As per the Pāñcarātras, mere knowledge that is acquired by hard study of the texts of Āgamas aided by Ācārya̍s supervision will not help the adept in attaining siddhi. Knowledge acquired thus needs to be put in to practice.
As per the Āgamas, the adept needs to have sound physical health and mental stability to recapitulate what he has gained from study and act in accordance with the guidelines provided therein. He has to concentrate his efforts of construction of devālayas, biṁbas and nitya-naimittika karmas to be carried on there after, consistently without fail. To this end he has to have full control over his mind without letting it's faculties lead him astray. Yogic practice assists him in serving this purpose.
Of all the systems of Bhāratīya darshan, only Yoga and Vedānta are practicable. The mind will not function if the physical body is not kept in sound condition to bear the rigour of any system of sādhana. The Yoga system of Patañjali ( Hiraṇyagarbha is admitted to have taught the systen of Yoga. As per Bādarāyaṇa, he is not Brahman and the system is rejected as non vedic -
etena yogaḥ pratyuktaḥ
(Brahma Sūtra 2.1.3.).
Is based upon Sāṁkhya principles which declare that there is a clear cut division between soul and matter. The two are entirely distinct from each other, the former being sentient and later non-sentient. Sufferings of any kind are only due to projected mistaken identity between them.
Misery is an unpleasant feeling felt by mind at times and it is caused by the afflictions rising in the body. Therefore Patañjali, the author of Yoga-sūtras say that yoga is control over citta - the united entity containing buddhi, manas and ahaṁkāra (yogaś citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ).
Pādma-saṁhitā takes up the treatment of yoga in the Yogapāda, which contains five chapters. The other Pāñcarātra texts that deal with this matter are - Ahirbudhnya-saṁhitā, Jayākhya-saṁhitā, Parama-saṁhitā, Viṣṇutilaka-saṁhitā, Śrīpraśna-saṁhitā and Sanatkumāra-saṁhitā Ṛṣi-rātra.
The Patañjali Yoga-sūtras declare, Kaivalya or aloofness from matter as the goal of yoga
puruṣārtha śunyāṇāṁ guṇānāṁ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṁ, svarūpa pratiṣṭhā vā citiśakteriti.
The goal of yoga as per Pāñcarātra is to attain Brahman and never return to the saṁsāra
brahma saṁpadyate yogī na bhūyaḥ saṁsarediha.
Yoga is of two kinds, karma yoga and jñāna yoga. The former consist of fixing the mind on karma and latter on Atman.
Those who fix their minds upon these two systems will reach mokṣa. Those who take to the path of yoga will have to survive on sāttvika food alone, abandoning rājasika and tāmasika food. They have to adopt certain postures for practice, these are called āsanas. These āsanas have to match the nature of the adept and he should be able to maintain them comfortably and steadily (sthira-sukhamāsanam). Ahirbudhnya-saṁhitā mentions eleven āsanas - Cakra, Padma, Kūrma, Mayūra, Kukkuṭa, Vīra, Svastika, Bhadra, Siṁha, Mukta, Gomukha. Mountains (Badarikāśrama being foremost), banks of rivers, and forests (Naimiṣāraṇya the foremost) are mentioned in saṁhitās as ideal places for practicing yoga.
Yama and niyama are the two components that need to be applied to get qualified in to practice of yoga starting from āsana. Yamas are rules of dharma. Yoga-sūtras mention five yamas
ahiṁsāsatyāsteyabrahmacaryāparigrahāḥ yayā |
non violence, true speech, non-stealing, celibacy and not accepting gifts.
As per Ahirbudhnya-saṁhitā yamas are ten in number - truth, sympathy, cheerfulness, cleanliness, celibacy, forbearance, straightforwardness, limited food, non stealing, non violence. Definitions of these are also provided in the saṁhitā.
Niyamas are rules of restrain. According to Yoga-sūtras they are five in number
śauca-santoṣa-tapaḥ-svādhyāyeśvaraparidhānāni niyamāḥ |
cleanliness, contentment, penance, study of one's Veda and meditation of Īśvara. Ahirbudhnya-saṁhitā enumerates ten niyamas - listening to the siddhānta of the Āgama, charity, mati or faith in deeds that are ordained, worship of Īśvara, contentment, penance, faith in the absolute nature of Vedas, shyness in deeds that are sinful, japa, observance of rituals. Pādma-saṁhitā gives a list of eight leaving mati and vrata.
(to be continued with Prāṇāyāma)
🙏 Namo Narasimha 🙏