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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
Sāmkhya
389
The Yoga philosophy appears negative apparently from its emphasis on the need of restraint of the mind; but the word 'Yoga' itself is derived from the root 'Yuj (97) to join or connect. The essence of Yoga is to be understood not negatively by restraint but positively in the sense of joining the soul with the Supreme Self (Paramātman). It is clearly stated in the commentary on the Sarvadars'anasangraha —“The word Yoga has the connotation of unification (samyoga ) and not one of restraint. Therefore, Yājñavalkya has said "Yoga is unity (samyoga ) of the jiva (soul) with the Paramātman (God; Lord)." Max Müller writes regarding it _“Yug, from meaning to join, came, by means of a very old metaphor, to mean to join oneself to something, to harness oneself for some work. Thus yug assumed the sense of preparing for hard work, whether preparing others or getting ready oneself.. In Sanskrit this Yug is often used with such words as Manas, Kittam, Ātman, etc., in the sense of concentrating at exerting one's mind; and it is in this sense only that our word Yoga could have sprung from it, meaning, as the Yoga Sūtras tell us at the very beginning, 1.2, the effort of restraining the activities or distractions of our thoughts (KittaVritti-Nirodha ) of the effort of concentrating our thoughts on a definite object."2 Yoga, therefore, stands
1 Sarvadars'anasa”graha, p. 346. योगशब्दः संयोगवचन एव स्यान्न तु निरोधवचनः ।
संयोगो योग इत्युको जीवात्मपरमात्मनोः । -2 Max Müller : The Six Systems of Indian Philosophy, pp. 404, 405.
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