Pratyahara in Various Yogic Practices With Special Reference to Pashupata Yoga
Ordinary layman considers Āsana and Prāṇāyāma as the forte of Yoga. The field of Pratyāhāra
is not very popular and has remained unexplored by the researchers despite its huge importance
in the path of spiritual transition. Moreover, most of the scriptural texts are in Saṃskṛta which
cannot be grasped by me which obstructed my own further exploration. This prompted me to
take up the chosen subject in order to make it more accessible to the ordinary layman so that
they derive some knowledge in the field of Yoga and also gain benefits by practicing
Pratyāhāra in a small measure on a daily basis even in this era. Yoga is a systematic and
scientific process that helps in the manifestation of divinity within the humans. In fact, anything
that helps them reveal the best in them is Yoga. As stated by my Gurudeva, Swāmī Amarānanda
Saraswatī, the benefits of Pratyāhāra, as one of the limbs of Yoga, is seen vividly when it is
used as a tool to conquer our habits which improves our health and living mode. Pratyāhāra
genuinely indicates the proper utilization of the sensory organs by neither spoiling them nor
forcing them to run amuck behind the sensory objects but to use them in normal truthful way
just like the honey bees which sucks only nectar leaving aside everything else.
The sense organs should not be pampered but hammered and trained through Abhyāsa
(persistent efforts) and Vicāra (right thoughts) to pave the way towards righteousness for the
benefit of the body and the mind. Pratyāhāra in Yoga is not a process to be learnt. It is needed
to be used constantly to alert consciousness. Yogic Sādhanā begins at the age of six, when the
children are being sent to Gurukul or schools. Pratyāhāra aims at learning the discipline of
what is good or bad from this very tender age. Lord Kr̟ s̟n̟a who is called Yogeśwara, the master
of Yoga asserted that to be a Sthita Prajn̄a or equipoised in both success and failure, one has to
be like a Kūrma or tortoise which retracts its paws when confronting an obstacle. This itself is
seen in Pratyāhāra. To achieve this state, one requires adamantine will power, tenacity,
truthfulness and sincere dedication toward the final achievement of goal. This helps in uniting
the individual soul with the Cosmic Soul. Through this thesis, an attempt has been made to
delve deeply into the nuances of Pratyāhāra. Pratyāhāra helps in subduing the sense organs
and makes the mind calm. This ultimately helps in reaching the goal of Yoga.
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