KAIVALYA
Kaivalya in the Sanatana Dharmic (eternal order and righteousness) tradition represents kevala,
or solitude, or aloneness. It is the state of absolute liberation, or ultimate
spiritual freedom. It is a state when the Yogi becomes conscious that "I
have no connections. I am Kevala Purusha," says
Swami Sivananda. He affirms that kaivalya is Nirguna, Para Brahman, and Ananta consciousness, the Highest end of human life.
It
refers to Self-realisation, or the realisation
of the Self.
Kaivalya refers to "absolute oneness,
aloneness, perfect detachment, and freedom". Swami Sivananda affirms that Kaivalya
(perfect independence) comes when the Gunas (tendencies, qualities, and attributes),
or modes of existence" devoid of
motive, become latent. Or the power of consciousness gets established in its
own nature. On the equality of purity between Purusha
(Supreme Consciousness) and Sattva (mode of goodness)
comes Kaivalya.
It
is used by Patañjali and others in the yoga tradition to name the goal and
fulfilment of yoga, the state of complete detachment from transmigration. It is
virtually synonymous with moksha, or liberation. In kaivalya,
the individual transcends the cycle of birth and death and attains a state of
complete self-realisation and liberation. It is a state of pure consciousness
and freedom where the practitioner realises their true nature and experiences a
sense of oneness with the divine or universal consciousness. It heightens the
perceiver’s ability to perceive the ātman (inner spirit or
inner self) and be conscious of the Self. Kaivalya is closely
related to the concepts of self-realisation, consciousness, sannyāsa
or renunciation, and moksha, or liberation. It
catalyses the elevation process to transcend the cycle of samsāra
(birth and death) and attain union with the Supreme Brahman,
or the Supreme Being. It represents a state of profound realisation
of one's nature as pure consciousness of the self, transcending the
limitations of the body-mind-intellect complex.
1. Outline
Kaivalya is deeply rooted in the
philosophy and spiritual traditions of Sanatan Dharma and, more
particularly, in the school of yoga known as Raja
Yoga. Kaivalya is primarily associated with the Yoga
Sutras of Patanjali. According to Patanjali, kaivalya
is the highest state of consciousness and the ultimate goal of yoga practise.
It is a state of complete detachment and freedom from all forms of bondage,
where the individual soul realises its true nature and merges with the
universal consciousness. It refers to the state of absolute liberation or
emancipation achieved through the practise of Yoga.
Kaivalya represents the ultimate goal of Yoga,
which is the isolation or detachment of purusha, or individual
consciousness, from prakriti, or the material
world, and the cessation of all vrittis, or mental
modifications.
According
to Swami Krishnananda, kaivalya
means oneness. In Sanskrit, kevala means absolutely
independent, absolutely one—single—and kaivalya is the condition
of being alone. Moksha is liberation, or
freedom. The freedom that is attained by being absolutely alone in one's own
universal nature is called kaivalya moksha. It is
towards this end that consciousness is driven by the experience of dharma-megha
samādhi.
In
the philosophy of yoga, kaivalya is attained
through intense spiritual practise, self-discipline, and self-realisation. The
practise of yoga aims to quiet the mind, control the senses, and ultimately
transcend the limitations of the ego. By achieving a state of deep meditation
and self-awareness, one can experience the unity of the ātman
with the Brahman, or supreme consciousness, and attain kaivalya.
It manifests the highest realisation of human potential and is the ultimate aim
of spiritual seekers in the Sanatana Dharma tradition.
Kaivalya is often equated with other
spiritual concepts such as moksha (liberation),
nirvana (enlightenment), vairagya (detachment), or samādhi
(union with the divine).
Kaivalya represents the ultimate goal
of spiritual liberation and union with the divine, whereas vairagya
is a means to achieve that goal. Kaivalya is the state of
absolute realisation and transcendence, while vairagya
is the practise of cultivating detachment as a stepping stone towards that
state.
Moksha, or liberation, is release from the cycle of samsāra (birth and death) and the attainment of ultimate spiritual liberation. It encompasses a more comprehensive understanding of liberation that can be attained through various paths, including Jñāna, or knowledge; Bhakti, or devotion; Karma, or selfless duties; and Dhyāna, or meditation. It represents the highest goal of human existence, where one breaks free from the cycle of rebirth and achieves union with the divine, or attains a state of supreme bliss, knowledge, and freedom. It is a state beyond all suffering, desires, and limitations, where the individual realises their true nature as an eternal and divine being. It is the transmigration of a soul through the endless pangs of birth and death towards its final migration into Supreme Consciousness. Light is the manifestation of divine light and consciousness in all of its manifestations where there is no sun or moon, says Srimad Bhagavad Gita.
