Astanga-yoga is recommended in several places of the scriptures as a process to allow ones who are not ready to practice the path of devotional service to gradually achieve transcendental realization. Vidhura recommended it to Dritarastra after he retired from the palace, for example, understanding that after committing so many offenses during his life, he would not be able to adopt the process of Bhakti.

Nowadays there is a great interest in yoga, but with so many fashionable styles and the almost universal goals of controlling stress and toning the body, the essence of the yoga process is lost, to the point that most simply relate the word “yoga” with physical exercises.

The original process of transcendental meditation is called Astanga-yoga, or the eight-fold yoga system (asta means “eight” and anga means “limbs” in Sanskrit), it consists of eight levels of practice: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. This is the process mentioned in the Bhagavad-Gita and other scriptures, which was practiced by yogis and transcendentalists through the ages. All the modern processes of yoga derive from this original eight-fold system, but in most cases important parts of the process are lost, discarded, or modified.

Apart from the eight primary mystic perfections (aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prākāmya, prāpti, īśitva, vaśitva, and kāmāvasāyitā), which we discussed yesterday, wich are usually only achieved by great yogis and pure devotees, there are ten secondary mystic perfections that are more common. These ten perfections can be gradually acquired starting from a relatively beginning level of spiritual practice and are thus quite common, even in our day and age. Different from the eight main perfections, which are truly supernatural, these ten additional perfections are more about becoming free from the limitations of body and senses and thus expanding one’s awareness. Also different from the first eight, some of these perfections may be used by devotees.

They are explained by Krsna to Uddhava in the 11th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam (11.15.6-7).

The first is the ability to free himself from hunger thirst and other bodily disturbances. This means that one can fully control his senses and become indifferent to the needs of the body, as well as grief and illusion. By this perfection, one becomes undisturbed and can focus on his spirtual practice or any other beneficial activities.

Just like Krsna is omniscient, all souls in their liberated state have a level of awareness that goes much beyond what we can consider possible. Narada Muni, for example, knows what is happening all over the cosmos and can thus be present in so many important events. Similarly, the Vishnudutas know what is happening in many different universes and can swiftly appear to help any devotee who is in need. What prevents us from displaying a similar level of awareness in our conditioned state is our identification with the material body and the dull material senses we currently have. As this identification with the body slackens, one becomes less conditioned by the limitations of the senses and can start to hear and see things that are far away. It appears first as a kind of intuition, and later by directly experiencing it.

To see and to hear at a distance are counted as two separate perfections, although they may be used together. One example is Sanjaya narrating the Bhagavad-Gita to Drtarastra.

There are a number of mystic perfections that can be achieved by successful yogis. Although they were far more common in previous ages, some can still be achieved even in Kali-yuga. In essence, all these mystical perfections come into contact with the Supreme Lord in some of His forms or features, therefore devotees can also often achieve these powers, although they will be reluctant to use them.

Krsna is the source of all mystic powers, therefore, one who is strongly connected with Krsna in any of His aspects may start exhibiting such powers, just like a bar of metal in contact with fire becomes hot and acquires the potency of burning. The point is that supernatural powers like this can easily make one proud, and thus make him fall. Yogis are generally conditioned souls, and thus they are anxious to prove themselves, but devotees are the opposite.

In the nectar of devotion, Srila Prabhupada explains that the primary mystic perfections achieved by greatly successful yogīs are eight in number. They are called aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prākāmya, prāpti, īśitva, vaśitva and kāmāvasāyitā.

As a continuation of the previous article about the Vedanta Sutra, today we will study the meaning of two of the Sutras, 1.1.22 and 1.1.23. These two Sutras are a good example of how the sutras give conclusions to different philosophical discussions from the scriptures.

These two sutras are centered around the nature of ether and prana. As usual, the sutras are very compact:

1.1.22: ākāśas tal-liṅgāt
1.1.23: ata eva prāṇaḥ

What do they mean?

Here is the word-for-word meanings:

akasah: ether (space); tat: that; lingat: on account of qualities.
atah: for the same reason; eva: also; pranah: life, vital air.

