Integral Yoga

 



A Synthesis of different aspects of Yoga and Meditation

Chandan Sukumar Sengupta

As evident from the Gita, warrior Arjun lost his balance of mind after seeing his master, his elders and other relatives standing on the opponent’s side. He refused to kill his masters and relatives simply for gaining a state. He even expressed his desire to cast off all his wishes to stop such a mass killing.

Such a state of confusion comes during a loss of proper coordination between the mind and intellect. One may lose any challenge immediately if they impart themselves in any action by keeping such a state of confusion in mind. The stand of Arjuna amidst the battle field was vividly explained by lord Krishna. There developed the conversation of Krishna with Arjuna to enlighten the role of Pandavas in the battle. As parent, grand parents, friends and masters joining the opponent sides had not delivered their duties properly they all lost their special status and became a culprit responsible for the development of tension and conflicts, which ultimately led two different segments of the same family to declare war against each other.

Such a state of confusion developed in the mind of Arjun because of his state of attachment with fellow relatives, masters, friends, brothers and sisters who were joining the opponent side and were planning to hold and use weapons against Pandavas, the five brothers including Arjun.

At this critical juncture lord Krishna explained the essence of maintaining balance of mind by bringing out oneself from the state of confusion through gaining true knowledge. There exists a clear distinction between the soul of the individual and the respective physical body. Physical body may perish, elements present in bodily organs may disintegrate, physically the body may die, but waves and propositions of the soul will remain active in this world for centuries. In forthcoming days people may remember them through their acts, attitudes and conducts.

After knowing such differences and knowing about the importance of perfectly planned actions in life Arjun gradually prepared himself for the war. Entire Gita is the exhibit of the journey of Arjun from the state of confusion, sorrow and agony to the state of self-confidence, self-esteem and enlightenment. At his ultimate state of awareness he felt the presence of the Divine beside himself; it was also there within himself. His failure in feeling such omnipresence was due to lack of true knowledge only. It was also due to his unwanted attachment to the physical world and worldly things.

Yoga is the state of communion of the divine master and the studious disciple meant for feeling the state of communion through acts and conducts. Yoga might make the communion of the individual with Knowledge (Jnan Yoga), with actions (Karma Yoga) or with sacrifices (Sanyasa Yoga). Such communion of various types may not invade the individual senses differently. Their senses and conducts work on the individual jointly. These different realms of acts and conducts internally make any one of them with a bit prominence upon the others.

 

We can understand this phenomenon with an incident from the Ramayana, where Lord Rama wanted his brother Laxmana to behave like a true learner having enough affinity to gain knowledge, even from any sworn enemy. After the completion of the battle of Sri Lanka, when both the fellow brother came to know about the state of the final breathes of demon King Ravana, Lord Rama instructed his fellow brother to move closure to Ravana with an aspiration of learning something from the demon King.

Laxmana moved on to obey the instructions of his brother only. There was no true affinity towards the divine knowledge developed in him. Then also he was considering the demon King as his sworn enemy. Such a state of discontentment forced him to take the position beside the head side part of the demon King, the place where one can rarely glance with a bit comfort. They remained silent for a long time. During another move with such approach of learning something pure from the demon King, Lord Rama positioned himself in such a way that the fellow King can see him with an ease. It made the King convinced perpetually and compelled him to deliver a timely relevant lessons infiltrated with his life time experience. It was the learning for a politically motivated individual. Lord Rama wanted his brother to listen the teaching of Ravana with proper attention and respect. His stand and approach was to make his fellow brother a learned one. Here the mechanism of integral Yoga worked perfectly for making them aware of the state of mind duly required for any individual for gaining aspirations and timely relevant instructions from a sworn enemy.

 

Ravana pointed out the difference between both the fellow brothers regarding their abilities of utilising senses, memory and intellects for materialising their political and social will. Wish factors arranged properly with an intention of materialising the common good made Lord Rama special amongst the group of warriors. It has also made him perpetually contented because of the proper culmination of Yoga based acts and conducts.

