Canto 3 - Chapter 28: The process of the eightfold Yoga ...

Discourse XXVIII

The process of the eightfold Yoga

The Lord continued : (Now) I shall tell you, O princess, the character of Yoga (meditation) with some object to rest upon, by practising which—and in no other way—the mind gets purified and takes to the path of God. (1)
To do one's allotted duty to the best of one's ability and to shrink from prohibited acts; to remain contented with whatever is got as a dispensation of Providence; to adore the feet of one who has realized the Self and to cease from duties connected with the pursuit of religious merit, worldly possessions and sensuous enjoyment; even so to take delight in duties tending to final beatitude; to take pure food in a measured quantity*; to dwell permanently in a place which is not only secluded but also free from molestation; to practise non-violence (in thought, word and deed); to speak the truth, to abstain from thieving, to limit one's possessions to the extent of one's barest needs, to abstain from sexual commerce, to practise austere penance, to observe purity (of body and mind), to study the Vedas and other sacred texts, to worship the Deity, to observe silence, to acquire steadiness by firmness in the very best postures, to control one's breath by slow degrees, to withdraw one's senses from their objects and direct them towards the heart with the help of the mind, to fix one's mind as well as the vital air on any mystical circle in one's body, to contemplate without break on the pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu and thereby to compose one's mind—by these and other such methods. (e.g., observing fasts, bestowing gifts and so on) one should diligently control one's breath and then gradually curb one's wicked mind, addicted to evil ways, with the help of one's reason and apply it to contemplation on God. (2—7)

Having controlled one's posture, one should spread a seat (consisting of Kuśa grass, deerskin and so on) in an undefiled spot. And sitting there in an easy posture, keeping the body erect, one should practise control of breath.(8)
(At the very outset) the striver should clear the passage of the breath by first inhaling the air to his utmost capacity, then holding the breath and finally exhaling it, or by reversing the process (i. e., by exhaling the air in the first instance, then holding the breath outside and finally inhaling it), so that the mind may become steady and free from distraction.(9)
Even as gold throws off its dross when heated (and melted) by the force of air and fire, so the mind of the striver who has controlled his breath gets purified before long.(10)
A striver should (therefore) eradicate the disorders of the three humours of the body (wind, bile and phlegm) by the (aforesaid three) processes of breath-control, his sins by concentrating his mind, contacts (with sense-objects) by withdrawing the senses from their objects and the characteristics which are contrary to the Lord's divine nature (such as attachment and aversion etc.), by means of meditation. (11)
When his mind gets purified and concentrated by the practice of Yoga, he should meditate on the form of the Lord (as indicated hereafter) with his gaze fixed on the tip of his nose.(12)

• The quantity of food one should take has been indicated in the following Smṛti-text, quoted by Śrīdhara Swāmi:—

One should fill two quarters of one's belly with articles of food and one quarter with water. The fourth quarter should be kept empty for the free passage of air.

The Lord has a cheerful lotus-like countenance, eyes ruddy like the interior of a lotus, and a body swarthy (of complexion) like the petals of a blue lotus and bearing a conch, discus and mace (in three of His four hands). (13)
He has wrapped round His loins a shining piece of silk yellow as the filaments of a lotus, bears the mark of Śrivatsa (a curl of white hair) on His bosom and has the brilliant Kaustubha gem suspended from His neck. (14)
He also wears round His neck a garland of sylvan flowers, that has attracted a swarm of bees drunk with its delicious fragrance and sweetly humming about it, and is further adorned with a pearl necklace and a crown, and pairs of armlets, wristlets and anklets, all superb. (15)
With His loins and hips graced by a girdle He stands on the lotus of His devotee's heart, is most charming to look at, wears a serene aspect and gladdens the soul and eyes of those who behold Him. (16)
Eternally continuing in the prime of youth, He has a captivating appearance, is ever greeted by the entire universe and is impatient to show His grace to His servants. (17)
His glory is worth singing and sanctifies all; nay, He confers glory even on men of sacred renown (like the demon king Bali). In this way one should meditate on the integral form of the Lord till the mind does not shake. (18)
The pastimes of the Lord are all attractive to the sight; hence with a mind full of sincere devotion one should visualize Him as standing, moving, sitting, lying or dwelling in one's heart. (19)
Having ascertained that his mind, though fixed on the aforementioned form of the Lord, only takes a collective view of all His limbs, the practant should fix it on each individual limb of the Lord (as follows). (20)

