedas, where the Rishis are mentioned to have indulged themselves in such reveries. Thus in the Rig Veda—129. 4. सतो वन्धुमसति निरविन्दन् हृदि प्रतीष्य कवयो मनीषा ।

“The poets discovered in their heart, through meditation, the bond of the existing in the non-existing.” M. Müller. A. S. Lit. (p. 19.)

[Sidenote: The Gáyatrí Meditation.]

We have it explicitly mentioned in the Gáyatrí hymn of the Rig Veda, which is daily recited by every Brahman, and wherein its author Viswámitra “meditated on the glory of the Lord for the illumination of his understanding” भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि । But this bespeaks a development of intellectual meditation “_jnana yoga_” only, and not spiritual as there is no prayer for (मुक्ति) liberation.

[Sidenote: Áranyaka Period.]

It was in the third or Áranyaka period, that the yoga came in vogue with the second class of the Atharva Upanishads, presenting certain phases in its successive stages, as we find in the following analysis of them given by Professor Weber in his History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature. This class of works, he says, is chiefly made up of subjects relating to _yoga_, as consisting in divine meditation and giving up all earthly connections. (Ibid p. 163).

[Sidenote: Yoga Upanishads.]

To this class belong the Jábála, Katha—sruti, Bhallavi, Samvartasruti, Sannyása, Hansa and Paramhansa Upanishads, Srimaddatta, the Mándukya and Tarkopanishads, and a few others, (Ibid. p. 164). It will exceed our bounds to give an account of the mode of _yoga_ treated in these treatises, which however may be easily gathered by the reader from a reference to the Fifty two Upanishads lately published in this city.

[Sidenote: Their different modes of yoga.]

Beside the above, we find mention of yoga and the various modes of conducting it in some other Upanishads, as given below by the same author and analyst. The Kathopanishad or Kathavallí of the Atharva Veda, treats of the first principles of Deistic Yoga. Ibid. p. 158.

The Garbhopanishad speaks of the Sánkhya and Pátanjali yoga systems as the means of knowing Náráyana. (Ibid. p. 160). The Brahmaopanishad, says Weber, belongs more properly to the yoga Upanishads spoken of before. (Ibid. p. 161).

The Nirálambopanishad exhibits essentially the yoga stand point according to Dr. Rajendra Lala Mitra (Notices of S. Mss. II 95. Weber’s Id. p. 162). The yoga tatwa and yoga sikhá belong to yoga also, and depict the majesty of _Átmá_. (Ibid. p. 165).