Patanjali Yoga Sutra — duḥkha daurmanasyāṅgamejayatva śvāsapraśvāsā vikṣepasahabhuvaḥ॥1.31॥
दुःख दौर्मनस्याङ्गमेजयत्व श्वासप्रश्वासा विक्षेपसहभुवः॥
Four more impediments crawl into sādhana, along with nine obstacles mentioned.
It is something like snow-ball effect. Collateral to nine obstacles discussed above, four outcome barriers would affect the yogasādhaka, spoiling his sādhana.
- Duḥkha: Stuck by misery or grief and hence adversely affecting the sādhana.
- Daurmanasya: Meloncholy, sādhaka hates oneself and one’s sādhana, thus sādhana comes to a standstill or declines.
- Aṅgamejayatva: Inability to control the shaky body, thus sādhana is affected.
- Śvāsapraśvāsā Vikṣepa: Arythmic breathing leading to imbalanced mind thus sādhana is adversely affected.
Then, what is the solution? How to overcome these barricades? Bhagavān says any kind of low tendency can be overcome by dispassion and spiritual practices (Verse 6.36), and gives following solution in a broader perspective:
उद्दरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्।
आत्मैवह्यात्मनो बान्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥गीता ६.५॥
uddaredātmanātmānaṁ nātmānamavasādayet |
ātmaivahyātmano bāndhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ ॥Gītā 6.5॥
Sādhaka should fortify, reinforce and uplift him by himself (by his own sādhana). Should neither condemn himself nor his own sādhana. Because, one (Jīvātma or Individual Self) is friend as well as enemy for oneself.
This a marvelous message from greatest of the yogis, Vāsudeva. Use or you loose. Use your inherent potentials or you might loose them. Man is endowed with fabulous buddhi which other animals lack. Use this intellect and inbuilt powers for your own upliftment. ‘I help only those who can help themselves’, says Bhagavān. Self help is the best help. A door can be used both for entry or for exit. Even the Guru, spiritual leaders, religious guides, Brahmajñānis, Maharṣis, etc, might show us only the path to realization. But it is upto the sādhakas to strive harder and harder for such spiritual upliftment. If a seed is sown into soil, it is not the end of it. But in fact, it is an opportunity to sprout. A gardener might sow, plant a seed or seedling, remove weeds, water the seedling/plant, put manure, fence it, etc. But it is upto the seed to sprout, grow into a plant by using all the infrastructure provided.
Life may not deliver good fortunes alone. It is a blend of good and bad. But a wise converts the bad into his advantage and uses them as stepping stones to achieve growth and success.
A wonderful anecdote: A donkey fell into a deep trough. The owner tried his best to bring him out but failed. Finally he thought, ‘donkey must have been badly damaged and he might not be useful even if I succeed in pulling him out’. He ordered his assistant to fill the trough with soil and seal it. He went home. After a few hours, to his surprise, he saw the donkey waiting near his door. On his enquiry with this assistant, he was told that when soil was thrown on the donkey, he would shake off the body and climb over. Gradually the trough was completely filled with soil and donkey safely climbed up. A real life-threat had been successfully changed by the donkey into a life-saving technique!
बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः।
अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत्॥गीता ६.६॥
bandhurātmātmanastasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ|
anātmanastu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat ॥Gītā 6.6॥
When Jīvātma or Individual Self has conquered one’s own senses, mind and corporeal body, for him, Self is really a friend. But for the one who could not subdue, it is a hostile foe or an intimidating enemy.
When the senses are under control, man enjoys the life and he displays utmost restraint in his behavior. Success or failure does not bother him. On the other hand, if senses dominate and control him, he becomes a slave to them. He fails to exhibit courage to face failures. We see many such characters committing suicides, not being able to endure with the disappointments, because as Bhagavān has stated in the above said Verse, his own Self is an antagonist to him, if not properly used.
