On Quadruple Division Of Yogasastra

Author(s): A Wezler
Publisher: A Wezler

Page 3

292
A. Wezler
On the Quadruple Division of the Yogasastra
293
The contents of Yoga are here divided into four chapters (vyaha)" by analogy with the system of therapeutics (cikitsa-sastra) and in depen dence on YS 2.15 ff.: 1) "Samsāra, full of Suffering, is to be avoided ". (In therapeutics this correspondends to the teaching of Illness, roga). 2) "The cause of samsāra is the connection of the subject with the object based on nescience" (this is the "Cause of Illness", roga-hetul). 3) "The means by which [samsāra) is avoided is the unswerving lucidity of discriminating knowledge" (the "Remedy", bhaişajya). 4) "When this has been attained then nescience is eliminated, and the connection of subject and object ceases entirely; that is avoidance, absolute inde. pendence "(in therapeutics: "Health", Arogya). It may be noted in passing that this division shows a certain similarity also to the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha. Yet the second and third truth - Suffering and its Annihilation - are gathered into one, and in accordance with the more positive outlook of Brahmanism a chapter is added on the final goal absolute independence. corresponding to Health.
To divide the teaching of Yoga in this manner is, to be sure, by no means improper. But it has to be noted that, firstly, the system of Patañjala-Yoga contains various elements that do not strictly fit into the [fourfold) scheme, c.g. the teaching of the magical perfections (siddhi), and that, Secondly, this system [i.e. that of Yoga), as it is found in the sūtras themselves, is not divided in this manner. The division is an interpretation introduced by $; it wholly corresponds to the decidedly practical, didactic, nay, therapeutical interest that is to be noted again and again in the Advaita works of S's also 16.
Therefore, it is noteworthy that the Advaitin S, at the one place where he expounds the essential content of his teaching without any reference to texts to be explained and in a purely argumentative manner, takes up the very scheme of division he had already established when still a Yogin. The idea of therapeutics had now to recede into the back ground (cf. above $2), but the disposition of the 2. prose prakarana of the US corresponds exactly to the four vyüha division. USG 45-47 deals with samsāra as Suffering. In 48 we have the beginning of the instruction about the Cause of Suffering: nescience. Without sharp cleavage approxi. mately from 58 onwards it gradually yields to initiation into discrimi. nating knowledge. USG 109 describes the attainment of the goal
These remarks call for a critical examination in more than one respect. It appears as if Hacker has lost sight of what he had himself correctly stated earlier, viz. that the quadruple division of Yogasastra as taught at the beginning of the Vivarana is already met with in the YBhasya on YS 2.15 and, moreover, in the YS itself. Indeed, what the Bhāşyakara says on YS 2.15 (pariņāmata pasamskaraduh khair gunaviti. nirodhăc ca dukham eva sarvam vivekinah. quoted also by the Viva. rana, cf. above under 2.1.), after first explaining its wording and purport in detail, is this
... tad asya mahato duhkhasamuddyasya prabhavabijam avidva / tasya ca samyagdarsanam abhavahetuh / yatha cikitsa sastram caturvyaham - rogo rogahefur arogyam bhaisajyam iti, evam idam api sastram caturvyāham eva / tadyatha" - samsarah samsårahetur mokso moksopaya 19 iti / tatra duh khabahulah samsaro heyah / pradhanapuruşayoh samyogo heyahetun / samyogaswaryantiki niveitir hānam / hanopdyah samvagdarśanam / ...
This is not only by itself an unequivocal statement, but comparison also clearly shows that it was simply reformulated by the author of
4. "Ist dicse crreicht, so ist das Nichtwissen beseitigt, und damit hört die Ver bindung von Subjekt und Objekt absolut auf: das ist das Vermeiden, die Abso lutheit" (in der Therapeutik: die "Gesundheit", drogya). Nebenbel bemerkt hat diese Einteilung eine gewisse Xhnlichkeit auch mit den Vier Edlen Wahrheiten des Buddha. Doch sind die zweite und die dritte Wahrheit - das Leiden und seine Aufhebung in eine zusammengezogen, und entsprechend der positiveren Sicht des Brahmanismus ist ein Kapitel über das Ziel - die Absolutheit, entsprechend der Gesundheit - hinzugefügt.
Die Yogalehre so einzuteilen, ist gewiss nicht abwegig. Doch ist zu bemerken, dass erstens Im System des Patanjala-Yoga manches enthalten ist, was nicht streng zu diesem Schema passt, z.B. die Lehre von den magischen Vollkommenheiten (siddhi), und dass zweitens dieses System, so wie es in den Satren vorliegt, nicht so eingeteilt ist. Diese Einteilung ist eine Interpretation Ss. Sie entspricht ganz dem auch in den Advaitaschriften Ss Immer wieder zu beobachtenden stark praktischen, didaktischen, ja therapeutischen Interesse
Es ist daher bemerkenswert, dass s, als er als Advaitin den wesentlichen Inhalt seiner Lehre einmal ganz ohne Bezugnahme auf zu erklärende Texte und rein ar gumentativ darlegte, auf das gleiche Einteilungsschema zurückkam, das er schon als Yogin aufgestellt hatte. Der Gedanke der Therapie musste jetzt zwar zurücktreten (vgl. oben 2), aber die Disposition des 2. Prosa-Prakarapa der US entspricht genau der Vier Vyüha-Einteilung. USG 45-47 ist vom Leiden des Samsara gehandelt. 48 beginnt die Belehrung über die Ursache des Leidens: das Nicht wissen. Ohne scharfen Einschnitt geht sie etwa ab 58 allmählich über in die Anleitung zur unterscheidenden Erkenntnis. USG 109 schildert die Erreichung des Zicles.
15. In rendering the term vyuha by chapter, Hacker has, I think, made the wrong choice, though he is in accordance with the PW (vol. VI, column 1485). II its meaning is not simply part, division here, one should rather think of its being used (c.g. in the Arthasstra) as a military term to denote a battle array, i.e. in a more general sense a purposeful, systematic arrangement. Cf. also R. Garbe's explanation of this term as used in Vijanabhiksu's Samkhyapravacanabhäsya (sce below in. 31), Samkhyapravacana-bhashya ... aus dem Sanskrit übersetzt..., Leipzig, 1889, p. 11, n. 2: ... bei dem vydha llegt ein kramend 'ngopdrigandit vinydsah vor.....
Note that the author of the Vivarapa offers (p. 169, 1. 3 ff.) two alternative explanations of the compound caturvydha, viz. calvdro vyähd asya and esv arthesu (= samsára, sarisarahetu etc.) caturdhd vyuho 'sya.
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used (ees not simply part, accordance with the Wac
16. Note that this sentence stands in contradiction with what H. had said at the end of the passage quoted above ( 2).
17. I quote the text portion as given on p. 168, 1. 1.7 of the edition of the Viva. rapa. Cf. in addition p. 171, L 1: tad elac chåstrar carurvydhamity adhdhiyale.
18. The author of the Vivarana attests yathd only, cf. p. 168, 1. 24. 19. moksahetuh according to the Vivaranakära.
20. The author of the Vivarapa obviously reads pradhdnapurusasaryogo; cf. pp. 168, 1. 25 and 169, 1. 7.
etc.) caturana, viz. carudro wake.) two alternative