While both kaivalya and nirvāna represent states of liberation and the transcendence of suffering, they arise from different philosophical and spiritual traditions. Kaivalya is rooted in the Yoga philosophy of Patanjali, emphasising the practise of Yoga to attain self-realisation and union with the divine. Nirvāna, on the other hand, is a key concept in Buddhism, highlighting the cessation of suffering and the realisation of ultimate truth and liberation through the path of the Buddha's teachings. In Buddhism, nirvāna is not seen as a transcendental state or union with a divine entity but rather as the realisation of the true nature of reality and the cessation of the causes of suffering. It is also a fundamental aspect of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, which form the core teachings of Bhagwan Buddha. The Dhammapada says all desires driven by the senses bring only sorrow.
2.
Scriptures
Scriptures are considered sacred texts of Sanatana Dharma with epistemic authority that hold significant importance for culture, society, traditions, and the ways of life of the people. These also serve as valuable sources of wisdom, guidance, and inspiration for people’s lives, denominations, and societal order and organisation. The Scriptures are revered for their teachings on duty, righteousness, and the nature of reality. It is a way to discover the inner self, or self-knowledge. It discovers a way for life processes to be based on righteousness, truthfulness, virtue, honesty, asceticism, forbearance, humility, purity, chastity, and a steady demeanour. The scriptures’ mention of kaivalya is also affirmed in the Upanishads, the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, the Srimad Bhagavatam, and related other scriptures of Sanatan Dharma. In the Upanishads, which are considered the philosophical culmination of the Vedas, Kaivalya is often described as the realisation of the Self, the ātman (inner self or inner spirit) within every being and not the objects outside. It is also to become conscious of Brahman, the Imperishable Reality, the spaceless, timeless, and Absolute Being, so says Swami Krishnananda. It is a state of transcendence beyond the cycle of birth and death, where the individual soul breaks free from the illusions of the material world.
The
Muktika Upanishad (sloka 1.18–29) mentions in
the dialogue between Sri Rama and Hanuman that Kaivalya
is the most superior form of Moksha. It is the essence
of all Upanishads, higher than the four types of Mukti (liberation), namely: Salokya,
Saameepya, Sarupya, and Sayujya. Kaivalya means
"solitude," "detachment," or "isolation," or the
isolation of purusha from prakriti.
Srimad Bhagavatam says that out of three kinds of men—the karmīs,
jñānīs and bhaktas—the bhakta
is described herein as the most exalted. Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī has
sung, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate
(Caitanya-candrāmṛta). The word kaivalya
means to merge into the effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and
the word tridaśa-pūr refers to the heavenly planets
where the demigods live. Thus, for a devotee, kaivalya-sukha,
or merging into the existence of the Lord, is hellish because the bhakta
considers it suicidal to lose his individuality and merge into the effulgence
of Brahman.
In
the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, kaivalya is referred to as
moksha, or liberation. It is presented as the
ultimate aim of spiritual practise and the path to eternal bliss and union with
the divine. The Bhagavad Gita says that those who take shelter in Me, striving
for liberation from old age and death, come to know the Brahman, the individual
self, and the entire field of karmic action.
Bhagavad Gita emphasises the importance of self-realisation, self-discipline, and the
renunciation of worldly attachments as means to attain kaivalya.
The self-controlled yogi, thus uniting the self with God, becomes
free from material contamination and, being in constant touch with the Supreme,
achieves the highest state of perfect happiness.
3.
Remarks
Kaivalya represents the highest state
of spiritual attainment in Sanatana Dharma,
characterised by the realisation of one's true nature, liberation from the
cycle of birth and death, and union with the divine or universal consciousness.
It is a state of absolute freedom, bliss, and transcendence, which is
considered the ultimate goal of human life according to the philosophy of Sanatana Dharma.
It's
noteworthy that kaivalya is a complex and
profound concept. Therefore, different interpretations and perspectives may
exist regarding its nature and attainment.
-Asutosh Satpathy
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