The devotee should (first of all) concentrate his thought on the Lord's lotus-feet—adorned with the marks (in the form of lines) of a thunderbolt, a goad, a banner and a lotus—the splendour of whose prominent, ruddy and brilliant nails, resembling the orb of the moon, dispels the thick gloom of one's heart. (21)
The blessed Lord Śiva became all the more blessed by bearing on His head the holy waters of the Gaṅgā (the foremost of all rivers), which has its source in the water that washed the Lord's lotus-feet. Again, His feet are like a thunderbolt hurled to shatter the mountain of sins stored in the mind of the devotee meditating upon them. One should meditate on these for a long time. (22)

Then the devotee should impress on his heart the knees (as well as the shanks) of the birthless Lord (who cuts short the transmigration of His devotees), which are fondled by Lakṣmī (the goddess of fortune), the lotus-eyed mother of Brahmā—the maker of the universe—and the adored of the gods, with Her shining sprout-like hands, placing them (the knees) on Her thighs. (23)
Next he should fix his mind on the Lord's thighs, the storehouse of energy, that possess the (blue)lustre of the linseed flower and appear most graceful when borne on the shoulders of Garuḍa (the king of the birds). Similarly he should contemplate on His rounded hips, encircled by a girdle resting on the exquisite yellow silk that covers them and extends up to His ankles. (24)
Now he should meditate on His pool-like navel at the centre of His belly, the abode of the entire system of the worlds, from which sprang the lotus representing all the spheres and forming the home of Brahmā (the self-born). Likewise he should concentrate his thought on the Lord's nipples, resembling a pair of most excellent emeralds, which look whitish on account of the rays of the milk-white pearl necklaces (adorning His chest). (25)
He should then fix his mind on the bosom of the Supreme Person, the abode of Goddess Mahālakṣmī—which brings delight to the mind and eyes of men (who contemplate on it). He should also imprint on his mind an image of the neck of the Lord who is adored by the whole universe—a neck which serves to enhance the beauty of the Kaustubha gem itself. (26)

He should further focus his thought on the Lord's four arms, the abode of the guardians of the various spheres, the ornaments (armlets etc.), on which were burnished by revolving Mount Mandara (at the time of churning the milk ocean along with the gods at the dawn of creation). He should also duly contemplate on the Lord's discus (Sudarśana), containing a thousand spokes and possessing a dazzling lustre, as well as on the conch, which looks like a swan in His lotus-like palm. (27)
He should then call to mind the Lord's beloved mace, known by the name of Kaumodaki and besmeared with the clotted blood of enemy warriors; His garland (of sylvan flowers), attended with the humming of a swarm of bees; and the gem (Kaustubha) adorning His neck and representing the pure essential character of the Jivas (viz., the Spirit). (28)

Next he should rivet his thought on the lotus-like countenance of the Lord, who reveals His form in this world out of compassion for His devotees—a countenance which is distinguished by a prominent nose and whose crystalline cheeks are irradiated by the oscillation of His glittering alligator-shaped ear-rings. (29)
Adorned with curly tresses and possessed of lotus-like eyes, the Lord's face, which is further characterized by dancing eyebrows, puts to shame by its elegance a lotus (the abode of Goddess Lakṣmī) swarming with bees, with a pair of fish throbbing on it. With an alert mind he should dwell on a conceptual image of the aforesaid countenance. (30)

With full devotion he should contemplate for a long time in his heart on the glances frequently cast out of compassion by His eyes in order to soothe the most fearful threefold agony of His devotees—glances which are accompanied by loving smiles and are full of abundant grace. (31)
He should similarly meditate on the most benevolent smile of Lord Śrī Hari, a smile which dries away the ocean of tears—caused by intense grief—of all those who bow to Him, as well as on His arched eyebrows manifested by dint of His own Māyā (wonderful creative energy) in order to charm the god of love (whose ensign bears the emblem of an alligator) for the good of hermits (who are molested by him). (32)
Full of devotion steeped in love, he should finally fix his thought on the laughter of Lord Viṣṇu, visualized as abiding in the cavity of his heart—a laughter which is so captivating that it can be easily meditated upon, and in the course of which come to view the rows of His small teeth, resembling jasmine buds, rendered rosy by the profuse (crimson) splendour of His lips. And having (exclusively) devoted his mind to the same, he should no more desire to see anything else. (33)

