Chapter III

Concept and Efficacy of Mauna in Yoga

Introduction The history of Yoga, like the history of any other subject which is ancient, is ridden at many places with gaps, uncertainties and ambiguities. In addition to the factor of antiquity, this can also be ascribed mainly to the fact of oral transmission of its sacred texts and the secretive nature of its teachings. The early writings on Yoga are said to berecorded on brittle, fragile and perishable palm leaves that were easily damaged, destroyed or lost. The development of Yoga can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago and some researchers do not hesitate to take Yoga 10,000 years back.

The creation of Yogic texts happened hundreds of years after the prevalence of yogic practices. In fact, even Patañjali in the first sūtra of his Yoga Sūtras says, “Atha Yoga anuśāsanam”, meaning “Now the systematic exposition of the discipline of yoga”. But by prefixing ‘anu’ to ‘śāsanam’, he emphasizes that he is not the founder of Yoga but only the compiler of yogic knowledge. Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras are dated somewhere between 500 B.C. to 200 B.C. Yogic practices and yoga as suchexisted much before this time.

The origin of Yoga can be traced to “Vedas” and the oldest Veda, Ṛgveda, has references to Yoga. There are references to Yoga in Vedas and Upaniṣads. Following them, there have arisen many texts which are exclusively devoted to Yoga. Yoga texts, however, are unique, as they are the recordings of teachings. For these ancient texts, it would be difficult to fix the exact time as historians differ on the dateswithreferencetothe authors of the texts. Yogic knowledge is the experiential of saints and sages. These experiences are translated into words and book form much later than the experiences. Initially they were conveyed and transmitted from generation to generation only orally.

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Silence in Yoga can be said to be that Silence wherein the body, mind and all faculties work in coordination to such an extent that every particle moves in one rhythm. In this state everything works in harmony which includes one’s aspirations and ideals and there are no frictions. When all systems work in harmony, one tends to have a renewed interest in oneself. No one can study oneself successfully unless one has the power of concentration and coordination and this power cannot be achieved unless one comes to an attitude of silence.

Silence which leads to efficiency is not a state of merely sitting idle and doing nothing. It is experienced only when the whole being is being unified and is flowing through one channel in perfect rhythm. There is perfect rhythm when the three Guṇas are in balance. The three Guṇas are Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Tamas creates dullness, heaviness, indiscrimination and depression. Rajas carries the thought to the opposite extreme of over-activity, noisy aggression, etc. True silence is possible only in this state. Sattva is positive silence and tamas is negative silence. A person overpowered by tamas may appear calm, but it is a very different condition from the serene stillness of sattva where all the faculties of the mind are widely awake and full of light. To achieve this higher form of silence one must cultivate it with steady yoga practice.

This Chapter attempts to bring out the concept of Mauna or Silence as it appears, explicitly or implicitly, in Scriptures / Texts dealing with Yoga as also related scriptures which have a bearing on Yoga. The texts / scriptures considered are Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras, Haṭha Yoga Texts, Yoga Vaśiṣṭha, Bhagavad Gītā and Vedas and Upaniṣads (including Yoga Upaniṣads). The Chapter also attempts to view the efficacy of Mauna in reaching the final goal of Yoga.

1. Mauna or Silence in Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras (PYS) The PYS is also referred to as Yoga Darśana. It is the basic text of Yoga philosophy, which is one of the six orthodox or astika Indian Philosophies. These six philosophies are called as Shad Darśana.1

1 The Shad Darśana comprises of Mimamsa, Vedānta, Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Sāṅkhya and Yoga.

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The PYS, considered as the Bible of Yoga Philosophy, may be said to represent one of the best examples of Sūtra work. A sūtra is said to essentially provide ‘maximum knowledge in minimum words”. It is very condensed, very precise and cryptic at that, containing very deep and thought-provoking meanings. Because it is condensed it is mnemonic (easy to memorize) and hence the best tool for transmission of knowledge when the tradition was oral and writing was not facilitated.

In PYS, SagePatañjali has presented the science of yoga, in a most scientific manner, both from ancient (traditional) as well as modern scientific outlook. The Sūtras present not only the philosophy and science of yoga in a theoretical manner but also propound actual practice through which the goal of Yogai.e.Kaivalya is reached.

Brief description of the PYS The PYS comprises of four Chapters called as Pādas. These are namely the SamādhiPāda (51 Sūtras), the SādhanāPāda (55 Sūtras), the VibhūtiPāda (55 Sūtras) and the Kaivalya Pāda (34 Sūtras). Thus there are totally 195 Sūtras in PYS. These Sūtras propound the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga or Yoga with eight limbs. These eight limbs are the Yama, Niyanma, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna and Samādhi. Though these eight are referred to as limbs, we can see the hierarchical nature of their arrangement wherein each aṅga leads to the next and higher aṅga culminating in Samādhi. (SabījaSamādhi → NirbījaSamādhi → DharmameghaSamādhi).

The first Chapter i.e.Samādhi Pāda The Chapter, deals with the general nature of Yoga and its techniquesof controlling the mind. It is really meant to answer the question, ‘What is Yoga?’.Samādhinaturally occupies the most important position among the various topics dealt here as it is the essential / final goal of Yoga. This Chapter is therefore called SamādhiPāda. It gives, among other things, the definition of Yoga, the nature of human mind, the obstacles that come in the way of reaching the state of Yoga, means by which they can be over- come, the idea of Īśwara and surrender to Īśwara as one of the means, the practice of Praṇava japa, the Cittaprasādanatechniques, the Manasaḥsthitinibandhinī techniques, the different states of mind in its inward going process, etc.

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The second Chapter i.e. Sādhanā Pāda As the Chapter name suggests the practices (sādhanā) are given importance. It deals with, to begin with, the philosophy of Kleśaand the technique of Kriya Yogaand is meant to provide an answer to the question ‘Why should people practice Yoga’. It gives a masterly analysis of the conditions of human life, the predicament of the human being and the misery and sufferings which are inherent in these conditions. The philosophy of Kleśa must be understood by all who are on the path of yoga with the resolute determination to persevere, life after life, until the goal of liberation, the freedom from bondage, the ultimate once for all removal of miseries and sufferings is reached.

The SādhanāPāda further deals with the first five aṅgas or practices of AṣṭāṅgaYoga, which are referred to as Bahiraṅga yoga or external yoga. These practices are of a preparatory nature and are meant to make the Sādhaka fit for the practice of meditation leading to Samādhi. As this section is meant for the aspirant to be physically, mentally, emotionally and morally fit for the practice of higher yoga it is called SādhanāPāda.

A significant and conspicuous part of SādhanāPādais the presentation of four concepts which are similar to the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. These are the “Heya”, the “Heya-hetu”, the “Hāna” and the “Hāna-Upāya”. ‘Heya’ refers to the duḥkha or sufferings which have not yet happened2 but are in the offing and which can be avoided. ‘Heya-hetu’ refers to the cause of this dukh or sufferings. ‘Hāna’ refers to the elimination or destruction of this cause. ‘Hāna – Upāya’ refers to the method of elimination or destruction of the Cause. Like the Four Noble Truths of Buddha begin with Duḥkha, Patañjali also states that from the point of view of aVivekinaḥ3 or a realized person, everything is painful in the empirical world. The reasons for this pain are given as “change”, “despair” and “saṃskāras” (which keep you bound infinitely in the chain of karma- saṃskāra-karma and consequently in birth-life-death-rebirth cycle) and the inevitable conflict of guṇas present in every experience of a human being, the

2Heyaṁduḥkhamanāgatam||PYS 2.16||हेयंद ुःखमनागतम्॥१६॥ The pain and misery that has yet to come can be avoided. 3 Pariṇāmatāpasaṁskāraduḥkhairguṇavṛttivirodhāccaduḥkhamevasarvaṁvivekinaḥ||PYS 2.15|| परिणामतापसंस्कािद ुःखैग ुणवृत्तित्तविोधाद ुःखमेवसवंत्तववेत्तिनुः॥२.१५॥On account of the misery caused through change, anguish and samskaras and also on account of the conflict between the guna and the vritti, all is pain and misery for an analytical and discriminatory person.

163 conflict between the guṇa -mix of the experiencer and the guṇa-mix of the object of experience which colours the citta of the experiencer.

The heya-hetu or cause is given as “Saṃyoga”4or conjunction which is the wrong identification of Perceiver (Puruṣa) and the instruments of perception (i.e.of the Self and the mind i.e. Prakṛti).The cause of this wrong identificationis “Avidyā”5 which is “wrong knowledge” or “knowledge other than right knowledge”. The goal is “Kaivalyam” which is “Complete Freedom” or “Independence” of the Perceiver from the instruments of perception, which is achieved6 when “Avidyā” disappears. To achieve the goal of “Kaivalyam” and to become free from “duḥkham”, the means is unbroken Viveka-khyāti7 (enlightened discrimination between Puruṣa and Prakṛti) which is attained by the practice of “Aṣṭāṅga Yoga”8, the eight-limbed yoga consisting of “Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāraa, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna and Samādhi”. The practice of the “astaṅga yoga” removes the impurities of “Avidyā” brings out the light of knowledge and makes one fit for the “right knowledge” which will leads to “kaivalyam”.

The third Chapter i.e.Vibhūti Pāda This Chapter deals with the three last aṅgas or practices (Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna and Samādhi) ofAṣṭāṅga Yoga which are referred to as Antaraṅga yoga or internal yoga. It is through these practices which culminate in Samādhi that all the mysteries of Yogic life are unraveled, and the powers or siddhis acquired. This chapter describes almost 55 different Siddhisor so-called supernatural accomplishments attained to by the yogi when he or she meditates on 30 different objects

4Draṣṭṛdṛśyayoḥsaṁyogoheyahetuḥ||PYS 2.17|| द्रष्टृदृश्ययययोुःसंयोगोहेयहेत ुः॥२.१७॥ The cause of that duhkha which is to be avoided and abolished ‘ issamyoga of the two, namely the seer-principle and seen. 5Tasyaheturavidyā||PYS 2.24|| तस्यहेत ित्तवद्या॥२.२४॥The cause of saṃyoga is avidhya. 6Tadabhāvātsaṁyogābhāvohānaṁtaddṛśeḥkaivalyam||PYS 2.25|| तदभावात्संयोगाभावोहानंतद्दृश्शेुःिैवल्यम्॥२.२५॥When avidhyadisappears,samyoga disappears resulting in kaivalya. 7Vivekakhyātiraviplavāhānopāyaḥ||PYS 2.26||त्तववेिख्यात्ततित्तवप्लवाहानोपायुः॥२.२६॥ The remedy for dissolution of suffering is uninterrupted discriminating knowledge. 8Yogāṅgānuṣṭhānādaśuddhikṣayejñānadīptirāvivekakhyāteḥ||PYS 2.28|| योगाङ्गान ष्ठानादश द्धिक्षयेज्ञानदीद्धििात्तववेिख्यातेुः॥२.२८॥From the disciplinary practice of Yoga,impurity will be destroyed and there arises spiritual illumination which develops into awareness of Reality.

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The fourth Chapter i.e.Kaivalya Pāda In the Kaivalya Pādaare explained all those essential philosophical matterswhich are involved in the study and practice of yoga. The nature of the mind and mental perception of desire and its binding effect, of liberation and the results which follow it are all dealt with briefly but systematically to enable the Sādhaka to have an adequate background of theoretical knowledge. Since all these topics are connected in one way or another with the attainment of Kaivalya the section is called Kaivalya Pāda.

Thus, Sage Patañjali’s 195 aphorisms or Sūtras cover all aspects of life, beginning with a prescribed code of conduct and ending with man’s vision of true Self. Each word of the Sūtras is concise and precise. As individual drops of rain contribute towards the formation of a lake, so each word contained in the Sūtras conveys a wealth of thought and experience and is indispensable to the whole.PYS not only gives all essential information about yoga in a masterly manner but also it is recognized as a master piece in the literature of yoga and has stood the test of time and experience.

Having seen in brief the over-all contents of PYS, we can now consider the concept of

1.1 Mauna and its efficacy in Aṣṭāṅga Yoga. Though sage Patañjali has not used the word Mauna in any of his Sūtras, one can easily observe that from the definition of yoga to the goal of yoga i.e. Kaivalya all practices actually gear towards how to attain total silence. Whether it is yama, niyama, āsana, Prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna or Samādhi, Mauna is implicitly present in all.

Patañjali’s Aṣṭāṅga Yoga is based on the philosophical and metaphysical foundations provided by Sāṅkhya philosophy. According to Sāṅkhya philosophy, a human being is comprised of two principles viz. Puruṣa and Prakṛti. Puruṣa is represented in the human being as Consciousness and Prakṛti is represented by the Gross physical body (Sthūlasharira) and the Subtle body (Sūkṣmasharira), which mainly comprises of the mind, ego and intellect (Manas, Ahaṅkāra and Buddhi). The prākṛtika complex can be conveniently referred to as body-mind-ego-intellect complex. Out of these two, the Reality of the human being is Puruṣa. Due to ignorance, human being identifies with the prākṛtika aspect (body-mind-ego-intellect complex) and appropriates all that

165 happens to this prākṛtika part as happening to himself. This wrong identification is the cause of miseries and sufferings of human life. When man ‘realizes’ his true nature as “Puruṣa” or “Consciousness” he is liberated from all the sufferings permanently, is rendered free from the bondage to the seemingly infinite cycle of birth-life-death- rebirth.

Patañjali’s Aṣṭāṅga yoga as propounded in his Yoga Sūtras is the path to this Self- realization, the realization of one’s true nature as Puruṣa or pure Consciousness.Patañjali’s Yoga is thus a MokṣaŚāstra, the science of liberation or spiritual freedom, the goal being Self-realization. This fact becomes obvious in the first sūtra of PYS9 itself wherein the term ‘atha’ or ‘now’ indicates the beginning of a new subject, leading supposedly from Dharma Śāstra to MokṣaŚāstra. The Self to be realized is the Puruṣa. This Puruṣa is described as aparinami (immutable / unchangeable), inactive (akarta), hetu-rahita (desireless), Draṣṭā (seer), sakshi (pure witness), etc. This description of Puruṣa is one of total silence in the state of Puruṣa. Puruṣa is pure witness and not an actor or agency of action nor an enjoyer (bhokta) of fruits of action. It is like the light in which all activity happens but by itself is inactive. Thus, in achieving the goal of yoga i.e. Self-realization called as Kaivalya one is actually achieving a state of complete inaction and silence.

Patañjali’s definition of Yoga as “Citta Vṛtti nirodha”10provides the loudest advertisement for the significance of Silence or Mauna in Yoga. Yoga is the total stoppage of mental modifications i.e. total silence of the mind. Silence of the Mind is the highest form of silence and it is towards this that Yoga aims. Why this stoppage of Vṛttis or mental modifications? As long as the Vṛttis are there, the Puruṣa identifies with the mind and hence remains enchained in the sufferings and miseries of the empirical world. When the vṛttis stop, there is no mind for the Puruṣa to identify with. It is then restored to its original pristine pure nature, a nature full of silence. Also, the vṛttis which actually and simply stand for one’s experiences create saṃskāras which in turn create further karmas and further saṃskāras ad-infinitum. This keeps us bound to

9Athayogānuśāsanam ||PYS1.1||अथयोगान शासनम्॥१.१॥ Now the discipline of Yoga. 10 Yogaścittavṛttinirodhaḥ||PYS1.2||योगद्धययििवृत्तित्तनिोधुः॥२॥ Yoga is the complete cessation of mental modifications.

166 human life, life after life. Human life being inevitably full of sufferings, one is doomed to suffering life after life. Whenvṛttis stop(particularly vṛttis, which are accompaniedbyKleśas – inborn mental afflictions), the chain of saṃskāra-karma- saṃskāra stops. One is liberated from the cycle of birth-life-death-rebirth. Thus, in a way, one can say that the goal of Patañjali’s Yoga is total silence, a silence free of miseries and sufferings, a silence which is liberating from bondage to human life.

If one looks at the Aṣṭāṅga yoga or the overall scheme of Patañjali’s yoga we can observe and extract the following journey: from a distracted and lethargic state of mind (mūḍha, kṣipta and vikṣiptacittabhumis) → Concentrated state (ekāgra citta) → sakshi bhav (state of awareness) → Draṣṭā or Puruṣa (pure awareness or witness). Human mind is categorized into five categories based upon its capacity for concentration. The mūḍha citta is a mind which is totally tamas – oriented and hence lazy and lethargic with absolutely no capacity for concentration. The kṣipta citta is the mind which is rajas-oriented and hence totally restless, distracted and disturbed with hardly any scope for concentration. The vikṣipta citta is an oscillating state of mind where, though rajasis dominating, sattvaguṇa has made an entry. Hence for brief moments such a mind is capable of concentration.

Patañjali says, “yogaaṅgaanushthanatashuddhikshayejnanadiptihiaavivekakhyatehe” (PYS-2.28). Through the sādhanā of yoga aṅgas ferverently performed, the impurities disappear and the light of knowledge which arises develops to the point of enlightened discrimination. The impurities here refer to Tamas and Rajas Guṇas. When these two guṇas reduce, Sattva guṇa increases and knowledge starts happening. Sattva is responsible for knowledge, concentration as well as awareness. Thus, the practice of yoga aṅgas take the practitioner from a lethargic (tamas guṇa) and distracted state (rajas guṇa) to a concentrated state of mind which is called as ekāgra citta. The dullness, lethargy and inactivity of tamas externally appear as stillness and silence but actually it is a negative silence or silence because of absence of activity. Rajas guṇa stands for activity, restlessness, distraction, etc. Here, the mind lacks peace and calmness, lacks silence. It is in the Sattva guṇa, which is the principle of illumination, that the mind starts getting controlled and moves towards silence. Here, in the ekāgra state, the mind isconcentrated on only one object. It is totally focused. It is the silence which is

167 powerful. From this state of concentration, yoga practices take the practitioner to the state of awareness, the witnessing state.This is the most interesting and insightful reason why Patañjali says you can choose for meditation any you like because after concentration ends in the state of Sabija Samadhi, the meditator, leaving the object of meditation behind, progresses to a no-mind zone wherein no vritti is happening but awareness shines forth.

