DIFFERENT PATHS OF YOGA LEADING TO SAME GOAL

 Yoga, a holistic practice rooted in ancient Indian philosophy, offers various paths to spiritual and physical well-being. Here are the four main paths.

• Karma Yoga
• Bhakti Yoga
• Jnana Yoga
• Raja Yoga

 While these paths are different , they are often inter related and practiced in combination. The choice of path often depends on individual temperament, preferences, and spiritual goals. 

 Karma Yoga: The Path of Selfless Action  

 Karma Yoga, one of the four primary paths of yoga, emphasizes the importance of selfless action or "duty without attachment." It teaches that by performing our duties with dedication and detachment from the fruits action (renouncing the results of our actions as a spiritual offering rather than hoarding the results for ourselves), we can purify our minds and attain spiritual enlightenment. 

Bhagavad Gita , verse  2.47   

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि

We have a right to perform our prescribed duties, but we are not entitled to the fruits of our actions. We should never consider ourself to be the cause of the results of our activities, nor be attached to inaction.

 Bhagvad Gita, Verse 2.48  

योगस्थ: कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्यो: समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते

Be steadfast in the performance of your duty, O Arjun, abandoning attachment to success and failure. Such equanimity is called Yoga.

Bhagvad Gita, verse 4.17 mentioned 3 types of karma: 

कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मण: |
अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गति:

3 kinds of actions/karma-

karmaṇaḥ—recommended action/Karma- Normal action. Sakam karma.

vikarmaṇaḥ—forbidden action.

akarmaṇaḥ—inaction. Action without desire of fruits/nishkam karma.

According to Patanjali Yog Sutra. There are 4 types of karma( Fourth Pada -Kaivalyapada)

i. Shukla- Punya Shubh kaam/ Actions  through which one can attain heaven.

ii. Krishna- paap/sinful action. One gets hell

iii. Sukla Krishna- Mixture of both auspicious and sinful actions.

iv. Ashukla Akrishna- Neither auspicious not sinful action. It’s the action of yogi. Without and desire of fruits.

According to Vedas. There are 3 types of karma

• Sanchitaa Karma  -

This is accumulated past actions or karmas waiting to come to fruition. Sanchita is the storehouse of every action.  This refers to the total stock of all actions performed in past lives. It includes both good and bad deeds.Sanchita karma is the underlying force that determines an individual's future experiences and circumstances.

• Prarabdha Karma-

 Fructifying karma. This is the portion of sanchita karma that is activated in a given life and determines the individual's current experiences, circumstances, and challenges.  Prarabdha karma is responsible for the individual's birth, life experiences, and the challenges they face. 

• Sanchiyamana or agami karma -

Upcoming karma. This refers to the actions performed in the present life that will determine future experiences. Agami karma shapes the individual's future lives and the karmic seeds that will be carried forward.

Principle of karma / how to do our karma

Bhagvad gita, Verse  18.23 –

                       नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषत: कृतम्
                       अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यतत्सात्त्विकमुच्यते

                Niyataṁ saṅga-rahitam arāga-dveṣhataḥ kṛitam
              Aphala-prepsunā karma yat tat sāttvikam uchyate

Action in accordance with duty, which is performed without attachment, without love or hate, by one who has renounced fruitive results, is called action in the mode of goodness.

Bhakti means devotion” or “love” and various practices to unite the bhakta with the Divine.

Bhakti Yoga is a Sanskrit word; Yoga means union; the only English word that can do justice to the word Bhakti is perhaps "Love," "Universal Love" or "Divine Love. Means Union with God/supreme with Unconditional love and Devotion. 

 Derived from the Sanskrit root, Bhaj meaning "to serve God," Bhakti yoga is a practice of selfless devotion and recognition of the Divine in everything. 

It emphasizes devotion and love for God as the primary means of achieving liberation (moksha). The core principle is that through unwavering devotion and surrender to God, one can transcend the cycle of birth and death. 