Here is a direct translation:

• Akasa means brahman on account of qualities
• For the same reason, prana (is also Brahman).

As you can see, even understanding the meaning of the words doesn’t help much. To understand the sutras we need to understand the context of the philosophical discussions being held and how the sutras give conclusions to them.

It’s said that after composing the Upanisadis, Srila Vyasadeva wrote the Vedanta Sutra (or Brahma Sutras), giving there the conclusion of the Vedas. As devotees we hear a lot about the Vedanta Sutra, being it central to the discussions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with Sarvabauma Battacharya and Prakashananda Sarasvati, for example.

But what exactly is the Vedanta Sutra? The Vedanta Sutra is a relatively small book composed of 555 sutras that give a set of conclusions about the teachings of the Vedas. When we study the Bhagavad-Gita or the Srimad Bhagavatam we are used to studying verses containing four, or sometimes six lines, but the Sutras in the Vedanta Sutra are usually much more compact. Most include just one line, and some include just one word.

One example is the Sutra 1.1.9, which contains a single word, “svāpyayāt”. How are we supposed to understand something like that?

The point is that the Sutras are extremely dependent on the context and the definition of words. The word svāpyayāt, for example, is the result of a combination of two smaller words: sva (the Self) and apyayat (entering). We can see that even understanding the meaning of the words doesn’t help much. We need to also understand the context of what is being discussed.

All the different interpretations of the Vedanta Sutra (starting with the Sariraka Bhasya of Sankaracarya, and culminating with the Vaishnava interpretation of Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana) are based on giving a consistent explanation of the Sutras, giving the definition of the words and the context of each Sutra. This is the factor that makes the Vedanta Sutra so appealing to inquisitive minds since it poses a formidable intellectual challenge. For centuries great intellectuals in India have been inconclusively discussing the meaning of the Vedanta Sutra, and in this way debating about the conclusions of the Vedas.

The Brahma Sutras, or Vedanta Sutra, is a short treatise written by Srila Vyasadeva to transmit the ultimate conclusions of the Vedas. As Srila Prabhupada explains, “The Vedānta-sūtra, which consists of aphorisms revealing the method of understanding Vedic knowledge, is the concise form of all Vedic knowledge.”

The 555 aphorisms of the Vedanta Sutra are usually taken as an incredibly complicated work because Sankaracarya wrote an extremely complex commentary with the goal of covering the real meaning. With the goal of bringing the followers of Buddha back into accepting the Vedas, he developed a philosophy that is very similar to Buddhism, but based on the Vedas. To fit this philosophy into the aphorisms of the Vedanta Sutra, he wrote a commentary that is both complex and contradictory.

However, Srila Prabhupada calls our attention to the direct interpretation of the verses of the Vedanta Sutra, which was used by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to defeat stalwart Mayavadis such as Prakasananda Sarasvati and Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya and bring them to the proper understanding of the sastras. Srila Prabhupada gives us glimpses of these discussions in the Caitanya Caritamrta, as well as the Teachings of Lord Caitanya.

It happens that this direct interpretation of the Vedanta Sutras not only much much easier to understand, but it is something that brings joy to the heart, by descrybing the nature of the Supreme. This direct interpretation of the Vedanta Sutra is explained by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana in his Govinda Bhashya, and it is quite an invaluable tool when explaining Krsna Consciousness since many people who are resistant to accept direct statements from the Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam become easily attracted by the beautiful logic of the Vedanta Sutra.

Over the centuries there were many theories that tried to classify human beings into different species, resulting in different types of racist theories. The whole issue of slavery was based on the idea that some human beings were inherently inferior to others, and thus could be enslaved and exploited. Even in the United States, people of dark skin continued to be openly discriminated against and segregated up to the 1960s, with some vestiges of discrimination persisting up to today. In India, discrimination during the medieval period was based on caste. Brahmans were considered inherently different from other social classes, with many believing that the only way to progress to the state of a Brahmana was taking another birth, and thus receiving a “Brahmana body”.

