YOGA FOR HOLISTIC PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

(S SRIDHARAN, TRUSTEE, KRISHNAMACHARYA YOGA MANDIRAM, CHENNAI)

The ancient Indian model of human beings consists of the ‘five’ sheaths. They are ‘Annamaya’, ‘Pranamaya’, ‘Manomaya’, ‘Vigyanamaya’ and ‘Anandamaya’. ‘Annamaya’ represents that segment of the human system which is nourished by ‘anna’, i.e. food. ‘Pranamaya’ is that segment which is nourished by ‘prana’, i.e. ‘bio-energy’. ‘Manomaya’ is the segment nourished by ‘education’. ‘Vigyanamaya’ is nourished by ‘ego’ and ‘Anandamaya’ is the segment nourished by ‘emotions’.

Each of these five segments has a head, two wings, a body and a tail. ‘Vigyanamaya’ which represent our ‘individual personality’ has ‘shraddha (faith)’ as head, ‘rtham (righteousness)’ as right wing, ‘satyam (truth)’ as left wing, ‘yoga (meditation)’ as body and ‘mahat (source of all knowledge)’ as the tail. “Vigyanamaya” represents ‘Buddhi’ which is the ‘determinative knowledge’ or ‘intelligence’ of what has been learnt through the ‘Manomaya’.

This ‘Vigyanamaya’ is different from one to another and that is how the textual knowledge learnt is interpreted and practiced differently by different people. However, for the ‘Vigyanamaya’ to lead towards the right path, the most important factor is ‘Shraddha’, the faith in what one has learnt. It should be backed up with righteousness and truth in practice. For these to be firmly imbibed one should take to ‘Yoga’.

Today’s ills are on account of the fact that textual knowledge is segregated from the practice of ‘truth’. The university education lacks ‘Shraddha’ and that causes the mind to act in ‘sinful’ ways. It has become a common scene to see how highly educated individuals take to violence and deceitful ways.

A holistic approach in personality development, in this context, would mean a proper development in all the five maya-s. Any practice should aim at developing the maya-s simultaneously well and work in harmony.

Yoga is aptly fitted because its tools are varied and integrated. ‘Asana’ practice for ‘Annamaya’, ‘Pranayama’ for ‘Pranamaya’, ‘Svadhyaya’ or study of scriptures for ‘Manomaya’ and ‘Vigyanamaya’ and ‘Isvarapranidhana’ for ‘Anandamaya’.

While the practice for everyone could differ from one to another, there are some ancient methods which have been handed over from time immemorial. One such practice, which aims at ‘holistic personality development’ is the ‘Sandhyavandanam’ the prayer to Sun practiced during the twilight time.

The word ‘Sandhyavandanam’ is split as ‘sandhya+vandanam’. ‘Sandhya” is the name of ‘Sun God’ and ‘Vandanam’ means to ‘prostrate’. There are at least 22 steps, which has ‘asana’ ‘pranayama’ ‘nyasa’ ‘mudra’ and ‘japa’.

There are a number of vedic mantra-s used in the ‘Sandhyavandanam’, but the main mantra which is used for ‘japa’ is ‘Gayatri Mantra’.

The ‘Gayatri Mantra’ is “Om bhurbhuvassuvah tatsaviturvareniyam bhargodevasyadehimahi dhiyoyonapprachodayat”

The brief meaning is “Let me meditate on the effulgence of the Supreme Being in the Sun, which kindles our intellect.”

The concept behind this Mantra meaning is that all our actions lead us to happiness or sorrow and behind the actions is the intellect. If the intellect is clear and is bereft of the impurities of selfishness, greed and lust, our actions will always lead us to happiness.

Sun is considered as the ‘visible God’ (pratyaksha devata) the provider of life to the Universe. Sun is responsible for all the development in the Universe.

The highest knowledge is that which takes one towards the Supreme Being and that is ‘Brahma Vidya’. The best form of meditation which qualifies one for enquiry into the Supreme Being is Sandhyavandanam.

The holistic development should aim at making human being divine. Such a development will make one realize divinity in himself and in every aspect of the Universe at large. There is total love and that brings the eternal peace.