Spirituality and Indian Psychology: Lessons from ... - Mandhata Global

haktiyoga or the Path of Devotion
In verses 6.10–6.14, 50 instructions for the practice of dhyAnayoga are provided.
A dhyAnyogi should remain connected with his Atman constantly by remaining in
solitude, without any desires or expectation, and by giving up all material possessions.
He or she should practice meditation in a clean place, on a seat made of
layers of kuza grass, deer skin, and cloth, which is neither too high nor too low. He
or she should try to focus his or her mind and conquer his senses to purify his or
her self or antaHkaraNa. He or she should keep his body, neck, and head upright
and steady and focus his or her mind on the tip of the nose without looking in any
other direction. He or she should sit with a deeply quiet antaHkaraNa, without fear
or worries, following the conduct of a brahmacAri, controlling the manas, placing
the citta in brahman, and visualizing the supremacy of brahman. And then comes
verse 6.15 stating that such a dhyAnyogi achieves the highest level of peace. Just
like the other paths of karmayoga and jnAnyoga, the path of dhyAnyoga leads to
nirvaNa, mokSa, or permanent peace.
bhaktiyoga or the Path of Devotion
In verse 9.31, 51 the person who approaches brahman with devotion is said to achieve
peace. kRSNa tells arjuna in verse 9.26 52 that when a person with pure buddhi (or
intellect) offers him (i.e., kRSNa or brahman 53 ) a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water with
devotion, he accepts it. He advises arjuna to offer all his activities – the food he eats,
the offerings he makes in a yajna or spiritual service, the charities he performs, or the
austerity he performs – to brahman. By doing so he would be able to free himself
from the bondage of the merits and demerits of his karma. Such offering of all activities
to brahman is sannyAs or renunciation, and performing the activities with such a
mindset is karmayoga; so by offering all the activities to brahman one becomes sannyAsyogayuktAtmA,
and such a free person merges with brahman. Building on the
50 Verses 6.10 to 14: yogi yuJjIta satatamAtmAnaM rahasi sthitaH; ekAkI yatacittAtmA nirAzIraparigrahaH
(6.10). zucau deze pratiSThapya sthiramAsanamAtmanaH; nAtyucchRtaM nAtinIcaM
cailAjinakuzottaram (6.11). tatraiAgraM manaH kRtvA yatacittendRyakRyaH; upavizyAsane
yuJjyAdyogamAtmavizuddhye (6.12). samaM kAyazrogrIvaM dhArayanncalaM sthiraH; samprekSya
nAsikAgraM svaM dizazcAnavalokayan (6.13). prazAntAtmA vigatabhIrbramcArivrate
sthitaH; manaH saMyamya maccittO yukta AsIta matparaH (6.14).
51 Verse 9.31: kSipraM bhavati dharmAtmA zazvacchAntiM nigacchati; kaunteya pratijAnIhi na
me bhaktaH praNazyati.
52 Verse 9.26: patraM puSpaM phalaM toyaM yo me bhaktyA prayacchati; tadahaM bhaktyupah-
RtamaznAmi prayatAtmanaH.
53 brahman is formless and kRSNa is referred to as saguNa brahman, or brahman in form. brahman
is used to denote both saguNa and nirguNa brahman in this book. This is consistent in spirit since
kRSNa equates every element of a yajna to brahman in verse 4.24 (brahmArpaNaM brahman havirbrahmagnau
brahNA hutam; brahmaiva tena gantavyaM brahmakarmasamAdhinA.)
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