Raja-yoga

Raja-yoga

"royal yoga", "royal path"

“Yoga that shines like a king among people and leads to the eternal higher Brahman is called Raja Yoga” (Amanaska Yoga, 2.4).

Raja Yoga is designed to achieve a deep trance state (samadhi); these are methods of working with consciousness that plays a fundamental role in yoga.

The main practices of Raja Yoga in the Nath Tradition include dharana on five elements, concentration on chakras, meditation on emptiness and nadanusandhana.

The practice of Raja Yoga is preceded by the highest sections of Hatha Yoga.

In “Hatha Yoga Pradipika”, Raja Yoga is described as the highest original state of unity, samadhi:

राजयोगः समाधिश्छ उन्मनी छ मनोन्मनी | अमरत्वं लयस्तत्त्वं शून्याशून्यं परं पदम || ३ ||
अमनस्कं तथाद्वैतं निरालम्बं निरञ्जनम | जीवन्मुक्तिश्छ सहजा तुर्या छेत्येक-वाछकाः || ४ ||

“Raja Yoga, samadhi, unmani, manonmani, amaratva, laya, tattva, shunya-ashunya, parampadam. [4.3]
Amanaska, advaita, niralamba, niranjana, jivanmukti, sahaja and turya – all these words have the same meaning. ”[4.4]

In the text “Amanaska Yoga”, Raja Yoga is described as Antar Yoga (inner yoga), which implies inner mudra (at the level of consciousness) as a reflection of the light of Shiva (Prakasha) in various forms of Shakti (Shambhavi):

"This mudra is the image of the Adishakti Uma; it arose from me." (Amanaska Yoga, 2.11)

In this union of emptiness and form, the highest state is revealed:

“By comprehending her [this vidya] and touching her, a person attains liberation along with twenty-one generations. Why talk about this again?” (Amanaska Yoga 4.13)