Introduction and links to related topics
Raja Yoga - The process in which one purifies and controls the mind, and prepares for meditation.
Raja Yoga - (Sanskrit) "King of yogas."
Also known as ashtanga yoga, "eight-limbed yoga." The classical yoga system of eight progressive stages to Illumination as described in various yoga Upanishads, the Tirumantiram and, most notably, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
The eight limbs are as follows.
yama: "Restraint." Virtuous and moral living, which brings purity of mind, freedom from anger, jealousy and subconscious confusion which would inhibit the process of meditation.
niyama: (Sanskrit) "Observance." Religious practices which cultivate the qualities of the higher nature, such as devotion, cognition, humility and contentment- giving the refinement of nature and control of mind needed to concentrate and ultimately plunge into samadhi.
asana: "Seat or posture." A sound body is needed for success in meditation. This is attained through hatha yoga, the postures of which balance the energies of mind and body, promoting health and serenity, e.g., padmasana, the "lotus pose," for meditation. The Yoga Sutras indicate that asanas make the yogi impervious to the impact of the pairs of opposites (dvandva), heat-cold, etc.
pranayama: "Mastering life force." Breath control, which quiets the chitta and balances ida and pingala. Science of controlling prana through breathing techniques in which lengths of inhalation, retention and exhalation are modulated. Pranayama prepares the mind for deep meditation.
pratyahara: "Withdrawal." The practice of withdrawing consciousness from the physical senses first, such as not hearing noise while meditating, then progressively receding from emotions, intellect and eventually from individual consciousness itself in order to merge into the Universal.
dharana: "Concentration." Focusing the mind on a single object or line of thought, not allowing it to wander. The guiding of the flow of consciousness. When concentration is sustained long and deeply enough, meditation naturally follows.
dhyana: "Meditation." A quiet, alert, powerfully concentrated state wherein new knowledge and insight pour into the field of consciousness. This state is possible once the subconscious mind has been cleared or quieted.
samadhi: "Enstasy," which means "standing within one''s self." "Sameness, contemplation." The state of true yoga, in which the meditator and the object of meditation are one.
See: yoga, asana, samadhi, raja yoga.
Raja Yogin - Raja Yogin, Raja Yogi (Sanskrit) A devotee who practices raja yoga.
Parashakti - (Sanskrit) "Supreme power; primal energy."
God Siva''s second perfection, which is impersonal, immanent, and with form - the all-pervasive, Pure Consciousness and Primal Substance of all that exists. There are many other descriptive names for Parashakti - Satchidananda ("existence-consciousness-bliss"), light, silence, divine mind, superconsciousness and more. Parashakti can be experienced by the diligent yogi or meditator as a merging in, or identification with, the underlying oneness flowing through all form. The experience is called savikalpa samadhi.
See: raja yoga, Shakti, Satchidananda, tattva.
Nirvikalpa Samadhi - (Sanskrit) "Enstasy (samadhi) without form or seed."
The realization of the Self, Parasiva, a state of oneness beyond all change or diversity; beyond time, form and space. Vi means "to change, make different." Kalpa means "order, arrangement; a period of time." Thus vikalpa means "diversity, thought; difference of perception, distinction." Nir means "without."
See: enstasy, kalpa, raja yoga, samadhi.
Vritti - (Sanskrit) "Whirlpool."
In yoga psychology, names the fluctuations of consciousness, the waves of mental activities (chitta vritti) of thought and perception. A statement from Patanjali''s Yoga Sutras (1.2) reads, "Yoga is the restraint (nirodha) of mental activity (chitta vritti)." In general use, vritti means: 1) course of action, mode of life; conduct, behavior; way in which something is done; 2) mode of being, nature, kind, character.
See: mind (individual), raja yoga.
Raja Yoga - yoga in which union is achieved through concentration of mind
Tirumantiram - (Tamil) "Holy incantation."
The Nandinatha Sampradaya''s oldest Tamil scripture; written ca 200 bce by Rishi Tirumular. It is the earliest of the Tirumurai, and a vast storehouse of esoteric yogic and tantric knowledge. It contains the mystical essence of raja yoga and siddha yoga, and the fundamental doctrines of the 28 Saiva Siddhanta Agamas, which in turn are the heritage of the ancient pre-historic traditions of Saivism.
As the Agamas themselves are now partially lost, the Tirumantiram is a rare source of the complete Agamanta (collection of Agamic lore). Its 3047 verses were, as legend has it, composed in a rather extraordinary way. Before writing each verse, Tirumular would meditate for an entire year, then summarize his meditation in a fourline Tamil verse. He did this for 3,000 years! The allegory is said to mean that 3,000 years of knowledge is compacted in this one book. The text is organized in nine parts, called tantras, summarized as follows:
basic rules of religious morality;
allegorical explanations of Saiva mythological stories; five powers of Siva, three classifications of souls;
a complete treatise on raja yoga;
mantras and tantras;
the essential features of the Saiva religion; the four forms of Saivism, four stages, unorthodox paths, conduct to be avoided;
the Sivaguru, grace, renunciation, sin, penance, jnana, worthy and unworthy persons;
siddha yoga, more on grace, mudras, control of ida and pingala, worlds reached by different classes of yogis after death, refinements of yoga, the satguru;
essential theology: five sheaths, eleven states, three padarthas (Pati-pashu-pasha), 36 tattvas, four states of consciousness, three malas, three gunas, ten karanas, etc.;
the fruits of realization, liberation, jnana, Siva''s dances, meeting of the guru.
See: Tirumurai, Tirumular.
Patanjali - (Sanskrit) "Possessed of reverence."
A Saivite Natha siddha (ca 200 bce) who codified the ancient yoga philosophy which outlines the path to enlightenment through purification, control and transcendence of the mind. One of the six classical philosophical systems (darshanas) of Hinduism, known as Yoga Darshana. His great work, the Yoga Sutras, comprises 200 aphorisms delineating ashtanga (eight-limbed), raja (kingly) or siddha (perfection) yoga. Still today it is the foremost text on meditative yoga.
See: Kailasa Parampara, raja yoga, shad darshana, yoga, Patanjali yoga sutras, patanjali.
Natha - (Sanskrit) "Master, lord; adept."
Names an ancient Himalayan tradition of Saiva-yoga mysticism, whose first historically known exponent was Nandikeshvara (ca 250 bce). Natha - Self-Realized adept - designates the extraordinary ascetic masters (or devotees) of this school. Through their practice of siddha yoga they have attained tremendous powers, siddhis, and are sometimes referred to as siddha yogis (accomplished or fully enlightened ones). The words of such beings naturally penetrate deeply into the psyche of their devotees, causing mystical awakenings. Like all tantrics, Nathas have refused to recognize caste distinctions in spiritual pursuits. Their satgurus initiate from the lowest to the highest, according to spiritual worthiness. Natha also refers to any follower of the Natha tradition. The Nathas are considered the source of hatha as well as raja yoga.
See: Kailasa Parampara, Natha Sampradaya, siddha yoga.
Agni Yoga - A sanskrit word meaning fire. A synthesis of all yogas, especially Karma, Bahkti and Raja yoga.
Marga - Marga (Sanskrit) Path; in Buddhism the noble eightfold path that leads to nirvana.
There are four commonly recognized margas, forms of yoga or spiritual and intellectual training:
karma yoga (path of action);
bhakti yoga (path of faith or love);
raja yoga (path of kingly yoga); and
jnana yoga (wisdom path).
These four pathways correspond with the four Hindu castes: Sudra (the agricultural); Vaisya (commercial); Kshattriya (administrative, military, ruler); and Brahmana (philosopher, sage).
Jnana Yoga - (Sanskrit) "Union of knowledge."
Describes the esoteric spiritual practices of the fully enlightened being, or jnani. An alternative meaning, popularized by Swami Vivekananda, is the quest for cognition through intellectual religious study, as one of four alternate paths to truth, the other three being bhakti yoga, karma yoga and raja yoga.
See: jnana, yoga.
Yoga - Hindu meditative practices; the formal school of Yoga developed in the middle ages contains seven sub-schools; Jnana Yoga (knowldge), Karma Yoga (action), Bhakti Yoga (devotion), Mantra Yoga (sounds), Laya Yoga (dissolution), Hatha Yoga (postures, breathing), and Raja Yoga (meditation).
Charachari Mudra Caracari Mudra - Charachari Mudra caracari mudra (Sanskrit) One of the five mudras practiced in preparation for raja yoga (BCW 2:119).
Pratyahara - (Sanskrit) "Withdrawal." The drawing in of forces. In yoga, the withdrawal from external consciousness. (Also a synonym for pralaya.)
See: raja yoga, mahapralaya, meditation.
Riddhi-pada - Riddhi-pada rddhi-pada (Sanskrit) [from riddhi supernormal power + pada step, way, ray, beam of light]
The way or steps to the attainment of supernormal powers; four steps being enumerated in raja yoga. These "are the four modes of controlling and finally of annihilating desire, memory, and finally meditation itself -- so far as these are connected with any effort of the physical brain -- meditation then becomes absolutely spiritual" (TG 324).
Pratyahara - Abstraction of senses; fifth step in Raja Yoga.
Asana - (Sanskrit) "Seat; posture." In hatha yoga, asana refers to any of numerous poses prescribed to balance and tune up the subtle energies of mind and body for meditation and to promote health and longevity. Examples are the shoulder-stand (sarvangasana,"whole body pose") and the lotus pose (padmasana). Each asana possesses unique benefits, affecting the varied inner bodies and releasing energies in different parts of the nervous system.
While the physical science of hatha yoga can dramatically influence health and general well-being, it is primarily a preparation for the deeper yogas and meditations. Sivaya Subramuniyaswami has provided a system of 27 asanas to tune the nervous system for meditation and contemplation and to mitigate the burdensome karmas, known by the modern term "stress," built up through the interaction with other people. His 27 asanas are performed in a meditative sequence, not unlike a serene dance, accompanied by certain visualizations and pranayamas.
See: hatha yoga, raja yoga, yoga, yoga positions
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