Comparative and Critical Study of Mantrashastra

Author(s): Mohanlal Bhagwandas Jhaveri, K V Abhayankar
Publisher: Sarabhai Manilal Nawab

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INTRODUCTION
trayoga, Hathayoga, Layayoga and Rajyoga.* Yoga through the rousing of Kundalini Shakti is Laya yoga. It means the piercing by the kundalini shakti of the six bodily centres or chakras (also called Padmas-lotuses).
Yoga means that process by which the human spirit (Jīvātmā) is brought into near and constant communion with, or is merged in, the Divine Spirit (Paramātmā) according as the nature of the human spirit is held to be separate from (Dvaita, Vis'iṣtādvaita) or one with (Advaita) the Divine spirit. As Shaktas are Advaitavādins, according to them, identity of the two (Jīvatmā and Paramātmā) is realised by the Yogi.
According to the Jains, it is the process by which the Selfthe human spirit realises its own real pure nature (svabhava).‡ Although the Jains believe in multiplicity of souls-all intrinsically pure and equally powerful as far as Yoga of each soul individually is concerned, they might be considered to be practically Advaitavādins. As each individual soul in its ultimate nature (Siddha-Muktasvarupa) is of the nature of the Perfect soul (Paramātma svarupa) and nothing less, in their case the soul realizing and the soul realized are one and the same. The latter is called Paramātmā because it is the highest and purest aspect (Paramasvarūpa) of the Jivatmā.
In short, in their case the Jivatmā is joined to its own Paramātma-svarūpa that is to say, it realizes its own pure nature devoid of all karmas.
* मन्त्रयोगो हठश्चैव लययोगस्तृतीयकः ।
चतुर्थी राजयोग: स्यात्स द्विधाभाव वर्जितः ॥ शिवसंहिता, पटल ५ को १४
+ चतुवर्गेऽप्रणीर्मोक्षो योगस्तस्य च कारणम् । ज्ञानश्रानचारित्ररूपं रत्नत्रयं च सः ॥ योगप्रकाशः १,१५ अध्यात्मं भावना ध्यानं समता वृत्तिसंक्षयः ।
मोक्षेण योजनाद्योग एष श्रेष्ठो यथोत्तरम् ॥ योगबिंदु श्लो. ३१
x परमात्मसमापत्तिर्जीवात्मनि हि युज्यते ।
अभेदेन तथा ध्यानादन्तरस्वशक्तितः ॥ द्वात्रिंशद् द्वात्रिंशिका, योगावतार द्वा. वो. १६