Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri was the spiritual guru of the famous Paramahansa Yogananda and himself a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya, who is credited with the rejuvenation of Kriya Yoga in the modern world. Much like Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Yukteswarji also met the eternal Babaji by chance and it was Babaji who requested him to write a book which would bring out the essential unity between the Christian and Hindu scriptures. Swamiji then wrote a short book named Kaivalyadarshanam in Sanskrit and "The Holy Science" in English. Short the book indeed is - in length, but in depth of knowledge and clarity, it is of an unsurpassable kind. Sri Yukteswar was, according to Paramahansa Yogananda, one of the greatest and completely self-realized masters, who even resurrected himself some time after his death to explain to Swami Yogananda the details of his post-earth work on subtler spiritual planets.
In the introduction itself, Swami Yukteswarji demonstrates his unsurpassable understanding of astrology by declaring that the book is being written in the 194th year of the Dwapara Yuga - i.e., we are not living in Kali Yuga as mostly believed in by Hindus. Each Yuga (period) is associated with some general level of spiritual development, although individuals can quicken their progress in any period with proper guidance and practice. The Yugas are governed by the Sun's movement around its "dual" over cycles of 24,000 years, and each cycle is split into 4 major types of periods. Additionally, the suns and solar systems also move around the Vishnunabhi, which is supposed to be the seat of the creative power of Brahma in the universe. When the sun (with its solar system) reaches closest to Vishnunabhi, the world reaches the peak of general spiritual development. This age is called Satya Yuga, and lasts for 8/20th of the cycle. For 3/20th of the cycle each before and after Satya Yuga, the world goes into Treta Yuga, in which people in general understand the "divine magnetism" in all electrical forces. Prior to and after this come the Dwapara age, in which man can comprehend electrical forces, but not the higher magnetism or deepest spiritual mysteries (which are known in the Treta and Satya Yugas respectively). The fourth period is Kali Yuga, which happens when the sun is farthest from the Vishnunabhi in its cycle of 24,000 years. This Kali phase lasts for only 2/20th of the cycle, but is the cycle where man in general only knows the grossest physical realities and does not even know the electrical forces well. According to Swamiji, the widespread belief that we are still in Kali Yuga is based on an astrological mis-calculation, and the error happened because when King Yudhishthira retired with his brothers to the forests (presumably other learned courtiers retired with him too), there remained no one with the correct understanding of these details of astrology in the courts. From there on, this error has persisted in the calendars of the Hindus, creating the belief that we are still in Kali Yuga. Actually, we live in Dwapara.
In the introduction itself, Swami Yukteswarji demonstrates his unsurpassable understanding of astrology by declaring that the book is being written in the 194th year of the Dwapara Yuga - i.e., we are not living in Kali Yuga as mostly believed in by Hindus. Each Yuga (period) is associated with some general level of spiritual development, although individuals can quicken their progress in any period with proper guidance and practice. The Yugas are governed by the Sun's movement around its "dual" over cycles of 24,000 years, and each cycle is split into 4 major types of periods. Additionally, the suns and solar systems also move around the Vishnunabhi, which is supposed to be the seat of the creative power of Brahma in the universe. When the sun (with its solar system) reaches closest to Vishnunabhi, the world reaches the peak of general spiritual development. This age is called Satya Yuga, and lasts for 8/20th of the cycle. For 3/20th of the cycle each before and after Satya Yuga, the world goes into Treta Yuga, in which people in general understand the "divine magnetism" in all electrical forces. Prior to and after this come the Dwapara age, in which man can comprehend electrical forces, but not the higher magnetism or deepest spiritual mysteries (which are known in the Treta and Satya Yugas respectively). The fourth period is Kali Yuga, which happens when the sun is farthest from the Vishnunabhi in its cycle of 24,000 years. This Kali phase lasts for only 2/20th of the cycle, but is the cycle where man in general only knows the grossest physical realities and does not even know the electrical forces well. According to Swamiji, the widespread belief that we are still in Kali Yuga is based on an astrological mis-calculation, and the error happened because when King Yudhishthira retired with his brothers to the forests (presumably other learned courtiers retired with him too), there remained no one with the correct understanding of these details of astrology in the courts. From there on, this error has persisted in the calendars of the Hindus, creating the belief that we are still in Kali Yuga. Actually, we live in Dwapara.
