Speech of HH Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji – Discourse Day 1 on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – August 20, 2022 – Mysore
Compiled by Jaya Akkanagrapada
Sri Ganeshaya Namaha
Sri Sarasvatyai Namaha
Sri Pada Vallabha Narasimha Sarasvati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namo Namaha
Ābāhu purushākāram shankha chakrāsi dhārinam
Sahasra shirasam shvetam patanjalim upāsmahe
Yogena chittasya padena vāchām malam sharīrasya ca kena Vaidya
Yo pākarotam pravaram munīnā patanjalim prānjalirā na tosmi
Kriya Yoga teachers, practitioners and students are participating in this program. Many of you have gathered together for the conference during this Chaturmasya. Dr. Gopalakrishna and the DKY teachers in the ashrama were all very enthusiastic about hosting a 7 day conference. Kameshwara Rao garu came forward and offered to ensure food specific for yoga practitioners is provided. This is wonderful because in Yoga, food is the most important component. If the food we eat is good, our habits and behaviour will be good. This in turn will result in good thoughts and outlook. Therefore food is of the utmost importance and we must not neglect it. At the same time, we must not think too much about food. We must consume only as much as we need and take Satvic food which increases sattva guna in us. All other sorts of food should be set aside. Only then can we progress on the path of Yoga and attain perfection. Obstacles on the path of yoga can be overcome by doing so. Very often, because of the food we take, we invite many health problems. When we discussed how the food must be right, Kameshwara Rao garu came forward to make arrangements. All of you partake only of this food for this entire week.
Another important suggestion and note for all of you is to follow a 40 day ‘Āhāra Shibira’ where all Kriya Yoga teachers and practitioners get together and mindfully focus on what kind of food we are partaking of. This does not include just organic foods but also cow-based farming – using all ingredients which come from a cow as well as food grains, fruits and vegetables which grow naturally. We recently had a farmers’ conference, so there are many food suppliers who can provide us naturally cultivated produce. 500 farmers came for the program. We also invited some very good farmers from Telangana and Andhra regions. Vijay Ram, Sambamurty, Bapaiah and Lakshmi Narasimha along with several other farmers offered to supply natural produce for the 40 day conference. Will all of you participate in this program? You can also attend from your homes, but you must not take any other foods. You must only consume organic and natural foods. Even water must be boiled well and stored overnight in a copper vessel and consumed through the day. All the fruit and vegetables we consume should be naturally grown. When we partake of such food and water for 40 days, there will be a marked difference in us. Initially, these ingredients may seem costly, but as we keep using them, the demand will increase and the price will come down. I have this vision of conducting such a conference. All of you must participate in it.
This morning, Panchagavya has been arranged. The five ingredients – milk, curd, ghee, gomutra and gomayam are obtained from the same cow. All of you partake of a little bit of this panchagavya every day. Within 3 days, you will see a marked change. The change will be even more pronounced over 7 – 20 days. Many times, people have unnecessary thoughts which arise even when we try to avoid them. Consuming panchagavya will automatically cause all unnecessary thoughts to cease. Such is its power! These changes and powers cannot be researched because they bring about subtle changes in the mind. Yoga too, has an effect on the mind, but cannot be researched. As research is usually limited to the body and the senses. Although some research is being taken up to understand the mind and intellect, it will remain in very nascent stages. If there are goshalas near where you live, try to take panchagavya at home. It is extremely beneficial to have this first thing in the morning. We have some rare cows here which cannot be seen anywhere else.
You have all been listening to Yoga Vaasishtam. We have heard the stories of Uddālaka, Veetahavya and Gaadhi – where the entire Yoga sutras are expounded in great detail. We have discussed in detail about 1. the Kriya Sadhana which one must undertake with respect to Kriya Yoga as well as 2. the thoughts-related sadhana pertaining to the mind and intellect. Both these sadhanas are essential. The kriya sadhana we do with asanas, mudras, pranayama as well as spiritual thoughts are both essential. This is why Yoga is known as Jnana and vice-versa. There is no difference between the two. Yoga based on kriyas also helps us obtain Jnana. Since Yoga is about uniting or merging, the mind must ultimately be merged in Yoga. What is done for the union to happen is Kriya and the state which arises after the union is Jnana. One is the journey and the other is the destination. The journey is also the destination in a way, because without the journey there is no destination. As you progress on your journey, you move toward your destination. The journey cannot be undertaken without the destination in mind. You must keep checking if you are proceeding toward the destination or veering off onto other paths. These DKY conferences helps us examine and introspect for ourselves whether we are on the right path. To help us on this path, Paramatma took the avatara of Adi Sesha and Patanjali Maharshi.
Sage Patanjali gave us the Yoga sutras. Of the four pādās or sections, the second is known as Sādhana Pāda which details various practices to follow. All of these are instruments which help us. When we know and follow them, we will be able to easily attain our sādhya – what we must accomplish. Sādhana Pāda shows us the path to take to reach our destination. This is why Swamiji has named this path which He has given us as Kriya Yoga. Remain ever as a sādhaka (practitioner), who keeps doing Karma Yoga while applying Jnana. Getting frustrated and wondering why you have to do something is not karma. Karma is any action taken up by applying Jnana. That is why it is known as Karma Yoga.
Kriya Yoga has been propagated through the ages, which is why Pujya Swamiji has named it as Datta Kriya Yoga. Datta means a gift that has been bestowed on us by Swamiji. He has gifted Himself to us in the form of this Kriya Yoga.
The definition of Kriya Yoga is given in the first sūtra of the Sādhana Pāda.
tapaḥ svādhyāy-īśvarapraṇidhānāni kriyā-yogaḥ
One needs all three – tapas, svādhyāya and Ishvara Pranidhāna in Kriya Yoga. Usually, we hear that Yoga is not related to any dharma or religion, but some karma is always involved. This first sūtra in the Sādhana Pāda is given in order to tell us how karma should be undertaken. Together these 3 components are known as Kriya Yoga.
Tapas is that which burns. One usually takes up tapas to scorch all sins. As long as sins exist, one cannot achieve perfection in Yoga. One must first be freed of sins, otherwise no matter how much pranayama we do, we shall not attain perfection. Sinful thoughts, words and deeds must be scorched. To cleanse oneself of these sins, one must do Yoga sadhana. It is wrong to think that just doing Pranayama and holding the breath (Kumbhaka) is Yoga.. We must make our entire life Yoga – jeevana yoga. All these should become components in Yoga. Sri Krishna Paramatma named each chapter (of the Bhagavad Gita) as a Yoga. Bhakti, Karma, Jnana, Atma Sainyama (meditation) are all Yogas. When we look at each of them individually, we understand that each of them is Yoga. Gunatraya Vibhaga (the 3 Gunas or qualities), Shraddhatraya Vibhaga (The threefold path), Vibhuti (Divine Glories), Vishvaroopa Sandarshana (Vision of the Cosmic form), Purushottama Prapti (Supreme Spirit) and even Arjuna Vishadam (Arjuna’s grief) is also a Yoga. We should know when to cry and whom to cry to. That is Yoga. On many occasions, people hold back tears and that grief becomes a big blockage within which can prove dangerous. When someone close to us, or someone who has done a lot of good for society departs, we must immediately offer Ashru tarpana (offering of tears). Otherwise the grief will become a big clot within and result in more clotting. Hence you must cry and get it off your chest.
Therefore, Arjuna also cried on the first day itself. If Arjuna would have held back his tears, and cried on the second day of the battle, and given up fighting on the second or third day when Bheeshma became more invincible and aggressive, what would have been the fate of Arjuna’s army? They would all have lost courage and become enfeebled, and everything would have gone wrong. That is why Arjuna cried at the right time – knowing when to cry and whom to confide his sorrows in. His sorrow thus became Yoga. You also must do the same and cry within your mind. This is Yoga. As you cry, you must recall all the mistakes and sins you have committed, without making excuses or covering up your mistakes. It must be a very open process, like an open heart surgery in front of the Lord. Even though He knows everything, you must still confess and bring up every detail. When you bare your heart like this, you shall see the Lord within.
Pāpōhaṁ pāpakarmāhaṁ pāpātma pāpasambhavaha
Trāhimā kr̥payādēva śaraṇāgata vatsala |
an’yadhā śaraṇaṁ nāsti tvamēcā śaraṇamama
Tasmāt kāruṇya bhāvēna rakṣa rakṣā janārdana ||
See your favourite deity in the form of Guru and tell him that you are a sinner who has committed sins, that you are born from sin, you are living in sin, growing in sin and shall perish in sin. “I am in this dire situation and knowingly or unknowingly sins have been committed.” You must surrender completely in front of God and Guru and confess everything. As you think thus, Arjuna’s grief shall strike you. “O Lord! I know nothing! You tell me what I must do.” This is Yoga. Every day, even though we may not shed tears, we must tell everything to God before we go to sleep. Pray that all the sins committed today should be scorched and go away today itself, so that new sins are not committed tomorrow. Once today’s sins are scorched, all that remains is ash, so that no new sins sprout.
In this manner, we must pray every day. “O Lord! Forgive me and uplift me!” When this sort of mental fever grips us, it is known as tapas. It should not be shown externally. This is mental penance. How should we undertake physical penance which is done with the body? We purposely impose some difficulties on the body to teach it a lesson; just as metal is heated and moulded. With tapas, the body becomes malleable and will listen to you. Shareera tapas includes fasting which we take up regularly, eating in moderation and following certain rules while eating. But one must not become physically weak and sickly by doing so. One must undertake this tapas while making sure to stay healthy. Strike a balance.
Svādhyāya refers to the chanting of Guru upadesha mantra, Vedic mantras, reading good books, recalling good words which we have heard before and contemplating on them. We must write down good things which we hear and go back and look at those notes, do homework and exercises to apply those points. Svādhyāya also refers to two people discussing good topics which are spiritually relevant. In this manner, one should spend time on both tapas and svādhyāya. Guru upadesha mantra must be chanted every day. You have all brought your malas. You must do at least one mala mantra japa every day. This is very important in Yoga. If you have received Gayatri mantra upadesha, then chant this mantra every day without fail. Drām Dattāya mantra has been taught by Swamiji to everyone, so this should be chanted 108 times every day. This will bring about discipline in our lives. Everyday check to see how many times you have chanted the mantra. Just as a businessman checks how much revenue he has generated each day, you must check how much sadhana you have done.
Īshwara Pranidhaana refers to the act of offering everything to God. ‘O Lord! There is no one who is Your equal! Everyone is below You! You are beyond everything.” Offering your prostrations to that Paramatma whom you visualise as Guru, bow your head and prostrate with your entire body and offer all your karmas. To offer karmas, offer the fruit of the action and pray, “With Your blessing, I am performing these karmas, otherwise where would I have the shakti to take up these actions.” Contemplate thus on the essence of the Divine and offer the fruit of all your actions to Him. “Please accept these fruit and keep them with You and do as You please with them. You give me whatever You think is best for me.”
Every kriya yoga teacher and practitioner must practice these 3 – tapas, svādhyāya and Īshvara Pranidhāna every day and check if these are being done every day. Promise that from today, you shall do this diligently every day. Do not disregard this. It is enough to take up tapas on Ekadashi. If you have the capacity, you can fast on Sankashtahara Chaturthi as well. Since we do not have a tradition of randomly fasting at any time, it is always combined with an auspicious day in the lunar fortnight. If you are able to completely fast on Ekadashi, undertake this fasting. Otherwise, just take milk and fruit that day. Everyday do some svādhyāya. Make it a habit to eat on time every day. Kriya Yoga practitioners should follow a discipline in every aspect – including in eating. Ensure that your eating routine does not impose difficulties for you or for those around you. Be flexible in case things are not going as per schedule and try to adapt your lifestyle to suit your routine. When you eat on time, that is tapas and Yoga. Do not unnecessarily eat just because food is there, when you are not hungry. Eating only when you are hungry is yoga. While doing sadhana, there is nothing wrong in eating food to satiate your hunger. When you avoid eating when you are not hungry, then you are continuously doing tapas. When you do tapas, the warmth that arises within you is tapas. The sweat and heat which result when you do yoga asanas is tapas. Every day read good books and Appaji’s Life History. Spend time in Satsanga and sing the bhajans you know. All this is svādhyāya. Do not assume that only reading books related to Yoga constitutes svādhyāya. Do not unnecessarily order a lot of books and get confused by different methods prescribed in each book. Books related to Dharma and spiritual matters should benefit us. Look for pointers which can be put into practice and which will benefit you, without posing an obstacle to your sadhana. This is yoga. Look for such pointers in what you read and listen to, and take these up.
When you are in the office, you have to undertake various works and listen to so many things which are discussed. You have to obey your boss’s orders. At that point, look for lessons which can be implemented. Just think that Your Guru has come in the form of your boss / wife / husband / son / grandson / employer / as well as the one who is bickering with you. This wisdom is very important for the mind and must be applied in all our worldly interactions. Then it helps us in Yoga and this becomes svādhyāya. Mentally offer everything that you do each day at the Lord’s feet. Your life, wealth, time and knowledge should be put to good use without wasting anything. This shall greatly please the Lord. This is Īshvara Pranidhāna. All these combined are Kriya Yoga.
The sutras which follow also talk about Kriya Yoga. There are many other components in the ashta angas, but these three are paramount and have been expounded by Patanjali Maharshi, Sage Veda Vyaasa, Vaachaspati and King Bhoja. Always remember these 3 aspects and never say “Oh! Kriya Yoga is not for me!” Tapas, Svādhyāya and Īshwara Pranidhaana are common to all religions. Therefore Yoga is essential for everyone, irrespective of which God one worships. Offer all your karma phala – fruit of all your actions to the God whom you worship. Kriya Yoga is beyond all religions and is meant for everyone in this world. We must never forget this, and not only must we practice, but we must also propagate it and teach it others. Sādhana (personal practice) and Bodhana (teaching) children and our peers is very important. With this, issues such as suicides, inferiority complexes and depression can be averted. Everyone has difficulties, but nowadays, young children want to end their lives for the smallest reasons. Propagating Yoga is the only solution to solve all these problems and for society to improve. It is not merely enough to wish for these things, one has to effect a change by taking Kriya Yoga to more people.
When a factory makes a new product, they advertise so heavily using television and print media – even though they know their product isn’t that great. Then, don’t we, who know the nectarine benefits of kriya Yoga, have an obligation to propagate it to more people? When it has the ability to benefit those who serve society, we have a duty to take it to more people. It is not enough to teach just 200 children. You must target 2000 people! Children must start doing pranayama and yoga sadhana. It must instill steadfastness and courage in children to face any difficulty. We see how patience is waning between spouses. Yoga helps increase patience and teaches us to endure any difficulty. This is why we are conducting this Sadhaka Bodhaka conference. Without these 3 important components, there is no Yoga. All these three aspects of Yoga pertain to the body (Tapas), mind (Svādhyāya) and intellect (Īshvara Pranidhāna). As Kriya Yoga is done with all these three, all the main aspects are covered in this sutra itself.
All of you pray in your minds for bhakti (devotion), yukti (motivation) and shakti (capability) to propagate Kriya Yoga. Then, all the obstacles will automatically fall away. Do not worry about how students will turn up. Initially start with one or two students. Recently, when our DKY teachers went to Chennai, 2000 students participated! The teachers never expected this to happen, but so many students turned up. Wishing you all well.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Kriya Yogo Vivardhatām!