“[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, said:] ‘My dear Uddhava, neither through ashtanga-yoga [the mystic yoga system to control the senses], nor through impersonal monism or an analytical study of the Absolute Truth, nor through study of the Vedas, nor through austerities, charity or acceptance of sannyasa can one satisfy Me as much as by developing unalloyed devotional service unto Me.’” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 11.14.20)

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न साधयति मां योगो न साङ्ख्यं धर्म उद्धव
न स्वाध्यायस्तपस्त्यागो यथा भक्तिर्ममोर्जिता

na sādhayati māṁ yogo
na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma uddhava
na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo
yathā bhaktir mamorjitā

“Listen, some people run their informal ashramas out of the studios, nowadays. I know that things are always changing. You have to get with the times. I guess that is the point of review I am raising today. The issue is yoga, and particularly the distinction between the typical kind and the one espoused by followers of the Vaishnava tradition. You see, I am familiar with the textbook definition. I know that yoga ultimately refers to a union. It is addition. The individual soul joined with the Supreme Soul. Jivatma finally turning things around, correcting itself, by looking towards Paramatma.

“The thing is, most people understand yoga as the meditational kind, with the exercise component. You know, the different poses. Downward-facing dog. Sun salutation. Standing on your head. Sitting in the lotus position. There are health benefits that result. The potential in transformation is undeniable. I know that the textbook definition to this version is ashtanga-yoga. There are eight limbs to it. The end-result, the certificate awarded at completion, if you will, is siddhi.

“Siddhis are different kinds of perfection. Most people practicing yoga today have never heard of these. If informed, they would probably laugh at the idea. It is mythology to them. I do not have this problem. I understand that the siddhis are real. An expert yogi can become larger than the largest, mahima. There is also the opposite ability, in the anima-siddhi. They can become smaller than the smallest, like with Hanuman shrinking to the size of a cat in order to search through the city of Lanka.”

सूर्ये चास्तं गते रात्रौ देहं सङ्क्षिप्य मारुतिः
पृषदंशकमात्रः सन् बभूवाद्भुतदर्शनः

sūrye cāstaṃ gate rātrau dehaṃ saṅkṣipya mārutiḥ
pṛṣadaṃśakamātraḥ san babhūvādbhutadarśanaḥ

“At night, on the sun having set, Maruti [Hanuman] contracted his body. Becoming the size of a cat, he was a wonderful sight to behold.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.49)

“In case you were wondering, my favorite siddhi is prapti. This is attainment. You can get whatever you want, whenever you want it. If I am hungry for a fresh, ripe pomegranate, I do not have to travel to the store. I can make one appear, out of nowhere. I could also balance a spoon on my nose. I might even be able to move the spoon from one corner of the room to another. This is just a sampling of the potency available to yogis.

“My issue is why you followers of bhakti take issue, at all. Why do you practically denounce the practice? What is wrong in trying to become this kind of yogi? Some people are really drawn to it. Why do you throw cold water on their enthusiasm?”

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada uses the obvious incompatibility, in the conclusion to the sacred Bhagavad-gita conversation. It is within this famous Sanskrit work that we find the basic parameters for success in yoga. We also learn that there are different kinds of yoga. Yoga does not necessarily have to be forced through physical meditation. Yoga can also flow through karma, which is work, or jnana, which is knowledge. If a person is inclined towards the meditational variety, then they should know the strict requirements for achieving success.

शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य
स्थिरम् आसनम् आत्मनः
नात्य्-उच्छ्रितं नाति-नीचं
चैलाजिन-कुशोत्तरम्
तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा
यत-चित्तेन्द्रिय-क्रियः
उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्
योगम् आत्म-विशुद्धये

śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya
sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ
nāty-ucchritaṁ nāti-nīcaṁ
cailājina-kuśottaram
tatraikāgraṁ manaḥ kṛtvā
yata-cittendriya-kriyaḥ
upaviśyāsane yuñjyād
yogam ātma-viśuddhaye

“To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kusha-grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogi should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.11-12)

An isolated place. A proper seat. No distractions. Absolutely no sex indulgence. Complete control over the senses. Once you have reached the proper conditions, maintain them for an extended period of time. The issue, of course, is that the person receiving these words of instruction did not take to meditational yoga. He actually went back to work. You might call that karma-yoga or sankhya-yoga, but soon thereafter Arjuna was doing what he does best, release arrows in a fury to target enemies.

If five thousand years ago someone like Arjuna did not follow through on mystic yoga, why should we expect success in modern times, which are considerably degraded, by comparison? You can barely get peace in your own home. Parents used to complain about the television rotting the brains of the children. Never mind, as now there is endless content to consume, all day and all night, from a device that fits in the palm of the hand. The experience with that device is the very opposite of yoga.

Another angle to consider is the use of the ability. If I should attain various siddhis of yoga, just what will I do with them? What exactly do I want? What am I looking to achieve? The speaker of Bhagavad-gita is also known as Yogeshvara. He is the master of all mystic potency. In other words, He is the best yogi. He can create universes while lying down. He does the most amazing work without breaking a sweat. I will never be able to reach the same level.

यस्याम्भसि शयानस्य योगनिद्रां वितन्वत:
नाभिह्रदाम्बुजादासीद्ब्रह्मा विश्वसृजां पति:

yasyāmbhasi śayānasya
yoga-nidrāṁ vitanvataḥ
nābhi-hradāmbujād āsīd
brahmā viśva-sṛjāṁ patiḥ

“A part of the purusha lies down within the water of the universe, from the navel lake of His body sprouts a lotus stem, and from the lotus flower atop this stem, Brahma, the master of all engineers in the universe, becomes manifest.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.3.2)

The counsellor to Arjuna recommends bhakti-yoga. He says that of all yogis, the one in bhakti, always thinking of Him, is the best. He later shared this same truth in a conversation with Uddhava. Therefore, we can say that the people representing the Supreme Lord simply listen to what they are told. They are not trying to spoil anyone’s fun. Rather, they are wishing them well, in hoping that they will follow a path that will do them the most good.

In Closing:

Heard and properly understood,
Aiming to do the most good.

Not casually denouncing way,
But yoga more than poses to display.

Krishna the bhakti path recommending,
Sacrifice of all efforts sending.

Not to struggle but with ease,
In direction most likely to please.

Categories: questions

Tags: bhakti, dailyprompt, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, yoga