The book is divided into four sections which are named "The Gospel", "The Goal", "The Procedure" and "The Revelation" respectively. I will not go into all here. However, I would like to mention the short first chapter (The Gospel) with 18 sutras in Sanskrit and simple explanations in English by Swamiji himself. It is a
very conscise, yet very clear exposition of the basic building blocks of the universe. As Swamiji says, we need to understand creation to understand ourselves. Here is the story of this Gospel, or whatever I got of it.
Within the everlasting, complete Brahma (Sat or God), reside the omniscient feeling and love on the one hand (chit) and the source of all power and joy on the other hand (ananda). Ananda creates the four primary ideas - vibration (Aum or Amen), atoms, space and time. Vibration (or the Word), is thus the beginning of creation. It brings the idea of change and time with it. The atoms which result are collectively called Maya (illusion) and individually called Avidya (or ignorance). Have you ever seen a simpler explanation of the term Avidya (ignorance)? It is the idea of division, which typically pulls us away from the source of creation and the creator.
The omniscient love or knowledge aspect (called Kutastha Chaitanya, Purushottama or the Holy Ghost or its reflection - purusha) attracts all of Maya back towards God, but the individualized atoms cannot fully receive the spiritual light. The spiritualized atom then acquires a polarity - one pole pulling it away from God
and the other pulling it towards. The spiritualized pole is called intelligence (buddhi) and the other is called mind (manas), which contains in itself the extreme idea of separate existence (ego or ahamkara) too.
very conscise, yet very clear exposition of the basic building blocks of the universe. As Swamiji says, we need to understand creation to understand ourselves. Here is the story of this Gospel, or whatever I got of it.
Within the everlasting, complete Brahma (Sat or God), reside the omniscient feeling and love on the one hand (chit) and the source of all power and joy on the other hand (ananda). Ananda creates the four primary ideas - vibration (Aum or Amen), atoms, space and time. Vibration (or the Word), is thus the beginning of creation. It brings the idea of change and time with it. The atoms which result are collectively called Maya (illusion) and individually called Avidya (or ignorance). Have you ever seen a simpler explanation of the term Avidya (ignorance)? It is the idea of division, which typically pulls us away from the source of creation and the creator.
The omniscient love or knowledge aspect (called Kutastha Chaitanya, Purushottama or the Holy Ghost or its reflection - purusha) attracts all of Maya back towards God, but the individualized atoms cannot fully receive the spiritual light. The spiritualized atom then acquires a polarity - one pole pulling it away from God
and the other pulling it towards. The spiritualized pole is called intelligence (buddhi) and the other is called mind (manas), which contains in itself the extreme idea of separate existence (ego or ahamkara) too.
The spiritualized atom (chitta) has five "aura electricities" (vikaars). As per Swamiji, that there are 5 different electricities is clear from the fact that the 5 sense organs carry only their own kind of impulses. Therefore, there is something different about the currents of sight versus those of sound, say. These 5 electricities constitute the causal body (kaarana sharira) of the purusha. The manifestation of these 5 electricities happens via the three "gunas" or attributes - positive (sattwa), negative (tamas) and neutralizing (rajas).
Therefore there are 15 manifestations of the pancha tattwas as the five electricities are called. Through sattwa, they appear as the sense organs, through tamas, they appear as objects of the five sense organs and through rajas, they appear as the organs of action. These 15 elements, coupled with mind and intelligence as the two poles constitute the subtle body of the purusha. The five objects of senses (called tanmatras) further combine and form the ideas of basic elements, called solids, liquids, fire, gases and ether. Adding chitta (here meaning the power of feeling in the spiritualized atom) and ahankara (ego) to the list and including the 17 elements described above completes the 24 basic principles of creation. These are the 24 elders mentioned in Revelations in the Bible.
The next few sutras mention the seven heavens and the seven "churches" within the body and state that a direct perception of the reality of these subtle aspects can be given to aspirants with the aid of the guru (spiritual teacher) and bhakti yoga (devotion). The chapter is closed by stating that kaivalya (aloneness or freedom) is attained when the oneness of the individual self (aatman) and the universal self (paramaatman) is realized.
Throughout the book, Sri Yukteswarji has quoted from the Bible to support his comments and explanations and to bring out the idea that the essence of these scriptures is actually one. These ideas can be used to further strengthen and deepen our meditations.
Sadanand Tutakne
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