Yogaḥ in the Purāṇa
Introduction to the Purāṇa
- Ramesh Shama Alvar
- January 18th, 2022
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, 10 1/4 x 8 in. Collection of Catherine and Ralph Benkaim
The Nature of the Purāṇa
There is a perception in India and the West in certain quarters that the Purāṇa are generally collections of concocted stories about Gods, Goddesses, Divine Beings such as the Demi-Gods, Demonic Beings, Sages, Kings and Queens and their utterances and deeds. Some modern Indians are also prone to dismissing the Purāṇa as mythological and nothing to do with real life characters and events. They tend, consciously or sub-consciously, to consider the stories of the Purāṇa to be like fairy tales written to entertain as well as to promote some sectarian or theistic agenda. We would like submit here that in the religious and spiritual ethos of India, it is believed that the Purāṇa are not the writings of human beings for some ulterior purpose. Rather, most of India consider the Purāṇa to be sacred scriptures divined by Sages in states of Samādhiḥ, and certainly not the outcome of the imagination or literary expertise of Sages themselves.
We are not here to challenge the viewpoint that the Purana are stories of the imagination. Our purpose here is not to make a case that the Purāṇa deal with people, divinity that were real, and that the events narrated in the Purāṇa did take place. Our case is independent of the source of origin of the Purana or the veracity of what they narrate. We would like to draw the attention of the discerning Reader to the fact that the Purāṇa are interwoven into the cultural fabric of most Indians. There is hardly an Indian who does not derive spiritual inspiration, practical wisdom and happiness from the stories of the Purāṇa from childhood to the very end of the declining years when men and women become more pensive and philosophical. The Purāṇa satisfy the needs of people who begin to ask questions such as, “What is the purpose of life?”; “How should I have led my life thus far? How should I lead the rest of my remaining life to attain the purpose of existence? What is the code of conduct I should follow so that I can lead the rest of my allotted life-span to maximise my chances of gaining liberation in the after-life?”; “How have I brought up my children thus far and what can I do to give them greater spiritual wisdom and love for Dharma?”
To most Indians brought up on the Purāṇa at the feet of their parents or grandparents, the charm and fascination first acquired, seldom fades in later life, remaining dormant at worst. To them the reality or authenticity of the Purāṇa are academic questions because the tremendous spiritual wisdom and solace they yield every time the Purana are read or heard appear so satisfyingly real, and so tangible in the wisdom and happiness they yield questions of factual authenticity or plausibility do not seem to matter. Each time the Purāṇa are heard being recited or read with reverence, they deliver satisfaction without fail. It is a product of the Indian Genius that has never required brand-revival or repackaging.
After thousands of years, Hindus still continue to worship the same Gods and Goddesses who have graced the Purāṇa. These Gods and Goddesses are not defunct or deities of the long forgotten past like the mythological divinities of the Greeks. They are still current in daily worship today and they are adored in millions of homes throughout the sub-continent with undiminished fervour. They subsist in the minds of the devotees all over India and readily come to the fore in many religious services performed by Vaidik Priests in in Temples and Public Functions or by Householders in their homes. They still figure with unchanged names, and idols in the rites and rituals of worship and communion by devotees at home. Towns, Cities and Regions still exist today with the same names as recounted in the stories of the Purāṇa thousands of years ago. Thus nothing in the Purana has a sense of unreality with respect to forms, places, and names. It is sometimes said that the Purāṇa hang precariously by the single nebulous thread of faith. We would like to contest that viewpoint. What is faith if does not give spiritual solace and guidance?
