According to Yoga philosophy, the Universe is made from the constituents of the five basic elements of nature(Panch Maha Bhuta), Earth(Prthvi), Water(Aap), Fire(Tejas), Air(Vayu) and Ether(Akasha). Each element possesses five attributes, Mass(Sthula), Subtlety(Suksma), Form(Svarupa), All-pervasiveness/
The Gross (Sthula) characteristics of the elements are…
Earth -> Solidity
Water -> Fluidity
Water -> Fluidity
Fire -> Heat
Air -> Mobility
Air -> Mobility
Ether -> Volume
The Subtle(Suksma) counterparts of the elements are…
Earth -> Smell
Water -> Taste
Fire -> Sight
Air -> Touch
Ether -> Sound
The Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita make the following references…
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali III.45
sthūla svarūpa sūkṣma anvaya arthavattva saṃyamāt bhūta jayaḥ
By integration on the elements – their mass, forms, subtlety, connections and purpose, the Yogi has mastery over them;
Bhagavad Gita VII.4
bhumir apo ‘nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca ahankara
itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha
itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego
My material energy is divided into these eight parts
—–
This verse was relevant to the Covid Lockdown situation.
By suppressing our day to day actions we were acting for a good cause.
Bhagavad Gita IV.18
karmaṇyakarma yaḥ paśhyed akarmaṇi cha karma yaḥ
sa buddhimān manuṣhyeṣhu sa yuktaḥ kṛitsna-karma-kṛit
sa buddhimān manuṣhyeṣhu sa yuktaḥ kṛitsna-karma-kṛit
Those who see action in inaction and inaction in action are truly wise amongst humans. Although performing all kinds of actions, they are yogis and masters of all their actions.
—–
Bhagavad Gita Chapter III.8
niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ
śharīra-yātrāpi cha te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ
śharīra-yātrāpi cha te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ
Perform your duty, for Action is superior to Inaction,
even the maintenance of your body could not be accomplished without Action
—–
These verses clearly explains Yoga according to Bhagavad Gita
These verses clearly explains Yoga according to Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita II.48
yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhanañjaya siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga uchyate
By being fixed in Yoga, O Dhananjaya (Arjuna), perform your actions, abandoning all attachment to success and failure. Such equanimity/eveness of mind(Samatvam) is called Yoga
Bhagavad Gita II.48
buddhi-yukto jahatiha ubhe sukrta-duskrte
tasmad yogaya yujyasva yogah karmasu kausalam
tasmad yogaya yujyasva yogah karmasu kausalam
In Equanimity/eveness of mind(Samatvam), one casts off in this life the effects of both good and bad actions.
Therefore, prepare yourself for Yoga. Yoga is skill in Action
—–
These verses clearly explains the aim of Yoga
These verses clearly explains the aim of Yoga
Bhagavad Gita II.56
duḥkheṣhv-anudvigna-manāḥ sukheṣhu vigata-spṛihaḥ
vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ sthita-dhīr munir uchyate
vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ sthita-dhīr munir uchyate
One whose mind is not agitated in misfortune, whose desire for pleasures has disappeared.
Whose passion, fear and anger have departed. Whose meditation is steady is said to be a Yogi/Sage
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali I.2
yogah cittavrtti nirodhah
Yoga is the control/stilling of the changing states of mind/consciousness
—–
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali I.49
Tasmin sati svasa-prasvasayoh gati vicchedah pranayama
When asanas are accomplished, pranayama, breath control follows. This consists of the regulation of the incoming and outgoing breaths
Bhagavad Gita IV.29
apāne juhvati prāṇaṁ prāṇe ’pānaṁ tathāpare
prāṇāpāna-gatī ruddhvā prāṇāyāma-parāyaṇāḥ
apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇān prāṇeṣhu juhvati
sarve ’pyete yajña-vido yajña-kṣhapita-kalmaṣhāḥ
Some offer inhalation into exhalation, others exhalation into inhalation
Restraining the path of inhalation and exhalation, intent on the control of the vital breath
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali II.54
svaviṣaya-asaṁprayoge cittasya svarūpa-anukāraḥ iva-indriyāṇāṁ pratyāhāraḥ
Withdrawing the senses, mind and consciousness from contact with external objects and then drawing them inwards to the self, is Pratyahara
Bhagavad Gita II.58
yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ kūrmo’ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ
indriyāṇīndriyārthebyastasya prajnā pratiṣṭitā
One who is able to withdraw their senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell,
is firmly fixed in perfect conscious wisdom
—–
Lets recap our philosophical journey of the metaphysical from the previous sessions. The embodied state consists of the five sheaths (Koshas). Each has a relation to the five basic elements of nature (Pancha Maha Bhuta). These underpin our five organs of Action (Karma Indriya) and Perception (Jnana Indriya), which form the feedback system into our Mind(Manas), Intelligence(Buddhi) and Ego(Ahamkara).
Physical Layer (Annamaya Kosha) -> Earth(Prthvi) -> Smell (Gandha)
Energetic Layer (Pranamaya Kosha) -> Water(Aap) -> Taste(Rasa)
Psychological Layer (Manomaya Kosha) -> Fire(Tejas) -> Sight(Rupa)
Intellectual Layer (Vijnanamaya Kosha)-> Air(Vayu) -> Touch(Sparsa)
Blissful Layer (Annandamaya Kosha)-> Ether(Akasha) ->Sound(Sabda)
All of the above components are governed by the interchanging modes of nature (Gunas) -> Sattva (illumination, harmony, goodness, purity), Rajas(activity, dynamic, passion, ego), Tamas (darkness, inertia, lethargy, ignorance)
The process of Yoga has a transforming effect on the Gunas leading the practitioner to a pure state of Sattva
The Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita make the following references…
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali II.18
prakāśa-kriyā-sthiti-śīlaṃ bhūta-indriya-ātmakaṃ bhoga-apavarga-arthaṃ dṛśyam
That which is knowable has the nature of illumination, activity and inertia (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas). It consists of the senses and the elements, and exists for the purpose of providing either liberation or experience;
Bhagavad Gita III.27
prakṛiteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśhaḥ
ahankāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate
ahankāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate
All Actions are carried out by the three modes of material nature.
Those whose mind is confused by Ego think I am the doer