In a state of concentration, the Puruṣa is still identified with the mind with only one object in it. It is now easy for the mind to move towards the witnessing state, the state of awareness. Awareness is consciousness of consciousness. For once, we take the stance of the Puruṣa and observe our own mind in its activity of concentration. When due to practice of meditation this awareness develops further, more and more, we go beyond the state of awareness to pure Awareness or establishment in the Puruṣa or the Self or pure Consciousness. This is the state of ultimate Mauna or Silence. A Jīvanmukta i.e. one who has attained to Kaivalya while living, may continue living with seemingly normal human activities but he or she is at all timesestablished in Pure Consciousness or the inner Silence. At our innermost core we are characterized by total silence. A Jīvanmukta falls back upon this silence, is founded upon this silence, continuously in the midst of empirical living.

The prākṛtikapart (body-mind-ego-intellect complex) in us is characterized by the three guṇas. These guṇas are inherently changing. So our Body and Mind are continuously changing. There can never be total silence as long as the guṇas are active. Interestingly, if we look at evolution as described by Sāṅkhya philosophy, we find that it is actually a downfall of Puruṣa. From its state of pristine purity and silence, in evolution it gets embodied in the prākṛtika complex of body-mind-ego-intellect, though Sāṅkhya states that this embodiment or imprisonment is only apparent and never real. Once thus embodied, there is total loss of its silence because Prakṛti being made of guṇas is allthe time active. The guṇas are inherently and constantly changing. The Puruṣa identified with the Prakṛti in us is bereft of its pristine silence. The guṇas only characterize Prakṛti. The Puruṣa or our Real self has no guṇa qualification. It is guṇatita or beyond the guṇas. Hence, after getting enriched by sattva guṇa in a state of concentration, we have to

168 goevenbeyond it to a state which is beyond the guṇas. This state is called the nirudha citta bhumi.

Silence and pratiprasava or involution In Patañjali’s Yoga, the process of recovering the original state of silence of Puruṣa is called as pratiprasava or involution or counter-evolution. Patañjali delineates the path of this involution based on the stages of guṇas11. The yoga Sādhaka has to retrace the steps backwards on the path of pratiprasava or involution. From the particularized state of the guṇas (represented by the body made of five elements, the five senses of action, the five senses of knowledge and the manas or the mind), he has to move towards the non-particularized state (represented by the five potential elements or tanmātrās and his ego or ahamkar) and from there to the linga matra state of the guṇas (represented by buddhi) to the alinga state (represented by mulaPrakṛti). This moment is to be understood as one of transcendence. This transcendence will happen only when the yoga practitioner attains complete control of the particular state of guṇas represented by the respective parts.

In other words, the path of involution is a path of progress to silence. Control is attained over the grosser parts – they are actually silenced away.For example only when the needs and demands of the body are transcended which is same as saying they are silenced, that one can move towards the ego and the intellect.Finally from the alinga state there is a leap, an discrete leap, to a state beyond all guṇas, the state of Self- realization, the state of realization of Puruṣa which is beyond all guṇas and hence beyond all activities, a state of total silence.

Silence in Aṣṭāṅga Yoga In Patañjali’s Aṣṭāṅga Yoga, this movement towards Self-realization, towards total positive Mauna, happens through the medium of practice of the Aṣṭaṅgas. In the practice of each of these Aṣṭāṅgas, we can see the significance of silence emerging. The eight limbs - yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāraa, dhāraṇā, dhyāna or

11 “Visesha aviseshalingamatraalinganiguṇaparvani”|| PYS-2.19|| त्तवशेषात्तवशेषत्तलङ्गमात्रात्तलङ्गात्तनग णपवाुत्तण॥२.१९॥The successive stages of development clearly separated from each other, of the three gunas are,particularised,non-particularised,in mere symbol form and symbolless.

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Samādhi – actually represent eight dimensions of human personality viz. the social, the personal, the physical, the physiological, the mental, the psychological, the intellectual and the spiritual respectively. In fact, these aṅgas and the personality dimensions can best be represented as concentric circles with yama being the outermost circle and Samādhibeing the innermost circle.

Yoga is a process of going inwards from the noise of society to the silence of the Self. Each inner dimension becomes subtler and subtler compared to the outer dimensions. The social dimension is the grossest while the spiritual dimension is the subtlest. From noise and activity we move towards silence and stillness.

The first aṅga is Yama. This consists of the five practices of ahiṃsā (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-robbing), brahmacharya (moderation in sensual and sexual pleasures) and aparigraha (non-hoarding or non-possessiveness). Patañjali states that irrespective of caste / creed, place, time and circumstances, the yamas have to be adhered to without any excuse. Yamas are social restraints and observances. They will ensure that you don’t have any inter-personal or social conflict. They go a long way in quietening or silencing the mind bringing about peace and calmnessparticularly as regards interactions with other people. A very pertinent point as regards silencing in this context is that the yamas and niyamas have to be adhered to not to become a

170 principled or moral person in life. They are meant to be complied with for silencing the mind as regards possible conflicts due social or personal reasons.

Patañjali prescribes five Niyamas as follows: śauca (cleanliness / purity), santoṣa (contentment), tapa (austerities), Swādhyāya (Self-study) and Īśvarapraṇidhāna (complete surrender to ishvara). These five Niyamas represent personal observances bringing about personaladjustment and strengthen the personality.Personal issues are quitened by practicing these Niyamas.

Āsanas primarily take care of the physical dimension of personality. Physical health happens as a by-product of āsana practice. Patañjali says āsanasbring about freedom from conflicts (mental and psychological). The methodology of doing āsana(Prayatnaśaithilyaandānantasamāpattibhyām12) actually propounds stillness, silence and increasing awareness levels. In performing an āsana, efforts have to progressively reduce. In other words, the performance has to be graceful. Efforts indicate the presence of mind and disquiet. Effortlessness is a movement in the direction of stillness and silence. Merging of mind into infinity (anantasamapattibhyam) is total concentration which is the same as total absence of disturbance and distraction.

Honing or sharpening of Awareness is the cornerstone of all yogic practices – from Yamas to Samādhi in Patañjali’s Aṣṭāṅga yoga. The level of Awareness is inversely proportional to the speed of the activity. In other words, awareness level in any activity cangenerally be higher if the activity is done slowly - the faster the activity, the lesser the level of awareness. Āsanas in the classical tradition may therefore be advised to be done very slowly. Slower the movements in our body while doing an āsana, the higher the level of our awareness. And, finally, when we reach the final posture movement stops completely and awareness reaches the level of infinity. In maintaining the final pose, complete stillness of the body enables the attunement to infinity. That is why in āsana practice, unlike in exercises, it is the duration of holding the final pose that matters rather than repetition of the āsana - greater the duration, more the expertise or

12 Prayatnaśaithilyānantasamāpattibhyām||PYS II.47||प्रयत्नशैत्तथल्यानन्तसमापत्तिभ्याम्॥२.४७॥ The performance of asana should be effortless and meditating on infinite.

171 proficiency of āsana performance. It is in this final pose where the mind is totally stopped. Complete silence of the infinity / the eternal is experienced.

Prāṇāyāma, dealing with the prāṇa, generally takes care of physiological health. As effects13 of prāṇāyāma, Patañjali says that there is disappearance of the shroud covering the inner light and the mind is rendered fit for concentration.Prāṇāyāma practices culture the mind and lead to its one-pointedness, in a way silencing from distractions. The slower and more prolonged and rhythmic the breathing; the more calm and peaceful becomes the mind.

The fifth aṅga is Pratyāhāra which means withdrawal of the sense organs from their respective objects.Pratyāhāra is considered as the bridge between the Bahiraṅga Yoga and Antaraṅga Yoga. Pratyāhāra is withdrawing of the sense organs inwards from their normal pre-occupation with the sensory objects in the external world. Patañjali says these organs then follow the mind like the bees in the hive always following the queen bee. The mind is focused inwards on the real Self (Puruṣa in Yoga).

Our senses are by nature are externally oriented. The eyes see outside; the ear hears outside; the nose smells outside; etc. Pratyāhāra involves withdrawing of these senses from their natural orientation and taking them inwards like the tortoise withdrawing its limbs within the protective covering of its shell. Pratyāhāra is actually silencing of the sense organs. It is very simply the mauna of the senses. Once the sense organs stop providing stimuli to the mind, the mind can easily go into its deepest recesses in meditation. Also, the mind can act only on the stuff provided by our sense experiences. When senses are withdrawn the mind is starved of contents and hence it slowly becomes silent and meditative. While Pratyāhāra is only withdrawal of the sense organs, Mauna or Silence in its real sense is total, absolute Pratyāhāra – not only of the sense organs but also of each and every outward (overt movement) physical action as also of all inward movements (mental actions).

13 Tataḥkṣīyateprakāśāvaraṇam || PYS 2.52|| ततुःक्षीयतेप्रिाशाविणम्॥२.५२॥ From Prāṇayama disappears the covering on the internal illumination. Dhāraṇāsu ca yogyatāmanasaḥ ||PYS 2 .53||धािणास ियोग्यतामनसुः॥२.५३॥ The mind becomes fit for dharana after prāṇayama.

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These first five aṅgas are called as Bahiraṅga Yoga or External yoga. They are superficial and actually lead to control of the outer superficial dimensions of our personality. These dimensions now are quietened and no longer distracting and disturbing. The mind of the yogi is now fit for concentration and meditation. The Sādhaka is now able to move towards the practice of Antaraṅga yoga represented by the next three aṅgas. Real silence of the mind will only happen when this Antaraṅga yoga or meditation is practiced.

Dhāraṇā14, the sixth aṅga, stands for concentration. Yogic meditation begins with concentration. Patañjali says15 you can meditate on any object which you like or are favorably disposed towards. When this concentration becomes successful and all distractions end, the stage reached is called Dhyāna16 or meditation. This dhyāna itself becomes Samādhi17 when the self-nature of the meditator is as if not there and the object of meditation shines forth revealing its essence. This initial Samādhi which is called SabījaSamādhi becomes deeper and deeper leading to NirbījaSamādhi finally culminating in DharmameghaSamādhi wherein the Puruṣa or the Self is realized.

Thus, Antaraṅga Yoga or Meditation starting with concentration culminates in DharmameghaSamādhi wherein total silence of the no-mind or cittavṛtti nirodaha state is reached. Meditation is the highest practice of Yoga or for that matter of any spirituality. It is an inward going process wherein the concentrated mind is finally silenced totally to reach the no-mind state. This is the state where the Puruṣa is realized, where paramount or ultimate silence, which is free from all miseries and sufferings, is realized. This is the state where the mental modifications cease once for all. Thus to silence the mind, the path is yoga and silence of mind is Yoga. Mauna is actually the beginning and the end of Patañjali’s yoga.

14Deśabandhaścittasya dhāraṇā ||PYS 3 .1||देशबन्धद्धययििस्यधािणा॥३.१॥Dharana is confining of citta on a spot within a limited conceptual sphere. 15Yathābhimatadhyānādvā ||PYS I .39||यथात्तभमतध्यानाद्वा॥१.३९॥Dhyana on any desired object helps uninterrupted focussing. 16Tatrapratyayaikatānatādhyānam||PYS 3.2||तत्रप्रत्यययैितानताध्यानम्॥३.२॥Uninterrupted flow of the mind towards the object is dhyāna. 17Tadevārthamātranirbhāsaṁsvarūpaśūnyamivasamādhiḥ ||PYS 3.3|| तदेवाथुमात्रत्तनभाुसंस्व셂पशूत्तमवसमात्तधुः॥३.३॥Dhyana is transformed into Samadhi when the subject is devoid of its original form and yet is clearly perceived or experienced in its mere essence.

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1.2 Tools in Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras for Restraining / Silencing the Mind Patañjali’s Yoga being mind-oriented Yoga i.e. laying more emphasis on the mind, the path of progress in it can be presented as below: Lethargic / Distracted State of Mind → Removal of distractions / disturbances → Concentrated State of Mind → State of Awareness → Pure Awareness.

Human mind most of the time lapses into either of the two states – lethargic or distracted. That is why when we try to meditate, our mind is either very distracted or tends to feel drowsy / sleepy. Meditation is considered as walking on the razor’s edge of sattva guna (awareness) where the pitfall on one side is rajas guna (leading to distraction and disturbance, hyperactivity of the mind) and on the other side the tamas guna (leading to listlessness, drwosiness and sleep).It is very difficult to keep it one- pointed and aware all the time.

In yoga, the lethargic state of mind is termed as mūḍha citta or tamasic mind and the distracted state is termed as rajasic or kṣipta / vikṣipta citta. Human mind is habitually and naturally distracted. It is so difficult to focus the mind upon any one object for even a few minutes without getting distracted. It is for this reason that the scriptures draw parallel between human mind and the monkey or the butterfly. The distractions may be internal or external. By internal distractions we mean distractions the source of which is within the individual. External distractions refer to distractions sourced outside the individual. Unless and until these distractions / disturbances are removed or kept at bay, the mind cannot get concentrated and further progress in Yoga is not possible. The first step in silencing the mind to reach the goal of cittavṛttinirodha is dealing with these distractions. Patañjali has prescribed in the Yoga Sūtras several beautiful and effective techniques leading to control and concentration of the mind. As regards internal distractions referred to him as antarayas18, Patañjali prescribes Praṇava japa or

18 || PYS I.30|| “व्यात्तधस्त्यानसंशयप्रमादालस्यात्तवित्ततभ्राद्धन्तदशुनालब्धभूत्तमित्वानवद्धथथतत्वात्तनत्तिित्तवक्षेपास्तेऽन्तिायाुः” “Vyādhistyānasaṁśayapramādālasyāviratibhrāntidarśanālabdhabhūmikatvānavasthitatvāni cittavikṣepāste'ntarāyāḥ” Vyādhi-disease,styāna-mental inaction; mental dullness,saṃśaya- doubt,indecision,pramāda- carelessness; negligence; ālaysa- laziness; avirati -lacking in moderation or control,bhrāntidarśana- living under illusion,alabdhabhūmikatva-inability to hold on to what is achieved,anavasthitatva

174 chanting of AUM for eliminating them19. These distractions are invariably accompanied by one or more symptoms which are termed by Patañjali as Vikṣepasahabhuvas20. These accompaniments are duḥkha i.e. pain or suffering, daurmanasya i.e. bad state of mind or despair, angamejayatva or tremors in the body and shvasprashvasa i.e. erratic or disturbed breathing pattern. For removing these symptoms,Patañjali prescribes EkTattvaābhyāsa21i.e practice of one principle. Indirectly this may refer to practice of the Aṣṭāṅgas of Patañjali’s Yoga. It may also mean persevering or sticking with a practice of yoga for a long period of time. In Yoga it is not variety that is the spice of life but repetition or monotony that does the magic.

As regards external sources of conflicts or disturbances, Patañjaligives one of the most effective techniques called as Cittaprasādana technique22. In order to ensure that our minds remain all the time calm and peaceful, serene and tranquil and free of conflicts, Patañjali prescribes four stances to be adopted towards four types / attitudes of people. We should become friendly with happiness / happy people; be compassionate towards the sufferings or unhappiness of people; become delightful or joyful towards merits of people; and, maintain our mental equanimity towards demerits / vices of people. With the adoption of these four stances in our relations with others, we shall be able to maintain our minds in a state of prasādana - calm and peaceful, serene and tranquil and free of conflicts. Such a mind is then able to progress yogically towards meditation and the goal of total silence – citta vṛtti nirodha. The Cittaprasādanatechnique enables the

inability of the mind to stay in samādhi once this state has been reached,citta- mind,vikṣepa- distraction,te- they,antarāya -obstacles; impediments 19 || PYS I .29|| Tataḥpratyakcetanādhigamo'pyantarāyābhāvaśca ततुःप्रत्ययक्चेतनात्तधगमोऽप्यन्तिायाभावययि॥२९॥ From that(i.e.longpractice of Prāṇava japa)results in the accession or backwards to the origin of the awareness and also absence (disappearance ) of antarayas which are hurdles or impediments in the progress in Yoga. 20 PYS|| I. 31 ||”द ुःखदौमुनस्याङ्गमेजयत्वययवासप्रययवासात्तवक्षेपसहभ वुः” Duḥkhadaurmanasyāṅgamejayatvaśvāsapraśvāsāvikṣepasahabhuvaḥ”Dukha : pain (physical or mental),Daurmanasya: sadness , frustration , depression,Angamejayatva : unsteadiness , movement , tremor of the limbs or body,Svasa : inhalation , inspiration (implying irregular inhalation ,Prasvasah : exhalation , expiration ( implying irregular exhalation ),Viksepa : distractions,Sahabhuvah : companions 21 || PYS I. 32 || तत्प्रत्ततषेधाथुमेितत्त्वाभ्यासुः “Tatpratiṣedhārthamekatattvābhyāsa” For counteracting that(citta viksepa)the practice of one principle is advised. 22|| PYS I. 33|| “मैत्रीि셁णाम त्तदतोपेक्षाणांस खद ुःखप ण्याप ण्यत्तवषयाणांभावनातद्धययििप्रसादनम्” “Maitrīkaruṇāmuditopekṣāṇāṁsukhaduḥkhapuṇyāpuṇyaviṣayāṇāṁbhāvanātaścittaprasādanam” By cultivating the attitude of friendliness, compassion to pain or unhappiness,joy to virtue or good and indifference to vice/evil makes the citta serene and benevolent.

175 mind to prevent negative tendencies like comparison, jealousy, pity, emotional disturbance at vices of others, etc from arising in our transactions with others and consequently remaing in an emotionally undisturbed state.

A brief description of the four stances of Cittaprasādana is given below: Maitrī or friendship: When a person becomes jealous looking at another person whom he thinks is happier than him, this tendency can be reduced by cultivating more love and friendship towards the other person. This is what is recommended in the sutra - to cultivate the attitude of friendliness towards persons in happier circumstances. Also, the happiness of the person rubs on to you. You also become happy in the company of happiness.

Karuṇā or compassion - When a person feels pleasure or smugness seeing another one in miserable condition, in such a case an attitude of compassion should be attempted to be cultivated. Here Karuṇā is understood as a softness and consideration towards the other person without emotional self-involvement. Compassion is different from pity. In the latter there is a shade of superiority complex which is not present in compassion.Compassion is also different from sympathy which most of the time is only “lip service”.

