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yajvan
02 June 2011, 01:39 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

Often we hear of this notion of detachment. The common word used for detachment is vairāgya. We see this in patañjali’s yogadarśana ( yoga sūtra's) :

dṛṣṭānuśravikaviṣayavitṛṣṇasya vaśīkārasaṃjñā vairāgyam || 15

I will do my best to translate this sūtra in the next few posts, yet wish to disuss this one word vairāgya.
It is defined as aversion , indifference to worldly objects and to life. It is not defined as 'detachment' ,
yet this idea does come up in the progression to the full blossoming of vairāgya.

The word closest to detachment is vyatireka and is defined as distinction, seperation, difference and we find it in this progression
( to vairāgya) aforementioned. I will list out this progression for your viewing ( perhaps some are having one of these experiences ?),
yet lets first look at the qualities of this vairāgya.

If we look at its components vairāgya one may see it as a compound word of vaira + ag + ya .

vaira takes on two ideas :
hostile, iminical, revengeful
heroism, prowess
ag - to move tortuously
ya also takes on few meanings:

union ( as to bring the terms above together)
restraining, abandoning
rooted in yā means a goer or mover
So if we look at this vairāgya by some of the key words above , it is that heroic movement away from those things that bind, abandoning those things of the world, that are inimical (adverse in tendency or effect).

The wise say there is a progression to this state ( I concur). Here we have the 4 steps ( pada¹):

yatamāna - yata = restrained + māna = pride, arrogance. Hence we can see the constraint of the small self, the self-centeredness one may have. Now there are some that suggests this is the restraint of sensuous enjoyments.
vyatireka - separation, distinction, difference. This occurs when yatamāna begins to find firm footing in one's daily life.
Some may call this detachment, but note it is not the final destination.
ekaendriya - this is defined as having but one organ of sense. This has several meanings.
It suggests that all the organs of sense are subdued/managed accordingly.
Yet what is that one ~organ~ that remains intact? It is said the mind remains.


vaśīkāra - is the making of power and control - one now has control/power over the senses.
We see this in the 15th sūtra patañjali-ji offers:
dṛṣṭānuśravikaviṣayavitṛṣṇasya vaśīkārasaṃjñā vairāgyam || 15It is these four steps that lead to the 5th vairāgya , that heroic movement to the aversion , indifference to worldly objects. You see this just does not happen, but is the march ( pada) to this condition.

praṇām

words
pada - can be a step, footstep, or a mark; it can also be an abode, a station, position

yajvan
02 June 2011, 02:00 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

I wrote,


If we look at its components vairāgya one may see it as a compound word of vaira + ag + ya .

vaira takes on two ideas :
hostile, iminical, revengeful
heroism, prowess
ag - to move tortuously
ya also takes on few meanings:

union ( as to bring the terms above together)
restraining, abandoning
rooted in yā means a goer or mover

As expected, there is more to this word vairāgya then meets the eye. Another view of this vairāgya is to view it in the following manner:


vai +rāga +ya

vai - to be deprived of
rāga - has many defintions, yet one is inflamation
ya - I mentioned as mover, doer, yet it also means abandoningso now we can look at this word vai +rāga +ya as being deprived of, or abandoning that which brings inflamation. And what is that ?
For the sādhu it is worldly objects; we are back to the definition of vairāgya.


praṇām

yajvan
04 June 2011, 09:28 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

I wrote,


I will do my best to translate this sūtra...
dṛṣṭānuśravikaviṣayavitṛṣṇasya vaśīkārasaṃjñā vairāgyam || 15

we can break up and define the sūtra thusly:

dṛṣṭa ānuśravika viṣaya vitṛṣṇasya vaśīkāra saṃjñā vairāgyam || 15

dṛṣṭa - seen , looked at , beheld , perceived ;settled , decided , fixed , acknowledged
ānuśravika yields ānuśrava - according to hearing, resting on tradition, derived from the ved
viṣaya - an object of sense and are five in number¹ ; the five indriya , or organs of sense having each
their proper viṣaya or object
Also viṣaya implies sphere (of influence or activity) , dominion , kingdom , territory , region ,
district , country , abode as we think of the various regions or abodes of the senses
vitṛṣṇasya - vitṛṣ = free from thirst + nas which we find in the ved changeable into ṇas meaning of the
1st, us, of us, to us + ya = restraining, also joining ; in the feminine gender it is 'obtaining' .
vaśīkāra - the making/doing of power and control
saṃjñā - clear knowledge or understanding ~comprehend~ ; to know well , understand ; to agree together ,
be of the same opinion , be in harmony with
vairāgyam - aversion , indifference to worldly objects and to life.my translation - all errors are of my own accord:
One becomes free (or indifferent) from worldly objects and knowledge resting in tradition (what is heard) when
the senses are without thirst ( w/o want), or fixed upon them (worldly objects), one gains power and control ( over them).


