#270 Which is the best sadhana/yajna in the Gita? Part 2 of 2
This is part two of a two-part series on which is the best sadhana/yajna according to the Bhagavad Gita.
Through sadhanas we seek to transform ourselves.
It is a quiet inner revolution by which, the way you interact with yourself and the world changes for the better. You begin to really enjoy this version of yourself as a person and are happy and proud of the person you are growing to be.
In part 1 we listened to the connection between Sadhana, the means and Sadhya, the goal as well as the four types of yajnas/sadhanas. Extending the metaphor of yajna/religious discipline, a fire ritual offering, we saw
Jnana-yajna – Offering the ahankara, self-concept born of ignorance unto the knowledge of Brahman
Daiva-yajna (4.25) – Offering materials to Devatas.
Samyama yajna – Offering senses into the fire of the samyama, mastery over the senses
Indriya-agni yajna (4.26.2) – Offering the objects of the senses into the fire of Indriya, senses
Dravya yajna – Giving as offering into the fire of Brahman.
In this episode of part 2, the other yajnas we will see are
Tapo-yajna – Offering of tapas, prayerful discipline unto Brahman.
Ashtanga Yoga yajna – The path of Ashtanga Yoga, eight limbed yoga offered unto Brahman.
Svadhyaya yajna – Offering of the regular study of the Veda, scriptures under the qualified teachers, unto Brahman.
Pranayama Yajna – Offering of regulation of prana unto Ishvara.
Niyata-aahara yajna – Offering of food unto the digestive fire, Ishvara
We hear about what they are and see the necessity of performing them for purity of the mind.
Continuing, the other yajnas or sadhanas are –
6. Tapo-yajna, Religious austerities – Offering of tapas, prayerful discipline unto Brahman.
Tapas refers to any kind of prayerful discipline involving denial undertaken for the sake of atonement or discipline. The vows that one takes are also tapas. Such people are called tapo-yajnas.
Tapas is not just any discipline; it is prayerful discipline. Otherwise, even jogging and aerobics would become yajnas as some denial of comfort is involved. Some people, for example, take a vow of not eating on Ekadashi, the eleventh day of the moon, each month and spend the day in prayer. If one spends too much time thinking of food and planning for the feasting that comes after the fasting, then it may not be tapas.
How so? We are drawn to what gives us pleasure and comfort be it, your comfort food, walking with footwear, using a lot of our time for mindless entertainment. And so to neutralise our raga towards comforts, we deliberately fast for a length of time or walk barefoot or long distances like on a tirthyatra or use the time deliberately for japa.
Tapas involves saying ‘No’ to whatever one regularly does. For the yatra to Sabarimala, men take a vratam of 41 days. They sleep on the floor, do not use footwear, wear black clothes and for the yatra walk 48 miles. For Shivaratri vratam, one foregoes sleep for the whole night unlike other nights and spends it in prayer. Here, the attitude is religious and therefore the punya obtained is limited and it is for antah-karana-shuddhi, a neutralisation of our ragas and dveshas.
7. Ashtanga Yoga – The path of Ashtanga Yoga, eight limbed yoga offered unto Brahman.
Seekers who follow ashtanga-yoga, eight limbed yoga, are called yoga-yajnas.
Rishi Patanjali defined the eight limbs as
Yama (abstinences from Adharma such as ahimsa, nonharming etc),
Niyama (observances of Dharma such as shaucham, external and internal cleanliness etc ),
Asanas (postures for flexibility, strength, endurance and stamina),
Pranayama (Different ways of regulating the breath ),
Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses into oneself),
Dharana (Focused concentration on an object or Bhagavan),
Dhyana (Meditation and
Samadhi (Resolution of the meditator into the meditated).
Ashtanga Yoga is a prayerful discipline which is seen to have come from Bhagavan, carried forward by a lineage of Rishis, Gurus and Acharyas. Naturally, the Lord is worshipped. The asana of , ‘Surya Namaskar’ is a form of worship to Surya Devata. There were mantras for a lot of asanas earlier but these have been lost in time. Ishvara pranidhanam is one of the prescribed observances, niyamas.
Svadhayaya – study of oneself in the light of the scriptures is also a niyama, an observance. Yoga taught as a part of a lineage cannot be taught without the worship of Ishvara.
With a strong dharmika and ethical foundation of life, the body becomes strong and disciplined through yōgasanas. There is composure of the mind through pranayama and greater focus through pratyahara and dhyaana.
If just the discipline of asanas daily brings so much well-being into one’s life, then how much more will the entire system of Ashtanga Yoga help?
Because of the popularity of Yoga, most people think that it is the last word in spirituality. However, Bhagavan Krishna considers it as one of the great disciplines for preparation for Vedanta.
8. Svadhyaya-yajna – Offering of the regular study of the Veda, scriptures under the qualified teachers, unto Brahman.
Most of us are descendants of a particular Rishi and our Gotra name reveals that. If you don’t belong to the Bhartiya culture, then you can claim to be from the Kashyapa Gotra or the Bharadwaja Gotra. Each Gotra has a Veda that the descendants have worked hard to preserve as it is a part of their sacred duty.