Muditā or joy – when we come across a person who has good qualities probably better than us or who is prospering in life, the general emotions that arise in is one of comparison and jealousy. This spoils our state of mind. Here Patañjali prescribes muditā– become delightful or joyous at the merits and prosperity of the other. A person who does not get much praise and honor from people, becomes depressed and miserable because he compares himself with a meritorious person. To set his mind at peace there is a need to cultivate the feeling of joy or delight, as if one is sharing the praise with that other meritorious person.

Upekṣā or equanimity – This is the attitude to be developed towards the demerits of others. Equanimity does not mean indifference or callousness. It means not getting emotionally affected but at the same time putting efforts in helping the other to be free of his / her demerits.

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In adition to the above techniques, Patañjali also prescribes a subsidiary technique23 of Cittaprasādana relating to prāṇa/breathing. This involves repeated practice of “retention of breath after forceful expulsion”. You breathe in slowly and fully, then forcefully exhale and then hold the breath (bāhya kumbhaka) and repeat again. The fact that exhalation is always relaxing is capitalized in this technique.

In order to keep the manas or the mind steady, Patañjali prescribes five methods given in five Sūtras (PYS1.35 to 39) involving contemplation / meditation on different subjects.Because manas is a part of Citta, these techniques of manasaḥsthithinibandhinī can also be considered as techniques of attaining to cittaprasadana. A brief description of these methods is given below:

विषयितीिाप्रिृवि셁त्पन्नामनसःस्थितततनबस्न्िनी॥३५॥ Viṣayavatīvāpravṛttirutpannāmanasaḥsthitinibandhinī||35||

The senses generally get involved with their corresponding sense objects. This inclination is utilized for making the citta steady. For example, a yoga practioner is made to sit in any meditative posture e.g.Padmāsana or Siddhāsana, etc. and told to relax to the maximum. Without any discomfort and constraint, the body gradually becomes still. Then his imagination is directed to the tip of the nose where he is asked to imagine an odor of a flower say rose or jasmine. This contemplative imagination is performed with full concentration for may be half an hour or more daily for a few months.TheSādhakamaythen get an experience or feeling as if he is smelling the odor of real flower. The objects which can be felt with touch or taste can be imagined in a similar manner but may take longer time.

The mind gets stable or steady with the experience of these sensations because the sensation produced is so pleasant that the Sādhaka may get obsessed and would like to remain in that experience longer and longer like an addict. This technique is practiced only for training the mind to remain steady on one object for a long time. Once this manasaḥsthithinibandhini is achieved the Sādhaka has to give up this experience or else

23 ||PYS I.34|| Pracchardanavidhāraṇābhyāṁvāprāṇasya

177 he will have an obsessional craving for this pleasure and his further progress on the path of yoga will be curtailed.

The next method for steadying the mind is given in sutra 1.36

विशोकािा煍योततष्मती॥३६॥ Viśokāvājyotiṣmatī||36||

By contemplative visualization of a flame for a long period of time say in the mid-brow region or above the head, the Sādhaka starts experiencing the presence of the flame. Seeing a jyoti, i.e. flame or light, is a general technique of developing a tendency or activity of the mind to create a subject or object, which could be internallyexperienced. This helps the Sādhaka in advancing in the process of meditation. This technique is done to create artificially the vision of a flame-like illumination by repeatedly telling the mind that it can see the jyoti. These sensations are so alluring that the mind sticks to them effortlessly and learns to become steady andcittaprasādanam is attained. When this phenomenon is discontinued deliberately or accidentally the loss of the experience, in this case of the flame-light does not cause a disquietude of mind, which may be indicated by the term Viśokā.

The next technique for steadying the mind is given in sutra1.37

िीतरागविषयंिातििम॥् ३७॥ Vītarāgaviṣayaṁvācittam||PYS1.37||

Steadying of the mind takes place when the mind contemplates upon the life of a saintly person, who has transcended attachment per se. This bhāvanam or repeated treatment or telling the mind, gradually would make the mind itself to adopt the ways of this ideal personage. Asa result, the mind will gradually become more and more detached and this will naturally lead to a steady state. If an attempt is made to make the mind passionless, again bybhāvanam or telling it to give up the passions as they are trouble-producing, the mind may and does obey such instructions. The result of steadiness would come up as the passions diminish and ultimately disappear.

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The next technique is

थिप्नतनद्राज्ञानालम्बनंिा॥३८॥ Svapnanidrājñānālambanaṁvā||38||

For steadying the mind take the support of the knowledge gained through (1) dream (and) deep sleep or (2)the dreamful sleep.The objective is to make the mind steady through its own efforts. The mind has therefore, to control its own wandering tendency and any controlling is to be done deliberately. For this reason, it is necessary first to develop a capacity of having dreams or sleep i.e. dreamful and dreamless sleeps at will. Then only the working of the whole technique could be under one’s control.

Many must have experienced that one wakes up at precisely the desired time even if there is no alarm clock or another person to awaken him. This happens becausementally an emphatic warning is given to the mind, just before going to sleep about the precise time to awaken. By practice this ability can be developed. In the same way, one can also create a dream at a particular period of the night.The effect of such dreams is so impressive that the mind even in the wakeful part of the day afterwards, remains inwardly attached to this impression or memory of the dream. This pleasant mood automatically prevents the mind from easily getting perturbed by any disturbing troubles in the day to day life. Thus manasaḥsthitinibandhinī and citta-prasādanam can be obtained.

The next method points to a generic way of attaining steadiness of the mind.

यिातिमतध्यानाद्वा॥३९॥ Yathābhimatadhyānādvā||39||

Manasaḥsthitinibandhinīis achievedwhen the Sādhaka attains to a state of dhyāna on any object. Meditation makes the mind steady. Patañjali says any object can be chosen for meditation the only condition being that the meditator should like or be favorably disposed towards that object.

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The next technique, a simple and most effective technique that Patañjali provides is that of PrātipakṣaBhavana24. Whenever negative tendencies arise in us, Patañjali exhorts us to adopt Prātipakṣabhavanam i.e. adoption in our minds immediately of exactly the opposite tendency to that of the negative tendency. For example when dislike or hatred arises in the mind, we must immediately substitute that with love and affection. This has to be done as a principle and not as a result of intellectual analysis. When we repeatedly follow this principle, the very possibility of negative thought or tendency arising in the mind is stalled / prevented. We are totally saved from the disturbance arising from dealing with the negative thoughts / tendencies.

The above-mentioned techniques facilitate the mind to become one-pointed (ekāgra) and the process of Antaraṅga yoga to commence. Dhāraṇā then leads to dhyāna to SabījaSamādhi to NirbījaSamādhi and finally to dharmameghaSamādhi wherein citta vṛtti nirodha, the total silencing of the mind is achieved.

1.3 Silence Unheard: Deathly Otherness in Patanjala-Yoga25 There have been and continue to be innumerable translations of, commentaries on, interpretations of and discussions and debates on Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras – all attesting to the significance of this treasure house of experiential knowledge and guidance. In the context of the thesis there is one work which is tremendously important and that is the book, ‘Silence Unheard: Deathly Otherness in Patanjala-Yoga’by YohananGrinshpon. The author is a senior lecturer of Hindu philosophy, religion and literature in the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. He has published books on Yoga (SilenceUnheard: Deathly Otherness inPātañjalaYoga) and on the Upaniṣads (Crisis and Knowledge; The Upaniṣadic Experience and Story-Telling).

Silence Unheard, maintains that the essence of Patañjali’s Yogasutra is a profound silence which is hardly or differently audible to the scholars and interpreters who approach it. Patañjali’s work is a work of the heart which is not “understandable” through the head. Most scholars approach the Yoga Sūtras from the intellectual point

24 PYS II – S : 33“Vitarkabādhanepratipakṣabhāvanam||33||” त्तवतिुबाधनेप्रत्ततपक्षभावनम्॥३३॥ When the mind is disturbed by improper thoughts constant pondering over the opposites is the remedy. 25 Grinshpon, Y. (2001),’Silence unheard: Deathly otherness in Pātañjala Yoga’, Albany, State university of New York.

180 of view trying to understand it rationally and logically. But it is as obvious as daylight that not all experiences can be subjected to intellectual or logical comprehension.

The YogaSūtras present an “approach,” a voice articulating or leading to another - a silent, beyond-speech Reality of the yogi. According to YohananGrinshpon, Patañjaliinterprets silence based upon Sāṅkhya philosophy26 in accordance with the Sāṅkhyandualist metaphysics. Experience of silence is conveyed in words and language. The book focuses upon the siddhis or so-called super-normal experiences and the classification of stages (Samādhi) of silencing of the mind leading to the ultimate silence in the final state of Samādhi, the DharmameghaSamādhi. The book, translating the YogaSūtras, is divided into two sections: an essential text, concerning the yoga practitioner, and a secondary text, concerning the philosopher. Grinshpon also surveys the encounters of intellectuals, scholars, seekers, devotees, and outsiders with the Yogasutra.27

Yohanan Grinshpon emphasizes the concept of Silence in the Sūtras by interpreting the Sūtras accordingly. Given below are some of the Sūtras of Patanjala Yoga and their interpretations by Grinshpon which are contextual to the thesis. They present a very interesting reading and are significant to the topic of the thesis. A few lines are added by me to elaborate upon Grinshpon’s rendering.

1.1अियोगानुशासनम॥् १॥

Athayogānuśāsanam||1|| 1.1.3 Now the explanation of the incomprehensible silence of the yogin immersed in innerness, in terms of disintegration of subject(purusha) and object (prakriti. Now the explanation of silence. 1. It can be seen clearly that the author equates yoga with silence. According to the chief commentators of PātañjalaYogadarśana, Vyāsa and VācaspatiMiśra, the word yoga means Samādhi which is the ultimate state of consciousness. This

26 According to the Sankhya philosophy, there are two primordial principles as the source of the Universe-Purusa and Prakrti. 27 GrinshponY. (2001),’Silence unheard: Deathly otherness in Patanjala Yoga’; Albany, State university of New York

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ultimate state of consciousness is silence. Pratiprasava or Involution according to Sāṅkhya is termed as disintegration here.

1.2 योगस्िििृवितनरोिः॥२॥

Yogaścittavṛttinirodhaḥ||2|| 1.2.4 Yoga is the icy silence of postdisintegration. Icy silence happens when all thoughts are stopped; no new thoughts are formed. When blood flow stops, numbness sets in the body. Similarly when all thoughts come to an end / cease, icy silence may be the outcome. This happens after one reaches the ultimate state of disidentification of Puruṣa from Prakṛti i.e. postdisintegration.

1.3तदाद्रष्ुःथि셂पेऽिथिानम॥् ३॥

Tadādraṣṭuḥsvarūpe'vasthānam||3|| 1.3.5Absolutely silent and motionless, the most adept yogins reach the condition of Kaivalya. When the body and mind become still the yogi reaches the ultimate state of Kaivalya.Here the Purusha or the seer gets re-established in its own form i.e. Silence.

1.6.प्रमाणविपयययविक쥍पतनद्राथमृतयः॥६॥

Pramāṇaviparyayavikalpanidrāsmṛtayaḥ||6|| 1.6.3Mind activities of many kinds are considered modifications of the mind and are to be silenced. The whole purpose of yoga is to attain to our Real nature i.e. pure consciousness. This can happen only when the activities of the mind cease / stop. Therefore, cessation or silencing of modifications of the citta has to be done. These fivefold modifications are Pramāṇa(correct knowledge/direct perception),viparyaya (incorrect/wrong knowledge),vikalpaḥ(imaginary knowledge), nidrā(deep dreamless sleep) and smṛtayaḥ(memory/recollection)

1.7 प्रत्यक्षानुमानागमाःप्रमाणातन॥७॥

Pratyakṣānumānāgamāḥpramāṇāni||7||

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1.7.4Normal functions of the mind-however acclaimed as valid, right means of knowledge -are to be silenced along with other, less acclaimed ones. Even right knowledge needs to end.

1.8 विपयय ोतमथ्याज्ञानमतद्रपू प्रततष्ठम॥् ८॥ Viparyayomithyājñānamatadrūpapratiṣṭham||8|| 1.8.4Mind activities, leading to wrong cognition are to be abolished (silenced), as are mind activities leading to correct cognition.

1.13 तत्रस्थितौयत्नोऽभ्यासः॥१३॥

Tatrasthitauyatno'bhyāsaḥ||13|| 1.13.2Yogic effort aims at the maintenance of silence (the extinction of mind activities) Abhyas or sustained effort is to remain in that undisturbed state. to keep and maintain the citta in a steady and undisturbed state (cessation of modifications of the citta or silence), one has to maintain the body in a still and steady position and the mind in aconcentrated state. The steady position of the body can be attained through a particular āsana or posture practice. By repetitive practice, one creates a steady center within.

1.42 तत्रशब्दाियज्ञानविक쥍पपःसंकीणायसवितकायसमापविः॥४२॥ tatraśabdārthajñānavikalpaiḥsaṅkīrṇāsavitarkāsamāpattiḥ॥ 42॥

1.42.4A Silent mind, free of verbalization, emerges by analysis of speech followed by its disintegration. In savitarkasamapatti there is a confused mix-up between the word / sound for the object, the meaning of that word i.e. the object and prior knowledge associated with that object. This results in noisy misunderstanding. On disintegration of these, a silent mind emerges with clear understanding as brought out in the next sutra.

1.43 थमृततपररशुद्धौथि셂पशून्येिाियमात्रतनिायसातनवियतकाय॥४३॥

Smṛtipariśuddhausvarūpaśūnyevārthamātranirbhāsānirvitarkā||43|| 1.43.5Yogic analysis of speech creates silence.

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On the purification of memory, the prior knowledge / conditioning is kept at bay and only the object shines forth. When purification of the memory takes place, the thoughts disappear from the mind and the mind becomes void of its conditioning and the object shines forth. Veil of verbalization is removed resulting in purification of the mind. Analyses of speech remove the distorted perception. Thus, Yogic analysis of speech creates silence.

1.46 ताएिसबीजथसमातिः॥४६॥ tāevasabījas-samādhiḥ||46|| 1.46.3There are degrees of yogic silence. Four types of silence are silence rooted in objects. Reference here is to the four stages of samapatti-savitarka,nirvitarkā,savichara and nirvichara. Depending on the degree of verbalization and measure of grossness of the objects of meditation,the degree of yogic silence is determined.

1.51|तथयावपतनरोिेसियतनरोिास्न्नबीजःसमातिः॥५१॥ tasyāpinirodhesarva-nirodhān-nirbījaḥsamādhiḥ॥51॥

1.51.3There is a condition of “Silence within silence.” With the disappearance of SabījaSamādhi and the extinction of impressions of the same, there comes into being Samādhi without object which is the penultimate silence from where there is no further classification of types of silence.

2.2समातििािनाियःक्लेशतनूकरणाियि॥२॥

Samādhibhāvanārthaḥkleśatanūkaraṇārthaśca 2.2.3Kriya yoga is a means for bringing about peace and silence Kriya yoga also known as yoga of action consists of Tapa (austerity), Svadhyaya (study of scriptures) and Īśvarapraṇidhāna (surrender to Īśwara).All three help in attenuating the root cause of misery i.e. kleśas and helps in attaining Samādhi.In this way kriya yoga is a means for bringing peace and silence.

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2.33. वितकय बािनेप्रततपक्षिािनम॥् ३३॥

Vitarkabādhanepratipakṣabhāvanam||33|| 2.33.2For the restriction of mental noise, cultivation of silence (should be exercised) When there is inflow of improper / negative thoughts which hinders the path of Samādhi or which ends the peace of mind in day to day life, it is recommended that opposite thoughts be administered. With positive and happy thoughts, the mind will be centered in silence. Cultivation of silence is a must to calm the mental turbulence.

3.3तदेिाियमात्रतनिायसंथि셂पशून्यतमिसमातिः॥३॥

Tadevārthamātranirbhāsaṁsvarūpaśūnyamivasamādhiḥ||3|| 3.3.4Silence is renunciation of sabda and jnana. In the state of meditation when only the object of meditation keeps shining and the consciousness, as ifis void of its essential nature, that state is Samādhi, Silence. It is the abandonment of śabda and jñāna.

3.7त्रयमन्तरङ्गंपूिेभ्यः॥७॥

Trayamantaraṅgaṁpūrvebhyaḥ||7|| Progression from concentration to meditation to spiritual self-absorptioni.e. from dhāraṇā to Dhyānato Samādhi is more internal i.e.it takes one more and more into inner silence than the preceding five that is Yama, Niyama, Āsana,Prāṇāyāma and Pratyāhāra. .

3.17शब्दािप्रय त्ययानातमतरेतराध्यासात्सङ्करथतत्प्रवििागसंयमात्सििय ूत셁तज्ञानम॥् १७॥

Śabdārthapratyayānāmitaretarādhyāsātsaṅkarastatpravibhāgasaṁyamātsarvabhūtarutaj ñānam||17|| 3.17.2As referential speech disintegrates, there arises silence which makes possible penetration of other creatures’ sounds. The word, its meaning and its mental image or experience gets super-imposed on each other creating confusion. By performing samyama on the condition of their separatedness,the differences amongst them are understood. Hence sounds produced by all living beings are comprehended.TheSādhaka who can separate these dimensions of ordinary speeh obtains the power of comprehending sounds normally unintelligible.

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3.50 तद्वपराग्यादवपदोषिीजक्षयेकप ि쥍यम॥् ५०॥

Tadvairāgyādapidoṣavījakṣayekaivalyam||50|| 3.50.2Even the most advanced of the contents of consciousness-the difference of sattva and Puruṣa-is renounced in favor of ultimate, post integration silence. For the Sādhaka immersed solely in the awareness of the difference of the pure subject or Puruṣa and the sattva component (Prakṛti) there is mastery over all existence and omniscience as well. At paravairāgya stage, this mastery / power is also renounced. The shadripus(the 6 enemies, the well-known weaknesses or faultsi.e. dosas in human nature(1)kāma meaning desire or passion;(2) krodha=anger, (3)lobha=greed;(4)moha=deluding and confusing infatuation(5)mada=an excessively overbearing conceit and(6)mātsarya =jealousy,envy), the kleśāḥ and its seed Avidyā disappear.And Kaivalya or total silence is established.