By following the above course of meditation the devotee develops love for Śrī.Hari: his heart melts through Devotion, the hair on his body stand erect through excessive joy and he is constantly bathed in a stream of tears occasioned by intense love, so that he now gradually withdraws (from the object of meditation) even the mind, which was (till now) being used by him as a means to attract Śrī Hari (just as a hook is used for capturing fish). (34)
Even as the flame of a lamp is extinguished (i.e., becomes one with its cause, viz., the element of fire) when the oil etc., are burnt and the lamp broken, so the mind gets immediately dissolved (becomes one with Brahma or the Absolute) the moment it is cut off from its moorings in the shape of the soul and, rid of passion, it ceases to think of anything. The adjuncts of the soul in the shape of body etc. (which are nothing but a continuous flow of the Guṇas or modes of Prakṛti), being withdrawn at this stage, the striver sees pervading everywhere the one Absolute having no distinction of subject, object and so on. (35)
Having established himself in the glory of his own being (viz., Brahma)—which transcends joy and sorrow—through the dissolution of his mind, brought about by the practice of Yoga and divorced from ignorance, the striver realizes the truth of the Supreme Self, and discovers that pleasure and pain as well as their experience, which he attributed till now to his own self, are attributable to the ego, which is a product of ignorance. (36)
Even as a man blinded by intoxication caused by spirituous liquor sees not whether the cloth wrapped round his loins is still there or has dropped therefrom, so the enlightened soul who has attained this final stage no longer discerns whether the body (which they still call his own) is seated or has risen from its seat, whether it has shifted (from the place where it was) by the will of Providence or whether it has come back (to that place) by the will of the same Providence; for he has realized his essential character. (37)
The body too, which is (now) subject to the will of Providence, survives along with the senses till the destiny which contributed to its existence has not been reaped. Yet the enlightened soul who has attained to the heights of Yoga culminating in Samādhi (abstract meditation) and (consequently) realized the truth no longer regards that body or those connected with it (e.g., wife, children and so on) as his own, even as a man who is awake no longer thinks of the body etc. —seen in a dream—as his own. (38)

Just as a man is realized (on a little thought) as distinct from his son and possessions, that are regarded (by the common people) as their own self (on account of excessive fondness), so is the perceiving subject recognized as distinct from the body, senses and other adjuncts, which are generally identified with one's own self (due to ignorance).(39)
(To take another illustration) just as fire is distinct from a piece of burning wood, a spark or even from the smoke arising from it, and just as it is distinct even from a torch, which is recognized as identical with it, so the perceiving subject is distinct from the elements, the senses and the internal sense; the all-pervading Self, which is called Brahma is distinct even from the perceiving subject, which is called Jiva (an individual soul); and the Lord (the Supreme Person) is distinct from Prakṛti (which is activated by Him). (40-41)
One should see the Self as identical in all living beings and all beings as identical in the Self, even as all (the four species of) living beings (viz., mammals, oviparous animals, sweat-born creatures and those sprouting from the earth) are seen as identical in essence with the gross elements (being products of the same). (42)
Just as fire, though one (undifferentiated) appears as diversified in the media (pieces of wood etc.) manifesting it, due to the diverse characteristics (size, shape etc.) of those media, so the Self, though one, appears different as abiding in the various material bodies, due to the diverse characteristics (species etc.) of those bodies.(43)
Therefore, conquering (by the grace of the Lord) this divine Prakṛti (Māyā)—which veils the true character, and brings about the bondage of the Jiva, a fragment of the Lord, nay, which appears both as cause and effect and is so difficult to comprehend—a devotee of the Lord realizes his true being.(44)

Thus ends the twenty-eighth discourse entitled "The pursuit of disciplines for God-Realization", forming part of the "Teachings of Lord Kapila", in Book Three of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Sarhhitā.