What does the Vedas have to say about it? Does the Vedas support the idea of human beings being divided into different species with some being higher than others? What about genetics? Does the Vedas support the modern theory of monogenesis, where it’s believed that all modern human beings come from a common ancestor and share the same DNA? The Vedas describe a race of evolved human beings called “Arians”, who were believed to be stronger, more intelligent, and more culturally refined than others. Would the Arians be different from other human beings at a genetic level? If not, how could the differences be explained?

When Brahma woke up at the beginning of the current day, there was just darkness. Everything had to be re-created from the material elements stored in the lotus flower from which he was born. This process continued all the way to the creation of Svayabhuva Manu and his wife Satarupa.

In the Srimad Bhagavatam, it is described that Svayabhuva Manu had 5 children: three daughters and two sons. The first daughter, Ākūti, was given in marriage to the sage Ruci, the middle daughter, Devahūti, to the sage Kardama, and the youngest, Prasūti, to Prajapati Dakṣa. From the two sons, the first, Priyavrata, became a renunciant, while the second, Uttanapada, became the father of Dhruva Maharaja and his half-brother Uttama.

By studying this description, one could question from where the rest of humanity came from, as well as all the animals, plants, and other beings who populated the different planets. Early in the current day of Brahma, when Kardama Muni was meditating (before accepting Devahuti, the daughter of Manu as his wife), the earth was not a desert. On the Srimad Bhagavatam (3.21.40-44) it is described that his hermitage was a very beautiful place, surrounded by all kinds of plants and animals.

“The shore of the lake was surrounded by clusters of pious trees and creepers, rich in fruits and flowers of all seasons, that afforded shelter to pious animals and birds, which uttered various cries. It was adorned by the beauty of groves of forest trees. The area resounded with the notes of overjoyed birds. Intoxicated bees wandered there, intoxicated peacocks proudly danced, and merry cuckoos called one another. Lake Bindu-sarovara was adorned by flowering trees such as kadamba, campaka, aśoka, karañja, bakula, āsana, kunda, mandāra, kuṭaja and young mango trees. The air was filled with the pleasing notes of kāraṇḍava ducks, plavas, swans, ospreys, waterfowl, cranes, cakravākas and cakoras. Its shores abounded with deer, boars, porcupines, gavayas, elephants, baboons, lions, monkeys, mongooses and musk deer.”

Similarly, when Uttanapada, the son of Manu, became the king, even before begeting his children, there were already people living on the planet. So, from where did they come?

According to the theory of special relativity by Einstein, the flow of time can change due to the influence of speed or gravity. Someone traveling near the speed of light, or living very close to a strong gravitational field (like a black hole) would age much slower than someone living here on Earth.

The Vedas also speak about the relativity of time, but bring it to a new level by explaining how the flow and perception of time changes in different planetary systems. What is a lunar year (360 days) in Bhu-Mandala, is just one day for the demigods in Swargaloka. Conversely, what is a day for us is 100 years for people being punished on the hellish planets.

If we go higher, the differences become even more acute. What is 8.64 billion years in Bhu-Mandala is just a set of day and night for the inhabitants of Brahmaloka, the highest planet in this universe.

The 11th chapter of the 3rd canto of Srimad Bhagavatam gives us a condensed explanation of the measurement of time according to the Vedas. This gives us some context on what time is for us and how it looks on the universal scale of things. All material bodies, from the sun to the atom, are under the influence of the kāla-chakra, or material time, but the scales of time for different bodies can be wildly different.

According to Srimad Bhagavatam, the smallest particles of material creations are called parama-aṇuḥ, or atoms. The smallest measurement of time mentioned there is the time of the chemical reaction that results in the combination of two atoms. Two parama-aṇuḥ’s combine to form an aṇuḥ (double atom) and three aṇuḥ’s combine to form a trasareṇuḥ (hexatom). The time needed for the combination of three trasareṇus, forming a trasareṇu-trikam (a molecule formed by 18 atoms) is called a truṭi, which equals about half a thousandth of a second.