3.55 सत्त्िपु셁षयोःशुवद्धसाम्येकपि쥍यतमतत॥५५॥

Sattvapuruṣayoḥśuddhisāmyekaivalyamiti||55| 3.55.3Reduction of noise in objectivity is mysteriously connected by Patañjali with post disintegration silence. Here sattva is a force in externality / objectivity and Puruṣa, a subject.When sattva and Purusha are of equal purity one reaches the Kaivalya stage. Another version28 is there are four levels of speech-vaikharī, madhyamā, paśyanti and para. The intellect which is used in worldly affairs is vaikharī. The intellect which is used for own self is madhyamā. The subtlety of intellect is paśyanti and awareness of intellect is para. When the intellect reaches Paśyanti stage and balances itself with para stage it is the state of Kaivalya.

4.29प्रसङ््यानेऽप्यकुसीदथयसियिावििेक्यातेियमयमेघःसमातिः॥२९॥

Prasaṅkhyāne'pyakusīdasyasarvathāvivekakhyāterdharmameghaḥsamādhiḥ||29||

28Ananda, R.S.(jan 2012)Patanjalayogadarshana-A comparative study,Yoga Vidya Niketan,Mumbai,India.

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4.29.1For the one indifferent even with regard to the meditation of Prasaṅkhyāne, there arises constant immersion in the meditative silence known as the “cloud of essence,”due to the discriminative consciousness. In the case of one, who is able to maintain a constant state of vairāgya even towards the most exalted state of omniscience (Prasaṅkhyāne)and meditate constantly on the highest kind of discrimination enters into dharma mega Samādhi.Dharma mega Samādhi is the final Samādhiin which the yogi shakes himself free from the world of dharmas which obscure Reality like a cloud.

4.34पु셁षाियशून्यानांगुणानांप्रततप्रसिःकपि쥍यंथि셂पप्रततष्ठािातिततशविररतत॥३४॥

Puruṣārthaśūnyānāṁguṇānāṁpratiprasavaḥkaivalyaṁsvarūpapratiṣṭhāvācitiśaktiriti||3 4|| The reabsorption of the guṇas,devoid of the object of Puruṣa,isKaivalya;or, the establishment of the power of consciousness in its own form i.e. Silence Here all the three guṇas are transcended. They are of no purpose for the Puruṣa. In this process of involution the Kleśa are totally eliminated. In the end, they return to their original source - Silence.

2.0 Mauna or Silence in Haṭha Yoga (HY) Unlike Yoga Darśana for which Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras form the only basic text, for Haṭha Yoga there are several texts like HaṭhaPradīpikā, GheraṇḍaSaṁhitā, HaṭhaRatnavalli, HaṭhaTaravali, GorakshaSaṁhitā, etc. Each of these texts propounds its own variety of Haṭha Yoga (for e.g. while HaṭhaPradīpikā talks about Caturāṅga yoga andGheraṇḍaSaṁhitā talks about Saptaṅga yoga). The common features of all these texts go under the nomenclature of “Haṭha Yoga”. HaṭhaPradīpikā and GheraṇḍaSaṁhitā may be considered as the two popular and representative texts of Haṭha Yoga.

A brief description of HaṭhaPradīpikā and GheraṇḍaSaṁhitā is in order and is as follows: HaṭhaPradīpikāis a renowned text on Yoga written between 1350AD and 1550AD by SwātmārāmaSuri. The origin of this teaching traces to Lord Śiva who supposedly

187 instructed the essence of Yoga in private to his consort Pārvatī. Matsyendra the first of the teachers in this lineage is believed to have heard this teaching in the form of a fish and with the blessings of Lord Śivaattained a human form and handed down the teaching. There are four chapters in this text which is in the form of “slokas” (verses). The first chapter is devoted to Introduction and Āsanas, the Second on Prāṇāyāma, the third on Mudrās and the fourth on Samādhi / Nādānusandhāna. There are in all 389 verses in this text.

The central message of this text is that through a process of practice called “Haṭha Yoga” which brings the two forces of “Ha” and “Tha” togetherthe goal of yoga can be attained. These forces flow in the ‘Ida’ and ‘Pingala’ Nāḍīs and by practice of Prāṇāyāma these forces are brought together. Haṭha Yoga practice leads to Raja Yoga, the royal path of Yoga, to the final goal of Samādhi, which is the state of equilibrium and which is the union of Jivatman and Paramatman. This text gives detailed description of 15 postures and apart from giving the technique of ‘NāḍīśodhanaPrāṇāyāma’ narrates the technique of 8 Kumbhakas (other name given for Prāṇāyāma). The third chapter details 10 Mudrās of which the important and widely practiced are Maha Mudrā, ViparitakaraniMudrā and the three bandhas, viz., MūlaBandha, UḍḍiyānaBandha and JalandharaBandha. The contribution of Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā in the development of yoga requires special mention - the āsanas, Prāṇāyāmas and the mudrās are widely used. It is also known as Caturāṅga yoga.

GheraṇḍaSaṁhitā, the other popular text of Haṭha Yoga, is said to be written between the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century. It is in the form of a dialogue between Gheraṇḍa, the Preceptor, and Chandakapali, the disciple. GheraṇḍaSaṁhitā prescribes ‘Ghatastha Yoga’ or ‘Ghata Yoga’ in which the body is considered as Ghata (earthern pot). Ghatastha Yoga is comprised of seven components or aṅgas viz. (1) six purificatory practices (shat-karma), (2) posture (âsana), (3) seal / lock (mudrâ), (4) sensory inhibition (pratyâhâra), (5) breath control (prânâyâma), (6) meditation (dhyâna), and (7) samâdhi and hence is also called ‘SaptaṅgaYoga’.Unlike in Hatha Pradipika, in thistext,kriyas are included as one of the Aṅgas of Yoga.

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The whole system of Yoga is built on three main pillars: āsanas, prāṇāyāma, and meditation. The āsanas of Yoga are designed in such a way that it puts pressure on the glandular systems of the body, which results in increase of its efficiency and total health. The body is looked upon as the primary instrument that enables us to work and evolve in the world, and so a Yoga student treats it with great care and respect. Breathing techniques are based on the concept that breath is the foundation of life in the body. Gently increasing breath control can help a yoga student to improve the health and function of both body and mind. Thus, exercise and breathing can then prepare the body and mind for meditation, and the student finds an easy approach to a quiet mind which can allow silence and healing from everyday stress. If one regularly or daily practices all three parts of this structure of Yoga, i.e. breathing, āsanas and meditation, one can get a clear, bright mind and a strong, capable body.Also, with regular practice one becomes aware of a subtle change in one’s approach to life - for through persistently toning and relaxing the body and stilling the mind, one begins to glimpse a state of inner peace and silence which is one’s true nature.

2.1 Meaning of ‘Haṭha Yoga’ The term “Haṭha” is made up of two bija mantras “Ha” and “Tha”, which are said to represent the two basic energy systems in the human being. “Ha” represents prāṇikaśakti (life energy) and ‘tha” represents Mānasikaśakti (consciousness). Prāṇikaśakti is transported through the PingalaNāḍīby breathing through the right nostril. Mānasikaśakti is transported through the Ida Nāḍī by breathing through the left nostril. The “Ha” is symbolized by the Sun and the ‘Tha” is symbolized by the Moon. Breathing through right nostril is heating, energizing and extroverting while breathing through left nostril is cooling, tranquilizing and introverting. Also, right nostril breathing is associated with the left hemisphere of the brain and left nostril breathing with right hemisphere of the brain. Left hemisphere of the brain is associated with logic, reasoning, arguments, time-orientation, thinking, etc and the right hemsphere is associated with creativity, emotions and feelings, space orientation, arts and crafts, etc.

At any point of time, we naturally breathe more through one nostril than the other nostril. This is called as “alternate rhinitis”. Thus at any point of time one hemisphere of the brain is more active than the other. Hence, we are lopsided human beings at any

189 point of time. The dominance of breathing changes from one nostril to other every 60 to 90 minutes. Accordingly, based on pure arithmetic and logic, we should breathe more through right nostril for 12 hours and through left nostril for 12 hours in a24-hour day. But this is hardly the case with any individual. The dominance of breathing is hardly equal in both nostrils. This fact again leads to lop sided-ness in human personality. A person having left nostril breathing pre-dominance for 16 to 18 hours naturally tends to be introverted and is vulnerable to feel lonely and depressed. In the opposite case, with extreme right nostril breathing dominance, a person tends naturally to be angry, aggressive and over-ambitious. “Haṭha Yoga” is the yoga or union or balance or harmony between “Ha” and “Tha”. It aims at producing / restoring a human being who is wholesome, harmonious, holistic and happy.

Unmanī avasthā The goal of all forms of Haṭha Yoga is to achieve or attain the unmanī avasthā(no-mind stage) or manonmanī (mind-without-mind stage). Beyond the mind lies absolute silence. When we transcend the mind we reach a state of total silence or mauna. Hence we may not be wrong in saying that the goal of Haṭha yoga is Mauna or total silence.

In HaṭhaPradīpikā, Swātmārāma says29, “Rajayoga, Samādhi, Unmanī, Manonmanī, Amaratva, Laya, Tattva, Sunyasunya, ParamPāda, Amanaska, Advaita, Niralamba, Niranjana, Jivanmukti, Sahaja and Turya are (used as) synonymous terms”. In this goal of Haṭha yoga called as Samādhi in HP, the Manas (mind) and Ātman (Consciousness or the Real Self) become one like salt when dissolved in water becomes one with it30.

29 HP Ch IV S-3 िाजयोगुःसमात्तधययिउनीिमनोनी।" अमित्वंलयस्तत्त्वंशूाशूंपिंपदम्॥४.३॥ rāja-yogaḥsamādhiś ca unmanī ca manonmanī ।" amaratvaṁlayastattvaṁśūnyāśūnyaṁparaṁpadam॥HP 4.3॥ HP Ch IV S- 4 अमनस्कंतथाद्वैतंत्तनिालम्बंत्तनिञ्जनम्।" जीव द्धिययिसहजात याुिेत्यय्एिवाmaratva(immortality)ििाुः॥४.४॥ amanaskaṁtathādvaitaṁnirālambaṁnirañjanam।" jīvanmuktiś ca sahajāturyācetyeka-vācakāḥ॥HP 4.4॥ Raja yoga, Samadhi, Unmani, Manomani, Amaratva(immortality), Laya(absorption), Tattva(truth), Shunyashunya(void and yet non-void), Paramapada(the supreme state), Amanaska(suspended operatio of the mind), Advaita(non-dual), Niralamba(without support), Niranjana(pure), Jivanmukti(emancipated state while in the body, Sahaja(natural state)and Turiya-all of these mean the same thing. 30 HP Ch IV S –5 सत्तललेसैन्धवंयद्वत्साम्यंभजत्ततयोगतुः। " तथात्ममनसोर्ुक्यंसमात्तधअुत्तभधीयते॥४.५॥ salilesaindhavaṁyadvatsāmyaṁbhajatiyogataḥ।"

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Thus, very clearly the state of Samādhi is the complete silencing of the mind. Swātmārāma further says31 that in the state of equilibrium that Samādhi is, life activity dwindles and mental activity ceases. As long as one is alive, one cannot stop performing karma at least the karma representing the involuntary activities of prāṇa within the body. These activities become less and less but cannot become zero. External activities or desire-backed activities can be totally stopped. While these life activities become less and less, mental activities can completely cease. Total silence of the mind is the natural consequence of attaining to the goal of Samādhi.

Mauna is the goal of Haṭha yoga. Reiterating the same point, from the point of view of Kuñḍalini awakening, Swātmārāma says32, “When the great force (Kuñḍalini) is awakened by the practice of the various Āsanas, the different Kumbhakas and the Mudrās, Prāṇa disappears (somewhere) in the Suṣumṇā”. Kuñḍalini awakening is raising the Prāṇa through the Suṣumṇā. This happens advantageously when the Ida and PingalaNāḍī, which are other-wise ever-active, are rendered sterile or inactive. “When Prāṇa moves through the Suṣumṇā and Manas merges into the Śūnya, the Yogi is no longer bound by the Law of Karma”33. Life activities represented by prāṇa moving through the PingalaNāḍī and mental activities represented by the activity of the Ida Nāḍī come to a halt. It is the stillness of the body and the silence of the mind.

tathātma-manasoraikyaṁsamādhirabhidhīyate॥HP 4.5॥ As a grain of salt thrown into the water unites and becomes one with it, a like union between the mind and the Atma is Samadhi. 31 HP Ch IV S – 6 यदासंक्षीयतेप्राणोमानसंिप्रलीयते।" तदासमिसत्वंिसमात्तधअुत्तभधीयते॥४.६॥ yadāsaṁkṣīyateprāṇomānasaṁ ca pralīyate।" tadāsamarasatvaṁ ca samādhirabhidhīyate॥HP 4.6॥ When the prāṇa is without movement (in Kumbhaka) and the manas (mind) is annihilated (absorbed in the self), the state of harmony then arising is called Samadhi. 32त्तवत्तवधैर्ुसनैुःि भैत्तवुत्तित्रैुःििणैअुत्तप।" प्रब िायांमहाशिौप्राणुःशूेप्रलीयते॥४.१०॥ vividhairāsanaiḥkubhairvicitraiḥkaraṇairapi।" prabuddhāyāṁmahā-śaktauprāṇaḥśūnyepralīyate॥HP 4.10॥ When the great power (kundalini) has been roused by the various asanas, kumbhakas and mudras, the prāṇa is quiescent in the void (Brahmarandhra) 33स ष 륍णावात्तहत्तनप्राणेशूेत्तवशत्ततमानसे।" तदासवाुत्तणिमाुत्तणत्तनमूुलयत्ततयोगत्तवत्॥४.१२॥ suṣumṇā-vāhiniprāṇeśūnyeviśatimānase।" tadāsarvāṇikarmāṇinirmūlayatiyogavit॥HP 4.12॥ When the prāṇa moves in the sushumna and the mind is absorbed in the shunya (void), the intelligent yogi (he who can end the modifications of the mind) uproots all karma.

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Further, “In the Yogi whose Kuñḍalini has been aroused and who does not perform any action whatsoever, Sahajavastha spontaneously arises”34. The most natural state, the state of just being and not becoming, arises spontaneously. The goal of liberation or Self-Realization happens only when prāṇa and mind are silenced. Swātmārāma says, “How can knowledge (of truth) dawn on the mind so long as the (external) activities of Prāṇa are going on and ordinary mental activity has not ceased? Only he who has (in this way) stopped the activities of both Prāṇa and Manas attains liberation and none else”35.

2.2 Silence and the concept of Laya The concept of Laya i.e. dissolution, so very significant in the context of Silence, finds the most beautiful expression in HaṭhaPradīpikā. Yoga is a process of dissolving the grosser aspect in the subtler aspect and thereby finally reaching a state of total dissolution of everything except the Real Self. The realization of the Self is the dissolution of the senses / body, the mind and the prāṇa – the attainment of total silencing of all parts of empirical human existence. Swātmārāma says,36 “Manas is the Lord of the Indriyas and Prāṇa the Lord of Manas; Laya is the Lord of Prāṇa and Laya

34उत्पन्नशद्धिबोधस्यत्ययित्तनुःशेषिमुणुः।" योत्तगनुःसहजावथथास्वयम्एवप्रजायते॥४.११॥ utpanna-śakti-bodhasyatyakta-niḥśeṣa-karmaṇaḥ।" yoginaḥsahajāvasthāsvayamevaprajāyate॥4.11॥ In the Yogi, in whom the (Kundalini) Shakti is awakened and who is free of all karmas, the truly natural state of samadhi comes into being on its own. 35ज्ञानंि तोमनत्तससम्भवतीहतावत्" प्राणो.अत्तपजीवत्ततमनोत्तियतेनयावत्।" प्राणोमनोद्वयम्इदंत्तवलयंनयेद्यो" मोक्षंसगत्ततनिोनिथंत्तिद्अुः॥४.१५॥ jñānaṁkutomanasisambhavatīhatāvat" prāṇo.apijīvatimanomriyate na yāvat।" prāṇomanodvayamidaṁvilayaṁnayedyo" mokṣaṁsagacchatinaro na kathaṁcidanyaḥ॥4.15॥ How can jnana (spiritual knowledge) arise in the mind, as long as the prāṇa lives and the mind is not dead? He who causes both prāṇa and mind to become quiescent obtains liberation. No other person can do so.

36इद्धियाणांमनोनाथोमनोनाथस्त मा셁तुः।" मा셁तस्यलयोनाथुःसलयोनादम्र्त्तितुः॥४.२९॥ indriyāṇāṁmanonāthomanonāthas tu mārutaḥ।" mārutasyalayonāthaḥsalayonādamāśritaḥ ||HP 4.29|| The mind is the Lord of indriyas (the organs of senses). Prāṇa is the lord of the mind. Laya (or absorption) is the lord of the prāṇa, and that laya depends on the nada (the inner sounds)

192 is sustained by Nāda”. The indriyas or the senses dissolve themselves into the mind (in a way this is pratyāhāra!) which is the lord or controller of the senses. Without the active cooperation of the mind, the senses are ineffective. Without the mind, there can only be hearing and not listening, only looking and not seeing, only touching and not feeling, etc. It is the mind which is the coordinator and director of the sense organs. This mind is ineffective without the functioning of the prāṇa or the life force. The mind is energized by prāṇa else it is a dud mind. This prāṇa is finally dissolved and the dissolution is sustained by the nāda.

HaṭhaPradīpikā talks about Nādānusandhāna as its fourth aṅga in the Caturāṅga yoga. Of all forms of laya - innumerable thousands of them - laya in nāda is the highest and best form of laya. Everything finally dissolves in anāhatanāda and there is the total silence, a positive silence, of the Self. “This (the Laya described above) may itself be Mokṣa as held by some; or it may not be as the others believe. (But) an exquisite bliss is experienced when Manas and Prāṇa (both) dissolve i.e. cease to work”37. The state of Self- Realization, the state of total silence of all activities, is one of exquisite bliss. This is the laya where all motivation ceases and no action whatsoever is performed. The Silence of Self-Realization is a state where there is total transcendence of all activities. It is not a state of abandonment but of transcendent of activities.

