The streams of yoga:- The four streams of yoga: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga.

by - November 23, 2024

The streams of yoga:- The four streams of yoga: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga.



The streams of yoga:- The four streams of yoga: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga.

The human personality can be divided into four basic categories. Namely, active (Karma Yoga), mental (Bhakti Yoga), voluntary (Raja Yoga), and intuitive (Jnana Yoga). Patanjali clearly understood the fact that every human being is of different temperaments according to the predominance of one or more of these categories.

Here the four main paths of yoga are mentioned; namely - Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. Each part is suitable for a different temperament or way of life. But the destination of all the paths is the same, that is, union with Brahman or God.

Swami Sivananda says that every yogi or human being has intellect, heart, body and mind. But all these contents have to be identified and possessed. He therefore advised practicing specific techniques from each path. This came to be known as the yoga of coordination. He taught that one should practice specific yogas depending on one's mental and physical nature and taste.


1. Karma Yoga:-

Karma Yoga means an action or a meditative awareness performed in the right way with an inner attitude. This Karma Yoga practice has many benefits. It increases our concentration to work more efficiently. It is a sharp observation that helps us to perceive the reactive patterns of thought and it is the deepest aspect of expanding our awareness with which we get a clear picture of what a particular action is and how to do it. It is through practice that we control emotions or learn to act without emotions. This skill helps us make good decision makers.

Another principle of Karma Yoga is service, where our actions benefit others. This is described in the Bhagavad Gita as Nishkama Karma Phala or selfless service. According to the Bhagavad Gita, Karma Yoga is the inner selfless devotion, as well as the sacrifice of external actions to the Lord of all actions. The energy of all souls and the infinite controller of penance. Karma Yogis surrender all their activities to the Supreme Power or God. This frees them from stress and anxiety and helps them to maintain a balance between success or failure, praise or criticism. Karma Yoga ultimately enables the Karma Yogi to maintain a stable state of mind and engage themselves in intense work.

2. Bhakti Yoga:-

This path is especially for those who are prone to impulsive or emotional behavior. Bhakti Yogis are mainly inspired by the power of love and see God as the embodiment of love. They surrender themselves to God through prayer, worship and rituals. Continuous and selfless love and devotion excite their emotions. A significant part of Bhakti Yoga is singing praises of God.

The word Bhakti means - love, worship and service. Bhakti Yoga is also called the path of emotional culture. Because it develops in us the qualities of compassion, devotion and service. It enables us to express our mental or emotional vitality through our devotional path.

There are nine methods of Bhakti Yoga, they are - hearing, chanting, remembering, foot-worship, worship, service, friendship and self-surrender. Bhakti Yoga is the path of spiritual devotion and surrender. A Bhakti Yogi believes that God sees everything. The pervading existence of God is something that can be consciously felt or realized. This path reduces our pain and suffering; Especially it helps in suppressing negative emotions like jealousy, anger, hatred, lust, pride etc. It teaches us to express positive emotions like joy, peace, mental peace etc.


3. Raja Yoga:-

The founder of Raja Yoga is sage Patanjali. There is a detailed description of Raja Yoga in Patanjali's Yoga Darshan. It has been explained in Bengali by Swami Vivekananda. In Raja Yoga, eight paths or stages have been given from the beginning to reach the superconscious state of self-realization.

(i) Yama is the first path or stage of Raja Yoga. The main reason for the restlessness of the human mind is hope and desire. Yama is the way to control this hope and desire. For this, five paths have been mentioned. They are - non-violence, honesty, non-stealing, celibacy and non-desire.

(ii) The second stage of Raja Yoga is Niyama. Niyama is the five instructions to be followed in an individual's life. These are - purity, contentment, penance, scripture reading and surrender to God.

(iii) The third stage of Raja Yoga is Asana or sitting posture. Yoga asanas especially require the ability to hold the spine straight and independently. The practice of various types of asanas is very necessary to keep the head, neck and chest in a straight line.

(iv) The fourth stage of Raja Yoga is Pranayama. Literally, Pranayama is the control of life within the body through the control of breathing. The three main parts of Pranayama are - Puraka, Kumbhak and Rechaka. The drawing of air through the nostrils is called Puraka, the closing of the nostrils after inhalation and keeping the air inside is called Kumbhak and the slowly releasing of air through the nostrils is called Rechaka.

(v) The fifth stage of Raja Yoga is Vatra. For self-realization, activity is undesirable. Therefore, it is necessary to stop it. Connecting the mind with the sense centers is called Vatra. At this time, with the help of control of the senses, a person withdraws himself from the outside world and is prepared to realize the spiritual power within himself.

(vi) The next stage of Vatra, i.e. the sixth stage of Raja Yoga, is Kadapa or notion. Kadapa is the holding of the mind steadily at a particular point. At this time, only one part of the body is felt, excluding the other parts. For this reason, yogis imagine different types of luminous lotuses on different parts of the spine.

(vii) The seventh stage of Raja Yoga is Dhyana. When the idea is prolonged, it is called Dhyana. In this state, the power of the concentrated mind becomes concentrated on a particular point.

(viii) The next or last stage of Raja Yoga is Samadhi. The mind and the body become absorbed in the perception of the nervous movements and mental reactions. Gradually, the human mind reaches the level of consciousness beyond knowledge. Then this is called Samadhi. By realizing the power of the self, a person becomes a great sage.

4. Jnana Yoga:-

Jnana Yoga is considered the most difficult path. It requires extraordinary strength of will and intellect. Through the teachings of scriptures and Vedanta, people use their minds to explore their own nature. Apart from this, it has its own yoga of self-knowledge and its own method. To engage in this action, judging the profit and loss according to one's capacity, is Jnana Yoga. The ascetic of this path knows that, "Today I am in this state, later I will reach this position and then I will attain the form."
With such a thought, the Jnana Yogi engages in action. He himself becomes aware of his state. That is why they are called Jnana Margi.
The method of listening is called Arvan, remembering and analyzing is called Manana and meditation is called Nididhyasana. In the age of science, man is becoming a discerning or wise personality. The sharpness of the intellectual person is imminent. The path of philosophy is suitable or appropriate for keen intellectuals and is centered on the analysis of happiness, in this regard the Upanishads have an important contribution.

Deep thought begins on the truth that has been described and which has been logically accepted, this is Sadhana or deep meditation. This is the deep thought of Jnana Yoga. We can go deep into the mind through meditation and unravel the tangles of higher and higher levels. This is knowledge or realization. Jnana Yoga brings us to the nature through a process of inquiry and this results in the awakening of enlightened knowledge and expanded awareness.

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