4

In Patañjala Yoga Sutras II.27, there is stated that

tasya saptadhā prānta-bhūmiḥ prajña

In his case the highest stage of Enlightenment is reached by seven stages.

So my question is, which are those 7 bhumikas? In which scriptures they are good explained?

some translation say II.27 as

One’s wisdom in the final stage is sevenfold. [One experiences the end of 1) desire to know anything more; 2) desire to stay away from any thing; 3) desire to gain anything new; 4) desire to do anything; 5) sorrow; 6) fear; 7) delusion.]

http://yogasutrastudy.info/yoga-sutra-translations/ysp-sutras2-21-2-40/

Is there some 7 bhumikas correlation on vedanta?

2 Answers 2

4

Yes, Swami Vivekananda in his Commentary (also known as RajaYoga) on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras explained all these 7 bhumikas:

तस्य सप्तधा प्रान्तभूमिः प्रज्ञा।।2.27।।

  1. His knowledge is of the sevenfold highest ground.

When this knowledge comes; it will come, as it were, in seven grades, one after the other; and when one of these begins, we know that we are getting knowledge.

  • The first to appear will be that we have known what is to be known. The mind will cease to be dissatisfied. While we are aware of thirsting after knowledge, we begin to seek here and there, wherever we think we can get some truth, and failing to find it we become dissatisfied and seek in a fresh direction. All search is vain, until we begin to perceive that knowledge is within ourselves, that no one can help us, that we must help ourselves. When we begin to practise the power of discrimination, the first sign that we are getting near truth will be that that dissatisfied state will vanish. We shall feel quite sure that we have found the truth, and that it cannot be anything else but the truth. Then we may know that the sun is rising, that the morning is breaking for us, and taking courage, we must persevere until the goal is reached.
  • The second grade will be the absence of all pains. It will be impossible for anything in the universe, external or internal, to give us pain.
  • The third will be the attainment of full knowledge. Omniscience will be ours.
  • The fourth will be the attainment of the end of all duty through discrimination.
  • Next will come what is called freedom of the Chitta. We shall realise that all difficulties and struggles, all vacillations of the mind, have fallen down, just as a stone rolls from the mountain top into the valley and never comes up again.
  • The next will be that the Chitta itself will realise that it melts away into its causes whenever we so desire.
  • Lastly we shall find that we are established in our Self, that we have been alone throughout the universe, neither body nor mind was ever related, much less joined, to us. They were working their own way, and we, through ignorance, joined ourselves to them. But we have been alone, omnipotent, omnipresent, ever blessed; our own Self was so pure and perfect that we required none else. We required none else to make us happy, for we are happiness itself. We shall find that this knowledge does not depend on anything else; throughout the universe there can be nothing that will not become effulgent before our knowledge. This will be the last state, and the Yogi will become peaceful and calm, never to feel any more pain, never to be again deluded, never to be touched by misery. He will know he is ever blessed, ever perfect, almighty.

We can also find those mentioned in Vyasa's Bhashya:

भाष्य

।।2.27।। तस्येति प्रत्युदितख्यातेः प्रत्याम्नायः। सप्तधेति अशुद्ध्यावरणमलापगमाच्चित्तस्य प्रत्ययान्तरानुत्पादे सति सप्तप्रकारैव प्रज्ञा विवेकिनो भवति।

Com:—" For him" refers to one who has discriminative knowledge. "Seven-fold"-On the removal of the enveloping impurities of Buddhi, no further cognition being brought about,—the consciousness of the wise one becomes only sevenfold.

तद्यथा
These grades are :-

1 परिज्ञातं हेयं नास्य पुनः परिज्ञेयमस्ति।
(1) The avoidable has been known, there is nothing more of it to be known

2 क्षीणा हेय हेतवो न पुनरेतेषां क्षेतव्यमस्ति।
(2) the causes of the avoidable (pain) have been attenuated, there is nothing more of them to be attenuated

3 साक्षात्कृतं निरोधसमाधिना हानम्।
(3) the avoidance has been directly perceived by means of suppressive meditation

भावितो विवेकख्यातिरूपो हानोपाय इति। एषा चतुष्टयी कार्या विमुक्तिः प्रज्ञायाः। चित्तविमुक्तिस्तु त्रयी।
(4) the means of avoidance in the shape of discriminative know. ledge has been accomplished. Such is the fourfold effected end of consciousness.The end of mind again is threefold :

5 चरिताधिकारा बुद्धिः।
(1) The office of spiritual consciousness has been fulfilled

