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Bhaktivedanta College
Sad-Darshanas
…..name?
06- Feb- 2013
Debate notes:
The Nature of God
And the highest goal of life
Debate notes
Diana Nadar
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Table of Content
Introduction ……………………………………...3
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali ………………… 3
Samkhya, Vedanta and Karma Mimamsa ……..6
Conclusion ………………………………………..8
Bibliography ……………………………………….9
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INTRODUCTION
In these notes I will present the point of view on the nature of God according to the Yoga
tradition. I will take into consideration the commentary on the yoga sutras of Patanjali,
which is the codified book of this tradition. Edwin F. Bryant explains in his commentary
about the concept of Isvara- pranidhana (surrendering unto the Lord) and thus relating to a
personal God to who is possible to surrender. But he also gives the alternative to the
practitioner to realize the impersonal aspect of God.
I will also briefly explore the similarities and differences among some of the schools of
thought of the six philosophical systems of India, such as: the Vedanta, Karma mimansa
and Sankhya. These are mostly theistic schools. Only the later version of Samkhya and
the Nyaya are considered atheistic. The position of Yoga regarding the concept of the
nature of God and the highest goal of life will be strengthened by comparing it with these
traditions.
THE YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI
The sutras in this yoga treatise are very concise and compact. Every word is very
significant; every word is like a drop of water which forms the ocean. Patanjali’s Yoga sutra
is the most important text in the Yoga tradition. He codified the yoga practices and the
ideas of the previous centuries. This text is a systematized body of knowledge coming
from the Vedas and Upanishads and thus is considered as sruti, or revealed knowledge
from divine source and thus true in it-self (B.K.S.Iyengar, 1997, preface).
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Patanjali lived between 500 and 200 BC. All what is known of him is legend. Pata means,
to fall or fell and Anjali means offering. Anjali also means hands joined in prayer. The
name Patanjali derives from Gonika, his mother because she was with folded palms,
praying for a special child. In the book Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Iyengar
narrates a myth in which it is believed that Patanjali had a mystical appearance on the
palms of his mother in the form of a serpent and he was none other than Sankarsan, the
divine snake on which Visnu resides. Sankarsan is a great devotee of Lord Visnu
(B.K.S.Iyengar, 1997, 1-3). This perhaps could deepen our understanding on the concept
of Isvara-pranidhana, or surrender unto the Lord.
In the Sutra 1.23 it is stated: Isvara-pranidhana va. Which means (this previously
mentioned state is attainable) from devotion to the Lord (Bryant, 2009,81). Isvara is
referred six times in the Atarvaveda1 as a personal God (F.Bryant, 2005,7). Here Patanjali
gives another possibility towards attaining liberation: Isvara pranidhana or surrendering
unto the Lord. This will allow one to receive the mercy of God in order to gain the goal of
Yoga (Bryant, 2009,81-82). It seems Patanjali refers to the nature of God as being merciful
and reciprocative because he allows the yogi to attain the goal more easily if there is
devotion to God2. Isvara appears few times in the Yoga Sutras, in different passages. In
the first sutra of the 2nd chapter the term Isvara Pranidhana is within the context of Kriya
yoga, which is the path of action consisting of self-discipline, study and dedication to God.
These three aspects are all part of the second limb of Asthanga Yoga, the Niyama. In II.32
the Niyama is described and thus also the aspect of isvara- pranidhana and finally the 45th
sutra it concludes that Samadhi is attained by devotion to the Lord (Bryant, 2009,82-86).
In 1.24 Patanjali states that God is a special soul3. He is untouched by those things that
affect the normal human beings such as the samskaras4, law of karma and the obstacles
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one of the four original Vedas
BG 9.22: “but those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form-to them
I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have” (Prabhupada, 1983).
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The Supreme personality of Godhead is seated in everyone’s’ heart as Paramatma, or super soul (BG 6.7)
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to the path of Yoga (II.3). In the sutra 1.25 it is said that in him the seed of omniscience5 is
unsurpassed. The following sutra states: “He was also the teacher of the ancients,
because he is not limited by time”. This means God is concerned with the well-being of the
souls and thus he gives us knowledge in order to uplift us (Bryant, 2009 82-83). God’s
nature seems to imbibe compassion in this statement. God is present in the vibration of
Om6. In the 26th and 27th sutra it is explained how to fix one’s own mind on the Isvara: “the
name designating him is the mystical Om,” and “its repetition and the contemplation of its
meaning should be performed” in a devotional attitude, as the term pranidhana suggests.
Devotion leads one towards self-realization and the removals of the obstacles on the path
to liberation (Bryant, 2009, 82-84). Only the isvara pranidhana gives the highest states of
attainment, the other Yamas and Niyamas are just meant for material purpose, which will
eventually lead to Samadhi. In the higher stages it is possible to shift the concentration to
other objects, if so desired, but it is advisable to retain the focus on Isvara because no
other object can give the mercy to achieve Samadhi (Bryant, 2009, 85). According to
Erwin’s commentary Patanjali recommends to take shelter of the Isvara, because it’s the
easiest way of attaining the goal of Yoga.