“When all motivation ceases and no actions whatsoever are performed then develops that exquisite Laya which cannot be described in words”38.This laya is also experienced in the state of kumbhaka, Kevala kumbhaka being the highest stage of Kumbhaka. Swātmārāma says39, “When exhalation and inhalation are suspended no objects are

37सो.अयम्एवास्त मोक्षाख्योमास्त वात्तपमतान्तिे। मनुःप्राणलयेिद्धययिद्र्नन्दुःसम्प्रवतुते॥४.३०॥ so.ayamevāstumokṣākhyomāstuvāpimatāntare। manaḥ-prāṇa-layekaścidānandaḥsampravartate॥HP 4.30॥ The complete absorption of the Citta is liberation. In the opinion of some it is not liberation. But when there is the complete absorption of the Citta and prāṇa, only then is an inexplicable and indescribable bliss born 38उद्धन्नसवुसङ्कल्पोत्तनुःशेषाशेषिेत्तितुः। स्वावगम्योलयुःिो .अत्तपजायतेवागगोििुः॥४.३२॥ ucchinna-sarva-saṅkalponiḥśeṣāśeṣa-ceṣṭitaḥ। svāvagamyolayaḥko.apijāyatevāg-agocaraḥ॥HP 4.32॥ When the mental and physical activities have entirely ceased the indescribable state of laya ensues,which is known by the self, but is beyond the reach of words. 39प्रनिययवासत्तनययवासुःप्रध्वस्तत्तवषयग्रहुः।

193 perceived, no action is performed and there is no excitement, then this Laya flourishes in the Yogis”.

2.3 Silence and Prāṇāyāma or Kumbhaka In understanding the significance of Prāṇāyāma in Haṭha Yoga, the significance of the concept of Silence comes to the fore. Prāṇāyāma is equated with Kumbhaka or retention of breath. In the most popular and oft quoted sutra, Swātmārāma says40, “So long as breathing goes on the mind remains unsteady; when (it) stops, (the mind) becomes still and the Yogi attains complete motionlessness. Hence one should restrain one’s breath”. Breathing and the Mind are invariably connected to such an extent that looking at one’s breathing pattern it may be possible to identify the emotions happening in the mind. They are so much connected that when one stops the other stops. This is evinced very clearly when we notice that the breathing almost stops when one tries put the thread in the needle hole because while doing this the mind becomes totally concentrated with no distraction at all. Now we realize the importance given to Kumbhaka in Prāṇāyāma practices.

When there is retention of breath (antar or bāhya kumbhaka), the citta or the mind stops to function. There is experience of total silence because the mind goes into a state of limbo. That is why Kevala Kumbhaka is afforded the status of the ultimate state in Haṭha Yoga. Kevala Kumbhaka is “just kumbhaka” which requires neither inhalation nor exhalation to precede it. In Kevala Kumbhaka, the Yogi is able to stop the breath at will for any length of time or duration. This is akin to the state of “citta vṛtti nirodha”ofPatañjali. The Citta stops functioning totally and the goal of Yoga i.e. Self- realization is reached. Swātmārāma says that there is nothing which is not possible for

त्तनययिेिोत्तनत्तवुिािययिलयोजयत्ततयोत्तगनाम्॥४.३१॥ prāṇaṣṭa-śvāsa-niśvāsaḥpradhvasta-viṣaya-grahaḥ। niśceṣṭonirvikāraś ca layojayatiyoginām॥HP 4.31॥ A yogi who has suspended his inspirations and expirations,whose senses have become inactive or insensible,whose mental activity has ceased, and whose emotions of the mind have become quiet,obtains success in Laya yoga. 40िलेवातेिलंत्तििंत्तनययिलेत्तनययिलंभवेत्। योगीथथाण त्वम्र्प्नोत्ततततोवाय ंत्तनिोधयेत्॥२.२॥ calevātecalaṁcittaṁniścaleniścalaṁbhavet। yogī sthāṇutvamāpnotitatovāyuṁnirodhayet॥2.2॥ When the Prāṇa in the body becomes unsteady or tremulous the Chitta also becomes unsteady and uncertain. When the Prāṇa becomes steady or still the Chitta also becomes steady. Through the still Prāṇa the Yogi attains steadiness. Therefore, one should restrain the Prāṇa.

194 a yogi who is capable of performing Kevala Kumbhaka. It is a state of total silence – silence of the mind, stillness of the body and presence of minimum activities of the prāṇa.

2.4 Silence and Kuñḍalini Awakening In a way, Kuñḍalini awakening can be called as the goal of Haṭha Yoga. In Kuñḍalini awakening, as already mentioned, prāṇa is raised through the SuṣumṇāNāḍī. The rising of the prāṇa along the SuṣumṇāNāḍī is the progress on the path of awareness and spirituality. With every Cakrabhedana41 being accomplished, the level of awareness goes on rising. There happens transcendence of the lower levels of being – the levels of survival, sustenance, power craving, emotional flowering, love and acceptance, etc.

When there is reaching and rising above the Viśuddhicakra, it is said that the dichotomous nature of the mind is transcended. The human mind always works dichotomously. One cannot talk about goodness without having an idea of badness, of tallness without knowing shortness, of the right without knowing the wrong, and so on and so forth. In other words, at the Viśuddhicakra, the mind itself is transcended.

Transcending the dichotomous nature of the mindmeans transcending mind itself. Now everything seems perfect as it is because there is nothing to compare it with. The mind is stilled. With the bhedana of Ājñacakra, the “I” in the man is said to be totally transcended. There is experience of total objectivity. The man looks at himself, his own body and mind, also objectively. He becomes a pure witness. This is the state of the Jīvanmukta – one in whom, silence of the senses / body, mind / intellect and ego has been reached. When prāṇa reaches the Sahasrāra Cakra at the crown of the head, there is experience of total Silence of Self Realization, the merging of the Śakti in the Śiva, the fusion of prāṇa in consciousness, the regaining of the ultimate unity(the Mahabindu i.e. Shiv-Shakti) of existence in oneself, the primordial state before evolution had happened, a state of eternal silence.

41Chakrabhedana: When Kundalini is awakened and it rises upwards in the SushumnaNadi, it progressively pierces the Chakras on the path and moves upwards. This piercing of the chakras is called chakrabhedana or awakening of chakra. In this context, the six main chakras are Muladhara, Swadishthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddhi and Ajna.

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2.5 Obstacle of “Talkativeness” on the path of Haṭha Yoga practice In HaṭhaPradīpikā, Swātmārāma mentions six obstacles42 on the path of Yoga. These are as follows: ati-ahara (over-eating), prayas (over-exertion), prajalpa (talkativeness), niyamagraha (over-adherence to niyamas or rules and regulations), janasangha (company of people – ordinary or not like-minded) and laulyam (fickleness or unsteadiness or wavering nature of the mind). The factor of talkativeness is important for us in the context of silence, the subject matter of the thesis.

These obstacles point towards two principles of Haṭha Yoga or even Yoga in general. These principles are 1. Conservation of Energy and 2. The Middle Path. Progress on the yogic path is stopped or slowed down if there is loss or dissipation or seepage of energy other than while involved with yoga practices. All energy is to be used on the spiritual path of Yoga. Also, Yoga is a Middle Path. Extremities are to be avoided in Yoga. There is neither any kind of total deprivation nor indulgence in Yoga. For example, there is neither fasting nor over-eating in Yoga. Yogic diet is Mitahar i.e. measured or moderate diet. Middle Path actually is the path of positive silence, wherein the extremities are silenced, and that silence is expressed in moderation and control. In this context, it can be easily understood why talkativeness is an obstacle on the path of Yoga.

Talking is the easiest way of losing energy. The more we talk, the more we lose energy. Control in speech helps in retaining energy. Also, most of the time, we talk out of habit and not out of necessity. In fact, talking has become so habitual that whensome person maintains silence we feel uncomfortable and enquire whether something is wrong with the person. When one is sad one naturally talks less and maintains silence. Therefore, we automatically take it for granted that if a person is silent then he / she is sad. Speech is the easiest way of dissipating energy. Talking only when necessary and maintaining silence at other times conserves one’s energy tremendously and incidentally also bestows value when he or she speaks when necessary. Silence is power. Talking is a

42 HP Ch I S – 15 “Yoga (practice) gets destroyed by over-eating, (over-) exertion, talking too much, severe austerity, public contact, and fickleness (of mind.)”

196 means of communication only at the mundane level. Silence becomes the medium of communication as one rises higher on the scale of higher and more intense experiences.

3. Mauna or Silence in Yoga Vāsiṣṭha

Yoga Vāsiṣṭha (Sanskrit: योग-िातसष्ठ, Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha) is a philosophical text attributed to Vālmīkī. The complete text contains over 29,000 verses. The long version of the text is called Brihat Yoga Vāsiṣṭha, wherein Brihat means "great or large". The longer version is also referred to simply as Yoga Vāsiṣṭha and by numerous other names such as Vasiṣṭha Rāmāyaṇa. The short version of the text is called Laghu Yoga Vāsiṣṭha, wherein Laghu means "short or small" and contains 6,000 verses. The exact century of its completion is unknown but has been estimated to be somewhere between 6th- century to as late as 14th-century, but it is likely that a version of the text existed in the 1st millennium.

The text is named after sage Vasiṣṭha who is cited and respected in the seventh book of the Ṛgveda, and who was called as the first sage of the Advaita Vedānta school of Ādi Shankaracharya. The text is designed as an address of Sage Vasiṣṭha to Prince Rāma.

The text comprises of six books. The first book titled Vairāgya-prakaranam (Exposition of dispassion) describes Rāma's frustration with the nature of life, human suffering and contempt for the world. The second book titled Mumukshuvayahara-prakaranam (Exposition of the behavior of the seeker), presents through the character of Rāma, the desire for liberation and the nature of those who seek such liberation43. The third book titled Utpatti-prakaranam (Exposition of the arising and birth), and fourth book titled Sthiti-prakaranam (Exposition of the existence and settling), emphasize that liberation comes through a spiritual life, one that requires self-effort, and present cosmology and metaphysical theories of existence rooted in stories. These two books are known for stressing free-will and human creative power. The fifth book titled Upashama- prakaranam (Exposition of the patience and tranquility) discusses meditation and its

43 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_Vasistha s

197 powers in liberating the individual, while the last book explains the state of an enlightened and blissful Rāma. In Chapter 2 of Book VI, titled as the story of Iksvaku, the text explains the state of nirvana (liberation). Ramana Maharshi who was strongly influenced by Yoga Vāsiṣṭha popularized the practice of atma-vichara, "self-enquiry," described in the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha. Thus, it may be said to contain lot of sections dealing with Yogic topics.

Yoga Vāsiṣṭha teachings are designed as stories and fables, with a philosophical foundation similar to those found in Advaita Vedānta, which holds that the "whole world of things is the object of mind". The text is notable for enlightening the principles of Maya and Brahman, as well as the principles of non-duality, and its discussion of Yoga.Yoga Vāsiṣṭha is famous as one of the historically popular and influential texts of Hinduism. Other names of this text are Maha-Rāmāyaṇa, Arsha Rāmāyaṇa,Vasiṣṭha Rāmāyaṇa, Yoga Vāsiṣṭha-Rāmāyaṇa and Jnanavasistha. This is one of the longest Hindu texts in Sanskrit after the Mahābhārata, and an important text of Yoga. While the larger version of the text is traditionally attributed to Vālmīkī, the author of Rāmāyaṇa, the author of the shorter version, the Laghu-Yoga Vāsiṣṭha, is generally considered to be Abhinanda of Kashmir.

Four types of silence44 Yoga Vāsiṣṭha talks about four types of silence. They are as follows: 1. Silence of speech (Vāk mauna) 2. Silence of the senses (eyes etc.) (Indriya mauna) 3. Violent restraint, and 4. The Silence of deep sleep. (Nidrā / Suṣupti mauna)

He says, that of these the first three involve elements of the rigid mauna. It is the fourth that is really conducive to liberation. Hence, even at the risk of incurring the displeasure of those who resort to first three types of Mauna, I say that there is nothing in those three which is desirable. There is another type known as Silence of the Mind. However,

44 Venkatesananda S. (1981), The concise Yoga Vasistha ; Albany: State university of Newyork press

198 that is possible only in one who is dead or one who practices the rigid mauna (Kaṣṭa mauna) or the silence of deep sleep (Suṣupti mauna).

Silence of Deep Sleep As an example of a glimpse into Yoga Vāsiṣṭha’s reference to the concept of Silence, we find that Yoga Vāsiṣṭha gives more emphasis on the Silence of Deep Sleep.In SectionVI.1 Chapter68the dialogue between Sage Vasiṣṭha and Prince Rāma runs as follows: Sage Vasiṣṭha says, Ahamasmijagatyasminsvastisabdarthamatrakam sattasmmanyamevetisausuptam maunam ucyate (26) “O Rāma, remain forever firmly established in that state of utter freedom from movement of thought, resorting to the silence of deep sleep”.

Rāma enquires: “Sir, I have heard of silence of speech, silence of the eyes and other senses and I have also heard of the rigid silence of extreme asceticism. But what is the silence of deep sleep?”

Sage Vasiṣṭha replies: “Rāma, there are two types of munis (a sage who observes Mauna or silence). One is the rigid ascetic and the other the liberated sage. The former forcibly restrains his senses and engages himself in dry (devoid of wisdom) Kriya (activities) with fanaticism. The liberated sage on the other hand knows what isthe truth as truth and the unreal as the unreal. He is endowed with self-knowledge and yet he behaves as any ordinary person here. What is regarded as silence or mauna is based on the nature and behavior of these munis”.

The above dialogue beautifully brings out the difference between two types of Silence which externally appear the same. One is that of an ascetic who uses will power to suppress everything for maintaining silence. Another is that of the liberated sage whose silence arises out of wisdom, out of realizing the futility of all speech.

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The Silence of deep sleep is conducive to liberation. In it the prāṇa or life force is neither restrained nor promoted, the senses neither fed nor starved, the perception of diversity neither expressed nor suppressed, the mind neither expressed nor suppressed, the mind is neither mind nor no-mind.45 There is no division and hence no effort at abolishing it; it is called the silence of deep sleep, and one who is established in it may or may not meditate. There is knowledge of what is as it is and there is freedom from doubt. It is utter emptiness. It is support-less. It is of the nature of supreme peace, of which it can neither be said that it is real nor that it is unreal. That state in which one knows ‘there is no I’ or another, no mind or anything derived from the mind in which one knows ‘I’ is but an idea in this universe and it is really pure existence, that is known as the silence of deep sleep. In that pure existence which is infinite consciousness, where is ‘I’ or another?46

4. Mauna or Silence in Upaniṣads The Vedas are four in number viz. Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. Each of these Vedas has four parts viz. Saṁhitā (the hymns, prayers and mantras), Brahmana (rites, rituals and sacrifices), Aranyaka (forest treatises) and Upaniṣads (philosophical expositions). Upaniṣads thus form the last part of the Vedas and are called accordingly as Vedānta (end of Vedas). Etymologically, the term “Upaniṣad” is made up of ‘Upa’ meaning ‘close by’, ‘ni’ meaning ‘devotedly’ and ‘shad’ meaning ‘sitting’. Thus, knowledge passed from Guru to śiṣya when the latter sits devotedly close to the Guru is called Upaniṣad. It is also referred to as Rahasya or secret knowledge.

Vedic Upaniṣads are divided into five types, viz. 1. MukhyaUpaniṣads - Principal Upaniṣads. 2. ShaivaUpaniṣads – Those having Lord Śiva as the supreme Lord. 3. VaishnavaUpaniṣads – Those having Lord Vishnu as the Suprema Lord. 4. SannyasaUpaniṣads – Those dealing with the life of a sannyasi or renunciate

45 theself.com/413_silenceofdeepsleep.cfm 46 Venkatesananda S. (1981), The concise Yoga Vasistha ; Albany: State university of Newyork press.pg327

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5. Yoga Upaniṣads – Those having Yoga as their main theme. These are said to be twenty in number.

4.1 Silence in Tejobindū Upaniṣad(TBU)

The Tejobindū Upaniṣad (Sanskrit):तेजोवबन्दउु पतनष饍)is one of the twenty Yoga Upaniṣads, a minor Upaniṣadin the body of Upaniṣadic texts. It is one of the five BindūUpaniṣads, all attached to the Atharvaveda. It is listed47 at number thirty seven in the serial order of the Muktika enumerated by Rāma to Hanuman in the modern era anthology of 108 Upaniṣads.

It is the longest of the BindūUpaniṣads, the other four being the NādabindūUpaniṣad, the BrahmabindūUpaniṣad, theAmṛtabindūUpaniṣadand the DhyanabindūUpaniṣad, all forming part of the Atharvaveda. All five BindūUpaniṣads emphasize the practice of Yoga and Dhyāna (meditation) with AUM, to attain to theĀtman (soul, self)

Like almost all other Yoga Upaniṣads, the text is composed in poetic verse form.The text exists in multiple versions.48 The longer version has six chapters with a cumulative total of 465 verses. Two chapters, in the longer version, are structured as a discourse, with Chapter no. 2 to 4 between Kumara and his father Śiva, and the last two chapters between Nidagha and Ribhu.

The text opens by asserting that Dhyāna (meditation) is difficult, and increasingly so as one proceeds from grosser to finer to super-fine states. For success in Dhyāna, one must first conquer anger, greed, lust, attachments, expectations, worries about wife and children. One must give up laziness and lead a virtuous life. One must eat food moderately. Misunderstandings or misconceptions should be removed, and one must become desire-less. One must find a Guru, respect him and strive to learn from him, states the text.

47Ayyaangar, T.R.S (1938).The Yoga Upaniṣads .Adiyar library.pg.27. 48 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tejobindu_Upanishad

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The TejobindūUpaniṣad begins its discussion of Yoga, with a list of fifteen Aṅgas (limbs), as follows49: 1. Yamas (self-control), 2. Niyama (right observances), 3. Tyāga (renunciation), 4. Mauna (silence, inner quietness), 5. Deśa (right place, seclusion), 6. Kāla (right time), 7. Āsana (correct posture), 8. Mūla-bandha (stopping all connection with the world), 9. Dehasāmya(body equilibrium, no quivering), 10. Drk-sthiti (mind equilibrium, stable introspection), 11. Prāṇa-saṃyama (breath equilibrium), 12. Pratyāhāra (breath exercises), 13. Dhāraṇā (concentration), 14. Ātma-dhyāna (meditation on soul), and 15. Samādhi (union of soul with Brahman).

