History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c94.342

v7.c94.342

Whether the path of Yoga is desirable or feasible in its entirety cannot be debated here. But there have been great men in India for thousands of years who have trodden the path of Yoga that led to the desired goal of freedom of the self from *avidyā* and the bondage of birth and death by means of Yoga. Even as early as the Śāntiparva (chap. 289, cr. ed. verses 50 and 54), the path of yoga is said to be very difficult and that it is easy to stay on the sharp edges of razors, but that those whose souls are not purified would find it difficult and painful to continually practise Dhāraṇās. Kālidāsa so finely describes in the 8th canto of the Raghuvaṁśa (verses 16-24) how Yoga was practised by king Raghu. Kālidāsa refers (in VIII. 16) to *apavarga* as the goal of the ascetic Raghu as contrasted with *mahodaya* (*abhyudaya* or *bhoga*), both words occurring in Y. S. II 18 (prakāśa ... ... bhogāpavargārthaṁ dṛśyam), mentions dhāraṇā (in VIII. 18), praṇidhāna practice and consequent mastery over the five prāṇas (in Raghu VIII. 19, Y. S. II. 45 'samādhisiddhirīśvara-praṇidhānāt), mastery over the three guṇas that constitute prakṛti (Raghu VII. 21, Y. S. III. 48 mentions 'pradhānajaya), Yogavidhi as a means of *paramātmadarśana* (Raghu VIII. 22, Yāj smṛti I. 8 quoted in note 2399).