Thirty Minor Upanishads: 23. Yogaṭaṭṭva... | Internet Sacred Text Archive

Hinduism

YOGAṬAṬṬVA-UPANISHAḌ

OF

KṚSHṆA-YAJURVEḌA

I shall now describe yoga-ṭaṭṭva (yoga-truth) for the benefit of yogins who are freed from all sins through the hearing and the studying of it. The supreme Purusha called Vishṇu, who is the great yogin, the great being and the great ṭapasvin, is seen as a lamp in the path of the truth. The Grandfather (Brahmā) having saluted the Lord of the universe (Vishṇu) and having paid Him due respects, asked Him (thus): "Pray, explain to us the truth of yoga which includes in it the eight subservients." To which Hṛshīkeśa (the Lord of the senses or Vishṇu) replied thus: "Listen. I shall explain its truth. All souls are immersed in happiness and sorrow through the snare of māyā. Kaivalya, the supreme seat, is the path which gives them emancipation, which rends asunder the snare of māyā, which is the destroyer of birth, old age and disease and which enables one to overcome death. There are no other paths to salvation. Those who go round the net of Śāsṭras are deluded by that knowledge. It is impossible even for the Ḍevas to describe that indescribable state. How can that which is self-shining be illuminated by the Śāsṭras? That only which is without parts and stains and which is quiescent beyond all and free from decay becomes the jīva (self) on account of the results of past virtues and sins. How did that which is the seat of Paramāṭmā, is eternal, and above the state of all existing things and is of the form of wisdom and without stains attain the state of jīva? A bubble arose in it as in water and in this (bubble) arose

ahaṅkāra. To it arose a ball (of body) made of the five (elements) and bound by ḍhāṭus. Know that to be jīva which is associated with happiness and misery and hence is the term jīva applied to Paramāṭmā which is pure. That jīva is considered to be the kevala (alone) which is freed from the stains of passion, anger, fear, delusion, greed, pride, lust, birth, death, miserliness, swoon, giddiness, hunger, thirst, ambition, shame, fright, heart-burning, grief and gladness.

"So I shall tell you the means of destroying (these) sins. How could jñāna capable of giving moksha arise certainly without yoga? And even yoga becomes powerless in (securing) moksha when it is devoid of jñāna. So the aspirant after emancipation should practise (firmly) both yoga and jñāna. The cycle of births and deaths comes only through ajñāna and perishes only through jñāna. Jñāna alone was originally. It should be known as the only means (of salvation). That is jñāna through which one cognises (in himself) the real nature of kaivalya as the supreme seat, the stainless, the partless, and of the nature of Sachchiḍānanḍa without birth, existence and death and without motion and jñāna.