In the Bhagavad Gita (12.1) Arjuna inquires:
“Which are considered to be more perfect, those who are always properly engaged
in your devotional service or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested”? (Prabhupada, 1983, 501)
In the next verse Krishna replies to Arjuna that he considers to be more perfect those who
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A cultural purificatory process that humankind has to undergo (Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam first canto,
1987,165)
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One of the arguments of the Yoga for the existence of God: “whatever has degrees must have a maximum, There are
degrees of knowledge; therefore, there must be such a thing as perfect knowledge or omniscience. He who has
omniscience is God (Kapoor, 2002, 35).
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“I am the syllable AUM (Om) in all the Vedas” (RadhaKrishnan, 2002, 215).
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focus on his personal form and are always engaged in worshipping him with faith
(Prabhupada, 1983,503).
Samkhya, Vedanta and Karma-Mimamsa
The Yoga school is connected to the system of Samkhya Philosophy as it accepts most of
the metaphysics of Samkhya. Yoga is the method of action along with an additional
concept of God and Samkhya is the action of reason (Sargeant, 2009,124) and is known
as Yoga barring the concept of God (Kapoor, 2002,35).
The school of karma mimamsa is also considered atheistic. Its primary object was to
perform the Vedic rutuals. This would give the practitioner the possibility to elevate oneself
to the heaven (Kapoor, 2002,36-37). This statement allows me to raise a question in order
to defeat this atheistic school of thought: first of all the Karma mimamsa seems to follow
only the first two basic steps of the Yoga ladder, the Yamas and Niyamas. This already
demonstrates their low stage of advancement in proper knowledge of the Vedas. Then I
wonder what is the purpose of attaining some material benefits (obtained by these
sacrifices), if these actually binds them to the cycle of birth and death of this world? Even if
heaven is attained they have to come back again because of their pious credits been
exhausted. A partial answer to this question would be possible by quoting the Caitanya
caritamrita (Madhya-lila 25.50-56): it is said that mimamsa tradition follows Jaimini and he
accepts the notion of God, but he doesn’t give relevance to the Divine because his whole
philosophy is based on fruitive activity. If one follows the rules and regulations of the
scriptures then God has to provide with what was promised, thus it seems that God is
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under the laws of fruitive activities, thus there is no reason to surrender in devotion to God
(Prabhupada A. B., 1975). This makes the sacrifice and its results as more important than
God himself.
On the other hand the Vedantist are those more similar to the Yoga tradition, they also
have a well-developed asthanga ladder but the concept of God as personal and
impersonal is not agreed amongst the members of the different schools of Vedanta. Some,
headed by Sankara, have an advaitin (oneness) concept of God, others, headed by
Madhva, have a dvaitin (dual) concept and the followers of Ramanuja have a concept
which is mixed between the two, vishista-advaita (one and different), (Kapoor, 2002,3841). This differences of thoughts lay a veil of confusion and bewilderment amongst the
vedantits and make them weaker, alternatively, the Yoga tradition accepts the concept of
God as as being personal and thus offering one’s absorption and devotion to him, as the
term Isvara pranidhana suggests. But it also gives the alternative of changing the object of
focus in order to gain the goal of life, Samadhi. God will give the goal, as mercy, if we
surrender unto him. But the goal can be achieved also without him or by his impersonal or
localized form (Paramatma). Yoga takes into consideration all the aspects of the vedantic
tradition and gives the choice to the practitioner to choose which aspect of the divine to
use to gain the goal of Yoga.
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Conclusion:
The mimamsa tradition is properly following the rules and regulation of the scriptures. This
can be related to the yamas and Niyamas of the Yoga tradition. The mimamsakas are just
at the beginning of the process of liberation, and probably they will never reach the highest
stages as will the yogis because they are satisfied with the fruitive activities which are
merely material achievements. Regarding the atheistic Sankhya philosophy, they
scrutinizing study the material elements and by being so focused on these material
elements they conclude that the origin of everything is material. They don’t accept the
basic understanding that matter can’t derive from matter but needs a spiritual power to be
generated. They are unable to see God as the cause of all causes (Prabhupada A. B.,
1975, 323-328). Finally the Vedantists are those who consider the nature of God to be
nirguna (with no qualities) or saguna (with qualities). The different esponents have
different thoughts according to the nature of God and how to attain the highest goal. The
Yoga tradition gives a satisfactory explanation on the nature of God, as being a special
soul, omniscient, merciful, compassionate untouched by the samskaras, karma and
ostacles. God is present in the syllable Om, which enbles the yogi to focus, and if done
with devotion the highest goal of life can be achieved.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
B.K.S.Iyengar. (1997). Gli antichi insegnamenti dello Yoga, I sutra del grande maestro Patanjali (light on the
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali). Grassobbio (BG): Gruppo Futura.
Bryant, E. F. (2009). The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. New York: North Point Press.
F.Bryant, E. (2005). Patanjali's Theistic preference, Or, Was the author of the Yoga Sutra a Vaisnava? Journal
of Vaisnava Studies, 7.
Kapoor, S. (2002). Companion Encyclopaedia of Hindu Philosophy. New Delhi: Cosmo Publications.
Prabhupada, A. B. (1975). Sri Caitanya-Caritamrita Madhya-lila Vol.9. USA: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
Prabhupada, A. B. (1983). Bhagavad Gita-as it is. Dublin: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
Prabhupada, A. B. (1987). Srimad Bhagavatam first canto. Los Angeles: The Bhaktivedanta book Trust.
RadhaKrishnan, S. (2002). The Bhagavadgita. New Delhi: Thompson Press.
Sargeant, W. (2009). The Bhagavad Gita. Ney York: State University oh New York Press.