The fifteen-limbed yoga is as mentioned in the following verse:

यमोहितनयमथत्यागोमौनंदेशिकालतः।

आसनंमूलबन्ििदेिसाम्यंि饃स्क्थिततः॥१५॥50

‘Yama (forbearance), Niyama (religious observance), Tyāga (renunciation), Mouna(silence) according to time and place, Āsana (posture), Mulabandha, seeing all bodies as equal, the position of the eye;’51

यथमाद्वािोतनितयन्तेअप्राप्यमनसासि।

यन्मौनंयोतगतिगयम्यंतभजेजेत्सियदाबुिः॥२०॥52

49 Ibid 50yamo hi niyamastyāgomaunaṃdeśaścakālataḥ। āsanaṃmūlabandhaścadehasāmyaṃ ca dṛksthitiḥ॥TBU 1: 15॥ 51 http://yousigma.com/religionandphilosophy/upanishad/tejobindu.pdf 52yasmādvāconivartanteaprāpyamanasāsaha। yanmaunaṃyogibhirgamyaṃtadbhajetsarvadābudhaḥ॥TBU1:20॥

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‘Mouna (the silence), in which, without reaching ‘That’, speech returns along with mind, is fit to be attained by the Yogins and should be ever worshipped by the ignorant (even)’53or the wise should always be one with that silence wherefrom words together with the mind turn back without reaching it, but which is attainable by the yogins.54 There are no words to describe Silence. It is untouched by the words and mind. It can be attained by the yogins by practice.Those who are ignorant about silence should also be aware of it and worship it.

इततिातभजेिेन्मौनंसिसं िजसंस्ज्ञतम।्

तगरांमौनंतुबालानामयुिं ब्रह्मिाहदनाम॥् २२॥55

‘It is ‘That’ which is (really) called silence and which is naturally understood (as such). There is silence in children, but with words (latent); whereas the knowers of Brahman have it (silence) but without words’56. Silence cannot be described by words. It is naturally understood. There is silence in children too lying dormant or existing but not yet manifested while those who knows Brahman knows there is silence without words.

When speech returns foiled along with the mind, that quiescence, which is worthy of being attained by yoginis, will always be attained by the inanimate (organs of sound, etc.). When speech returns foiled, by whom will it be possible to express that? If the world is to be told of it, even that world is devoid of suitable articulate sounds for conveying the idea. In either case, there is quiescence, as all nomenclature is based on the inherent qualities (of the things to be named). Quiescence (of the kind) in relation to word of mouth is for simple folk and is inapplicable to those that descent on the Brahman.

Chapter 2 is a discourse from Śivato his son Kumara on the "Individual One Essence". This is Ātman (soul, self), states Śiva; it is all existence, the entire world, all knowledge,

53 http://yousigma.com/religionandphilosophy/upanishad/tejobindu.pdf 54 https://sites.google.com/site/vedicscripturesinc/home/srishankaracharya/aprokshanubhuti 55 iti vātadbhavenmaunaṃsarvaṃsahajasaṃjñitam। girāṃmaunaṃ tu bālānāmayuktaṃbrahmavādinām॥TBU 1: 22॥ 56 http://yousigma.com/religionandphilosophy/upanishad/tejobindu.pdf

203 all space, all time, all Vedas, all introspection, all perceptors, all bodies, all minds, all learning, all that is little, all that is big, and it is Brahman. Śiva describes the nature of consciousness in verses 2.24–2.41, and asserts the Vedānta doctrine, "Ātman is identical with Brahman" in the final verses of chapter 2.57

The TejobindūUpaniṣad, states Madhavananda58, conceives the Supreme Ātman dwelling in the heart of man, as the subtlest centre of effulgence, revealed to yogis by super-sensuous meditation. This Ātman and its identity with Brahman, the nature of Tat TvamAsi, is the subject of Chapter 3, one to be meditated upon, and realised in essence, for the absolute freedom of the soul. The text attributes Śiva explaining the non-dual (Advaita) nature of Ātman and Brahman.

The Chapter 4 of the Upaniṣad, in a discourse from Śivato his son Kumara, describes who is Jīvanmukta and Videhamukta, and the difference between Videhamukti and Jīvanmukti.

The fifth Chapter of the text presents the theory of Ātman and of Anatman, as a discourse between MuniNidagha and the Vedic sageRibhu.

In the last chapter the discourse continues between MuniNidagha and the Vedic sage Ribhu. Everything is of sat-cit-ananda, existence-consciousness-bliss, asserts Ribhu, it is the imperishable essence.59

In the Upaniṣad, silence is given importance as a separate ‘anga’ which is to be practiced depending upon the place and time. At the highest level silence is equated to Brahman. As the Atman of a person is equated with the all – pervading Brahman it provides an inference that silence or mauna is the natural state of the Atman. The state of silence of the Atma can be attained by Dhyana easily by the Yogins but can also be achieved by others.

57 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tejobindu_Upanishad 58Madhavananda.S.(oct.1980)Minor Upanishads. Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta. pg. 28. 59Ayyaangar,T.R.S(1938).The Yoga Upaniṣads .Adiyar library.pg74-75. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tejobindu_Upanishad

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4.2 Silence in MāṇḍūkyaUpaniṣad One of the main themes of the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣadis an exposition of the Mystic Syllable, AUM with a view to training the mind in meditation, for the purpose of achieving freedom, gradually, so that the individual soul is attuned to the Ultimate Reality.

The basis of this meditation is explained in the Vidya (meditation), known as the Vaiśvānara Vidya. This is the secret of the knowledge of the Universal Being, designated as Vaiśvānara. Its simple form of understanding is the transference of human attributes to the Divine Existence, and vice versa.60 In this meditation, one contemplates the Cosmos as one's Body. Instead of contemplating oneself as the individual body, one contemplates oneself as the Universal Body. Instead of the right eye, left eye,feet and head there is the sun, moon, earth and heaven. The limbs of the Cosmic Person are identified with cosmic elements, and vice versa, so that there is nothing in the cosmos which does not form an organic part of the Body of the Virat, or Vaiśvānara.All of One’s actions are cosmic movements. 61 Though the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣadhas given certain symbolic instances of identification of limbs with the Cosmic Body, the meditator, can choose any symbol or symbols for such form of identification. Whatever the mind can think becomes an object for the mind; and that object, again, should become a part of the meditator's body, cosmically. The moment the object conceived by the mind, is identified with the Cosmic Body, the object ceases to agitate the mind anymore; as that object becomes a part of the Body of the meditator. Any person, who is in a position to meditate on the Virat, may assume the position of the Virat.62Then the whole universe shall become friendly with this Person and seek blessing from this Universal Being. This meditator is no more a human being; he is veritably, God Himself. The meditator on Vaiśvānara is himself Vaiśvānara, the Supreme Virat.

60 https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/mand/mand_intro.html 61 https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=8120815734 62 https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/mand/mand_intro.html

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The concept of Silence, in MāṇḍūkyaUpaniṣad, is associated with AUM and meditation on the same. Incidentally, the most beautiful explanation of AUM is found within the ancient Vedic and Sanskrit traditions. Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad explains the four elements63 of AUM as a symbol of the four planes of consciousness.64 In 12 short verses, it maps out the entire range of life experiences in the sound of AUM, Praṇava in sketching out the mystery of Brahman. It does so by comparing the four states of consciousness with the syllable Aum and refers to how this Aum-Praṇava sound syllable corresponds to each of those states.

The opening saying sets the tone for an enquiry into the cause of the material-temporal world, by asserting that the Aum principle lies at the root of not only the manifest universe, but is at the heart of the cosmic rhythm itself. While establishing Aum as the sound of the universe, Māṇḍūkya equates it with Brahman or the ‘four footed’65Ātman.

Four stages of consciousness Māṇḍūkya goes into a description of the four stages of consciousness. This analysis of the Self as Consciousness begins with the closeness of sense perceptions felt in the waking state, where all of us are alive to the body and visible world. This waking consciousness, Vaishvanara, makes us aware of and responds to the external as one goes about one’s daily lives, operating through ‘seven limbs’66 and ‘19 mouths’- 5 jnanendriyas67, 5 karmendriyas68and 5 prāṇas69 and the 4 inner faculties of Manas, Ahaṅkāra, Buddhi and Chitta.

63 the first three are vocal sounds: A, U, and M. The fourth sound, unheard, is the silence which begins and ends the audible sound, the silence which surrounds it. 64jāgrat, svapna, suṣhupti and turīya – the waking state, the dreaming state, the sleeping state, and the transcendent spiritual state 65the four quarters contained in a Rupee coin. You may say that the four quarters are contained in a coin, a Rupee, which you cannot see distinctly. The four quarters are in the coin, and yet they are not distinguishable. You recognise their presence, but you cannot behold them with the eyes. In this sense, we may say that the Ātman has four feet, and not inthe sense of the four feet of a cow. The four quarters of the Ātman described in the Māndūkya Upanishad are the four aspects in the study of the Ātman, and not four distinguishable, partitioned quarters of the Ātman. These quarters, these four aspects in the study of the nature of the Ātman, which are the main subject of theMāndūkya Upanishad, are also a process of self-transcendence. 66 Seven limbs are head, eyes, breaths, stomach, bladder, legs, mouth 67 Five Jnanaindriyas are ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose for hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting and smelling. 68 Five Karmaindriyas are vocal cords, hands, feet, genitals and anus, for speaking, grasping, walking, procreating and eliminating, 69 Five Prāṇas are Prāṇa, Apāna Udāna, Samāna ,Vyāna

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Taijasa is the second aspect of the Self, the dream consciousness which interiorizes the external world within the mind that creates an entire world of its own, and comes alive with the same intensity as one was feeling the external world earlier in the waking state. This dream state could be triggered as a result of unfulfilled desires or result from tapping into a subtle realm involuntarily, but the dream state is as real to the dreamer as in the waking state to a person. Māṇḍūkya refers to the fact that the mind is active in both these states.

When the mind has withdrawn itself completely, there arises the Suṣupti state of deep sleep. ThisPrajñā-ghanah70 with no external or subtle mind movement, induces a happiness greater than the one obtained through senses.The bliss of deep sleep takes one into a causal state where one is neither distracted nor distraught with desires. It is a state which is enjoyed momentarily by each of us to wake up refreshed and energized. Māṇḍūkya urges the seeker to refine his consciousness so as to summon this blissful state at will, through yogic sādhanā.

The fourth aspect of Consciousness or Ātman or Self is Turīya.71 In this fourth state, consciousness is neither turned outward nor inward. Nor is it both outward and inward; it is beyond both cognition and the absence of cognition.72 This fourth state of Turīya cannot be experienced through the senses or known by comparison, deductive reasoning or inference; it is indescribable, incomprehensible, and unthinkable with the mind. It is a state of consciousness wherein thought itself has found its source and has got absorbed in it. It is the state in which the knower and the known become one. This is Pure Consciousness itself. This is the real Self. It is within the cessation of all phenomena. It is serene, tranquil, filled with bliss, and is one without second. This is the real or true Self that is to be realized.73

The goal of the various forms of yoga is to go into that realm of undifferentiated consciousness (that of Turīya) while remaining awake. There is no counterpart to this

70Ghanah means cloud. 71 http://www.swamij.com/mandukya-upanishad.htm 72 Ibid 73 Ibid

207 concept in Western vocabularies. It doesn't even have a name in India; it is called simply the fourth state, and that is the fourth letter of the syllable (AUM), the level of silence. Because all the words that one speaks refer either to waking images and logic, dream images and logic, or ignorance. There is no word for this, and so it is the ultimate silence, but it is that which one is.

Verse VII of the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad describes Turīya as follows: Not inwardly cognitive, nor outwardly cognitive, not both-wise cognitive, not a cognition-mass, not cognitive, not non-cognitive, unseen, with which there can be no dealing, ungraspable, having no distinctive mark, non-thinkable, that cannot be designated, the essence of assurance, of which is the state of being one with the Self the cessation of development, tranquil, benign, without a second, such they think is the fourth74. He is the Self (Ātman). He should be discerned.

Like Brahman or Consciousness, AUM also has four parts, called letters. The first three are A, U, and M, corresponding to the first three quarters of Brahman and Ātman. In addition to these there is an undifferentiated sound of AUM, which comes after the first three letters are pronounced. Devoid of all characteristics, it is not any particular sound, but the substratum of all sounds. It is the same as the unconditioned Brahman, or Turīya. Turīya is here figuratively called a quarter. It does not denote any part. It is Brahman Itself, which does not admit of any differentiation. The knowledge of the fourth quarter is realized by merging in it the previous three. The waking state is merged in the dream state, the dream state in dreamless sleep, and finally, dreamless sleep in Turīya, or Pure Consciousness. Thus, through meditation on AUM one can realize Brahman both in its cosmic and in it’s a cosmic aspect, realization of total Silence.

4.3 Silence in Taittirīya Upanishad TaittirīyaUpanisad is a part of the Taittirīyasamhita of the KrishnaYajur Veda. In various chapters they have discussed what Ātman, anatman, pañcakośas and their significance is. It gives a description of the dimensions of human personality.

74 https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=1482888955

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Theory of Pañcakośas The theory of Pañcakośas states that the human personality is made up of five Kośas or layers and these five kośas cover the real essence of the human being. These five Kośas are the Annamaya kośa (the food body), the prāṇamaya kośa (the energy body), the manomaya kośa (the mental body), the vijñānamaya kośa (the wisdom body) and the ānandamaya kośa (the bliss body). These five kośas can be depicted as concentric circles with the outermost circle being the annamaya kośa and the innermost circle being that of ānandamay kośa. This is the same as saying that the Annamaya kośa represented by one’s physical body is the grossest aspect of one’s personality and the annamaya kośa, the bliss body, the subtlest dimension of one’s personality.

Personality development in this kośa theory is a movement inward from the annamaya to the ānandamay kośa. But even the best personality is only an empirical manifestation. The goal of life is to transcend even the best empirical personality and realize one’s true Self or Real Nature. In this movement, inwards from the physical body (gross body) to the bliss body (causal body), the practice of Mauna or silence can be seen as very effective. In fact, transcendence of the outer layers in the movement inwards is making one’s practice of Mauna deeper and deeper. When the ānandamay kośa is transcended, one attains total or absolute Mauna. Self-realization is the culmination of Mauna practice.

The movement inwards from the annamaya kośa to the ānandamay kośa is the movement of progress on the spiritual path. Mauna at the level of the physical body, which involves control / restraint of the senses (indriya nigraha) and detachment from sensory pleasures and physical actions helps in transcending the Annamaya kośa. Prāṇa is conserved and not allowed to dissipate at the level of the body (śarīra) and senses (indriyas). This Prāṇa now flows in an unobstructed manner in the physical body. Breath becomes stabilized, slow, rhythmic and controlled. The attention is now turned towards the manomaya kośa, the kośa of thoughts, feelings and emotions. Mauna practice now gets deeper and tries to restrain the ‘thought’ currents of the mind. Mind is progressively rendered free from agitation s and gradually silenced. There is transcendence of the manomaya kośa. Meditation is facilitated. Now is the situation ripe for the onset of the functioning of the Vijñānamaya kośa. Intuitions / higher

209 wisdom manifest. Mauna practice robs one of the fascination for these insights and intuition. One is reminded of Patañjali’s sutra, तेसमािािुपसगाय핍युत्िानेतसद्धयः

Te samādhāvupasargāvyutthānesiddhayaḥ||PYS 3.38|| Transcendence happens of the vijnanamaya kośa too. Now it is the “home run”. Bliss is experienced being almost in touch with the Real self. The bliss too is transcended by persisting with deeper and deeper Mauna. This sheath of pure bliss, the ānandamay kośa, is transcended in the moment of Self-realization. Practice of Mauna has reached its culmination. Total Silence prevails.

Thus, Mauna can purify the kośas by freeing them from the pushes and pulls of their distracting forces and lead the sādhaka towards self – Realization.

5. Mauna or Silence in Bhagavad Gita (B.G.) The Srimad Bhagavad Gītā is a dialogue between Lord Krsna and Arjuna, narrated in the BhishmaParva of the Mahābhārata. It comprises eighteen discourses of a total of 700 Sanskrit verses.75 A considerable volume of material has been compressed within these verses. On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Sri Krsna, during the course of His most instructive and interesting talk with Arjuna, revealed thoughtful, inspiring and soul- stirring spiritual truths, and explained the rare secrets of Yoga, Jnana, Bhakti and Karma.

All the teachings of Lord Krsna were subsequently recorded as the Song Celestial or Srimad Bhagavad Gītā by BhagavanVyasa76 for the benefit of humanity at large. The world gratefulto BhagavanVyasa who presented this Song Celestial to humanity for the guidance of their daily conduct of life, spiritual upliftment and Self-realisation. Those who are self-controlled and who are endowed with faith can reap the full benefit of the Gītā, which is the science of the Soul. The Gītā is the cream of the Vedas. It is the essence of the soul-elevating Upaniṣads. It is a universal scripture applicable to people

75 www.hinduism.co.za/gita.htm 76 https://www.divyajivan.org/articles/siva/glory_gita.htm

210 of all temperaments and for all times. In this unique book, one can find an unbiased exposition of the philosophy of action, devotion and knowledge together with a wonderfully woven synthesis of these three.77

The Bhagavad Gītā is one of the best world-scriptures today and a text book of Yoga. All the eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad Gītā are named after a specific Yoga. It can guide the lives of people all over the world. Mahatma Gandhi regarded it as the “Mother”, to whom the children (humanity) turned when in distress. The Bhagavad Gītā is a message addressed to every human individual to help him or her to solve the frustrating problem of overcoming the present and progressing towards a bright future. This holyscripture is not just an “old scripture”, nor is it just a book of “religious teachings”, nor even a Hindu holy book.78 It can transcend the bounds of any particular religion or race, and is actually divine wisdom addressed to mankind for all times, in order to help human beings, face and solve the ever-present problems of birth and death, of pain, suffering, fear, bondage, love and hate79. It enables man to liberate himself from all limiting factors and reach a state of perfect balance, inner stability and mental peace, complete freedom from grief, fear and anxiety.

