Jain Journal 2012 07

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 11

JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XLVII, NO. 1-IV JULY.-JUNE 12-13
name whereas samtoșa is in the name of samyama and Iswarapranidhāna as dhyāna. In Isibhasiyaim's first chapter we find the mention of sauca. Though by sauca Jainas do not mean bodilypurity, but they give stress on mental purity i.e. the piousness of the heart. Jainism as well as Yoga sūtra of Patañjali both accepts that these niyamas are the supporter of the yamas or mahāvratas. We can also say that the twenty five bhāvanas of five mahāvratas or thirty two yoga saṁgraha of Jainism can also be considered as niyamas of Patañjali.
3. Āsana : The third limb of yogic-sādhanā of Patañjali is Āsana (Bodily-postures). Many of these asanas are accepted in Jainism in the name of kāyakleśatapa, the sixth kind of external tapas. In Jaina scriptures such as Bhagawati, Aupapātika and Daśāsrutaskandha, we also find the names of various types of Āsanas (bodily postures) 8. In Jaina scriptures it is also mentioned that Lord Mahāvīra attained the kevala jñāna in goduhāsana.9
4. Prāņāyāma : The fourth limb of Patanjali's yoga system is prāņāyāma. Regarding this limb i.e. Prāņāyāma we do not find any clear instructions in Jaina-cononical works, only in the commentary of Āvasyakasūtra it is mentioned that one should observe, the meditation (Kāyotsarga) of one thousand respirations at the occasion of yearly penitential retreat (pratikramaņa), In the same way five hundred respiration's meditation at fourth monthly penitential retreat (pratikramaņa), two hundred and fifty respiration’s meditation at the time of forth nightly pratikramana, one hundred at daily pratikramana and fifty at the time of nightly pratikramana''. In my opinion this is the same as āņāpāna-sati of vipassanā meditation of Buddhism and śwāsapreksā meditation of Ācārya Mahāprajña of Jaina terāpantha sect. I do not find any reference of Kumbhaka, pūraka and recaka prāņāyāma in early Jaina canonical texts, though in the later period Jaina Ācārya Subhacandra and Hemacandra in their works, respectively Jñānārņava and Yogaśāstra mentioned the various types