Swami Ram Swarup
Vedas state that after the lapse of the final destruction period, when non-sexual human-beings are created, there exists no guru, acharya etc., who could give the knowledge to them about science, food, behaviour, worldly matters, worship etc. At that time no present sects, sant-mat etc. existed. It is mentioned in all ancient religious books like Valmiki Ramayan, Mahabharat, six Shastras etc., written by ancient Rishis that all kinds of above knowledge right from straw to Brahma emanates directly from God in the form of four Vedas and is originated in the heart of four Rishis which further spreads in public. [Rigved mantra 10/181/1,2 refers.] On this basis, Patanjali Rishi, in his Yog Shastra Sutra 1/26, states that God is the first guru of those four Rishis. The main motto of vedic knowledge is to provide all human-beings with above teachings to maintain peace, pleasure, happiness, healthy, long life to promote international brotherhood and final liberation, which is also the intense desire of all mankind.
So, we must all obey the vedic teachings preached by God Himself wherein Ashtang Yog Philosophy also exists, to attain happy life, divine pleasure while discharging all moral duties.
Study of Vedas further reveals that Ashtang Yog philosophy, preached by God Himself, is also the most important matter to be followed to achieve the above motto i.e., to maintain peace, salvation etc.(Yajurved mantra 7/4 refers)
So, all those human-beings who also at present faithfully practise the said Yog philosophy, they destroy the fear of facing sorrow/suffering at the time of death, remaining always away from diseases.
Nodoubt, it is praiseworthy that in the present time, there is a huge publicity, discussion and debates etc., at world level on the matter of Yog philosophy and in this regard recently, the whole world has also celebrated- “International Yog Diwas”. At this belated stage, we must pay our attention towards vedic culture which reveals that its name is not Yoga but Ashtang Yog philosophy which seems to have disappeared in all debates, teachings and while practising it at present times.
Therefore, if we popularize Ashtang Yog philosophy by pronouncing its name as Yog only, it means we are distorting/deshaping its original name- ‘Ashtang Yog’ and the eternal vedic philosophy, wherein the eight parts of Ashtang Yog philosophy are very well described. God preaches in Yajurved mantra 7/4 about Ashtang Yog Philosophy which comprises of following eight parts-
1.) There are five Yams-
(i). AHIMSA- not to do offence/ill-will/hate by all means and in all times.
(ii.) SATYA- to observe true conduct by mind, voice and deeds.
(iii.) ASTEYA- i.e., abstaining from theft.
(iv.) BRAHMACHARYA- to restrain all the generative organs from all worldly matters.
(v.) APARIGRAH- not to hoard/gather the worldly matters beyond the necessity.
Five Niyams are-
SHAUCH- to maintain outer and inner purity.
SANTOSH- satisfaction with the worldly goods to use and do not desire more.
TAPAH- to bear happily the consequences/obstacles in religious path like hunger, thirst, cold, hotness, place and in asans.
SWADHAYAYE- study of Vedas and the religious books which preach about salvation and name jaap.
ISHWAR PRANNIDHANANNI- to surrender all the deeds before the Almighty and formless God who creates, nurses and destroys the universe.
Asan:- where the state of body becomes still and starts giving pleasure.
Prannayam:- To stop inhaling and exhaling process under the guidance of a learned acharya.
Pratyahaar:- Control on five senses and mind.
Dharnna:- To concentrate on any part of human body like heart, forehead, tip of nose etc.
Dhyan:- To concentrate only in God.
Samadhi:- At this stage, the soul experiences the divine pleasure of realising God.
If we deeply study the above matter we can say that shortcomings/vices, dishonour of women, corruption, theft, poverty, corrupt politics, violence, filth, falsehood etc. are easily overcome in case we follow even a part of above Ashtang Yog Philosophy in our daily life.
So, better if we spread/teach the eternal and everlasting Ashtang Yog philosophy without its distortion. Based on vedic culture, we must know that the truth in any case/situation is always unaltered, unchangeable, unchallengeable and cannot be distorted. So, is the matter of Ashtang Yog Philosophy whose name and method of practising cannot be altered.