How? By learning the Veda and most importantly learning to chant and recite their own Veda. The transmission of Vedas being an oral tradition has detailed rules for pronunciation, intonation, sequence of memorisation etc to ensure that the transmission is flawless.
Many Hindus allocate some time every day to chant a portion of the Bhagavad Gita or the Bhagavatam or Ramcharitmanas or sections of the Ramayana or some portion of the Shaastra. This ensures that the oral tradition is preserved and that the sacred verses are always with you, wherever you go.
Svadhyaya-yajna refers to those who learn to chant or recite their own Veda. There are some people who, having learned the Veda in this way, do nothing but recite a portion of it daily. Such people are called svadhyaya-yajnas, those who perform the yajna of svadhyaya.
And those who study Vedanta, who enquire into the vedanta-shastra are called jnana-yajnas, those who perform the yajïa of pursuing knowledge, jïäna.
If people do both these yajnas they are referred to as svadhyaya-jnana-yajnas in this verse.
9. Pranayama-yajna (4.29) offering the discipline of pranayama into Brahman. In the word pranayama, prana means breath and ayama means discipline. Thus, the discipline of breath control is called This yajna helps to gain well-being and composure of the mind.
Was n’t pranayama a part of Ashtanga Yoga? It is and much more. In fact, as a part of every puja, a pranayama is performed with mantras indicating its importance.
While there are many types of pranayama, there are 3 types mentioned the very practice of which become yajnas/sadhanas in the Gita –
Pūraka prāṇāmaya is that in which inhalation is given importance. Pūrakam means filling up. Thus, pūraka prāṇāmaya is filling up the lungs with air through deep breathing. Prana is offered unto apana, exhalation.
Rēchaka prāṇāmaya is that in which emptying or exhalation is given importance.
Rēchaka means emptying. Thus Rēchaka prāṇāmaya is deep exhalation or expelling the air from the lungs. Here Apana, exhalation is offered unto Prana, inhalation.
Third one is Kumbhaka prāṇāmaya, wherein the focus, the importance, is on retaining the breath; neither inhalation nor exhalation. During these pauses, the air is retained inside the lungs and this is called kumbhaka. Here, the inhalation and exhalation are offered unto the retention. This retention is called kumbhaka, kumbha, meaning a ‘pot.’ Just as water is retained in a pot, so too, breath is retained in the lungs.
Even the kumbhaka is supposed to be of two types; one type is after inhalation, you retain; for a minute, two minutes, etc. that is called āntara kumbakam; where air is kept inside and retained; bahya kumbhakam is you pause after exhalaing all the air.
The duration of each of these kumbhakas depends on the relative duration of inhalation and exhalation.
Because the person practising pranayama, is carefully measuring the breath, he or she does not cut short any of the three disciplines involved – inhalation, retention or exhalation.
Any impulse to do so is not followed by the person. He or she maintains the stipulated time. Therefore, there is yajna in the discipline.
People who practice pranayama regularly have good health because their different bodily processes such as respiration, circulation, digestion, evacuation and assimilation are well regulated due to the different pranas manifesting in the body such as prana, samana, vyana, apana, udana etc
Thus pranayama-abhyasa, is performed as a yajna, for gaining certain tranquility, alertness and steadiness of the mind.
By converting the involuntary action of breathing into a voluntary action, you come back to yourself. All you do is breathe, but by breathing deliberately, there is a discipline involved that helps you gain a steady mind.
10. Niyata-ahara yajna (4.30.1) – Offering food into the fire of Jatharagni, digestive fire which is Brahman. Having discipline in eating food and offering it, helps the person lead a healthy and happy life
āhāra niyama comes in two stages; the first is quantity control – the number of times one eats, how much one eats, when one eats depending on age, stage and lifestyle.
There is a rule governing the quantities to be eaten, which says half of the stomach is to be filled with solids, one quarter with liquids, and one quarter is to be left empty for the movement of air. In other words, the fourth quarter is to be left alone!
The second is quality control – One reduces overly spicy, overcooked, stale food and makes informed choices about fresh wholesome vegetables, cereals and grains, pulses and fruits and healthy fats.
In disciplined eating, there is yajna because there is the desire to eat more or not to eat at all if the food that is available is not very tasty. Therefore, not responding to the desire to eat or not to eat becomes a yajna by observing measured eating, which is why such people are called niyata-aharas. They offer their desires with reference to eating unto the digestive system, which creates the hunger and thirst.
With more awareness about our diets and how it affects our lifestyles, some people can get obsessed about food and go on extreme diets. Some while eating breakfast are planning for lunch and while eating lunch are planning for a snack and while doing that are planning for dinner. In the name of being spiritual, they are obsessing about food without even knowing it. It becomes a yajna when one has a balanced perspective towards food and nutrition recognising that it has all come from Bhagavan and practising moderation.
Ahara is not only what you eat through the mouth but also the food you consume through your senses.
