Atma Samyama Yoga

Hindi

ध्यान-योग (अष्टांग-योग, हठ-योग, राज-योग, क्रिया-योग) एक ऐसी अध्यात्म-विद्या है, जो विज्ञान और गणित जैसा फल देती है—अर्थात जहाँ 2+2 हमेशा चार होते हैं, यानी जितनी साधना उतना फल सुनिश्चित है। ऐसा महान ध्यान-योगी श्यामाचरण लाहिड़ी महाशय कहा करते थे (स्रोत—'पुराण पुरुष' नामक उनकी जीवनी)। अर्थात, जितनी साधना, उतना फल सुनिश्चित रहता है। ध्यान-योगी योगानंद ने योगी कथामृत (Autobiography of a Yogi) में लिखा है कि ईश्वर कोई तानाशाह नहीं हैं, जो अपनी मर्जी से फल दें। भक्ति-योगी, इसके विपरीत, यह मानते हैं कि भक्ति-योग में फल-प्राप्ति का ऐसा कोई अधिकार भक्त के पास नहीं होता। इसमें 2+2=4 भी हो सकता है और 2+2=22 भी! भक्त कोई फल या कोई सिद्धि चाहता भी नहीं, और सिर्फ प्रभु की यादृच्छिक (मनमानी) कृपा पर आश्रित रहता है। कई ध्यान-योगी एक तरह से ईश्वर की कृपा से निरपेक्ष होकर श्रद्धापूर्वक ध्यान-साधना करते हैं {और सफल भी होते हैं}। इस श्लोक में भगवान का संकेत है कि यद्यपि वे गणित के हिसाब से ही ध्यान-साधना में क्रमशः निश्चित फल (पातंजल योगसूत्रों में उल्लिखित अणिमा, गरिमा, महिमा, लघिमा आदि सिद्धियाँ और अंततः आत्म-साक्षात्कार की संसिद्धि) देते चले जाएँगे, फिर भी जो योगी श्रद्धापूर्वक प्रभु को अंतःकरण से भजते भी रहते हैं, वे परमश्रेष्ठ योगी मान्य होंगे।

English

The verse suggests a distinction between Yogis who possess shraddhā and those who may lack sufficient shraddhā. "Shraddhā" is a term that encompasses faith, love, and reverence and doesn’t have an exact equivalent in English. This combination of qualities is often found most prominently among Bhakti Yogis, those who follow the Path of Loving Devotion to God. Meditative Yoga, known by various names such as Dhyāna Yoga, Ashtānga Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Rāja Yoga, Kriyā Yoga, etc., is regarded as a spiritual science that yields results akin to mathematical precision. According to Saint Shyama Charan Lahiri, a highly respected Meditative Yogi of modern times (as sourced from his biography, “Purāna Purusha”), Meditative Yoga operates on the principle that the results are consistently commensurate with the efforts invested. He asserted that specific practices, when performed a certain number of times, would unfailingly yield specific results. In other words, outcomes in Meditative Yoga are guaranteed mathematically. On the contrary, spiritual seekers following the Path of Loving Devotion (Bhakti) believe that devotees do not inherently have a right to assured rewards from God. In Bhakti Yoga, 2+2 may not necessarily be 4, as Lahidi Mahashay, a practitioner of Meditative Yoga, felt. 2+2 can sometimes produce 4 and sometimes even 22. It all depends on the intensity of shraddhā of the devotee and Kripā (Grace) of the Lord. The intensity of shraddhā may not be equally fervent in a Meditative Yogi or a Jnāna Yogi compared to a Bhakti Yogi. It's plausible that God is hinting that through a heightened level of shraddhā, meditative Yogis could potentially expedite their spiritual journey. No wonder the renowned Meditative Yogi Sri Yogānanda cautions in his "Autobiography of a Yogi" that God may not provide a glimpse of a fraction of His Being in spite of decades of meditative practice if the Yoga practitioner does not develop a craving for it. It is only intense love for God that can engender such a profound longing.