Attributes of a True Yogi Dhyana Yoga 8

In this Sloka,  the qualities of such a yogi who has realized God is described.

ञानविज्ञानतृप्तात्मा कूटस्थो विजितेन्द्रियः ।
युक्त इत्युच्यते योगी समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः ॥६- ८॥

GYaanaviGYaanatR^iptaatmaa kuuTastho vijitendriyaH
yukta ityuchyate yogii samaloshhTaashmakaa.nchanaH .. 6.8.

The yogi who completely understands God, who is unmoved under all circumstances, whose senses are fully under control and to whom, mud, stone and Gold are alike is called a God realized Soul.
GYaana viGYaana - wisdom and experience : tR^iptaatmaa - one who is full of  :kuuTasthaH - one who is unmoved under all circumstances : vijitendriyaH - one who has mastered his senses : sama loshhTaashmakaa.nchanaH - to whom mud, stone and gold are alike : yogi - such a yogi : yukta - God realized : iti uchyate - is spoken of

There are two explanations for the terms GYaana viGYaana. GYaana is the knowledge ofNirguna Brahma or the true knowledge of God, as being formless. ViGYaana is the knowledge of Saguna Brahma or the true knowledge of God as being formless, as well as with form and about all his activities. When there is an empty room with a person inside. GYaana is knowing that there is a person inside the room. ViGYaana is knowing that there is a person and there is emptiness. There is complete knowledge.

While, GYaana is knowledge, viGYaana is application of that knowledge or wisdom. When a child touches fire for the first time, it learns that fire will burn. This is GYaana. The next time it goes near fire, it will not touch it. This is viGYaana or wisdom gained from knowledge.

Once three men were walking in the forest when they got a lamp. When they rubbed the lamp, a genie came and said that it will grant each man one boon. The first man said, “make me 100 times smarter.” The genie agreed and the next minute, he became 100 times smarter and could do any calculation orally. The second man said, “make me 1000 times smarter”. The genie agreed and the next minute he was able to solve complex formulae orally. The third man said “make me a million times smarter”. The genie said, ” Why don’t you reconsider your request, you are asking something that will change your entire life”. The man was very determined and he insisted. The genie also agreed and the next minute, he became a woman!

So, when a person is filled with GYaana as well as viGYaana, it means that he has mastered everything and that there is nothing left for him to be do or know.

This is one of the qualifications of the yogi. The second qualification is kuTasthaH. Kuta is a block of iron on which things made of iron, silver or Gold are hammered into different shapes. The KuTa is like a catalyst, remains the same, although different objects come in contact with it and it is subjected to a lot of hammering. Similarly, these yogis remain the same in all circumstances.

The third qualification is vijitendriyaH. This means that they have full control of their senses. During their spiritual path, all aspirants try to control their senses which are responsible for all their feelings of love, hate, desires etc. When they reach this stage, they have controlled and won over their senses.

Finally they are described as samalostaasmakaanchanaH. This means that they treat mud or stone or gold as the same. This means that they do not show desire for those objects which are seen as precious or hate for those objects that are seen as worthless. This is because they know that these are all impermanent. They reside in God and know that God is present in all objects and so deal with all material objects in a detached fashion. That person who has all these qualities is said to be God realized.

In this verse, we talked about with how the yogis deal with various objects. In the next verse, we shall see their dealings with various people.

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