Swāmi Paramahaṃsa Yogānanda has explained in the book, ‘Essence of Bhagavad Gītā’ that B.G. teaches every important aspect of the spiritual path: during activity, Karma yoga(the yoga of right action),during thinking and discrimination, Jñanayoga (the yoga of wisdom) which unites in a large river. “That river” Yogānanda said, “is the energy flowing in the spine. The subsidiary paths of yoga give guidance to people of different basic temperaments: the active (Karma yoga), the discriminating (Jnana yoga) and ‘the heartful’ (Bhakti yoga). The central river to enlightenment however is shown by Raja Yoga, the royal yoga: the pathway of the spine”. “Rāja yoga” he continued, “takes one straight up the central pathway of the spine into the inner Silence of divine communion. It is the teaching of this yoga finally that makes the B.G truly a scripture for all mankind. It is why Kṛṣṇa stated in the Gītā, ‘O Arjuna, be thou a Yogi.’

77 https://www.divyajivan.org/bhagawad_gita/gita_chida.htm 78 Ibid 79 Ibid

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Within its eighteen chapters is revealed a human drama.80 This is the experience of everyone in this world, the drama of the ascent of man from a state of utter dejection, sorrow and total breakdown and hopelessness to a state of perfect understanding, clarity, renewed strength and achievement.Each Chapter of Bhagavad Gītā holds an invaluable lesson and imparts a new understanding of oneself. It can help to understand the workings of the mind which is the real problem to one’s own welfare and happiness, how to overcome it, what path to be taken, the secret of self-mastery and the way to peace amidst daily activities and duties - all these can be found in this great book. Reading, understanding and practicing it can only enrich the life.

The Gītā is divided into three sections, illustrative of the three terms of the Mahavakya of the Sama Veda — “Tat TwamAsi — That Thou Art”. In accordance with this view, the first six discourses deal with the path of action or Karma Yoga, that is, the nature of “Thou”. It is called the Twam-pada. The next six discourses explain the path of devotion, the nature of “That”.81 This is called the Tat-pada. The concluding six discourses deal with the path of knowledge, the nature of the middle term “Art”. Hence, it is called the Asi-pada, which establishes the identity of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul. The eighteen discourses are not woven in a conflicting manner. Each one is intimately or vitally connected with its precedent.82

When Arjuna became very downhearted, Lord Krsna’s opening remarks in the second discourse, which bespeak of the immortality of the soul, opens his eyes and gives him strength and courage. Arjuna then learns the technique of Karma Yoga and renunciation of the fruits of actions.83 He learns the methods of controlling the senses and the mind and practicing concentration and meditation. This is followed by a description of the various manifestations of the Lord to prepare him for the vision of the Cosmic Form. Arjuna experiences the magnificent Cosmic Vision and understands the glorious nature of a liberated being. He is then given knowledge of the Field and the Knower of the Field, the three Guṇas and the Puruṣottama. His knowledge is completed by an

80 https://www.divyajivan.org/bhagawad_gita/gita_chida.htm 81 www.hinduism.co.za/gita.htm 82 www.dlshq.org/download/bgita.htm 83 Ibid

212 explanation of the divine attributes, the three kinds of faith and the essence of the Yoga of renunciation.

यिादीपोतनिातथिोनेङ्गतेसोपमाथमृता |

योतगनोयततििथययु祍जतोयोगमात्मन: || 6.19|| yathādīponivāta-sthoneṅgatesopamāsmṛitā yoginoyata-chittasyayuñjatoyogamātmanaḥ BG 6.19: “Just as a lamp in a windless place does not flicker, so the disciplined mind of a yogi remains steady in meditation on the self”84.

In this verse, Shree Krsna gives the simile of the flame of a lamp. In the wind, the flame flickers naturally and is impossible to control. However, in a windless place, the flame becomes as steady as a picture. Similarly, the mind is fickle by nature and very difficult to control. But when the mind of a yogi is in enthralled union with God, it becomes sheltered against the winds of desire. Such a yogi holds the mind steadily under control by the power of devotion.

In B.G, Chapter17, 16thverse it is said

मन: प्रसाद: सौम्यत्िंमौनमात्मवितन्ि: |

िािसंशुवद्धररत्येतिपोमानसमुच्यते ||17.16|| manaḥ-prasādaḥsaumyatvaṁmaunamātma-vinigrahaḥ bhāva-sanśhuddhirityetattapomānasamuchyate “Serenity of thought, gentleness, silence, self-control, and purity of purpose—all these are declared as the austerity of the mind”.

Silence is placed midway between other qualities. It begins with control of the mind. Once the mind is controlled, one begins to look kindly towards others. One cuts down on useless speech and thinks more on God. One begins to generate good thoughts.The state of the meditator’s mind is beautifully explained with a classic illustration or

84 prabhupadabooks.com/pdf/The-Path-of-Perfection.pdf

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“upamā” by Shri Krsna in this shloka. He compares the mind of a meditator to the flame of a lamp that is burning in a windless room. Just like the flame is unwavering due to absence of wind, so too is the mind of a meditator steady due to absence of desire.If we compare the focused mind to a steady flame, then we need to understand how to prevent to mind from succumbing to the winds of desire. If desires exist, we may be able to temporarily stabilize the mind, but it will eventually get destabilized due to a thought generated by a desire. Presence of desire indicates absence of detachment or vairāgya. The only cure is to increase the level of detachment towards the world.

The intense level of detachment that is needed for meditation is not an alien concept. When people get extremely absorbed in watching TV, they temporarily develop detachment towards everything else. If one calls them for dinner, or if the doorbell rings and so on, these external occurrences do not even register in their minds. It again depends on what one gives importance to.

Now let’s examine another aspect of the lamp illustration. According to Vedānta, seeing an inert object is a 2-step process. First, our mind creates a mental picture of the object. Next, the Ātman or self-shines a light on that picture, just like a torch does. Only when this light is shined do we come to know that “this is a mango” or “this is a car” and so on.But when we meditate on the self, the second step does not happen because we are not focusing our attention on an inert object. We are focusing on the self, which illuminates itself. It is like shining a torch on the sun - the torch is useless. The self is like the candle since it does not require anything else to illumine it, to shine a light on it. This is another point made in the illustration of the flame.

So therefore, when one’s focus and concentration reaches its peak, and when the target of meditation becomes one’s own Ātman or self, it is the culmination of meditation. It is the state of Samādhi.

In the Bhagavad Gītā,chapter10, verse 3885, the Lord extols Silence as Himself.

85 https://asitis.com/10/38.html

214 dandodamayatamasmi nitirasmijigisatam maunamcaivasmiguhyanam jnanamjnanavatamaham||BG 10.38|| “Among punishments I am the rod of chastisement, and of those who seek victory, I am morality. Of secret things I am silence, and of the wise I am wisdom”.86

The verse may be explained as follows: There are many suppressing agents, of which the most important are those that cut down the miscreants. When miscreants are punished, the rod of chastisement represents Krsna. Among those who are trying to be victorious in some field of activity, the most victorious element is morality. Among the confidential activities of hearing, thinking and meditating, silence is most important because by silence one can make progress very quickly. The wise man is he who can discriminates between matter and spirit, between God's superior and inferior natures. Such knowledge is Krsna Himself.

In Mahābhārata, there is a story pertaining to silence. After Maharishi Vedavyas had dictated the last shloka and Lord Ganesh had noted it down on the bhojpatra, Maharishi Vedavyas said, “Viganeshwar! Blessed is your writing! The Supreme spirit has created the Mahābhārata and you have written it. What is more amazing is your silence. During dictation, I must have spoken almost twenty hundred thousand words, but all along I did not hear a single word from you.” Lord Ganesh thoughtfully responded, “Badrayan, some lamps have a lot of oil, the other have only a little. No lamp has a continuous supply of oil. In the same way, Gods, Mankind and demons have a limited life. Only those who have self-control use their powers and understanding can fully benefit from their life. The first step to self-control is to control one’s speech. Whoever cannot control his speech loses energy unnecessarily. Through control of speech one avoids such a loss. I have always believed in the power of silence.”87

86 https://asitis.com/10/38.html 87 https://www.indiadivine.org/benefits-of-mauna-vratha-according-to-hinduism/

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Mauna like Yoga follows the middle path As regards Mauna and Yoga there exists a main fear factor of remaining quiet or leading a saintly life throughout life.An interesting fact that comes out is that Yoga and Mauna follows middle path.Yoga always opts for the middle path in the sense that it does not believe in extremeities. There is no fasting in yoga and also over-eating, Atyāhāra, is considered as an obstacle. Mitāhāra or regulated, moderate, diet is what is prescribed in Hatha yoga. In all forms of Yoga there is only middle path. That is the general principle of yoga.

नात्यश्नतथतुयोगोऽस्थतनिपकान्तमनश्नतः।

निाततथिप्नशीलथयजा्तोनपििाजुयन ||B.G.6.16|| nāty-aśnatas tu yogo ’sti nacaikāntamanaśnataḥ nacāti-svapna-śīlasya jāgratonaivacārjuna This yoga is not possible, O Arjuna, for one who eats too much or who does not eat at all, who sleeps too much or too little. (B.G.6.16)

युिािारवििारथययुििेष्थयकमयसु।

युिथिप्नािबोिथययोगोििततदःु हिा ||6.17|| yuktāhāra-vihārasya yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu yukta-svapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā The yoga of meditation destroys all sorrows for the one who is moderate in eating, recreation, working, sleeping, and waking. (B.G.6.17)

The Gītā explains that one should avoid extremes at any cost in all spheres of life. This moderation of the Gītā was acclaimed by Lord Buddha who called it the middle path, the right way, or the noble path. For any spiritual practice a healthy mind and body is

216 required. Therefore, it is essential that a yogi should regulate his daily bodily functions, such as eating, sleeping, bathing, resting and recreation. Those who ate too much or too little may become sick or fragile. It is suggested to fill half of the stomach with food, one fourth with water, and leave the rest empty for air. If one sleeps in excess, then there are chances one’s lethargy, passion, and bile may increase. A yogi should avoid extreme tolerance in uncontrolled desires as well as the opposite extreme of yogic discipline, the torturing of the body and mind. Similarly, as regards Mauna, over- talkativeness / prajalpa is considered as an impediment in yoga as mentioned above. Also, on the other hand, complete silence is also not what seems to be prescribed. Only carefully chosen words have to be spoken - moderation in speech. Thus, just like no over-eating and no fasting but only Mitāhāra, similarly as regards speech also there is neither over-talking and nor complete silence. In fact, both over-eating and over-talking are unnecessary dissipation of energy. One of the foremost principles of yoga is conservation of energy.

Yoga treads the Middle path, then can Mauna be considered as a currency in Yoga! Is there a contradiction in prescribing the practice of Mauna? A very precise answer to such a question is an emphatic “No”. Obviously, it does not envisage coming to a conclusion that Mauna is the goal of yoga especially for empirical life. Mauna is an instrument in yoga, not a goal of Yoga for empirical life. Even one who attains to the state of Samādhī need not be Mauna all the time.

By keeping Mauna thus, one can follow the moderate path. By over-talking one is over- indulging. By keeping complete enforced Mauna, one is suppressing. Mauna is an instrument for one to follow the middle path of talking only what is necessary. The practice of Mauna is depends on the spiritual growth of an individual and the needs of the situation.

6. Methods of Mauna Speaking is one of the major expressions of the human personality and it is a part of human nature. If one cuts off this sensory experience then the mind has to find other ways to express its energy. When one is interacting with people it is difficult to study

217 oneself as one is being extrovert and focusing on them. If one is alone for an hour or more even half an hour for the very busy person, one can gradually begin to observe and understand the functioning and patterns of the mind which leads to self-analysis and contemplation. One becomes more introvert and aware of one’s thoughts, desires, emotions and so on. It is said that through the practice of silence one can develop the attitude of a seer or one who observes everything.

A silent, tranquil mind can make one listen to various voices from the depths of the mind which one cannot catch otherwise. Mind becomes a receptor of bliss and wisdom, since all this arises naturally when the mind is in a state of inner silence. However, this inner silence can never arise when there is a continual stream of disturbing thoughts and turbulent emotions.

6.1 Antar Mauna Antar Mauna is designed specifically to eradicate mental noise and induce calmness in the mind. Antar Mauna is a meditative technique that leads to inner tranquility and silence. Some of the principles of Antar Mauna are widely used in modern psychiatry. Antar Mauna is a great sadhana designed to make the aspirant aware of the inner silence as well as the inner noise which generally prevents one from knowing the silence. This is the reason why it is widely utilized in religious, nuptial and psychiatric systems.

As a matter of fact every one indulges in mental suppressions. Since at tender age, one is told to habitually suppress nasty thoughts and desires that keep on rising in the mind. But that does not solve the problem. For the thoughts merely stay submerged in the unconscious realms of the mind in the seed form. Even if one is not conscious of them, these suppressed thoughts act from the unconscious to bring pain, unhappiness and frustration in life. To find the real bliss these mental impressions (samskaras) have to be rooted out. A direct method is Antar Mauna Sadhana.

Antar Mauna is a very systematic method. In this method one comes in direct confrontation with its suppressed impressions of the subconscious mind: long forgotten memories, fears, hatred and so forth. Eventually a stage is reached where the most over powering thoughts and emotions are exhausted and the insignificant thoughts and

218 emotions remain as remnants. But these minor thoughts are also a nuisance. At this stage the thought processes of the mind can be overcome to induce a stage of thoughtlessness.

Antar Mauna can also be practiced by with small children also. However, instead of just being asked to listen to all the sounds, a child is asked to listen while the teacher points out all the sounds within the environment. He or She may say, “Hear the bird singing. Hear the bus moving down the street which way is it traveling? How many different sounds one can hear? How many different sounds can you hear at the same time? Locate where the sound is coming from.”

6.2 Vak-Mauna and Karna Mauna Another type of Mauna is in silence of speech (Vak-Mauna) and silence of hearing (Karna Mauna).The basic principles of this Mauna are :  Not speaking that which will hurt others  Avoiding useless discussions, chattering, arguments, etc.  Speaking less  Speaking only what is essential  Speaking only on Spirituality if one has to speak, at all.

Initially whilst observing Mauna, it is better not to remain in the proximity of others. Thus there is no question of either speaking by accident or getting thoughts about others. If it is not possible to practice Mauna in one’s home, then it should be practiced in isolation. Since one cannot express any thoughts, initially one gets frustrated from within. Considering this point as well, remaining in solitude proves beneficial.. In the period of Mauna one should engage in chanting, concentration, meditation or introspection so as to avoid thoughts arising out of what others speak.

Also, in the period of Mauna one should not read newspapers, listen to the radio, watch television, etc. as there is a possibility of getting distracted.During Mauna one should give prior instructions verbally or written, about what food one will eat, etc. as more energy is expended in expressing thoughts through gestures, rather than actual speaking. Besides, there is a possibility of misinterpretation by others.

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One could practice Mauna for one to two hours on working days and five to six hours on holidays. Then the period of Mauna should be increased to one full day, a week, a fortnight, a month and so on. Each period of observance of Mauna consists of 40 days. This is called an anushthan. After one anushthan one should break the period of Mauna for at least two to four days. Subsequently one may observe another anushthan.

One of the goals of the meditative techniques is to tune into the neutral mind, where one can access higher states of consciousness.88 If one tries to be silent without accessing one’s neutral channel, silent meditation often gets stuck in watching one’s thoughts and replaying one’s neuroses. After preparing the body and mind and balancing the emotions by doing yoga practices, one is able to sit quietly and enjoy one’s inner bliss.

One does not have to wait for 40 days. Incorporate silent meditation in one’s daily practice. Within the span of 40 days one can realize the benefits of being still with oneself and will continue to incorporate this practice in one’s daily routine.

6.3 Exercises to cultivate Mauna Below are three exercises to help cultivate the art of Mauna as also listening since being silent requires being able to listen. There is a silent channel in the mind. First one has to access it. Second one has to listen to the silence and be with it. The silence is always there. The challenge is to train oneself to pay attention to it.

Exercise -1 Everyday be silent and practice listening within. Do this for a few minutes before and after Yoga and meditation practice. One need to spend this silent time with oneself, every morning before one starts his/her workday. Simply sit quietly, be with the breath, feel the sensations in the body and find one’s neutral channel. Gently and silently be with oneself. Start with 3 to 5 minutes and work up to 10 minutes. If one has time, one may work up to 20 or 30 minutes.

88 www.kundaliniyoga.org/lesson_2

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Exercise -2 During the day practice listening to oneself before interacting with others. Listen inside to what one wants to say before saying it. Do the best to get one’s own answers before seeking advice. Process one’s own thoughts and feelings before sharing them with others. Share only those thoughts and feelings that inform and inspire others. Do not load one’s emotions on others as a way to avoid processing/analysing them oneself. Keep personal issues and process to oneself. (Unless one is working with a counselor or therapy group)

Exercise -3 Once a week, practice Mauna with a partner or with a group of friends. Observing Mauna, go for a walk together, be together at home, eat a meal together or partake in another activity. Agree on the process beforehand, so one can relax and enjoy the experience. Have a notepad handy in case the need to communicate arises.

Potential results: The above practices makes one aware of how much one turns one’s attention outwards and look for cues outside oneself. One realizes how much talk is done unnecessary and thus resulting in waste of energy. It can also be seen how one tries to fill in "empty" spaces to feel comfortable or make the other person feel comfortable so one can feel comfortable.

Exercise -4 :Simple process of meditation 1.Sit in Padmasana or any comfortable posture with spine erect. 2.Close the eyes and relax the whole body. 3.Feel the breath, cool air entering through the nostrils and warm air coming out. 4.Perform 5-20 rounds of Bhramari89.Concentrate on sound. 5.When finished continue to keep the eyes closed and try to listen for any subtle sounds.

89Bhramari is a Prāṇayama where honey bee sound is produced while inhaling and exhaling.The vibrations produced by this sound makes the mind single- pointed.

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6.These sound vibrations helps in increasing the serenity of the mind and helps to merge with the subject.Learn to enjoy the state of inner silence.

