Yoga is primarily a spiritual discipline that concentrates on subtle
science that focuses on achieving harmony between an individual’s mind and
body. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word “yuj’ meaning to bind,
attach, join and yoke, to direct and concentrate one’s attention on, to use and
apply. It also means union or communion. It is the true union of our will with
the will of God. ‘It thus means’, says Mahadev Desai in his introduction to
“The Gita According To Gandhi”, ‘the yoking of all the powers of body, mind and
soul to God, it means the discipling of the intellect, the mind, the emotions,
the will which that yoga pre-supposes, it means a poise of the soul which
enables one to look at life in all its aspects evenly.
Yoga is one of the six orthodox systems of
Indian Philosophy. It was collated, coordinated and systematized by Maharishi
Patanjali. In his classical work, The Yoga Sutras. In Indian thought,
everything is permeated by the Supreme Universal Spirit (Paramatma or God) of
which the individual human spirit (Jivatma) is a part. The system of yoga is so
called because it teaches the means by which the Jivatma can be united to, or
be in communion with the Paramatma and so secure liberation (Moksh).
In the sixth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita,
Shri Krishna explains to Arjuna the meaning of yoga as a deliverance from
contact with pain and sorrow. It is said :
‘When his mind, intellect and self
(Ahamkar) are under control, freed from restless desires that they rest in the
spirit within, a man becomes a Yukta - one in communion with God. A lamp does
not flicker in a place where no winds blow; so it is a yogi, who controls his
mind, intellect and self, being absorbed in the spirit within him. When the
restlessness is stilled through the practice of yoga, a yogi finds fulfilment.
Then he knows the joy eternal which is beyond the pale of the senses which his
reason cannot grasp. He abides in this reality and moves not therefrom. There
is nothing higher than this. He who has achieved it, shall not be moved by the
greatest sorrow.’
The Bhagavad Gita also gives other
explanation of the term yoga and lays stress upon Karma Yoga (Yoga by Action).
It is said : ‘Work alone is your privilege, never the fruits thereof. Never let
the fruits of action be your. Olive, and never cease to work. Work in the name
of the Lord, abandoning selfish desires. Be not affected by success or failure.
This equipoise is called Yoga.
Yoga is a method by which the restless
mind is calmed and the energy is directed into constructive channels. Yoga has
also been described as wisdom in work or skilful living amongst activities,
harmony and moderation.
‘Yoga is not for him who gorges too much,
nor for him who starves himself. It is not for him who sleeps too much, nor for
him who stays awake. By moderation in eating and in resting, by regulation in
working and by concordance in sleeping and waking, Yoga destroys all pain and
sorrow.’
The Kathopanishad describes yoga thus:
‘When the senses are stilled, when the mind is at rest, when the intellect
wavers not - the, say the wise, is reached the highest stage. This steady
control of the senses and mind has been defined as yoga. He who attains it is
free from delusion.’
In the second aphorism of the first
chapter of The Yoga Sutras, Maharishi Patanjali describes yoga as ‘Chitta
Vritti Nirodhah’. This may be translated as the restraint (nirodhah) of mental
(chitta) modifications (vritti) or as suppression (nirodhah) of the
fluctuations (vritti) of consciousness (chitta).
The problem of controlling the mind is not
capable of easy solution, as borne out of the following dialogue in the sixth
chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna asks Shri Krishna :
‘Krishna, you have told me of Yoga as a
communion with Brahman (the Universal Spirit), which is ever one. But how can
this be permanent, since mind is so restless and inconsistent?’ Shri Krishna
replies: ‘Undoubtedly, the mind is restless and hard to control. But it can be
trained by constant practice (abhyasa) and by freedom from desire (vairagya). A
man who cannot control his mind will find it difficult to attain this divine
communion; but the self-controlled man can attain it if he tries hard and
directs his energy by the right means.’
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