Integration of senses with a clear understanding of the timely relevant acts and conducts is also a subject of the culmination of different Yoga. It is the seat of philosophy, meant for individual and a collective ascent, where the referred individual can actualise oneself through a clear correlation with the centrally active Divine. Integral Yoga   can even make the individual perpetually clear regarding the role in further manifestation of the self-actualised power of mind and intellect.

 

Saints intended to converge these philosophical ideals through conversation related to the divine and individual duly displayed in the Gita. Integration of individual with Yoga is the core of the principle materialised in Gita with an aspiration of enabling a doer of actions in attainment of completeness by all means. The presentation of such conversation has also exhibited the existence of such Yoga philosophy from olden times in the universe.  It has evolved differently in due course of time and also narrated differently by saints time to time. Gita was, obviously without any doubt, a successful effort amongst all of them.  Gita comprehends the teachings incorporated in Upanishads and Uanishads comprehend teachings prescribed in Holy Scriptures like Vedas. It also links up the thought process of Vedantic, Yoga and Sankhya Philosophy of Indian origin. All these schools of thought process instruct an individual to lead a life on the basis of a divine goal of feeling the presence of supreme power by the side of immediate creations. All forms in this universe are nothing but the manifestation of the Divine. It is the only truth that can link up all the human beings throughout the world and can materialise the dream of a peaceful world order.

 

Eight steps of Yoga

Credit goes to saint Patanjali for the development of a most scientifically actualised Yoga conduct meant for the advancement of individual followed by a collateral advancement of the society and of the commune. His proposal is even perpetually designed for accommodating different aspects of a noble life process duly meant for experiencing feelings of collective ascent through the paths of spirituality.

The journey begins with a proposition of following rules of Yama (a set of acts meant for individual purity). It proposes that a person having aspiration of moving through the Octagonal path of Yoga should be nonviolent, truthful, altruistic, self-contented and worshipper of knowledge. While explaining the core philosophy of Nonviolence, the saint proposed the state of mind that considers all the other beings as a family member can claim that the individual is experiencing a true state of nonviolent life.

The second fold in this life comes in the form of some rituals for gaining purity and perfectness of organs and senses. There lies the importance of cleanliness, contentment, self-study, sacrifices and worships of the divine. It will simultaneously purify both the mind and body for making the individual and the referred community fit for the ascent up to the third state of this Yoga conduct.

 

Third stage is meant primarily for balancing the body, mind and intellect through positioning oneself in some proposed postures, termed popularly in Indian Philosophy as Asana, and regularising the same through day to day routine works. While describing such positioning, the saint says that the kind of position which offers a stability of mind, body and intellect is the Asana in its true sense. Whatever may be the posture and whatever may be the name for such posture, true Asana can only bring desired stability of mind and body.

 

Fourth stage of the Ascent is vital one because of its involvement in diverting senses towards the inner conscious mind through regulation of the breathing and confluence of senses through specified neural transmission. The core philosophy ascribes the establishment of a hold on the breathing and bringing it down at least below 15 per minute. It is also designed for channelizing the breathing through different nerve channels for infusing senses in the deep conscious mind for making it awakened and contented. This process is most vital one because of its importance in making the individual capable of diverting senses towards the inner world for roaming around the acquired knowledge and rearranging such acquisitions by repeatedly meditating on them. It can be also described as a process of self-actualisation and self-contentment. Such contentment only can enable a person to move through the inner world of senses and knowledge. It can be more confluent because of its mild infiltration through all the senses. It can make a person see what the mind wants to see, it can listen in accord to the inner sense, and even taste, smell and touch things accordingly. Development of positive waves in mind because of the prolonged meditation, the individual makes oneself fit for experiencing the practice of withdrawal from the external world for enabling oneself perpetually confined upon the attained knowledge and quantify oneself for further attainment of true knowledge. Such a withdrawal (PRATYAHARA) makes the person competent for making oneself refined and more perpetual for the ascent of the soul a step ahead for the attainment of a feeling related to the presence of the divine in the life process. It can even imply a guiding force for the individual duly required for rearranging the absolute knowledge for the purpose of making it more vibrant, more confluent and more actualised.