Three other views from 3 different authors:

When the mind loses all deire for objects seen or described in the scriptures, it aquires a state of utter desirelessness which is called detactment
When the mental operations are no longer focused (drsta) upon external teachings found in tradition (anusravika) nor any externalized objects based within an objectified conditional framework (visaya), then a mastery (visikara) and freedom from all cravings and attachments (vrtrsnasya) toward the external or objectified world of objects (visaya) is established. Then our practice comes together and is touched by the intimate knowledge (samjna) which is gained through the activity of efficacious release called non-willful doing (vairagyam).
As for non-reaction, one can recognize that it has been fully achieved when no attachment arises in regard to anything at all, whether perceived directly or learned.praṇām

words
5 in number:

śabda - sound for the ear i.e. śruti-viṣaya
sparśa - tangibility we think of touch for the skin
rūpa - form (or color) for the eye
rasa - savour or taste for the tongue
gandha - odor or smell for the nose these five viṣayas are sometimes called the guṇas or properties of the five elements.

yajvan
06 June 2011, 01:39 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté


yajvan, what you wrote is mildly interesting, yet why do you find this sūtra so compelling?

Because of this one word dṛṣṭā


dṛṣṭā anuśra vikaviṣaya vitṛṣṇasya vaśīkāra saṃjñā vairāgyam ||15
This dṛṣṭa is defined seen , looked at , beheld , perceived ;settled , decided , fixed , acknowledged.

If we look at this word dṛṣṭā as draṣṭā it helps ( me ) better appreciate the hidden meaning.



draṣṭā = one who sees
Within this word we have dra = 'that which is free'Who then is the seer that is free ? None other then the Self, the Seer , puruṣa.

Now this śloka takes on a deeper meaning, no ?
The Seer is vairāgyam or is indifferent to worldly objects and to life.
When one no longer is fixed upon them ( objects of the senses) it (the Seer) becomes clearly known.

This is one possible way of looking at this sūtra - I have not found another author that shares this view, but no less is valuable to me.

praṇām

yajvan
08 June 2011, 01:33 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~

namasté

I wrote,

If we look at this word dṛṣṭā as draṣṭā it helps ( me ) better appreciate the hidden meaning. draṣṭā = one who sees . And within this word we have dra = 'that which is free'.

So, one must ask, where do I get an inkling of this idea mentioned in the post above regarding the 15th sūtra in
chapter 1 (called samādhi pada) being a possible correct ( or at a minimum ) alternative view worth considering?

We need to look to chapter 2, (called sādhana pada) and the 17th sūtra , as it says the following:
draṣṭṛdṛśyayoḥ saṃyogo heyahetuḥ || (2.17)

We can view it this way:
draṣṭṛ dṛśyayoḥ saṃyogo heya hetuḥ ||

Note that we once again run into draṣṭṛ ( as in the last post, draṣṭā) - both have dra = 'that which is free'.
In this sūtra we have draṣṭṛ defined as 'one who sees' just as before. Hence we return to one who is free and
sees , and hence the Seer.

draṣṭṛ - the Seer
dṛśyayoḥ or dṛśya - to be looked at ; any visible object
saṃyogo = saṃyoga - union or absorption with or in ; 'direct material contact'
heya -to be left or abandoned, rejected, avoided ; to be subtracted ;
hetuḥ - 'impulse '; motive , cause , cause of , reason for This ~instruction~ is a most excellent example of the brevity of a sūtra . It says as I see it:
The reason or intent (for) uniting the Seer with with the seen ( that which is looked at) is to be avoided.

Who is the Seer ? Puruṣa ( Self) . What is seen ? All the objects experienced via the senses. When they are united (saṃyoga)
then there is no distinction between the Self ( that perfect silence in us) and the non-Self ( all of creation).
So why is that a big deal? It is the definition of the fundamental principle of ignorance . The binding of the Self co-mingled
with the experience of all things in creation that comes in via the senses.

When people say I do not get it I don't see this distinction of Self, it is because the silence of one's own being
has not been experienced. Once this occurs then the appreciation begins of Self and non-Self.
It occurs over time - the repeated experience of silence, one comes to know there is this distinction (vyatireka) and they
are not co-mingled i.e. Self and non-Self are seperate.

praṇām