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Yatis and Vratyas
J. C. SIKDAR
There are evidences of the existence of the Yatis in the Vedic tradition. It is mentioned in the Vedic literature that Indra cast down the Yatis to the jackels and dogs to be bitten by them. But the gods did not appreciate this bad action of Indra as worthy and proper, therefore, they expelled him from their divine assembly for this reason.The commentators of the Tāņdaya Brāhmaṇa have interpreted the meaning of the Yatis as 'veda-viruddhaniyamopeta', 'karmavirodhi jana', jyotistomādi akstva prakārāntarena vartamānah etc.3 These adjectives attributed to them clearly prove their Sramanic tradition as opposed to the Vedic tradition.
In the Bhagavadgitā the nature of the Munis and Yatis is depicted in this manner that they were equally devoted to yogasādhanā (practice of yoga). Hence the Muni is regarded as the controller of his sense, mind and intellect, a contemplative soul intent on liberation and free from desire, fear anger, while the yatis5 are those wise men, who are free from lust (or desire) and anger and fear, who have realized soul, the striving recluses free from attachment.6
i
juhoti catasro vai disascatasro' avantaradisa.... yatinamadynamanam sirsani. ... yat karirani bhavanti, Taittiriya Samhita, 2.4, 9-2.
Brahmand, hhyah prayen Ibid., 14. maslila
svanta tasnia
nudata manojavah. ...indro yatinssalavrkebhyah, prayacchat....yam dyisyat tam dhyayecchuccai vamarpayati, Ibid., 6.2.7.5. indro yatin salavrkeyebhyah prayacchattesam traya udasisyanta.... etc, Tandaya Maha Brahmana, 13.4.7 indro yatin salavrkebhyah prayacchattamaslila vagabhya-vadatsasuddho' amanyata ....suddhasuddhiyena tustuvanah, Ibid., 14.11.29. indro yatin (2) salavrkebhyah prayacchattamaslila vagabhyavadat. ...etamupahayyam prayacchattam visvadeva upahvayanta yadupahvayanta tasmadupahavyah,
Ibid., 18.1.9. 2 Seventh Pancika, fifth adhyayana, v. 28, Aitareya Brahmana (Hindi), p. 448. 3 Dr. H. L. Jain, Bharatiya Samskrtimen Jaindharmaka Yogdan, p. 18.
yatendriyamanobuddhirmunirmoksaparayanahvigatecchabhayakrodho yah sada mukta eva sah, Bhagavad Gita, 5. 28. kamakrodhaviyuktanam yatinam yata cetasam abhito bhramanirvanam vartate viditatmanam, Ibid., 5. 26, etc. yadaksaram vedavido vadanti visante yadyatayo vitaragah, Ibid., 8, 11.
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