When two numbers are added in the subject of mathematics, then the process of adding that is known as ‘yoga’, but from the point of view of spirituality, the meaning of the word ‘yoga’ has been told to connect the soul with the divine. Maharishi Patanjali, the author of the Yogasutra text, divided this process of connecting the soul with the soul into eight parts and it is called Ashtanga Yoga in common language.
The soul is not focused on any goal, there is a scattering in it, that is why it is not able to be able to realize God, while God Himself is also present in the soul. After the end of the dispersion, the soul itself merges with the Supreme Soul.
The one-point goal of all the eight limbs of yoga is to remove the distractions of the soul. There is no other way than Ashtanga Yoga to establish a connection with God. The first two parts of Ashtanga Yoga ‘Yama and Niyama’ bring doctrinal harmony in our worldly behavior, while the remaining six limbs remove other distractions of the soul.
The eight limbs of yoga as told by Maharishi Patanjali are of great importance. Each part removes the soul from certain distractions. But this happens only when every part has been proven in advance.
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As the name suggests, eight limbs are involved in Ashtanga Yoga.
- The first part of Astanga Yoga “Yama”
Yama has five divisions.
- Non-violence: To cause pain, suffering, or sorrow to anyone comes under the category of violence. We should think that what is the reason for these countless creatures divided into so many species who suffer every day? Then we will know what is this violence? And what is this nonviolence? It is non-violence due to which we are enjoying happiness by taking birth in the best life of human beings. It is this violence due to which innumerable living beings living in many inferior species are suffering.
- Truth: The lie that we tell can give benefit to a person in an instant moment, in an hour, in a day, in a year, or at the most in one birth, but its end result will be bad for that person. Is.
- Asteya: Asteya means “not to steal”, the desire of another person to get something is called theft done by the mind.
- Brahmacharya: The protection or control of all the powers of your body by one’s own restraint is called brahmacharya.
- Aparigraha: Having self-control to keep unnecessary things and unnecessary thoughts away from your mind, speech and body are called Aparigraha.
2. The second part “rules”
There are also five sections of the rule.
- Shaucha: The purification of your mind along with your body is called poaching. You keep your body clean by eating, dressing, and bathing. The mind is purified by knowledge, Satsang, vidya, restraint, and dharma.
- Santosh: The most important thing for contentment is that a person should believe in the justice done by God and he should be sure that he is getting less or more of his actions.
- Tapas: Those who do not do penance do not attain the perfection of yoga and cannot see God.
- Swadhyaya: The study of both materiality and spirituality is known as Swadhyaya. No one can achieve his goal by only materialism or only spirituality. It is very important to have the co-ordination of both.
- Ishvara-Pranidhan: Ishvara-Pranidhan literally means to surrender. If we surrender to God or are always ready to obey his orders, then our progress on the path of salvation will be very fast.
3. Third limb “Asana”
Today, we have come to consider asana the only alternative to yoga and the main purpose of asana is to free the body from all kinds of diseases. The body gets secondary benefits from the continuous practice of asanas. But the main purpose of asana is pranayama, Dharana, meditation, and finally samadhi.
4. Fourth limb “Pranayama”
The main purpose of pranayama is to stop your mind and engage it in the soul and the Supreme Soul and realize them. Keeping this in mind, pranayama should be done. Maharishi Dayanand Ji has written that just as a religious judge ensures the safety of his subjects, in the same way, well-performed prana protects the yogi from all miseries by doing pranayama.
5. Fifth limb “Pratyahara”
Removing perfume from worldly objects and binding your ten senses like eyes, ears, nose, etc. together with the mind is called pratyahara. Without pratyahara, we can never fix our mind completely on the Supreme Father, the Supreme Soul.
- The sixth part “perception”
To bind, concentrate or stop one’s own mind at any one place of the inner part of one’s own body with its own will is called Dharana.
Due to the following reasons, we are not able to keep our mind focused on one place-
- Mind is your root, forget it
- Lack of sattvic foods in your diet
- To be attached to worldly attachments
- Forgetting the truth of the presence of God in every particle
- Inability to resolve
- Instead of keeping the mind calm, keep it restless.
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- Seventh Organ “Meditation”
Meditation does not mean not allowing any kind of thought to enter the mind or the mind or become thoughtless. Meditation means to meditate continuously on a single subject. We can also call meditation worship. Although the best time to meditate is in the morning, meditation can be done at any time of the day and any number of times.
- Eighth limb “Samadhi”
After being absorbed in the state of meditation, when you have seen the object focused in meditation, then that state of direct vision is known as Samadhi. For example, just as the coal lying in the fire itself takes the form of fire and all the qualities of fire are present in it, in the same way, all the qualities of God start reflecting in the soul in samadhi.
