Preface
Patañjala Daršanam considers a wide range of subject matter since it deals with Citta. Citta indeed is a timeless entity. It has absolutely no beginning, in fact, it does not end since upon emancipation it merges with the cosmic entity. Although the planet earth is believed to be the only planet which houses human beings which came into being some 4500 million years ago, the soul and Citta are eternal and have no beginning. According to the Upanisadika Sänkhya, Prakrti and Puruşa are both 'Aja' and 'Nittya' meaning birthless and eternal. Modern man, unless initiated into Adhyatma and spiritualism will find it difficult to assimilate Atma Nittyatva (eternity of Atma) and Prakrti Nittyatva (eternity of creative cause), Sun, stars and planets will come and go but not the Prakrti and Puruşa creative cause. This is the postulation of metaphysics. The point is that 'Citta' the core matter of Patañjali's treatise is eternal, timeless, beginningless, endless and eternal. Patañjali's philosophy does not orbit and circumscribe 'mind' and 'Citta'. Citta has experienced and witnessed several creations and dissolutions. It might be quite intriguing and confounding to hear that our Citta has seen several launches, creations or 'big bangs' as well as countless deluges. Thus, the information baggage, experience baggage and knowledge baggage of Citta (Sameşti Citta) is enormous while the baggage of Citta (Vyasti Citta) is relatively parochial. In a way the Citta has encyclopedic potential properties and characteristics. Therefore, schatology, psychology, cosmology, astronomy, epistemology, etc., are it has a huge body of information. Anatomy, astrology, zoology. all considered in Patanjali's treatise. It is astonishing to witness what Patanjali encapsulates in merely 195 aphorisms. That this marvel has gone unnoticed is a travesty. The systems of Indian philosophy are called Darsana. They are not mere speculations or intellectual deductions. For some, 'Darsana than know. The Hindu Darsanas had, by convention, adhered to a implies to discern, to reveal, to intuitively and mystically realise rather cosmology, metaphysics, ontology, teleology, theology and ethico-structure raised on the following columns: epistemology, psychology, religious practices. All these numerous Sästras are enshrined in Pätañjala Daršana (comprising of original Sūtras, classical commentaries, scholium), The lead role is played by Patañjali's Sūtras, Vyāsa Bhāşya (scholium) and classical commentaries of Vacaspati Miśra, Vijñāna Bhikşü, Rājā Bhojraja, Nāgoji Bhatta, Nārāyaņa Yatī, Hariharānanda Aranya, Ādi Sankara, Sadāśivendra Sarasvati, Balarama Dasa etc. The Därśanika convention provides a broad framework for Patañjali to delineate an encyclopedic proportion. Moreover, his skill as the rarest grammarian comes very handy and he could be extremely succinct. In barely 195 aphorisms he could compress enormous matter. He could encapsulate all those various subjects in his aphorisms. Then of course, he had Vyasa as his official spokesperson who penned down the scholium called Yog Bhāşya and decodified the aphorisms as Patañjali's Bhāşyakāra. The later classical commentaries invaluably contributed to transmit the wisdom of the Yog Sūtras. Notable among Vyāsa's interpreters are Vâcaspati Miśra by his Tattva-Vaiśāradī and Vijñāna Bhikşü's Yogvārtika respectively in the 9th and 15th centuries AD. Those who have classically and pedantically pursued Yog rightly posit that Karma-Siddhanta is the central theme of Patañjala Darśana while today.
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