The Importance of Faith
Which field of human activity does not depend upon faith. Even today, notwithstanding impressive advances in science and technology to match, many aspects of material science need a leap of faith to make any sense of the mind-boggling unresolved mysteries of our Universe. An article in NASA SCIENCE says:
“It turns out that roughly 68% of the universe is dark energy. Dark matter makes up about 27%. The rest i.e. everything on Earth, everything ever observed with all of our instruments, all normal matter – adds up to less than 5% of the universe. Come to think of it, maybe it shouldn’t be called “normal” matter at all, since it is such a small fraction of the Universe. We are much more certain what dark matter is ‘not’ than we are ‘what it is’. First, it is dark, meaning that it is not in the form of stars and planets that we see. ”
This means that scientists, as on date, know something about just 5% of the Universe. The rest is conjectured on the basis of pure faith since scientists truly believe that 95% of our present Universe consists of a hypothetical dark matter and dark energy both of which cannot be seen, detected or observed. We see faith of a high order operating amongst hard boiled scientists. It is on the basis of faith that the existence of multiverses have also been speculated as a real scientific possibility with due seriousness.
Consider another area of science where faith is unavoidable. It is with regard to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution of Species by natural selection i.e. by an impersonal scientific process that works automatically since it began but it is a process that need not have been put in place by anyone. It is a system that needs no external supervision or guidance. It is as impersonal as a reliable machine with an interrupted supply of fuel and components that do not break down. The Darwinian Theory of Natural Selection established itself in the minds of most Scientists as a credible Theory on the basis of the discovery of fossils that represented intermediate stages of evolution of a species based on natural selection. The unthinkable has come about. Serious defects have been found in the working of the perfect, impersonable machine. For instance, the idea of natural selection itself is being challenged as insufficient and implausible because of the paradox of the ‘Cambrian Explosion’, which happened over a period of about 10 million years about 500 million years ago. The Cambrian Explosion is a term used to describe the sudden appearance of an astonishing diversity of life forms, including many major animal groups alive today. Among them were the chordates, to which vertebrates (animals with backbones) such as humans belong. It was the short period of time when most of the major animal groups started to appear in the fossil records. It indicated a time of such rapid expansion of different forms of life on Earth in such a short space of time compared to the period of existence of the Earth that the event was like an explosion and not a steady methodical process of evolution by natural selection. The problem was because no fossils were found in the pre-Cambrian period that could explain a gradual transition to the highly complex life forms seen during the Cambrian Explosion. This sudden appearance of highly evolved creatures without any prior fossils to explain their advent out of the blue as it were. It seemed to negate the idea of the impersonal mechanism of natural selection and the gradual evolution of various species which did not require some external intervention. The possibility of external intervention was rejected by mainstream scientists because, if considered seriously, it could possibly expose science to the acceptance in principle of a super-intelligence or God behind that intervention in evolution. Science must stick to its methods and its Philosophy until Religion has been tamed and its ethos changed forever, particularly of radical faiths.
How could such a transition from primitive life forms to extremely advanced ones take place in the relatively short time of 70 million years which was less than the blink of an eye in the overall time-scale of the history of our Planet. Darwin himself was hard put to explain the sudden appearance of complex forms of advanced living beings without a gradual development stage and without intermediate fossils to substantiate the Theory of Natural Selection. But he felt that science could eventually give a rational scientific explanation in due course. Various theories have since then been advanced to explain this sudden surge in evolution such as rise in oxygen levels etc. They do not answer the question how the necessary information to build complex new proteins came to be imparted to the DNA molecules to build more complex proteins that would lead to the advanced and highly complex life forms including human beings that we see today. Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection explains small changes well such as changes in the density of fur, changes in the appearance and structure of a beak but not why there are monkeys or orangutans in the first place. That problem of explaining the emergence of large and complex life forms in the limited life of the Universe after the Big Bang has not gone away. It has given rise to a more furious debate whether the Universe has come about by chance or by intelligent design. The chance factor simply does not have the time to test all the combinations of the DNA Code to hit upon the right combination to lead to so many varieties of living beings. The Intelligent Design hypothesis is unacceptable to many scientists who are very largely confirmed atheists because it would or could lead to the possible existence of God.