Types of Bhakta   

In Bhagavad Gita sloka number 7.16 –

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जना: सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ

chatur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukṛitinorjuna
arto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī cha bharatarṣhabha 

4 types of Bhakta are

Arta- Distressed/Dukhi

Artharthi- The seekers of worldly possessions, pleasure,wealth/ Sukh, paisa, sampatti chahne wala

Jijnasu- They are curious to know all about God and try to know more about him.( Bhagwan ko aur janna chahte hain, abhi tak puri tarah se bhagvan pe ya unke mahima pe viswas nahi hua hain )

 Jnani-   Those  who have realized the truth that they are tiny parts of God. Such people engage in            devotion with the intent that it is their eternal duty to love and serve Him.

Jnani is considered as the best Bhakta.

Different Types of Bhakti

There are the following six classifications in Bhakti:

• Apara (lower) and Para (higher) Bhakti.
• Ragatmika and Vidhi Bhakti.
• Sakamya and Nishkamya Bhakti.
• Vyabhicharini and Avyabhicharini Bhakti.
• Mukhya (primary) and Gauna (secondary) Bhakti.
• Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic Bhakti

Mukhya  and gauna Bhakti 

Mukhya Bhakti- Only unconditional  love and devotion for God

Gauna Bhakti- Conditional love and devotion for God.

Ragatmika Bhakti is otherwise known as Mukhya or primary Bhakti. Para Bhakti is also primary devotion. Sakamya Bhakti is Gauna or secondary devotion. Nishkamya Bhakti, Avyabhicharini Bhakti orPara Bhakti is otherwise known as Ananya Bhakti.

Navadha Bhakti(9 ways of Devotion)

In Srimad Bhagvatam  slok number 7.5.23

                           श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच

               श्रवणंकीर्तनंविष्णो: स्मरणंपादसेवनम्।

               अर्चनंवन्दनंदास्यंसख्यमात्मनिवेदनम्

                   Sri-prahlada uvaca

Sravaṇaṁ kirtanaṁ viṣṇoḥsmaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁsakhyam ātma-nivedanam

sravaṇam — hearing, kirtanam — chanting, smaraṇam — remembering,    pada-sevanam — serving the feet, arcanam —offering worship ,vandanam — offering prayers, dasyam — becoming the servant, sakhyam— becoming the best friend,   atma-nivedanam — surrendering everything.

Bhakti Bhav

Bhav - Devotional sentiment

Shanta Bhav-In shanta bhava, God is king and we are praja . The mind of the devotee is free from mundane thoughts. His mind is calm or Shanta, and is full of knowledge, devoid of any emotions.

Dasya Bhav - Serving Lord as Servent. Dasya Bhava arises out of Prema Rasa.

Sakhya Bhav - devotee considers Lord as his friend.

Vatsalya bhav -The devotee considers the Lord as his child

Madhurya Bhav - Madhurya Bhava is the highest development of bhakti Rasa. Here the devotee feels the love for the Lord, just as a lover would feel for his beloved.

Jnana is Sanskrit for “knowledge or wisdom” and Jnana Yoga is the path of attaining knowledge of the true nature of reality through the practice of meditation self-inquiry, and contemplation.

Jnana Yoga can be defined as the “awareness of absolute consciousness

Jnana to discriminate between right and wrong, real and unreal, truth and untruth.

Jnana to know the self and to know the Brahman.

Jnana yoga is the yoga of knowledge—not knowledge in the intellectual sense—but the knowledge of Brahman and Atman and the realization of their unity. 

The jnani uses the powers of the mind to discriminate between the real and the unreal, the permanent and the temporary.

Eligibility/Prerequisite of Jnana Yoga

The students of Jnana yoga should have following characteristics

The Four Pillars of Knowledge (sadhana chatushtaya) are the prescribed steps toward achieving liberation in Jnana Yoga

1. Viveka
2. Vairagya
3. Shatsampat
4. Mumukshatva

1.Viveka (discrimination) –Ability to distinguish between the real and the unreal, the permanent and the temporary, and the Self and not-Self.

2.Vairagya ( detachment) -cultivating non-attachment or indifference toward worldly objects  of enjoyment and the ego.

