Liberation, Language, and Reality in Vijñānabhikṣu’s Yoga Sāra Saṅgraha
Mokṣa and Divergences from Sāṅkhya
In the Kaivalya Pāda, Vijñānabhikṣu discusses mokṣa—liberation—as the cessation of suffering. While his thought is rooted in the Sāṅkhya-Yoga tradition, he diverges from classical Sāṅkhya in significant ways. Across Indian philosophical systems, mokṣa, kaivalya, or samādhi is seen not as gaining something new, but as removing obstacles to what already exists—much like a clay pot that defines a space by its boundaries, yet does not create the space itself.
Liberation in Different Philosophical Traditions
Dvaita and Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta envision mokṣa as entrance into Vaikuṇṭha-loka, a non-material (aprākṛta) realm where the liberated soul experiences divine bliss in a disembodied state. In contrast, Advaita Vedānta denies the ultimate reality of an individual soul and conceives mokṣa as realizing the non-dual identity of ātman and Brahman.
Vijñānabhikṣu, however, asserts that liberation transcends happiness and unhappiness entirely. The liberated being is beyond all dualities—including pleasure and pain. At the time of mokṣa, the guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas) depart from the soul, leaving it in its pure, free state.
Shabda and the Nature of Language
Vijñānabhikṣu offers an intricate account of śabda (sound) and meaning. He describes four levels of speech:
Parā – the subtlest level, the innate potential of speech. It is this level that enables children to absorb any language they are exposed to.
Madhyamā – the mental process that chooses tone, words, and intention.
Paśyantī – the decision-making faculty that selects the language: Sanskrit, English, German, etc.
Vaikharī – the gross level of articulation, dealing with pronunciation.
Sounds produced at the vaikharī level travel through space and must be correctly received by the listener. This involves accurate hearing, clear cognition, and correct interpretation of each syllable.
The Theory of Sphoṭa
Vijñānabhikṣu supports the sphoṭa theory—that a sudden "burst" or flash of meaning arises in the listener when a word or phrase is fully grasped. This view is debated within Indian philosophy, but it holds central importance due to the oral transmission of nearly all Indian knowledge systems. The proper pronunciation and understanding of śabda are considered sacred acts.
Among all sounds, the most fundamental is Omkāra (AUM), the primordial vibration at the heart of all language and consciousness.
Antaḥkaraṇa and Its Size
The antaḥkaraṇa—the internal organ comprising mind, intellect, and ego—is said to persist across births. Indian thinkers have long debated its size. Three categories are accepted: atomic (aṇu), medium-sized, and all-pervasive (vibhu). That which is destructible lies in the middle. The permanent must be either atomic or all-pervasive.
Some argue that the antaḥkaraṇa is atomic, yet question how such a minute entity could coordinate all bodily functions and sensory experiences. The metaphor of eating a maśālā dosa illustrates this: as one eats, all senses are engaged simultaneously—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. For an atomic entity to manage this would require impossible speed.
Vijñānabhikṣu rejects the atomic view, asserting instead that the antaḥkaraṇa is vibhu—all-pervading, existing throughout the body and beyond, at all times.
On Time (Kāla)
Vijñānabhikṣu concludes his treatise by examining kāla (time). Is time real in itself, or is it a mental construct imposed for convenience? The Nyāya and Vaiśeṣika schools affirm time’s objective and permanent reality. Vijñānabhikṣu agrees—kāla is not merely conceptual but a real and separate element of existence. Despite endless human disputes, all agree on time’s measurements—like 24 hours in a day—indicating its foundational role in human understanding of reality.
Conclusion
This final lesson of Vijñānabhikṣu’s Yoga Sāra Saṅgraha reveals the depth and breadth of Indian philosophical inquiry. Whether discussing liberation, the nature of sound, the debate over internal faculties, or the reality of time, every concept is probed with rigor and reverence. Vijñānabhikṣu’s synthesis—drawing from Sāṅkhya, Yoga, Vedānta, and linguistic philosophy—presents a nuanced vision of the spiritual path that values experience, reason, and the eternal search for truth.
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