For hundreds of years the Church had kept atheists in check, and unfairly suppressed/terrorized, if I may so, since there was no plausible scientific theory to explain the origin of life. The Darwin Theory of the Origin of the Species by Natural Selection gave the Atheists the legitimacy they had been seeking to gain ascendancy over the Theists. Now the ascendency of the atheists was a good thing for mankind. It shook the bigotry of the Church and of Theism in general and has made them more liberal and amenable to rational ideas and acceptable civilized world views. Yet there are militant religions even today whose bigotry has become worse since their early days. We need more Martin Luther Kings in such radical religions. Alas, we find none arising. Our Western atheists are diffident in opposing the fanatical, militant, and violent religions. They have a convenient blind-corner. They have this ‘ostrich’s hole’ at hand into which they can house their Minds hoping that radical Theism will go away on its own. It is a pathetic delusion. We will all pay a heavy price for this delusion.
For long they have enjoyed a level playing ground in the liberal ethos of western society. The Atheists readily oppose Religions that allow dissent and do not advocate militant counter-actions. They oppose Religions that flourish in open and tolerant cultures. They are silent, as if by common consent, about militant religions. That will not do for the good of mankind in the long run. Curiously, the band of zealous Atheists have themselves begun to resemble radical religious faiths. They support their own faith with scientific mantras and are vicious against those who are non-believers of their Faith. The need of the hour is that the Band of Atheists must stop targeting those who advocate the “Intelligent Design Faith”. They must turn their energies and muster the physical as well as moral courage to oppose violence and bigotry in certain radical faiths. If not, they must find out the answer to the question as to what Evolution might gain from the appearance of militant bigots. They cannot behave like ostriches in the face of grave dangers !!
Though an open mind and tolerance to dissent have been the hallmark of science over centuries, Atheists are reluctant to consider the possibility that Darwin might have been wrong though many evolutionary biologists today support a neo Darwinian Theory. Whatever the case, apparently reliable and tangible evidence like fossils have their limitations as time passes. Mathematical calculations about the start of the Universe , its expansion and current state also depend upon some starting premise which is essentially an article of faith. Scientific deductions based on observed cause and effect work well in applications and predictions but they do not explain the origin of that cause and its associated effects. Thus faith will remain an integral part of our lives.
I am not saying that the Purāṇa should be accepted as a proven reality. That is not the issue. I wish to make two main points about the Purāṇa. The first is that the Purāṇa are intertwined in the minds and psyche of the Indian people. It is held firmly in place by abiding faith and by the repeated tangible benefits of wisdom and happiness they convey each time either when read or when their exposition is heard. Secondly, many aspects of Yogaḥ and Philosophy explained in the Purāṇa are as demonstrably real and effective as any scientific fact established from cause and effect. In this series, we will cover the Aṣṭāṅga Yogaḥ or The Yogaḥ of Eight Limbs as enumerated in the various Purāṇa together with several allied aspects of Philosophy and Religion.
The Approach to Yogaḥ in the Purāṇa
In dealing with the subject of Aṣṭāṅga Yogaḥ and its Limbs and related matters, we had a choice of two approaches. The first was to take up one Purāṇa at a time and to cover all that each Purāṇa has to say about the major forms of Yogaḥ including the Aṣṭāṅga Yogaḥ before going onto the next Purāṇa to repeat the process. Thus, in the first option, we would have a series of Purāṇa, one after the other, largely dealing with same topics but with different approaches in the lead in; the style of presentation; in the emphasis, and in definitions. The second option was to take up one topic of Yogaḥ at a time and to cover what each Purāṇa has to say about it before taking up the next. We have chosen the first option viz taking up one Purāṇa at a time and covering the whole of the subject of Yogaḥ inclusive of the Aṣṭāṅga Yogaḥ as explained in that particular Purāṇa before taking up the next Purāṇa. Our reasons for choosing the first option were as follows:
- Each Purāṇa has a unique approach to the main topic as a whole and its own style of development of the subsidiary topics. Our Reader would miss the unique flavour of each Purāṇa overall, if the topics were to be extracted from various Purāṇa and clubbed together topic wise.
2. The definitions to be found in the different Purāṇa contain subtle differences which can be best be appreciated in the context of the unique style of introduction and development of the subject to be found in a given Purāṇa.