6 गुणा गिरिशिखरतटच्युता इव ग्रावाणो निरवस्थानाः स्वकारणे प्रलयाभिमुखाः सह तेनास्तं गच्छन्ति। न चैषां प्रविलीनानां पुनरस्त्युत्पादः प्रयोजनाभावादिति।
(2) the attributes devoid of rest like stones fallen from the mountain-top, turned towards dissolution into their cause, disappear together therewith ; and of these dissolved ones there is no more production, for want of any purpose

7 एतस्यामवस्थायां गुणसम्बन्धातीतः स्वरूपमात्रज्योतिरमलः केवली पुरुष इति। एतां सप्तविधां प्रान्तभूमिप्रज्ञानमनुपश्यन्पुरुषः कुशल इत्याख्यायते। प्रतिप्रसवेऽपि चित्तस्य मुक्तः कुशल इत्येव भवति गुणातीतत्वादिति।
(3) in this state, the spirit, outgrowing all attributive connection, pare and shining in his own pristine form, becomes isolated.

सिद्धा भवति विवेकख्यातिर्हानोपाय इति। न च सिद्धिरन्तरेण साधनमित्येतदारभ्यते
The spirit, witnessing this sevenfold consciousness, to its utmost stage, is called “ Adept." And even on the retrograde procreation of the mind, he is emancipated and becomes

English translation quoted from Internet Archive

You can also refer Vedanta Commentary which is based on the commentaries written by Vyasa and Bhoja and Vivekananda.

3
0

Another answer, found from Varaha Upanishad, 4th adhyaya http://www.swamij.com/upanishad-varaha-bhumikas.htm

On another occasion Nidagha asked Lord Ribhu to enlighten him as to the characteristics of Jivanmukti. To which Ribhu replied in the affirmative and said the following: “In the seven Bhumikas (or stages of development of wisdom) there are four kinds of Jivanmuktas. Of these the first stage is Subhechcha (good desire); the second is Vicharana (inquiry); the third is Tanumanasi (or pertaining to the thinned mind); the fourth is Sattvapatti (the attainment of Sattva); the fifth is Asamsakti (non-attachment); the sixth is the Padartha-Bhavana (analysis of objects) and the seventh is the Turya (fourth or final stage).

Then explains relation between bhumikas and pranava. The text says:

  1. Subhechcha is said to be the first Jnana-Bhumi (or stage of wisdom); Vicharana, the second; Tanumanasi, the third;

  2. Sattvapatti, the fourth; then come Asamsakti as the fifth, Padartha-Bhavana as the sixth and Turya as the seventh.

  3. The desire that arise in one through sheer Vairagya (after resolving) ‘Shall I be ignorant? I will be seen by the Shastras and the wise’ (or ‘I will study the books and be with the wise’) – is termed by the wise as Subhechcha [first stage].

  4. The association with the wise and Shastras and the following of the right path preceding the practice of indifference is termed Vicharana [second stage].

  5. That stage wherein the hankering after sensual objects is thinned through the first and second stages is said to be Tanumanasi [third stage].

  6. That stage wherein having become indifferent to all sensual objects through the exercise in the (above) three stages, the purified Chitta rests on Atman which is of the nature of Sat is called Sattvapatti [fourth stage].

  7. The light (or manifestation) of Sattva-Guna that is firmly rooted (in one) without any desire for the fruits of actions through the practice in the above four stages is termed Asamsakti [fifth stage].

8-9. That stage wherein through the practice in the (above) five stages one, having found delight in Atman, has no conception of the internals or externals (though before him) and engages in actions only when impelled to do so by others is termed Padartha-Bhavana, the sixth stage.

  1. The stage wherein after exceedingly long practice in the (above) six stages one is (immovably) fixed in the contemplation of Atman alone without the difference (of the universe) is the seventh stage called Turya.

  2. The three stages beginning with Subhechcha are said to be attained with (or amidst) differences and non-differences. (Because) the universe one sees in the waking state he thinks to be really existent.

  3. When the mind is firmly fixed on the non-dual One and the conception of duality is put down, then he sees this universe as a dream through his union with the fourth stage.

  4. As the autumnal cloud being dispersed vanishes, so this universe perishes. O Nidagha, be convinced that such a person has only Sattva remaining.

  5. Then having ascended the fifth stage called Sushuptipada (dreamless sleeping seat), he remains simply in the non-dual state, being freed from all the various differences.

15-16(a). Having always introvision though ever participating in external actions, those that are engaged in the practice of this (sixth stage) are seen like one sleeping when fatigued (viz., being freed from all affinities).

16(b). (Lastly) the seventh stage which is the ancient and which is called Gudhasupti is generally attained.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .