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अर्चनार्चन
Jain Education International
पंचम खण्ड / ३२०
Obviously, this could be the reason why Patanjali avoids the usage of 'abhyasa' in his discussions on the yogangas. But, it seems that most of the commentators of the Yoga-Sutras have confused the term 'abhyasa' with the term 'anusthan' which led to much of the misinterpretations and therefore mis-representation regarding the yogangas, their real significance and imortance as envisaged in the Yoga-Sutras (Vyasa and Vacaspati on PYS-I/13,1 II/50 & 528, Vacaspati on PYS-II/514 and Vyasa on PYS-II/535).
This confusion between the anusthana' and 'abhyasa' in relation to yogangas seems to get compounded due to the mis-interpretation of the 'lakṣaṇa or 'svarapa' (rer or re) of the yogangas like 'asana' and 'prāṇayama' as 'the means' or 'upaya' for the proper anusthana' of these yogängas by commentators like Vyasa and Vacaspati (PYS-II/50).
A careful analysis of the Sütras on the Yogängas indicates the lakşaṇa as well as the phala or siddhi for each of them. But, it seems, a direct 'upaya' (1) is indicated only in the case of 'asana' (PYS-II/47). Of course,
1.
2.
4.
........tatsādhanānuṣṭhānamabhyasah,
( तत्साधनानुष्ठानमभ्यासः )
........yamaniymadini ( यमनिमादीनि )
3. 'präpäyämänabhyasyato....
( प्राणायामानभ्यस्तो )
Vacaspati quotes Visnupuräna ........vasyamabhyäsätkurute...." ( वश्यमभ्यासात् कुरुते )
........abhyasavaśikṛtāt....' (अभ्यासवशीकृतात्)
........abhyasto dirghasuk mah' (went degen:) ........pratyahamabhyasto...." ( प्रत्यहमभ्यस्तो )
6.
5. *prāṇāyāmābhyāsādeva' (प्राणायामाभ्यासादेव)
Ibid. (2) above on the Sutra PYS-II/50. 'prayatnaśaithilya-anantasamapattibhyam' ( प्रयत्नशैथिल्य - अनन्तसमापत्तिभ्याम् )
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