Keeping in view that Ashtang Yog Philosophy mentioned in Vedas is our eternal culture, we must pay our personal attention seriously that nowadays mostly the so-called Yoga teachers neglect to teach the students to first hold the above quoted five Yams and five Niyams in life and when the teachers and students have got full control on the same then they should learn to start the practice of asans. But it is sad that the Ashtang Yog philosophy, whose first preacher is Almighty God, is being deshaped by ignoring its most valuable two above quoted starting parts i.e., Yam and Niyam. [Yog Shastra Sutra 1/26 refers.] Otherwise peace would have been maintained in our country.
Secondly, no doubt, our Rishi-Munis have been preaching the said philosophy but it would amount to a great sin if we ignore the eternal fact stated in Vedas as well as by all ancient Rishi-Munis like Yagyavalkya Rishi, who says- “Hirannyagarbhaha yogasya vakta” i.e., God is only the donor of Yog Knowledge by all means.
But most of the teachers of Yog philosophy either donot know the above fact or can we say that intentionally they donot teach the aspirants that the real preacher of Ashtang Yog philosophy is Almighty God and not human-beings. That is why, in whole of the world where the Yog is being taught perhaps no one knows about Vedas.
Secondly, when we throw our attention in the previous yugas, we find that Rishi-Munis first used to teach the complete vedic philosophy to the aspirants, made them able to perform daily Yajyen/agnihotra with ved mantras and when the aspirant becomes able to knew the God from definition of ved mantras then they used to preach Ashtang Yog Philosophy to the student. Said practice is nowadays not in vogue and hence problem.
Atharvaved Kand 12 educates us that if a person steals a little portion from the full knowledge of Vedas-Ashtang Yog, God punishes him. Therefore, a learned person will never try to steal only asan, prannayam and meditation ignoring Yam, Niyam, Pratyahaar, Dharnna, Samadhi and study of Vedas.
You see nobody tries to understand that why the ancient Rishi-Munis strictly used to observe Brahmacharya (part of Yam) and after gaining hundred percent vedic knowledge, they used to start practice of Ashtang Yog philosophy.[Yajurveda mantra 19/30 refers]. For example- if we pay our complete attention on Patanjali Rishi’s Yog Darshan sutra 1/1-
“Ath Yoganushasanam” i.e., Word Yog is also made from Yuj dhatu which means Samadhi. So the meaning of word Yog is Samadhi that is the stage of a Yogi in continuous meditation where he attains Samadhi and realises God (ie., realization). Thus the Yogi realises God and attains the final Liberation stage (Moksh). So the meaning of word Yog is Samadhi. Now we study the word Anushasanam. There are two words in Anushasanam. 1st Anu and second is Shasanam. The meaning of word Anu is ‘AFTER’. And the meaning of word Shasanam is ‘TO HOLD COMMAND ON ASHTANG YOG PHILOSOPHY’. So the meaning of word Anushasanam is ‘After’ that Yogi after studying Vedas and doing long and hard practice of Yog vidya traditionally, holds full command on it and then becomes capable to preach Yog philosophy to others.
When a devotee becomes able to follow Yajurved mantra 7/4 regarding Ashtang Yog and also follows Yog shastra sutra 1/1,2, he realizes God in Samadhi.
In the light of above facts, it is sad that mostly nowadays people, in the absence of eternal vedic knowledge, for one reason or the other, directly start doing practice of only asan, prannayaam, leaving behind Yam, Niyam, Pratyahaar, Dharnna and then directly do meditation which is against the vedic principles- eternal Ashtang Yog philosophy.
So, very few know that knowledge of four vedas is the mother of Ashtang Yog education. Therefore, in the absence of vedic knowledge, yog philosophy does not have its own existence. So proper guidance of Vedas and yoga philosophy is to be attained from an acharya who knows vedas as well as Ashtang Yog, which is an eternal, everlasting, unchangeable, unchallengeable tradition.
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