On Antharanga Sadhana
By S. Ramaswami
In the pravious issuas many groups of to many benefits as a hoalthy frame, suffici- Yogasanas and Pranayamas have been ont mental clarity to cary on tha day to day oxplained and bsnefits indicated. While work. - the psychological experiences and these practices-accordingto Hathayoga-give ultimat€ spiritual experience require further many physical and physiological benetits, rigorous practice. Since wg normally go Patanjali would urge the aspirants to go back to tho normal way of lifs after the two bayond and work towatds the taansformation aspects of sadhana, the sensaS continue to of the mind (chittaparinama) itself. This distract tho mind. Altornating botween practice known as Antha- ranga Sadhana helps at qualitative and permanent changes in rho chitta by means of practice; th€s€ increaseand strengthen the habits (samskaras)of niro- dha, samadhi, and ekagra- tha. successively to the exclusion of rhe distrac- rd (vyuthitha) semskaras.
GO FURTHEB Pranayamahelps to reduce the painfuland disttacting tendenciesof chitta whsn it tends to bocome predo- ( minantly sathwic. Sueh a mind also becomes capabls of concentratingand holding on lo subtle obiocta.
Many of us stop with as!- nas and Pranayama. While those by thomselvesgive rise yogabhyasa of th€ rudimentary kind and antaranga sadhana. The thr€e parts, viz. sensual activities. wo wonder about the r€al Dharana,dhyana and samadhi are only diffe- efficacies of Yogasadhana. tent discernablestages each succeeding the Otner. Pratyahara,the tifrh angaof yoga is to help prevent this slide back. Antogonist to In tha first chapter of Patanjala yoga, furtheryogabhyasaistheindulgencethrough sarnadhi in its various ramifications are the ssnsual objects which lead again to detailed. In the second, ths prefequisito passion and dolusion. Having practised practises td mak€ the mind fit for Dharana vama, niyama. asana and pranayama to are dgscribod. In the third chaptet to creato achievomental clarity, the indriyas'influence intarest and also for thoso so inclined, on tho mind greatly reduces. When that cattain siddhis are describEd and tho morns happons, there is a bettor awareness of th6 of such lttainments, spotless satwic rspect of chitta and tho indriyas also becoma satwic. Hencothey, Going back to tho question of what as it were, mergo with tho chitta 5r1*r. should be the obiect for contemplation, th€ That is, as the chirta is given orher subtle; Rshl is delightfully vaguo in this, mainly to Tatwas, the indfiyss do not cause any int€r- accomodate the vatious classgsof antaranga ference. abhyasis . whother ho be a devotee, religious *HANM'KHTMUDBA HErps ff:'::'JJ"1',".1,3":il"'il:tlf;"::T:;: guiclelines' Ptalyahata, some pgople aver, is an somo specitic offoct of Asana and Pranayama,rhile some Even though by means of the yama to say it is also a specific practico. Shanmuth.i- pratyahara,tho basie dafilement of restless- mudra. a simpla exercise menti.oned .i" ;;;.';;;" chitta is grearty reduced, sincs Februaty 1978 issue helps strengthen. lh" tt" chitta is basically wandering and Pratyaharahabit. But a fundam-ental,de"irion unsteady (Manaschanchalam Asthtramr, about what object ot Tattwa sholld be con- wittrout'conjoining with an obiect, it doos t€mplated upon by ths now satwic _free not ur"or" steady and hence the need for chitts' should be made Here rle1e, tt"-tt .rpport of an objact (Aasraya). many views ag there are schools. For " instance Hathsyogisrefer to nadanusa.nilgna SUBHASHRA'A or listeningto the Anahata (th!t which lire- ---""-' rally meens that sound produced without But we havo excludod' by means of rubbing of two objects) made possiblo 6y Bahitangasadhana those contacts which Shanmukhimudra and this should be Produce painful bondage. lt is now necss- stt€mptod. sary to find the support (ashraya) of that rherhird chaprer orparanjara ,"n" ,' llliltttiiffi';:^::::]:rt:"liir?r:i':: devoted exclusively to describe th€ t€ch- bondage, would progressively lead the nique of concentrstion, th€ tatwas to be s66y631 to Kaivalya (thsre ar6 very many concentratodand the benefits or siddhis that nsmg6 given to this ultimate state of chitta). sccrueto the abhyasi. through stagesof superior enlightenment, l! The