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Knowing all these one must use all of tfiem towards acquiring a habit of constant, firm and active meditation. \\ \*\ ii; 101 > The ever — existent, and all— conscious Atman is not realised without a constant and rigid practice (of the rules to be described) ; therefore one desirous of obtaining absolution must ever meditate upon Brahma. ft 102. — 103. The fifteen stages in order are : 1 Yama, 2 Niyama, RTydga, 4 Mawna, 5 J^s&, .6 jfifd^a* 7 Asana,,8 Mulabandha. 9. Dehasdmya^IQ..I)riksthiti, 11 Prdnasamyamana, \2Pratyd- hara, 13 Dhdrand, 14 Atmadhydna, 15 Samddhi. *°v ii- 104. The natural restraint over ajl the senses arising from the conviction of everything being Brahma, is the real yama-, and it should be repeatedly studied.* II H-T-n f^fr || The yama of JJaiAa or physi; cal, yogra, comprises ten formulas of conduct, all however tending to secure the mental condition described in 104. The same remark holds good. for all other jillustrations to be cited from works on Hat ha yoga, ( 23 ) II \° H 105. The union with the homogeneous (i. e., constant and invariably inseparable cdnsciousness of unity with 'Brahma), and separation from the heterogeneous (such notions as of the tmiverse and Brahma beitg apart from each other &c.), is the Niyama described in the Srutis; — "hiyama the highest 'happi- :ness; such are thought of by the wise.* n \* n 106. The abandonment df this illusion (of form and name) by the recognition of the non-material, ever enlightened Brahma 'everywhere, is the Ty&ga honoured by the great, as leading to immediate absolution.! 107. The enlightened must ever try to possess that Mauna — that indescribable Brahma — which, though the mind turns back baffled from it, and though Words cannot describe it, is ever to be found in those who are devoted to the path of pure knowledge.^ u t This Tydga must it seems be understood as opposed to the Tyaga or abandonment of one's duties and Karmas in life — as understood by super" ficial Vedantins. £ This mauna is opposed to the ordinary practice of restraining thd tongue &c, ( 24 ) 108.-109. Who can describe that (Brahma) which words 'are not able to comprehend ? If this universe of illusion even were subjected to examination, that also is beyond the reach of speech. Hence this may be the real Mauna '(viz. abandon ment of all doubts as to the relation of Brahma and Jag at) known to the wise as Sakaja Sthiii— Native condition ; — where as the Mauna ordinarily known in the form of restraining the tongue is pronounced by the Advaiti, to be simply 'childish. n ? ^o n 110. That is the real "solitary, Des'a" (place) wherein the universe does not exist in the beginning, middle, or end ; and which is to be found through the whole of this (material life.)* n u \\ 111. In consequence of its being the support and sustenance of all actions, such as even the winking of the eye &c, of all up to Brahma and others, the word Kdla indicates the real un interrupted and unique fountain of joy. (Brahma).^ (I t This kdla may be taken as opposed to the time observed in performing pranayama &c. ( 25 ) n 112. That in which one can easily and uninterruptedly meditate upon Brahma is the most proper Asana, and not any other interfering with one's ease and happiness.* 113. That which is the eternal and well-known container of the universe of being, and that in which the Siddhas are ever sitting at ease, is the real Siddhdsana^ 114. That which is the origin of all Being, and that on whom depends the original (ignorance) obstruction of the manas, is the mulabandha to be always practiced, and is the only one to be taken up by students of Raja or mental 115. That is Dehasdmya by which the physical body (na turally crooked and distorted) becomes on account of its being viewed as of Brahma, immersed in Brahma. If this is not accom plished, the forcible straightening of the limbs, like that of the dead trunk of a tree, is certainly the least of Dehasdmya. * As opposed to the 8 or any indefinite number of Asanas as Sidhds-an Padmdsana, Mayurdsan &c. — all implying certain positions of the body accompanied by an amount of physical exertion and exercise. t u ( 26 ) ir sr ?i%: TC'TfrnT * TOmnroifoft 11 tt* n 116. That one, having converted his internal eye into one of pure knowledge, should view the whole of this transitional universe as Brahma, is the real concentration of the eye (Drik- sthiti) ; and not the one wherein the eye is fixed on the tip of 117. Or, the fixing of the (internal) ego on that in which the triad of the seer, sight and seen is reduced to unity — is the real concentration &c. 118. The constant and permanent obstruction of all the senses (internal), through the process of viewing upon all ob jects such as the mind and its creations &c. as in and of Brahma is called Prdndydma.-\- * Compare the various Mudrds of Hotha yoga. t =33 3T ( 27 ) 119, 120. The negation (as by resolving into Brahma &c) of this phenomenal illusion, is the real Rechdka (blowing out of the breath retained in the lungs) ; and the conviction " I am Brahma" is the real Puraka (the drawing in of the breath) J and then the immovable concentration on that very convic tion is the real kumbhaka (the retention of the breath in the lungs for some time). This is the real course of Prdndydma* but to be followed by the enlightened, whereas, the ignorant will go on torturing their nose for nothing. 121. The absorption of the mind in the ever-enlightened Brahma by resolving all objects into Atman, should be known as Pratydhdra, and should be practised by those who are desirous of absolution.*^ It will be observed that the difference in the practice here indicated consti tutes the real point of difference between Hatha or physical and Raja or mental yoga. The point to be reached by either is the same— restraint over the mind and its creations, and attainment of the condition of eternal Samadhi or concentration or identification with this principle of the universe —but the ways leading to this end are different. The former holds that the mind will be naturally and easily controlled by shutting up all the avenues of its communication with the external world _ viz. the breath &c. The latter holds and perhaps correctly holds—that the shortness or length of the breath, is but an indication of the State of the mind and that therefore instead of fruitlessly and unnaturally stifling this breath we had much better curb the cause of all this breath and everything viz. the giant SH^T or the mind. * The order of the process indicated in the Hatha yoga is 1st Puraka then Kumbhaka aud then Rechaka. t ^fawtfTO^^^wWffcw^f ireirfrr. u ( 28 ) 1WT 122. The steadiness of the mind arising from the recogni tion of Brahma, wherever it travels or goes, is the real and great Dhdrana* 123. The independent (free from any other idea as of mat ter, &cj existence consequent upon the full sense of Being . arising from the conviction " I am Brahma" is the condition conducive to the highest joy, and is described as 124. The negation of all mental action, by the mind's being ' reduced to a state beyond all change, and by its being ever merged into Brahma is called conscious 125. This natural course of joy should be studied by the wise only so long as they acquire the power of, at the spur of the moment, collecting and concentrating themselves. U *n"cT° fo Ho U \. ^. U u mo *fro 50 ^. \t \\ Even in Raj yoga ^mfa is sometimes concisely defined as also as ^^l^^^W ^^T?^ ^IPT: II . \. The Hatha yoga has Z U 5° 5l ( 29 ) 126. Then he (the practitioner) being free from the neces sity of going through the said and similar processes, becomes the best of all accomplished successful ascetics. The condition of such an ascetic cannot easily be described in words or con ceived by the mind. 3 127. 128. Even while assiduously practising Samddhi, numerous difficulties crop up in the way : Such as being put off the point of concentration ; idleness ; desire of illusive en joyments ; sleep ; paralysis of the intellect ; being drawn off by temporary objects of the universe ; egoistical immersion in transitory joy ; and dullness or torpidity of the mind. One knowing Brahma should try to gradually evade all these one after another.* ft *TR?4 3{^f^Fl ff STTrfT | ft 129.