 

All the five stage practice brings a state of enlightenment for the individual and make the person fit for feeling the true meaning of life, real goal of life and all sorts of lively involvements in the community and lately , in a broader sense, in the universe. Such an actualisation (DHARANA) makes the person fir for meditating upon the stand point repeatedly with an aspiration of bringing refinement. Movement and journey of any person through this stage depends entirely upon the degree and expansion of the knowledge duly acquired by the person in life. It can ascertain the attainment of such a state of mind at the stage where senses, memory and intellect culminate perpetually with an apprehension of spiritual ascent.

 

Sensual, intellectual, spiritual and social convergence mounted voluntarily in an individual brings a state where the conscious mind intends to meditate repeatedly. This state of Concentration (DHYANA) enables a person to feel the presence of such a divine power in so many different states of individual and different life forms of all types moving around in nature. Their purpose of survival, their inter dependence and other hidden mysteries start becoming clear during concentrating upon the related process and propositions.  A warrior, for example, can concentrate properly at the specified target. Such a perpetual concentration can bring further refinement in senses, memory and intellect with an objective of making them more actualised, more contented and more balanced.

 

Fixing mind, intellect and senses upon the true attainable goal in life is the final stage (SMADHI) where the person can feel the presence of Divine in the centrally actualised Memory, intellect and senses. It will become a guiding force for the individual and make the person competent for gaining spiritual advancement in life. It will even make the life a meaningful and perpetually contented. It is the desired stage of life where person aspires to ascend through practices, acts and conducts. At all instances it is not necessary that all people should move through all the eight folds of Yoga. The state of mental and spiritual contentment or a state of saturation aspiring for mental stability will exhibit the advent of Samadhi.

 

We cannot claim that individuals imparting oneself in society for delivering services or for playing some other definite role are perfect by all means. They work ceaselessly in due course of time for attaining perfectness in a gradual succession. Some people may consider an individual as perfect as compared to some other. One player may be considered a best one in his or her team. In gradual succession best ones will be identified through tournaments and some other best ones may be compared globally to select the globally best one. But, what about that skillful player who had decided not to take part in any tournament? The kind of art exhibits the limitation of the evaluation process as a whole.

 

The comparative process of examining and assessing perfectness parameter is standing on the basis of certain directives usually made by a group of people. Because of that reason any perfectness parameter cannot claim that individuals moving through the screening of the perfectness examinations are absolutely perfect. We can work put billions of questions from any specific field of study. Moving through such a massive task might make the life of any aspirant a hell. The type of testing in the form of written interaction is usually made limited by incorporating a set of planned interactions and content areas with a pre – planned format of study. 

 

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is often defined by thinkers and philosophers as “Yoga of Actions and Performance.[1]” “Selfless actions perfumed by any individual for the benefit of others”, on the other hand, as per narratives and postulated described in the Bhagavadgita, is considered as Karma Yoga.[2]  Duties performed without maintaining aspiration of implying any claim on the result of fruit of action being performed leads an individual, with utmost contentment, to spiritual liberation.[3] Any work can be done with the spirit of a Karma Yogi as Karma Yoga.[4]  Actions inflicted with, or more prominently to say in the context of the Bhagavadgita, driven by "equanimity, balance", with "dispassion, disinterest", avoiding "one sidedness, fear, craving, favouring self or one group or clan, self-pity, self-aggrandizement or any form of extreme reactiveness are the actions performed by a Karma yogi.  Karma Yogi performs all the actions as the duty duly assigned by the nature to an individual and cannot maintain any claim on the results whatever comes out of the actions duly performed.[5]  Selfless services performed with right feelings and positive attitude to serve the community, and ultimately to the nature, to which the indaba belongs, are considered as Karma Yoga.[6] The action, which are categorised as Karma Yoga in the Holy Scripture the Gita, can be motivated by body or manipulated by external influences.[7] Even, with certain alteration, it can be motivated by one's inner reflection and true self (soul, Atman, Brahman).[8]

A person engaged in delivering services to others and performing duties duly assigned by the nature efficiently and properly moves towards an inward journey, in the other word spiritual enrichment (withdraw of senses from desires and compulsions and aspiring for spiritual contentment), which is inherently fulfilling and satisfying.[9]  Seeker of rewarded for the duties performed may get inflicted with some sort of disappointment, frustrations or self-destructive apprehensions after completion of the work or in the middle.[10]  Working without maintaining attachment to the actions, or without adhering to the fruit of actions one can easily move towards the supreme master and can feel the Divine omnipresence.[11]

Out of three means of liberation, Karma Yoga, as described in Sri Bhagavad Purana, is an easy way out. It can be followed by individuals while remaining at services and performing duties.[12]  The first six chapters of the Bhagavadgita describe the essence of Karma Yoga in our daily life.[13]

Is there any liberty from Karma (performing duties or offering services to the nature or community) to a person who is aspiring to move towards complete renunciation? Absolutely, and speaking frankly without maintaining any alignment, No. one cannot escape different biological activities for remaining alive; the person is offering services to the nature, may be knowingly or unknowingly, while performing breathing, taking food and maintaining belongings. Karma Yoga is the part of life and can be judged as an inseparable part of life of all standards and all levels. Offering services to other and also services to oneself is a part of daily activity which, at any cost and at any instance, cannot be avoided.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga is a spiritual path, more prominently to say, a way of life with focussed on loving devotion towards any personal deity.[14]  It has ancient Upanishadic root, and also is considered as one of the three paths leading a person towards attainment of liberation from the cycle of birth and death.[15] The personal God varies with devotee considerably.[16]  It is devotee’s loving devotion to the personal God with an aspiration of growth in terms of spirituality.[17]

There are four types of devotees who practice Bhakti Yoga[18].

1.       Devotees who are pressed or stressed by anxiety or their daily life circumstances.

2.       Devotee often aspires to learn about god out of curiosity and intellectual intrigue.

3.       Some devotee seeks reward in this Yoga or in afterlife.

4.       Some devotees continue expressing devotion to the master simply for devotion and for nothing else.

The traditional doctrines, as often termed as Shaivism in Indian tradition, teaches ethical living, service to the community and through one's work, loving worship, yoga practice and discipline, continuous learning and self-knowledge as means for liberating the individual soul from bondage.[19] This tradition also focussed considerably on abstract ideas of spirituality.[20]

Instructions on nine different types of devotion[21], as described in Bhagavad Purana and Ramayan, displays the way a devotee can practice Bhakti Yoga: (1) śravaṇa ("listening" to the scriptural stories of Divine powers and their companions), (2) kīrtana ("praising"; generally and broadly refers to ecstatic group singing), (3) smaraṇa ("remembering" or fixing the mind on the Divine master; such master will from the collection of characters upon which the devotee is maintaining absolute faith), (4) pāda-sevana (rendering service to the lord or the creations made by the lord), (5) arcana (worshiping an idol, image or any other symbol which can represent the divine power in terms of physical status), (6) vandana (paying homage to the master ), (7) dāsya (servitude without expecting anything in return), (8) sākhya (friendship with the divine master), and (9) ātma-nivedana (complete surrender of the self with an aspiration of seeking liberation from the world).

                The perfect explanation of characters of a true devotee is properly presented in the context where Sage Veda Vyasa pointed out such features in chapter 12 of the Bhagavadgita. It was delivered by the divine master in the form of a synthesis of all the nine types of devotions as pointed out earlier in old scriptures.

Bhagavadgita (XII – 2 to 20)[22]

Quality of a devotee as preferred by the Divine master is described in this section.

1.       Those who fix their minds on master and always engage in such state of devotion with steadfast faith will be considered as one of the best worshipper.

2.       Those who worship the formless aspect of the Absolute Truth (the imperishable ones, the indefinable source, the all-pervading form, the unthinkable one, the unchanging type of the source of inspiration, the eternal, and the immoveable one) by restraining their senses, holding commands upon all the senses and by remaining even-minded everywhere, such progressive and balanced persons, while remaining engaged in the welfare of all beings, also without any doubt attain the Divine omnipresence.

3.       Worship of the divine master will become easy for individuals having absolute focus on the goal of life.

4.       Person worshipping the master without exacting anything in return will pass through a state of liberation during which the divine master will deliver that devotee from the ocean of birth and death, for their consciousness is united with and is gradually becoming non-separable by any means.

5.       Person gains the omnipresence of the divine master instantly if that devotee prepares to keep faith on the master alone and surrender the very intellect to master. By doing so, devotee start always living in the beloved master.

6.       Person having difficulties in remembering the divine master can have an alternative of fixing the mind steadily on master or alternatively on any other subject related to the divine master. Such devotee can practice remembering the fellow master with devotion while constantly restraining the mind from worldly affairs and also from other attachments.

7.       Devotees having difficulties in remembering the divine master with devotion can simply try to work for the fellow master with utmost sincerity. Thus performing devotional service to the master or to the subjects related to the master with continuation and prolonged regularity shall achieve the stage of perfection without any failure.

8.       Another type of devotee can try to renounce the fruits of actions or duties duly performed in society and can attain utter contentment by focusing on the waves of the inner self.

9.       A devotee knows well about the states of renunciation which is the best alternative of devotion. Knowledge is better than mechanical practice; better than knowledge is meditation. Better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of actions or results of duties delivered in society or to nature, for peace immediately follows attainment of such renunciation without any failure?

10.    Those devotees are very dear to master who are free from malice toward all living beings, which are friendly in nature, and are also compassionate. They are free from attachment to possessions and egotism, equipoised in happiness and distress, and ever-forgiving one. They are ever-contented, steadily aligned to the side of the divine master and remain in absolute state of devotion; remain self-controlled, of firm resolve, and dedicated to the master in terms of mind, spirit and intellect.

 

11.    The person capable enough in maintaining the sensible balance of body, mind and intellect with an aspiration of retaining the balanced state even during adversities; and who are equal in pleasure and pain, free from fear and anxiety; such devotees are the preferred one by the master.

12.    Person keeping balance of mind and action during profit or loss, happiness or sorrow, good or evil deeds; and even retain balance of the mind during adversities are the real devotees.

Devotion impregnated with knowledge is considered as a best way out which leads an individual towards renunciation. Even absolute devotion without much knowledge can bring the same result of renunciation. Remaining loyal to the fellow master and considering all the instructions delivered by the master as final is the ultimate expectation that the Divine expects from an individual. This doctrine was explained in detail time to time in scriptures and epics through different events. Event related to mother SABARI, as was narrated by Sage Valmiki in RAMAYANA, is one of such example. True devotion never puts any argument and even never intends to indulge in any kind of dispute. It always rests upon the verdict of the Divine master and prepares to offer services to the nature at the will of the Divine. Such kind of living and dwelling brings absolute happiness for the devotee and inspires others for doing the same. There is a kind of absolute surrender with which a true devotee prepares oneself to reach the fellow master with an instantaneous pace. It also harnesses oneness of devotee and the Divine. Such a state is, and finally will be, the final destiny of an individual.

 

Jnana Yoga

Jnana Yoga emphasizes “the path of yoga meant primarily for assimilation and becoming enriched with knowledge.”[23] This yoga primarily addresses the questions of an individual to actualise oneself in the realm of creations. Questions like: “Who am I”, “What am I”, and “What is the goal of my life”, etc. are some of such questions with which a person advances in this path.[24] The purpose of true knowledge is to attain liberation for the person aspiring for it.[25]  The entire mechanism related to this path of yoga context is better understood, along with some sort of examples and needful narratives, as "realization or gnosis", referring to a "path of study meant primarily for the attainment of liberation" wherein one knows the unity between self and ultimate reality called Brahman.[26] This path of knowledge is preferred by those who aspires for attaining some sort of advancement while delivering mental and spiritual services to the nature and also, with some broader apprehension, to the community.[27]

Enrichment of an individual in terms of attainment and utilisation of knowledge is an ever continuing act. It will continue throughout the life of an individual. One can even assimilate knowledge with a normal day to day confluence by seeing the services and qualities of other natural objects. Entire nature, more perfectly to say in a broader sense, is filled with knowledge. One may attain such kinds of true knowledge without putting much effort. Realisation of oneness of an individual (ATMAN) with the Divine master (BRAHMAN) is the ultimate goal of JNANA YOGA.[28] The Bhagavadgita efficiently integrates the thought process of Sankhya, Vedanta and Yoga to explain the real goal of Jnana Yoga in the life of an individual. After knowing about the science of such integration of individual and the Divine master one can feel the omnipresence of that supreme power. That supreme power is considered as a whole and the individual being aspires for gaining that totality and reverence through the path of Jnana Yoga.

Levels of emphasis may differ, but a worshipper of knowledge can have, and in actual sense must have, the combination of Karma Yoga and Devotion, to encompass the path leading towards liberation. One cannot claim at any instance that the person is exclusively or solely relying on Yoga of Knowledge (JNANA YOGA). It is even absurd to think and absolutely difficult to implement as the law of creation and biological processes cannot allow us to continue in the realm of creation without delivering some of the obligations. The related doctrine of Yoga of Knowledge is properly systematised earlier than Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga.[29] This yoga also offers an enlightenment to the soul with which the person start recognising the very self as an inseparable part of the nature, and finally as an inseparable part of the entire realm of the universal creation. The same individual is also a subject of the ever going cycle of the creation and destruction, which will at any circumstances remain unavoidable.

The Bhagavadgita also emphasises that Divine master is the jīva Shakti (the soul energy), which comprises the embodied souls of an individual and, with proper incorporation of sensible sparks of the energy, which forms the basis of life in this world.[30]

Divine master is the source of creation and ultimately all the creations diffuse in the supreme source. In that sense we can say that the Divine master is the source of the entire creation, and it diffuses once again at the ultimate moment to the source from which it diverged out[31].

Persons who cannot advance, or may experience some sort of obstacle in the path of knowledge, are pointed out in the Holy Scripture: those ignorant of true knowledge, those who lazily follow their animal or demonic nature though capable of knowing the Divine, those inflected primarily with deluded intellect, and those with a demon like attitude and apprehensions.[32] Chapter 7 of the Bhagavadgita entirely narrates the true quality of a person who aspires for gaining knowledge for establishing oneself in the path of Jnana Yoga with proper affinity towards feeling the omnipresence of the Divine master, that person may then worship any of the idol or any of the cosmic form to feel the presence of such Divine spark within the self. That state of knowledge is the ultimate destiny towards which all the individuals are actually progressively and continuously advancing. Some of them are relying primarily on knowledge, some others take the support of knowledge for performing with enhanced efficiency and some other, along with a bit deviation, refers surrendering oneself at the feet of the Divine master.

Advancement of all of such kinds are finally free to locate themselves in the broader realm of creations along with the waves of further manifestation of their individual soul some sort of higher purposes of life. Life of such kind impregnated primarily with divinity is the ultimate goal of life.

Purushottam Yoga

The Purushottam Yoga, as vividly narrated by Saga Vyasa in Chapter 15 of the Bhagavadgita, signifies the quality and aspirations depending upon which an individual can feel the ascent of the soul towards harnessing the desired omnipresence of the Divine. It also enshrines the quality with which such person can move on through the path of spirituality for feeling oneself being enlightened.

A true worshipper of knowledge having devotion to the Divine master can move successfully without much obstacle towards the supreme lord and it leads the individual ultimately to renunciation. That Divine world, having enough potential of offering liberation to a soul, is not illuminated or exhibited by solar, lunar or any other illuminations of any luminous or non-luminous objects of any form.[33] 

 



[1] P. T. Raju (1954), The Concept of the Spiritual in Indian Thought, Philosophy East and West, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Oct., 1954), pp. 210.

[2] James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 352. ISBN 978-0-8239-3179-8.

[3] Mulla, Zubin R.; Krishnan, Venkat R. (2013). "Karma-Yoga: The Indian Model of Moral Development". Journal of Business Ethics. Springer Nature. 123 (2): 342–345, context: 339–351. doi:10.1007/s10551-013-1842-8. S2CID 29065490.

[4] William L. Blizek (2009). The Continuum Companion to Religion and Film. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 161–162. ISBN 978-0-8264-9991-2.

[5] Harold G. Coward (2012). Perfectibility of Human Nature in Eastern and Western Thought, The. State University of New York Press. pp. 132–133. ISBN 978-0-7914-7885-1.

[6] Stephen Phillips (2009). Yoga, Karma, and Rebirth: A Brief History and Philosophy. Columbia University Press. pp. 99–100. ISBN 978-0-231-14485-8.

[7] The Bhagavadgita III.6 and III.8;

[8] Eliot Deutsch; Rohit Dalvi (2004). The Essential Vedanta: A New Source Book of Advaita Vedanta. World Wisdom. pp. 64–68. ISBN 978-0-941532-52-5.

[9] Dharm Bhawuk (2011). Spirituality and Indian Psychology: Lessons from the Bhagavad-Gita. Springer Science. pp. 147–148 with footnotes. ISBN 978-1-4419-8110-3.

[10] Jonardon Ganeri (2007). The Concealed Art of the Soul: Theories of Self and Practices of Truth in Indian Ethics and Epistemology. Oxford University Press. pp. 67–69. ISBN 978-0-19-920241-6.

[11] "Bhagavad Gita 3.19". vedabase.io. Retrieved 3 November 2020.

[12] T.R. Sharma (2013). Karel Werner (ed.). Love Divine: Studies in 'Bhakti and Devotional Mysticism. Taylor & Francis. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-136-77468-3.

[13] Brian Hodgkinson (2006). The Essence of Vedanta. London: Arcturus. pp. 91–93. ISBN 978-1-84858-409-9.

[14] Cutler, Norman (1987). Songs of Experience. Indiana University Press. pp. 1–2. ISBN 978-0-253-35334-4.

[15] Max Muller, Shvetashvatara Upanishad, The Upanishads, Part II, Oxford University Press, page 267

[16] Karen Pechelis (2011), Bhakti Traditions, in The Continuum Companion to Hindu Studies (Editors: Jessica Frazier, Gavin Flood), Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-0826499660, pages 107-121

[17] Gordon S. Wakefield (1983). The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality. WJK Press. pp. 46–47. ISBN 978-0-664-22170-6.

[18] Gordon S. Wakefield (1983). The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality. WJK Press. pp. 46–47. ISBN 978-0-664-22170-6.

[19] S Parmeshwaranand (2004). Encyclopaedia of the Śhaivism. Sarup & Sons. pp. 210–217. ISBN 978-81-7625-427-4.

[20] Sanderson, Alexis (1988). "Saivism and the Tantric Traditions". In S Sutherland; et al. (eds.). The World's Religions. Routledge.

[21] Hagerman, David L. (2001). Acting as a Way of Salvation. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 133–134. ISBN 978-81-208-1794-4.

[22] Shri Madbhagvadgita Chater 12.

[23] Flood, Gavin (1996), An Introduction to Hinduism, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-43878-0

[24] [a] Ravi Dykema---- (2011). Yoga for Fitness and Wellness. Cengage. pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-0-8400-4811-0.;

[b] Orlando O. Espín; James B. Nickoloff (2007). An Introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies. Liturgical Press. p. 676. ISBN 978-0-8146-5856-7.;

[c] John M. Rector (2014). The Objectification Spectrum. Oxford University Press. pp. 198–201. ISBN 978-0-19-935542-6.

[25] Matilal, Bimal Krishna (2005), "Jnana", in Jones, Lindsay (ed.), MacMillan Encyclopedia of Religions, MacMillan

[26] Jones, Constance; Ryan, James D., eds. (2006), Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Infobase Publishing

[27] M. V. Nadkarni (2016). The Bhagavad-Gita for the Modern Reader: History, interpretations and philosophy. Taylor & Francis. pp. 45–46. ISBN 978-1-315-43898-6.

[28] J.J. Chambliss (2013). Philosophy of Education: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 271. ISBN 978-1-136-51168-4.

 

[29] Robert W. Roeser (2005), An introduction to Hindu Indiaís contemplative psychological perspectives on motivation, self, and development, in M.L. Maehr & S. Karabenick (Eds.), Advances in Motivation and Achievement, Volume 14: Religion and Motivation, Amsterdam: Elsevier, ISBN 978-07623-12-597, pp 305-308

 

[30] The Bhagavadgita (VII -5)

[31] The Bhagavadgita (VII – 6)

[32] The Bhagavadgita (VII – 15)

[33] Bhagavadgita (XV – 6)

Ishavasyopanishad

Read now