technique itself consists of thtee Such an object is tormod as subhasraya. stagos, but put as one is called y1g lt the mind, contacling an object, by which does not sutfer restlessn€ssand subsequ€nt The differencebetwe€n dherana,dhyano bondage (Bandha),rhat object or support is and samadhi are subtle, but have howov€r known as subhasraya. This subhasrayais been described in yogic texts and slso tho of two kinds. Bahyaand Aantara. Puranas. When tho chitta having taken to s Subha object, continues to remain submor- It has been the practice to with start ged in the vrithi without a switch to another, Babya dharana. To focus the mind on the that state of the mind is called dhyana vri- charmingMurti of the Lord, made of pancha- thi. Eventhough dharana is also a chitta loha and as per Agamas fortified the by the vrithl on one object, there is considerable mantrais Bahya dharana. However, when effort in warding off other intruding objective s davotee by fepeated pfact;ce has the vrithis. In dhyana,without offort ths mind chittavirthi of the enchanting form of the stays withl.ha obj€ct, €ftortl6ssly,According Lord, even without the aid of the vigraha, ro Vishnu Purana: thsn it bocomes Antardharana. Bhakti is not merely unrestrained emotion of Love, TsdrupePrstysyaikasgro Ssntati3chs Aryr nisspunha but the channelising the chitta lowards the Tad dhysnaihi Prarhamsirang€ihiShadbhiht ilishpad. divya form of Lord so that the Bhakta has it always in his chitta to the exclusionof all However in dhyana, the distinction orherthoughts or Vrithis. between th€ meditator (dhyata) 8nd th€ object of m€ditation (dhyeyam) remains. OTHER KINDS OF DHARANA The yogis, however, suggest othet In Samadhi, or moro spocitically the kinds of Anthardharanawhich will be help- sampragnata or sabija samadhi. when the ful equallyto Bhaktas,gnanis. dharmis snd distinction between the dhyata and dhyeys Bairagis. To focus attention,as taught by I vanish and only the object shines in its full learnEd preceptors, on such 'centresin tha glory,then it is samadhi. Tho technicaltelm Body as naval (Nabhi chakra), heartregron used by yogis for antaranga sadhanais (htidaya pundarika) sahasrara, nasagra. samvama. jihvaagra, Bhrumadhya is also anthara dharana,which when developed to dhyana CAN BE CHANGED BY PRACTICE and samadhileads to vanous siddhis. One more pertinent observation may be made. The Antaranga sadhana produces Pavanam Praanaayamena its own changesin the chitta,it is said chitta Pratyaahaarenacha Indriyam is but the remainder of previous ssmskaras Vasikfitya Tatah kuryaath fsamskarasesham hi chittam);thus power- Tatstaanam Subhaasrave. ful samskarareplace weak samskara(Ptabal- Havingbrought undercontrol the nsuro- ena durbalasyaBadaha), which observation logicalforces by Praanaayama,the senses is common knowledge. by Pratyaahaara,one should resortto con- templa:ionon a peacefulprinciplefor mental Due to r€peatodsensualexperiences stability. According to Vishnupuranam, our chitta hss. ths samskarasof outgoing Antaradharanais frrmlyfixing the enchanting (vikshipta). Due to vasanasof them people form of the t-ordffi?i6"s mind and this prac- repeatedlygo for such experienc6s. Furth€r tice of dharanashould be done until dhyana a strengtheningsuch samskaras also takes takesplace. SrimadBhagavatarm and many place by repeaied indulgenco- But it is other Puranasalso detailthis pfactrce. pc'-'srt:!etc change it by practice, which is fri. dgtailgdin the scienseof yoga. The Antar- personswho are respectivglycontenlgd, suf- - .;. o anga sadhanaproduces mutationsinthebrair. tering, righteous,and unlawful-to ths exrent " TheVyuthithachittatull of outgoing sams' of samyama-oneacquiresenormousmsl!9!;iU karas is replacod by nirodha samskara, strength. And samyama on the principle which is to rafuse to respond to external of light known as jvotishmati vrithi, lhe i ,/ ' stimuli. Then the samyama produces a lange of visi6n incteasoslo long distances " samadhipatinama or ths mental transforma' and line objects. tion to remsinin on€ object,to the exclusion By of all other chittavrithisincludrng the leeling samyamaon the sun, knowledgeof |.) l. universedawns. chandra, if - o._separar€individnal identity. When thrs On one.does yogic sadhana, knowledge of the galaxies d-i fconfinued, rhe chitta becomescomplstely "., :-' Jtranaformedto becomeknown' polar -1? being with one vrithionly The stat' samYama -parinama. o.nwhich provtdes k€y frfri|fr-_G.-Et ugrata When such the fot the motion of ' the stars and the galaxies' chitta parinami takes placo, just as it is dirricutrto makethe urrtn'j,ni;:"*il,:1]ff INTERNALslDDHts chiila to even slsrt on yoga, when lnls llnal .tr'.r ' {$"' sabijasamadhi is achieved,the chittatrans' Nearerhome, within on€self.by samy- tormationbecomss socomplete it is equally ama on navalregion (Nabhichakra)one gots)n\ difficult to make such a concentratingmind to know about one's anatomy (kayavyuha). to be disturbed. The Upanisads, puranas, Concentration on the insids of the throat smirti eulogize such states. lt is lhe conten- (near the glottis) leads to control of thg : .- ' tion of yoga, that such stages are possible physiologicalfunctions, thilst and hunger. " and ars mechanicalprocesses attainable by A nadi called Kurma is identified as the.1 1 'i right practice and by ptactice alone' bronchial area. Concentrating on that, stea. ' ' (breath) T' mind accrues' Bv samv- ANTARDHARANA ama:::t-1tf on Brahmarandhra, one communicates]-3 -,r! Vyasa commentarv on Patanjalayoga with siddhapurushas. relors to a nnqbgl of places or objects for PRAATIBHA such samyama,each one leading to its own powers posses- people siddhisand supetnormal and Then certain haveintuitive know. 3? sion, Ev€ry chitta has the capacity for such ledge. All have it but in some it is rnoro transtormation,and such accomplishments, manifestand frequentlyso. lt is calledPraa. tibha,which is indicative. By concentrating It is aaidthat by samyamaon the distrn' and developingthis intuitivopower, everyth- ction botweenword (sabda),lhe obiect re- ing comesto be known. By concentratingon ferredby the wotd (artha)and the fofmation on€'s own heartregion, as describedin such in the mind (pratyaya) one can understand vidyasas Dahara vidya. one understands the languageof all species. By samyamaor one's own mind. deepconcentration on the basic tendoncies of an individual(samskara), one can nnder- The Chittais of Trigunas,but the purusha stand one's prevrousbirth. Then sariiffi is pure consciousness. By concentfatingon onthe moods (Prathyaya), nrind reading this distinctionone gets to know tho real bocomespossible. natuleof one'sown self.
By developingtendencies of friendship, The samyamasrefered to so far are on compassion,satisfaction and indifferenceto specificprinciples leading to various know- ledgo(sampragnata).ll can go upto teali- aim of yoga is achieved. Then thelo is zing the natureof Jivatma. Thereare other nothing to achievoand nonedssiring achiE. yogic feats possiblewhich are due to chan. vement. nelisingth€ activesakthi. (kriya rupa sakthi). Bhagawata Purushartha SunySanasm Pfatipressvah Kaivalyrm However Slimad catalogues prstishlava srddhis in a differentway, but always with swaroops chitisakthirEfhi Bhakhitowards the Lord. *** Chitla bV nature has the capacity tor subtlety, but due to the particular dharmad- It is the conlentionof Patanjali that all harma of indivrduals is confined to one's siddhisare possible. In fact achievementis body. The abovesamyamas help to slacken a mechanical process, requiring the right th€ knots (granthi)that causstho bondage. practice. He comparesthe activity to that Hencethese yogic exarcies literally remove of a farmerwho has only to break or raise all restrictionsof thg Prakritiand the mind the bund to divert water. So with chitha knows ths meansto transcendsuch physical sakthi. There is no other coordinating restrictions,and ent€rinto oth€dbodies. The agency(nimitha) that helps or hindersin one's pa?asarira aveshais seen to b6 achieved by endeavours (aprayojaka). Considerable many ovsn in lhs present day. emohaaisis thereforoplaced on indvidiual 6ifoh.- BHUTA SIDDHIS The one dhyana that is necessary and aufflgient is Bhagawad dhyana. When Just as the sensasact in €xternalmatters .. 1 Ishwara the five vaayus, are lho causesof the abhya- - is meditated upon, his form cons- rnantravrithi o. the physiologicalactivities, tanthy kept in mind, all$g.siddhis are given such as respiration,circulation etc. bv Him. This contenti