[Advaita-l] Rithambhara Prajna

[Sunil Bhattacharjya]

One need not give such narrow interpretation of Yoga. Yoga is the means to unite and it has to be the skillful means to achieve that end. Karmayoga too is Yoga like the Bhaktiyoga. Pratyahara must be achieved in the Ashtangayoga. Does this not mean that the Indriy- vasanaas have to be got rid of before one goes to the next step of Dharana and Dhyana and thus achieve the Samadhi, the state of union with the goal. We should not lose sight of the Yoga upanishads.


Sunil K. Bhattacharjya



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From: Srikanta Narayanaswami <srikanta.narayanaswami at yahoo.com>
To: "advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2011 7:30 AM
Subject: [Advaita-l] Rithambhara Prajna

On Fri, Aug 19, 2011 at 12:40 PM, Srikanta Narayanaswami <srikanta.narayanaswami at yahoo.com> wrote:

Further,Yoga has no function in removing obstacles in the same way as "Upasana",which is also a limb of "karma".Only by exhausting the "Karma"vasanas the intellect can be pure.The way the "Yoga"functions is counter to the way the "Karma"functions.The "yoga"is no substitute for "Karma"exhaustion.There are numerous "sruthis"which substantiates this statement.
>N.Srikanta.
>

The AmritanAda Upanishad says: 

http://tinyurl.com/3o7cqlw

यथा पर्वतधातूनां दह्यन्ते धमनान्मलाः ।
तथेन्द्रियकृता दोषा दह्यन्ते प्राणधारणात् ॥ ७ ॥Just as the impurities in the mineral ores are removed through the process of smelting, so too the defects (pApam) owing to the action of the senses (and the mind) are burnt through the process of prANAyAma.
प्राणायामैर्दहेद्दोषान्धारणाभिश्च किल्बिषम् ।
प्रत्याहारेण संसर्गान् ध्यानेनानीश्वरान्गुणान् ॥ ८ ॥
Through prANAyAma defects are to be burnt.  Through dhAraNa, all the impurities, pApams. By pratyAhAra all attachments and by dhyAna all the AsurIguNas (are to be burnt).

We have, side by side, this verse too:
दिने दिने  च वेदान्तश्रवणात् भक्तिसंयुतात् ।
गरुशुश्रूषया लब्धात् कृच्छ्राशीतिफलं लभेत् ॥

diney  diney cha vedAntashravaNAt bhakti-samyutAt 
gurushushrUshayaa labdhaat kRcchraasheeti phalam labhet 

By engaging every day in Vedanta shravaNa sincerely coupled with the service to the Guru, one will get the (chitta-cleansing) fruit of performing eighty kRcchra rituals/observations.  

Performing of just once the Kricchra praayashcitta is considered extremely tiresome, painful.  So, the above verse assures vedanta sadhakas that the pratibandhaka, obstacle, born of pUrva paapa karma that obstructs the dawn of knowledge or even progress in sadhana, is removed by sincerely engaging in vedanta vicharaatmaka sadhana with the grace of the Guru.  
Regards,
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With reference to the above posting from Sri.V.Subramaniam,who has quoted from 'Amritanadaupanishad"which is not under the Shankara's commentary,it is to be said that the "slokas"from the Upanishad doesnot mention "Yoga"though 'Pranayama"is followed even in "dhyana"as a part of Upasana.But,the Upasana has to be followed with karma phala tyaga along with "upasana".Ten the seeker will approach the "SagunaBrahma"and not the mukthi
with "BrahmaJnana".In his Isavasyopanishath commentary Shankara has clearly and elaborately explained that the Mukya mukthi higher than "SagunaBrahma"upasane will be achieved only by "BrahmaJnana'which is devoid of any other ancilleries or accessories like "Yogabhyasa"as it is in Patanjali Yogasutra.The term "Yoga'mentioned here is not as per "Yogasutra",but giving up of Karma bandhana through "Cittashuddhi".Cittashuddi can only be achieved
by exhaustion of "karma vasanas"and not by accumulating it.(Vide.BSB)and Vidyaranya's "Pacnchadasi"
The 'samadhi'that is achieved through the "Yogasutra'is not not mentioned in the Jnanayoga.The B>G is very clear on this aspect.
By the way,can it be mentioned where this word"Ritambhara Prajna"is mentioned in any of the Vedanta granthas?
N.Srikanta.
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