Exercise -5 :Nādānusandhāna A) A-Kara chanting; sitting in vajrasana, adopting chin-mudra inhale slowly and exhaling chant AAA in a low pitch. One can feel the sound of resonance in the abdomen and the lower parts of the body. B) U-Kara chanting: sitting in vajrasana, adopting chinmaya mudra, inhale slowly and exhaling chant UUU in a low pitch. One can feel the sound of resonance in the chest and the middle part of the body. C) M-Kara chanting; sitting in vajrasana, adopting adimudra, inhale slowly and exhaling chant MMM in a low pitch. One can feel the sound of resonance in the entire head region. D) A-U-M chanting: sitting in vajrasana, adopting Brahma Mudra, inhale slowly and exhaling chant A-U-M in a low pitch. One can feel the sound of resonance in the whole body.

Resonance will occur only when the frequency of the generated sound matches with the natural frequency of the body. These resonance sounds act as stimulations and the post- resonance silence deepens the awareness and releases even very subtle tensions.

7. Efficacy of Mauna Some of the benefits of observing silence, which take a sādhaka closer to the goal of Self-realization, can be enumerated as follows:  Mauna for a few hours daily will undoubtedly contribute to the peace and calmness of mind;  Maintaining silence preserves energy / prāṇa;  Observing Mauna improves concentration & helps in faster achievement of goal;  Sitting silent is a process of cleaning or self-purification;  Silence increases one’s resistance to external disturbances;  Through Mauna one can speed one’s personal evolution to the utmost degree;

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 Mauna is one way to distance oneself from negativity;  Silence helps in creating ‘space’;  Mauna helps in bringing bliss unto daily activities or promotion of good health.  Silence gives birth to one’s true nature as peace, compassion, love, friendliness and joy  Silence swallows sadness, guilt and misery, giving birth to joy, compassion and love similar to Buddha’s life. Buddha came to take away misery, guilt, fear arrogance and ignorance and to bring back wisdom, strength, beauty, knowledge and peace 90.

Sage Patañjali in his sutras has advised to develop cosmic awareness - from awareness of objects to awareness of subject to awareness of awareness itself i.e. PYS I.3. No one can give that alchemical awareness - no scriptures, authority or religion. It has to be cultivated from within and assimilated so that the root cause is removed like the thorn from the flesh. Mauna can help or give clarity to one’s thinking. It can help one to realize what is unwholesome and wrong and gives one the strength to give it up. Buddha has said ‘Be a light unto yourself’.91 Yogic practice of Mauna is the instrument for that. Preconceived images prevent one from accepting reality and truth as wonderful. The remedy is pure awareness. The pilgrimage from suffering to permanent peace can be achieved through Aṣṭāṅga Yoga of Sage Patañjali. In Mauna, one can dwell in a state of non-reactive witnessing of reality knowing fully well that there is no doer nor sufferer but mere flow of phenomenon amidst universal flux of mind and matter. Just as a man shudders with horror stepping on a snake but laughs on finding it to be only a rope, so too when one finds there is no such thing as me or mine, one gets settled in peace.

Fellowship with silence can generate power which elevates the mind. Silence can be said to be a great purifier. It can open the doors for communication with the mysteries of life. Silence can create circles of positive energy. It is not passive. It can create ethos

90 Ravi,S. S. S (2006), ‘Buddha-Manifestation of silence’, Bangalore, India, VyaktiVikas Kendra. 91 Hemensway,P. Be a Light Unto Yourself: Discovering and Accepting Who Are from the words of the, Buddha.AndrewsMcMeel publishing. USA.pg 8

223 for performing dharma. Silence can sometimes heal. As Silence gives and so one also learns to give. For in silence the waters of the spirit flow.92 Science and Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā view silence as conservation of energy. Humans are biomechanical units with energy reservoirs inside the body. By remaining silent one obviously will save energy. This explains why mystics went to the hills and forests to seek answers to life –in silence-blissful, all-encompassing endless silence.

Most of the religions keep vows or pronouncements as their focal point Maun vrata- the vow of silence is one such. It is believed that if Mauna vrata is practiced from time to time, it can help control one’s tongue which can either kill or heal. Withdrawing into silence can help the spiritual seeker hear the sounds of silence which could be healing as well as enlightening. ‘Vrata’ in Sanskrit stands for for vow or promise. Vratas or elements of self-control form the core of practical Jainism, whose monks follow the 5 Mahāvratas while practitioners follow 5 smaller vratas. They also observe Mauna ekādaśī, a day of total silence in the month of Mārgśīrṣa.

Silence is appreciated by people embarking on a spiritual journey as spiritual growth necessitates that one’s speech be pure. When one practices silence, one starts weighing one’s words before uttering them. One has the choice of not saying anything that will hurt others. Thus ahimsa is maintained. In the 6th month of the Hindu calendar, 16 days are set aside for Maunavrata. The belief is that through silence one can merge with Siva. The Bhagavad- Gītā (17/16)93also speaks of contentment of the mind, amiable temperament, silence, religious meditation and good thoughts reflecting austerity of the mind. Most religious traditions are unanimous in acknowledging silence as being essential to spiritual growth. Allowing the mind to be silent is implied as a feature of spiritual enlightenment in Buddhism. It is said that when Lord Buddha got enlightenment, he did not speak for a week. Islamic scholars stress on inner silence that helps us to grow. Advaita Vedanta and Yoga traditions stress the importance of Mauna or silence for inner growth.

92 https://ujalaa.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/ttf/ 93 मन: प्रसाद: सौम्यत्वंमौनमात्मत्तवत्तनग्रह : | भावसंश द्धिरित्ययेतिपोमानसम च्यते || 16|| manaḥ-prasādaḥsaumyatvaṁmaunamātma-vinigrahaḥ bhāva-sanśhuddhirityetattapomānasamuchyate

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Chanakya Niti says in 11/9, “Whoever can remain silent every day for a year becomes worthy of 1000 yrs of praise in heaven.”94 Śrī ŚrīRavishankar says, “If you want to make sense, come from silence.”95 Anti-corruption movement leader Anna Hazare too gave speech after speech on corruption, finally one day he fell silent. But before he did that he announced, “Maunavrata will heal my body from within and outside”96. Mother Teresa believed that God is the friend of silence. “ nature - tree, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to be able to touch the souls” she would say97.

Svāmī Śivānanda recommended practicing silence at least once weekly. He said “Do not allow anything to come out from the mind through the vāk-indriyas or organs of speech. Observe Mauna and considerable peace will follow. Speech energy is transmuted into ojas or spiritual energy. One’s will power becomes stronger. Now that you have shut out a big source of disturbance, you will rest in peace. Meditate on God or Brahman in right earnest.”98 M K Gandhi practiced Mauna every Monday for 27years and Śrī Aurobindo, for 17 years.

Silence has a lot of health benefits too. According to the medical practitioners, silence can reduce stress by lowering blood cortisol and adrenaline levels.99 Besides boosting the body’s immune system, silence equips one to deal with emotional issues, better. Half an hour of silence every day can keep one healthy. Spiritual organizations and wellness-centers hold silent meditation retreats to help people connect with themselves. Attended mostly by stressed-out professionals and students, these retreats follow a regime: get up early in the morning, participate in long meditation sessions with short breaks for breakfast, lunch and dinner, go on silent walks and listen to discourses by experts on the benefits of silence.

94 http://www.bharathkidilse.blogspot.com/2009/12/maun-vrat.html http://www.sanskritimagazine.com/indian-religions/hinduism/benefits-maun-vrat 95 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-virtues-silence-sri-sri-ravi-shankar 96 www.speakingtree.in/allslides/maun-vrat-healing-through-silence Dec 2, 2013 - 97 www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mothertere164357.html 98 www.sivanandaonline.org/public_html/?cmd=displaysection§ion_id 99 http. //om times.com/2012/10/The health benefits of Silence-simple yet profound by Dr. Paul Haider

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Whether one is an experienced or novice meditator one may benefit from a more intensive period of silent meditation to quieten the mind and reset one’s heart felt priorities. One needs to remember that silent meditative or contemplative moments has been a natural part of one’s lives on nature walks, gardening, or sitting quietly somewhere in nature or on porch. These moments of reflection are often punctuated with insights into issues one has been intensely pondering for some period of time. In these slower paced and quieter moments, a needed solution spontaneously appears. Imagine these moments of insight being multiplied by days devoted to silent meditation. Cutting through the mind’s chatter in extended silent meditations one discovers that just below the surface of one’s busy lives and thoughts there is a clear and peaceful mind and heart that offers creative and clear directions. With disciplined effort, one can return repeatedly to this peaceful abode for guidance.

Learning to deepen this process of silent meditation in a group is easier that meditating alone. The collective resonance of tuning into the stream of intuition, that lies hidden in the cave of silence, gives access to one’s intuition and creative energies. This creativity and self-awareness can connect with one’s deeper selves and others. That creative potential becomes more personally owned when one realizes that meditation to achieve self-realization and service to others are complementary. One Hasidic saint100 reminds that one will not attain salvation without taking others with us towards salvation. We are like a group of pilgrims on a journey towards one’s goal. When one of us encounters obstacles on the journey we stop and help our fellow pilgrim and then all continue together on our journey. At the end of a silent retreat it is not uncommon to hear participants remarking, “I got to know my fellow silent retreaters better than I would have if we had talked to one another. I felt a strong support and bond with one another.”101 We learn in silence that one’s simple and attentive “personal presence” is one of the greatest gifts to one another.

Silence is one’s own best friend Knowing where one is moving toward realizing one’s true potential is not easy to evaluate in the midst of the buzzing confusion of everyday life. Silent meditation offers

100 https://prama.org/benefits-of-silent-meditation/Apr 14, 2015 101 https://prama.org/benefits-of-silent-meditation/Apr 14, 2015

226 an opportunity to witness and calm one’s emotions and identify more with one’s positive core self. When one begins to quiet the self critic and experience gratitude for all of the things that are going well for us, even in difficult times, one’s begins to have a growing appreciation of one’s strengths and gifts. One then becomes gentler and patient with oneself. This is the beginning of becoming one’s own best friend. As meditation deepens one start to feel that this “best friend” is none other than one’s own true self, one’s intuition or higher self. This is the secret knowledge that spiritual aspirants discover, that one’s “higher self” or one’s own “best friend” is guiding one from the core of one’s hearts and minds. This inner best friend revealed in meditation coupled with the support of one’s outer best friends gives one the power to fulfill one’s potential for a life of self-realization and service to others.

Svāmī Cidānanda Sarasvatī of Parmārtha Niketana, Riṣikeśa102 , had said that spiritual health is measured by one’s ability to remain calm, loving and focused when life throws difficulty onto one’s path. One should do the practice of ‘no reaction’ every day. One must learn to be like the ocean, whose waves come and go, but the ocean remains the same. Even a large heavy rock when thrown into the ocean causes only temporary ripples on its surface. The ocean's depths remain unaffected. He also said that one of the best ways to learn ‘no reaction’ is through silence. When one is anxious, angry or frustrated, one says things which is regretted later.

So one should learn the power of silence. Silence on the outside will lead to silence on the inside. Silence is the time of remembering that one is more than one’s reactions, a time of charging one’s inner batteries103.

All discipline of Yoga is an effort to make one a master of oneself. All Yoga postures are not really concerned with the body; they are concerned with the capacity to be or in other words from becoming to being. A person in practice knows how difficult it is to sit without moving even for a few seconds. The moment one thinks of sitting without moving, body revolts and one fidgets. Postures, āsanas are not concerned with any kind

102 Practice of no reaction, april 24,2011, divine messages www.pujyaswamiji.org/?wpfc_sermon_topics=silence 103 Ibid

227 of physiological training, but an inner training of being, just to be-without doing anything, without any movement, without any activity, just remain104. This will help in centering.

If one can remain in one posture for longer time, the body which is grosser as compared to the mind will become a subject of mind. Most of the body ailments are coming from the mind. So, mind has in a lot of ways influence over the body. So whatever happens to the body affects the mind and vice versa. If the body is not moving, the mind can easily remain still. If one can control the body by saying keep quiet then the mind may remain silent.

Being speechless is not a vice but a virtue and it helps you assimilate clarity of thought and action. People who dub being – speechless as emptiness and passivity are often ignorant about the powers Mauna exerts. Mauna means coordination of our body, mind and all our faculties to such an extent that every particle moves in one rhythm. Mauna evolves creative genius and is like Yoga: calm, serene, dignified and harmonious.

8. Summary In this chapter an attempt was made to discover and bring out in proper perspective the concept and efficacy of Mauna in Yoga, Mauna or Silence as it appears, explicitly or implicitly, in few Scriptures / Texts dealing with Yoga as also some related scriptures which have a bearing on Yoga. The efficacy of Mauna in reaching the final goal of Yoga is also assessed.

One can see that the ancient scriptures and yogic texts studied do speak about Mauna, but it is found that it is not appreciated enough and properly by people at large. In PYS, the very definition of yoga is given as ‘Yoga cittivritti Nirodaha’ which means Yoga is the restraint to the point of stoppage of citta vrittis. Citta vrittis or mental modifications bring into existence, the mind. Hence when they stop, the mind stops. There is complete silence. In PYS though sage Patañjali has not used the word Mauna in any of his sutras one can surmise that from the definition of yoga to Kaivalya all practices are geared

104www.oshoworld.com/osho_talk/talks/yoga01.asp

228 towards how to get silence. Whether it is kriya yoga, asanas, pranayams, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana or Samadhi, Mauna is present in all.

If one looks at ashtanga yoga of Patañjali one can see how the eight limbs help in silencing the mind.Yama pro-actively sees that there are no social conflicts and thus ensures that the mind becomes quiet and silent bringing in peace and calmness. Niyama strengthens the personality. Asanas through prayatnashaitilya and ananthasamapatthibhyam brings in effortlessness which means silence. Pranayama silences the distractions and in Pratyahara when senses are withdrawn the mind is starved. Slowly the mind becomes silent and meditative. Concentration turns to meditation. Meditation to Samadhi, the ultimate silence. Thus Mauna is the pillar in Ashtanga yoga of Patañjali or in other words Mauna is the beginning and the end of Patañjali yoga.

Varied tools are given in PYS for silencing the mind such as Pranav japa ;EktatvaAbhyasa ; Pratipakshabhavanam; Citta prasadanam techniques and some Manas SthithiNibandhini techniques. Thus to silence the mind, the path is yoga and silence of mind is Yoga. Mauna is actually the beginning and the end of Patañjali’s yoga.

The goal of HY is Unmani Avastha (no mind stage) or manomani (mind without mind) or silence. Beyond the mind lies silence. So when one transcends the mind one reaches complete silence. In the concept of laya or dissolution, Yoga is a process of dissolving the gross aspect in the subtler aspect. Realisation of self is the dissolution of the senses or body, the mind and the prana-the attainment of total silencing of all parts of empirical human existence. Nadanusandana is the fourth anga of chaturangayoga. In Kevala kumbahaka there is no inhalation and exhalation-space of silence. Hence Kevala Kumbhaka is afforded the status of the ultimate state in Haṭha Yoga akin to the state of “citta Vṛtti nirodha” of Patañjali. The Citta stops functioning totally and the goal of Yoga i.e. Self-realization is reached. It is a state of total silence – silence of the mind, stillness of the body and presence of minimum activities of the prāṇa.

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In kundalini awakening, prana reaches sahasrara chakra which is located at the crown of the head and silence occurs. Kuñḍalini awakening, which associated with Haṭha Yoga, can be seen as a progress on the path of awareness culminating in pure awareness which is a state of total silence.

Prajalpa or talkativeness is mentioned as the obstacle on the path of HY practices.Talking too much dissipates the energy and one is out of the path. Speech is the biggest and easiest consumer of one’s energy as when talking one uses a lot more oxygen than when one is in silence. Excessive talking causes energy burnout and mind gets overheated which then in turn has effects on one’s reactions. One becomes angry and impatient due to which one is not able to act calmly, coolly or rationally anymore. Also listening to people who talk a lot takes a lot of energy.

Two principles of HY i.e. Conservation of energy and Middle path-which is positive silence are needed to be practiced. Extremeties are silenced and that silence is expressed in moderation and control.

In Yoga Vasistha Sage Vasistha has described four types of mauna:- Silence of speech (Vāk mauna), Silence of the senses (eyes etc.) (Indriya mauna), forcible, violent restraint and Silence of deep sleep (nidrā / Suṣupti mauna) and elaborates upon the significance of Suṣupti mauna (the fourth one) as conducive for liberation

TejoBindu Upaniṣad regards Mauna as an essential anga and advocates its practice according to place and time. Mauna is likened to the state of reaching Brahman. In Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad the concept of Silence is associated with AUM and meditation on the same. Every form of AUM chanting generate silence and it’s a nice practice to observe and absorb the silence every time one chants AUM. All thoughts are a kind of sound vibrations. At the root of all thoughts is AUM which takes one to inner self that is pure silence.

Taittirya -Upaniṣad speaks on Panchakośas. Mauna can purify the kośas by freeing them from the pushes and pulls of their distracting forces and lead the sādhaka towards self – Realization. Transcendence of the outer layers in the movement inwards is

230 making one’s practice of Mauna deeper and deeper. When the ānandamay kośa, the innermost layer is transcended, one attains total or absolute Mauna. Self-realization is the culmination of Mauna practice.

Bhagavad Gita although a treasure house of practical guidance for man in day to day living. The several references to Silence and its significance in Bhagvad Gita cannot be over-emphasized. BG advocates the middle path as it looks down on extremeties and complete silence is not prescribed. Mauna is an instrument for one to follow middle path i.e. talk only what is necessary.

Although ancient scriptures and texts do speak about Mauna, it is not appreciated nor propagated enough by people at large. It could be one of the reasons why people are not practicing it or why it is limited to only a very few. Though Mauna is considered as spiritual silence and one cannot deny by any argument its efficacy as a tool for progress on the path of spirituality, what also emerges distinctly, in the entire thesis, is its utility and significance in empirical day to day life. Silence of speech and silence of mind takes one a long way on the path of peace, calmness and stress-free state.

Once the misconceptions are removed, Mauna can be practiced for which some simple methods has been enlisted.The irony is Mauna cannot be taught. It has to be practiced.One who practices Mauna constantly, reaches a state of peace, strength and happiness. Such a person may exult in inexhaustible energy because silence is the source of unimaginable powers, wisdom, profound peace, joy, equipoise and beatitude. In silence one can discover true freedom and love. Silence keeps our mind always calm, shuns violent thoughts and roots out enmity. Silence or Mauan is the best friend in need.

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