- If the same topic extracted from different texts were to be clubbed together under a given topic heading, the sense of repetition would be more intense than when the same topic formed part of the gradual development of Yogaḥ to be found in one Purāṇa at a time.
In any case, the Reader may not be able to totally avoid experiencing a certain feeling of repetition and the sense of déjà vu on and off, no matter what. We beg our dear Reader’s indulgence and request that each apparent repetition of a given topic or of some aspect of it, whether within the same Purāṇa or as between different Purāṇa, may be treated as representing a unique insight into the same aspect to be read with interest. For instance the definition of a term such as Ahiṃsā or Satyam between two different Purāṇa would not be exactly alike or verbatim. There would be surprisingly subtle variations and interesting insights between any two interpretations of a given topic as between any two Purāṇa selected at random. These give a joy derived only from deeper understanding of esoteric topics. We found such variations between two Purāṇa amazing and representing new insights and newer ways of understanding. These variations made our overall understanding of individual topics richer Many aspects of Yogaḥ are yet to be fully fathomed or understood completely. Many different insights would have to be imbibed in the Mind before a better picture of the complex ramifications of Yogaḥ can be built up. That is the best one should hope for.
Another point is that, as a general principle, we will not dwell upon the antiquity of any Purana. We will also not discuss the authenticity of the extant texts we have consulted and whether the original texts have come down in their pristine form or whether they have undergone changes, and if so what. These are matters for the Scholars inclined towards establishing chronology, authenticity, possible degree of purity or corruption, possible changes due to the efflux of time, one-time or cumulative influences of other religions, cultures, invasions and so on. These are matters that cannot be brushed aside and someone has to investigate them in the larger interests of knowledge. However, our approach has been to take up the available texts as they are and to present faithfully whatever they have to say on Yogaḥ. We are convinced that the extant texts by themselves are marvellous and worth studying in depth notwithstanding the questions of the degree of authenticity of their source and of the historical purity of their contents. We want our Readers to read through our selection of the extant texts and our presentation of their contents on Yogaḥ on face-value to judge for themselves, without any prejudice.
We believe that no insight from any related ancient text should be ignored or left unread as being mere repetitions or for any other reason whatsoever. We believe that the texts on Hindu Philosophy especially on Yogaḥ are based on the insights received by ancient Sages in states of super-consciousness. Divergences and differences in the texts should not be examined like legal enactments or contracts where repetitions, contradictions and divergences reduce their tenability or legal validity. They should be viewed as different and equally valuable insights into the already complex and unfathomable mysteries. Each divergence or difference in definition or interpretation between any two texts should be welcomed and analysed with this attitude in mind to derive optimum benefit in understanding. Now and then, we would be drawing the attention of the Reader to what the Śrimad Bhagavad Gita and the Yogaḥ Upaniśad have say about a given topic or some aspect of it wherever we feel it would enhance the broad picture and contribute to deeper understanding. This may eventually make our work more voluminous, increasing our labours, but it would be worth the effort.
The Puranas contain a wealth of insights not just about the Ashtanga Yogaḥ but of the different major forms of Yogaḥ. such as Jñyāna, Karma, Bhakti, Prapatti, Kriya, and Hatha Yogaḥ. It is true that a large part of our work “Yogaḥ in the Purana” deals with the Aṣṭāṅga Yogaḥ which is based on the teachings of the Yogaḥ Upaniśads. However, we have included in this work many valuable subsidiary topics covered in the Purāṇa that have a bearing on a Yogi’s life, his or her world views, and quest for emancipation such as the Brahman; the Jivātman, Creation; Cosmology; Goals of Human Existence such as Dharma, Artha, Kāma, Mokśa; the Conduct of Yogis; the Goal of Yoga; Vedānta & the Philosophy of the Upanishads, and so on in so far as they have a bearing on the Yogi and the type of Yogaḥ that may have been taken up individually or in conjunction with the Aṣṭāṅga Yogaḥ; on the Guru; and so on. Therefore, when we use the term Yogaḥ we do not necessarily imply only the one form of Yogaḥ called the Aṣṭāṅga Yogaḥ alone.
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