The triple yoga-tapasya of Aswapati
consists of the Individual, the Universal, and the Transcendental. By the first
his soul is released from the sway of Ignorance. That brings about the first
spiritual change of his life and mind and body. He then acquires the secret
knowledge of the working of Nature, the play of Purusha and Prakriti, Purusha remaining
quiescent and Prakriti carrying out all the activities, by quiescence he giving
consent to her to do the work of preparatory progress in the evolution of
higher kind, “to evoke a person in the impersonal Void and with the Truth-Light
strike earth’s massive roots of trance”. The functionality is towards the
veiled divinity throwing off the veil and manifesting itself in the world. With
this secret knowledge Aswapati is now poised to read Nature’s correspondence
with the soul and the nature of the dark Agreement by which everything is ruled
here at the moment. He must grasp its full significance if he has to alter the
clauses present in it. He is seized by a tremendous will and raises his eyes to
unseen spiritual heights. What does he see there, on those unseen spiritual
heights? He sees that his Self is above Nature, the Master who can bend Nature
according to his will. He discovers a giant order and the transcendental light
shows him the Transcendental’s play in this creation. He walks on the splendid
and swift ways of the larger Nature, walks in the ease of Para Prakriti. There is
the complete freedom of the spirit and, untouched and unaffected by the forces
of Ignorance he sets himself on the path of the Universal and Transcendental
Yoga. The Path of Ascent begins and he moves on it with the strength and speed
of the eagle-wings. He becomes an adventurer breaking into cosmic Space and
Time.
This development of the Yoga of the
Individual can be summarized as follows.
I: 3 The Yoga of the King: The Yoga of the Soul’s Release
The divine Goddess takes mortal
birth. She is in a way compelled to do that. She comes as Savitri in answer to
Aswapati’s prayer. In the context of the creation’s issue he carries with him
the world’s desire and invokes her to incarnate. For that he engages himself in
the triple Yoga, the Individual, the Universal, and the Transcendental Yoga.
This Yoga is done in earth-consciousness to prepare the needed base for her
birth and action. Aswapati himself as the Supreme incarnate accepts the burden.
First he releases himself from Nature’s hold. He finds the source from which
his spirit came, knows his larger self and becomes one with all. But there is
the ingrained reluctance in the earthly stuff. He must discover its cause and
remove it. He does it. Now his body’s parts also open to higher things, to greater
light. With the soul’s release Aswapati has achieved everything as an
individual. There must now come the spirit’s freedom from all contingencies.
A king-yogi willed her rush in the
earth-clime,
Bright waters of her divinising
force.
From a homeland of the truth, the
right, the vast
Down the gold-white rays descended
the sun;
It quickened a splendid fire on the
altar
Of fate, the elemental ignorance.
An ancient sacrifice released his
soul
And in a swift lunge tearing
nature’s bond
Sped abroad horses of spirit’s energies.
A vision grew wider than the
universe
And the unknowable’s script became
distinct.
Aloof he climbed heaven’s ascending
slopes.
I: 4 The Secret Knowledge
But perhaps there is a purpose in
the Spirit submitting itself to Nature’s law, Being to the law of Becoming,
Purusha obeying Prakriti. It is through her mechanics that this stubborn
inconscient stuff can slowly gain awareness. Though not herself divine
presently, she is planned divinely. This truth has to be found and the intention
yogically worked out. Aswapati is therefore engaged in the Yoga of Knowledge of
the Time-Born Man. He now gets a new vision of himself and of the world. He may
not be yet aware of the goal fixed for him, not know whether he is going to
reach just the featureless unseen or discover a new mind and body in the city
of
Concealed the spirit’s immensities
lie
And nature is all, nursing the age-old
grief.
On life’s tree time has built her
nest of pain
And as the eternal’s guard there
stands death.
But her vision and work aim at
heaven-fire
A-kindled in this terrestrial
murkiness.
An invisible presence prompts her
movements
Even as in the mute trance of
matter
Through dimness of her eyes looks
out the sun.
Slowly the discoverer voyages on
seas
Reaching calm waters across the
cosmic shores
Where under the horned moon is
adrift his barge.
I: 5 The Yoga of the King: The Yoga of the Spirit’s Freedom and
Greatness
Aswapati first has the knowledge
about the possibilities waiting for the time-born man. He has read the secret
Vedic text and deciphered the significance of the great world rhythms. He sees
a hidden sun even in the depth of darkness. His will now assumes superhuman
dimensions and it can bring down a greater world. But he also discerns the gulf
between what is and what is to be. He withdraws from everything and in silent
mind hears the call. A Descent leaps down and there is a new change. Nothing
now remains sealed to his sight. Where could abide only for a while the
heavenlier states, there is no more resistance of the lower members. Nature is
mastered and the exploration of her vast provinces begins. His present Raj
Yoga, the Yoga of the King, has to be raised to the Cosmic Yoga, Vishva Yoga,
and finally to the Yoga of Surrender to the Divine Mother.
In the murky cave awoke the god of
sleep
Who builds in trance the starry
worlds of dream,
And Aswapati understood their
meaning
And the spiritual sense in material
things,
Grasped the will that works behind
halting fate.
A
Flooding his mortality with
supernal light.
In the listening depth of his heart
he heard
Sounds that lead movements of the
heavenly spheres,
Voices that disclose the cosmic
secrecies.
He entered into wide excellent
realms
And lived in the day of the undying
spirit.