“It is only when the mind is absolutely free from the attachment of all sorts that true knowledge begins to dawn.” – Swami Sivananda.

3.Shatsampat (six virtues) –Shat Sampat is considered a form of mental training that allows the yogi to develop mental discipline and control.and to further develop the ability to see beyond the illusions or maya.

a.Shama (tranquility, calmness) is the ability to keep the mind peaceful, through moderating its reaction .

b. Dama (restraint, control) -The ability to control the mind and  sense of organs(jnanendriya and karmendriya) and reactions to external stimuli. 

c. Uparati (withdrawal, renunciation)- Renouncing anything that doesn't fit our dharma (duty). Not getting influenced by worldly objects of enjoyment. A simple lifestyle is followed that contains no worldly distractions from the spiritual path.

d.Titiksha (endurance, forbearance) –It is persevering through suffering in extreme opposite conditions (success and failure, hot and cold, pleasure and pain etc).

e. Shraddha (faith, trust) -Belief in our guru , the scriptures and the yogic sadhana/path.

f. Samadhana (focus, concentration) - Total concentration and focus of the mind on Paramatma/supreme. 

4. Mumukshutva - Intense desire to be freed from suffering and complete commitment to Jnana yoga. In order to achieve liberation, one must be completely committed to the path. 

The are two aspects of Jnana yoga – i. External (bahiranga) ii. Internal (antaranga)

“Sadhana Chatusthaya” is the bahiranga part.

Antaranga/Internal

Sravana, Manana, Nididhyasana

Sravana- hearing or experiencing Vedantic philosophy through a guru or spiritual teacher, thereby achieving a deep understanding of the concepts of atman and Brahman and the philosophy of non-dualism.

Manana - thinking and reflecting on the teachings to understand their significance..

Nididhyasana -To come to conclusion and implementing the learnings. Meditating on Brahman and the inner self in order to experience absolute Truth.  

The Four Maha-Vakyas of Upanishads

Prajnanam Brahma–Brahman (Ultimate Reality) is supreme consciousness.

Aham Brahmasmi–I am Brahman (the Supreme Self )

Tat Tvam Asi–Thou art that.

Ayam Atma Brahma–Atman (True Self) is Brahman (Ultimate Reality). 

Quality of teacher and Students 

तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिन: (Gita 4.34)

tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnena sevayā
upadekṣhyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśhinaḥ

Student:

praṇipat—by approaching a spiritual master

pariprashna—by humble inquiries

seva—by rendering service

Teacher:

jnani—the enlightened, Who has knowledge/wisdom

tattva-darshinaḥ—those who have realized the truth

Raja Yoga is another key path to spiritual enlightenment in Hinduism, emphasizing the discipline of the mind and body as the means to achieve liberation (moksha). It is often referred to as the "royal path" because it requires a high degree of self-control and discipline.

Yoga Sutras: The primary text associated with Raja Yoga is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Eight Limbs of Yoga: The Yoga Sutras divide Raja Yoga into eight limbs, each representing a progressive step towards enlightenment. These limbs include:

• Yama: Abstentions (non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, brahmacharya, non-possessiveness)
• Niyama: Observances (purity, contentment, austerity, self-study, surrender to God)
• Asana: Postures (physical exercises to prepare the body for higher spiritual practices)
• Pranayama: Breath control (techniques to regulate the flow of prana, life force)
• Pratyahara: Withdrawal of the senses (turning inward and away from external distractions)
• Dharana: Concentration (focusing the mind on a single point)
• Dhyana: Meditation (prolonged concentration on a single object or idea)
• Samadhi: Absorption (complete union with the divine)

Self-Discipline: Raja Yoga emphasizes self-discipline as a crucial tool for achieving spiritual enlightenment. This involves controlling the mind, body, and senses.

Meditation: Meditation is a central practice in Raja Yoga. It involves training the mind to focus and concentrate, leading to a state of inner peace and tranquillity.

Raja Yoga is a comprehensive approach to spiritual development, encompassing physical, mental, and spiritual practices. It offers a systematic framework for achieving liberation through self-discipline and meditation.