Even though the person may still feel hungry, he or she stops after the appropriate quantities have been consumed. And, if eating between meals is what is to be avoided, then the person does not take even the smallest snack, regardless of his or her hunger. Such desires for eating are offered unto the prana of digestion, unto the fires of digestion, unto the fire of hunger that causes digestion.
Those who follow this discipline as a yajna also live a life of prayer, in common with the other types of seekers mentioned earlier.
A life of prayer enables the seekers to gain control and self-mastery over themselves.
So, all these 10 sadhanas or yajnas can be called spiritual disciplines only if the offerings are to Ishvara and the goal is spiritual growth. A lot of these are practised as sadhanas e.g. reading the Bhagavad Gita only for success in corporate life. Sure, the person may benefit but it is not a yajna.
No one discipline is superior to another. Of these different yajnas, one or many may be performed, depending upon what one needs.
There is no rule governing which disciplines are to be performed by whom. This must be noted when practising any religious discipline.
A mumukshu, a person seeking moksha is expected to have enough objectivity regarding which sadhana the person truly needs to transform oneself into a qualified receptacle for self-knowledge.
Sadhakas must steer away from developing a sense of superiority because of the sadhana they are practising.
The purpose of performing all the yajnas is yajna-kshapita-kalmashah, (4.30.2) destroying the impurities and the defects of the mind. Anything that obstructs you from having a pure, calm and cheerful mind, necessary for self-knowledge is a defect.
What is simple and beautiful about all these sadhanas is that every day actions such as eating, breathing, engaging with the world, self-mastery, giving, disciplined habits can all be converted into a yajna for spiritual growth by offering these unto Ishvara.
If one cannot perform any of these yajnas, religious disciplines, one can neither have happiness here in this world or even in another world.
Neither does the person have the discipline to enjoy the pursuits of this world nor will the person attain the punya necessary to go to svarga.
Further, although all these yajnas and sadhanas are enjoined by the Vedas s, all yajnas are limited, time-wise, place-wise and effort-wise and hence cannot give one limitless result. Really speaking all actions are resolved into the knowledge of Brahman being Atma.
Therefore Brahma-yajna/Jnana Yajna is the only one which liberates one from the sense of bondage of life-death, sorrow and ignorance. The person sees that everything here is one non-dual Brahman, which is non-separate from him.
The doer is Brahman, the object of the action, karma is Brahman and all the karakas, facilitators are also Brahman. Finally, the actor itself is Brahman and the person who has gained this vision is also Brahman. Everything is Brahman appearing as forms. This vision makes life a luxury.
Bhagavan Krishna in describing these sadhanas does so, in the context of it being done as a qualification for moksha or self-enquiry. Being desirous of moksha, such people will gain the kind of mind that can enquire and gain the knowledge of Brahman.
The knower of Brahman being non-separate from Brahman, atma already being Brahman, knowledge of this fact alone makes seekers gain Brahman.
Bhagavan introduced the topic of jnana yajna saying that it was the best yajna. Knowing that we were not convinced, he spoke about a lot of other sadhanas and yajnas. He finally returns to Jnana-Yajna.
श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप।
सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते।।4.33।।
Arjuna, the scorcher of foes! This discipline of knowledge is superior to religious disciplines performed with materials. Pärtha (Arjuna)! All actions in its entirety get resolved in knowledge.
Knowledge swallows the doer – Any ritual implies a karta, a doer, as well as various materials, and it is therefore, an initiator of results, whereas jnana-yajna is a swallower of all results. The pursuit of knowledge itself is the yajna – jnanam eva yajna.
Because jnana-yajna swallows the karta, the doer, it does not further perpetuate the samsara; it swallows the samsara.
Jnana-yajna does not initiate any result, because it devours the notion that you are the doer.
As long as you question – what is the Atma? along with your inference and perception, however, the karta, the one who enquires, infers and perceives, will remain. If, on the other hand, the karta is exposed to the teaching of Vedanta, the karta, the doer will be swallowed.
Vedanta tells the karta, ‘You were never the karta. You think you are the karta because you do not understand what atma is.
Doership is just a thought that comes and goes.
When that thought is not there, like in sleep, where is the karta? Or, between two thoughts, where is the karta? There is no karta; you are akarta only.
You perform no action at any time.
You are not the thought; you are the one behind every thought. The thought is you, no doubt, but you are free from the thought.
When thought goes, you are and when thought is, you are.’
Like this, Vedanta teaches the karta that he or she is akarta, thereby knocking off the karta.
Knowledge and karma are two different orders of reality.
Knowledge deals with the absolute and karma is completely swallowed by that knowledge.
Also, in terms of the result achieved, there is no possibility of comparison.
The result achieved by karma is limited and that achieved by knowledge is limitlessness itself.
Jnana-yajna is said to be superior, because knowledge destroys all karmas, meaning that karma in its entirety resolves in knowledge. When you gain this knowledge, everything belongs to you.
Karma-phalas can give you only limited happiness, sukha, whereas knowledge gives you absolute happiness, paramananda.
In parama-ananda, even the little ‘happinesses’ are included, which is why Bhagavan Krishna says that karma resolves in knowledge, jnane parisamapyate.
Om Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:
