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Continuing the many methods on various objects for the Citta Vṛtti Nirodhaḥ, Citta Prasādanam, Maharshi Patanjali, the 33rd Sutra gives few more techniques. And these are the techniques which are connected to the attitudes, behaviours, relationships, our transactions with the people around and in various incidents and events which we come across. So this Sutra has a very important role to play as a sadhaka in our life and in general for the peace of the mind.
The Sutra is 33, Samādhipāda, Maharshi Patanjali's Yoga Darśana. मै॒त्रीक॒रु॒णामु॒दि॒तो॒पे॒क्षा॒णां सु॒खदुः॒खपुण्यापुण्यवि॑षया॒णां भा॒वनातश्चित्त॑प्रसा॒दनम् ॥ १.३३॥
Maitrī-karuṇā-muditopekṣāṇāṃ-sukha-duḥkha-puṇyāpuṇya-viṣayāṇāṃ bhāvanātaś citta-prasādanam ॥ 1.33 ॥
How to get Citta Prasādanam? Peace of mind, composed mind, mind, steady mind, pure mind. How to get it? Patanjali gives the trick, the technique - Maitrī, Karuṇā, Muditā, Upekṣāṇām - Upekṣāṇām, that is the important dimension - Upekṣāṇām, Upekṣāṇām, of it is. Sukha, Duḥkha, Puṇya, Apuṇya, Viṣayāṇām, Bhāvanā, Bhāvanātaḥ, Bhāvanātaḥ, Citta Prasādanam. Beautiful qualities.
Four qualities, four attitudes towards four types of people, four types of events, four types of circumstances, four types of environment. What type of attitude should be there towards what type of circumstance, events and persons. That is the importance here.
One is Maitrī. Maitrī is a very beautiful word. Friendship.
Maitrī is friendliness, friendship.
Karuṇā is compassion. Many people use the word pity, but it is Karuṇā, compassion.
Muditā, gladness, expression of gladness.
Upekṣā, indifference, a sense of not having much involvement. A positive sense of discounting, indifference.So Maitrī, Karuṇā, Muditā, Upekṣāṇām. Āṇām means of. Of what?
Sukha - joy, pleasure, Duḥkha-sorrow, misery.
Puṇya, good, virtue, merit. Apuṇya is non-virtue. We should be very careful here. Patanjali has not used the word Puṇya and Pāpa. Pāpa is different and here he has used the word Apuṇya.
Viṣaya - Viṣaya means subjects, events, persons, circumstances and objects. All these references come under the word Viṣaya. Again Viṣayāṇām, Āṇām of Bhāvanā. Bhāvanā means repeatedly, continuous, repeatedly think over it, repeated treatment, repeated, yes repeated treatment it is. Taḥ, Bhāvanā, Taḥ, from then you will get Citta Prasādanam.
Beautiful word Citta as we are already described, we already understood what is Citta. In general it is the mind, Prasādanam, pure mind, quiet mind, serene mind, peaceful mind.
So to get peaceful mind, one should cultivate, that is Bhāvanā, that cultivating attitude is the Bhāvanā. Bhāvanātaḥ, repeatedly we should cultivate the attitude. So what are the attitudes to be cultivated? Friendliness, compassion, gladness and indifference.
Two words respectively it is. Two words means each one to each one. Two words Puṇya, Apuṇya, of course beginning from the Sukha Duḥkha. Sukha, joy, pleasure, happy, Duḥkha, sorrow, misery, Puṇya, virtue, Apuṇya is vice.
So Maitrī with Sukha, Karuṇā towards Duḥkha, Muditā with and towards Puṇya and Upekṣā towards Apuṇya. This is the pair of words. Maitrī towards Sukha, Karuṇā towards Duḥkha, Muditā towards Puṇya, Upekṣā towards Apuṇya. So four Viṣayās are being given. Sukha, Duḥkha, Puṇya, Apuṇya. These are the four Viṣayās. And what should be the attitudes to be cultivated? Maitrī, Karuṇā, Muditā, Upekṣāṇāṃ. Then what will happen? Peacefulness in the mind.
So for the mind to be peaceful, these are the attitudes we should have it. Friendly attitude towards Sukha. Somebody is happy, somebody is very pleasurable, enjoying. We should also be joyful and friendly with them. No jealousy towards them. This is normally what happens. Someone is happy and enjoying, joyful. We get into a state of jealousy. This is normal tendency. But what should be the attitude towards that? Maitrī, be friendly. That is important dimension. So not having jealousy.
Duḥkha, those events, those circumstances, those persons, those beings who are in misery. Duḥkha, have Karuṇā towards them. Have compassion towards them. And extension of Karuṇā, practice of Karuṇā is Sevā. Serve them. Sevā side.
And then those who have Puṇya, virtuous, good, meritorious persons, be glad with them. And those who are Apuṇya, not Puṇya, not virtue, don't be angry. Don't be too much of disturbed. Just neglect them. Indifference, very beautiful, very important dimension is generally when there is something wise is there, some non-virtue is there, we get disturbed. We become angry. But Patanjali's prescription is just neglect it. Be indifferent to it. Upekṣā.
These are very important words, Puṇya and Apuṇya. Many people have lot of descriptions, interpretations for what is Puṇyam, what is Puṇyakāryam and all that. We should very clearly understand Puṇya is Vihitakarma, doing what is to be done, that is Vihitakarma. Pāpam, Apuṇyam means doing Niṣiddhakarma. Performing or doing Niṣiddhakarma is considered as Apuṇya and Pāpam at a physical level.
And if you think at the mental level, psychological level, Niṣiddha thoughts, the thoughts which should not come in the mind, that is they are called Apuṇya Cintanā, Pāpacintanā, Pāpakarma, Niṣiddhakarma. And Puṇyakarma is Vihitakarma. What is to be done is to be done. What is not to be done is not to be done.
This is the reference. So repeatedly cultivating attitudes of friendliness towards people who are happy and joy and developing an attitude, cultivating an attitude of compassion towards those who are in misery and sorrow. Muditā is a gladness when somebody is doing a good work and being different. And this approach, this technique Maharishi prescribes to be peaceful at the mind. Very very important sutra gives the methodology.
Of course there are other sutras which follow from 34 to 39. But this is very important sutra because our reactions and responses to the environment around us in the form of people, in the form of events, in the form of circumstances is suggested here.
Vivekananda beautifully tells while he is commenting on this. He tells that if the subject is good one, we shall feel friendly towards it. If the subject of thought is one that is miserable, we must be merciful towards the subject. If it is good, we must be glad. If it is evil, we must be indifferent. These attitudes of the mind towards the different subjects that come before it will make the mind peaceful. Most of our difficulties in our daily lives come from being unable to hold our minds in this way. For instance, if a man does evil to us, instantly we want to react evil. And every reaction of evil shows that we are not able to hold the Citta down. It comes out in waves towards the object and we lose our power. This is a beautifully, Swami Vivekananda comments on that. So let us follow the trick, the technique suggested by Maharishi Patanjali to be at peace. Citta Prasādanam, to have that mental peace. These are the qualities suggested and let us practice as yoga sadhakas.
Om Śānti Śānti Śānti.
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः||
To Be Continued.. ---------------------------------------- These are transcription of session delivered by Vice-President of Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra, Sri M. Hanumantha Rao Ji.
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मुक्तसंग्ङोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित:।
सिद्धयसिद्धयोर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥१८.२६॥
Freed from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with courage and enthusiasm and unperturbed by success or failure, the worker is known as a pure (Sattvika) one. Four outstanding and essential qualities of a worker. - Bhagwad Gita : XVIII-26
