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Yogashikha
Yoga is the highest of knowledge states the text
Devanagari	योगशिखा
IAST	Yogaśikhā
Title means	Peak of Yogic meditation
Type	Yoga
Linked Veda	Krishna Yajurveda or Atharvaveda
Chapters	varies by manuscript (1 to 6)
Verses	varies by manuscript (~10 to 390)
Philosophy	Yoga, Vedanta

The Yogashikha Upanishad (Sanskrit: योगशिखा उपनिषत्, IAST: Yogaśikhā Upaniṣad) is a Sanskrit text and one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism. It is a one of twenty Yoga Upanishads in the four Vedas.

Two versions of the Yogashikha Upanishad exist, one short that is attached to the Atharvaveda in some anthologies, and a long version which is often found attached to the Krishna Yajurveda in Telugu language anthologies. The long version consists of six chapters, and is about forty times longer than the short version. The short version appears interspersed within the first chapter of the long version.

History

The Yogashikha is an ancient text, states Mircea Eliade, who suggests a relative chronology. He dates it to the same period when the following Hindu texts were composed – Maitri Upanishad, the didactic parts of the Mahabharata, the chief Sannyasa Upanishads and along with other early Yoga Upanishads such as Brahmabindu, Brahmavidya, Tejobindu, Yogatattva, Nadabindu, Kshurika, Dhyanabindu and Amritabindu. These texts along with the Yogashikha Upanishad, adds Eliade, were composed earlier than the ten or eleven later yogic Upanishads such as the Yoga-kundali, Varaha and Pashupatabrahma Upanishads. Gavin Flood dates this text, along with other Yoga Upanishads, to be probably from the 100 BCE to 300 CE period.

Meditation

The Unpracticed one will be pulled out of meditation by the senses, even if he forcefully tries to control them.

Georg Feuerstein calls the Yogashikha Upanishad, as the "Crest of Yoga" and the "most comprehensive of the Yoga Upanishads". The ideas found in Yogashikha are shared in many Hatha Yoga texts such as those by Gorakhnath.

Some manuscripts of the text are titled as Yoga-sikhopanisad (योगशिखोपनिषत्). It is listed at number 63 in the serial order of the Muktika enumerated by Rama to Hanuman in the modern era anthology of 108 Upanishads. In the Colebrooke's version of 52 Upanishads, popular in north India, it is listed at number 4 The Narayana anthology also includes this Upanishad at number 22 in Bibliothica Indica. In the collection of Upanishads under the title "Oupanekhat", put together by Sultan Mohammed Dara Shikhoh in 1656, consisting of a Persian translation of 50 Upanishads and who prefaced it as the best book on religion, the Yogashika is listed at number 20 and is named Djog Sank'ha. According to Alain Daniélou, this Upanishad is one of the 12 Raja Yoga Upanishads, seven of which are attached to the Krishna Yajurveda and five to the Shukla Yajurveda.

Contents

Atman, Brahman

There is no god higher than one's own Atman (soul), there is no worship higher than its investigation, there is no happiness higher than inner satisfaction. – Verses 2.20-2.21

The immediate cause of the phenomenal world is no other than the Brahman. Hence this phenomenal world in its entirety is the Brahman alone and nothing else. – Verses 4.3-4.4

The text is composed in poetic verse style. The chapter 1, the longest, includes a discussion of the role of yoga in achieving moksha, that is liberation while living (Jivanmukta), and contrasts it to Videhamukti (liberation in afterlife). The first chapter asserts Om to be Mula-Mantra (root mantra), and describes it to be part masculine Shiva and part feminine Shakti. It asserts that anger, greed and such psychological states to be defects that ultimately lead to sorrow, that the pure being is one who is beyond these, a state that can only be achieved through simultaneous pursuit of knowledge and yoga.

The Telugu language anthology edition of Yogashikha Upanishad is notable for its discussion of Jnana-Yoga (path of knowledge).

Chapters 1 and 5 of the text discuss six kinds of Yoga, Kundalini and five fires within a human body. It asserts that the awareness of Chakra with Hatha Yoga practice is a form of spiritual experience.

The Upanishad explains Brahma Granthi as the first knot of the Kundalini, being situated in the Muladhara chakra (the root chakra). This chakra is the first chakra, which is controlled by Brahma as he is its chief deity. Tantric texts are different than Yogashikha Upanishad, states Harish Johri, because they identify Brahma Granthi is positioned in the Manipura Chakra which is the third chakra. The Upanishad also discusses the means to awaken each of the seven chakras, states Leia Gance, as centres of energy for a feeling of totality, equipoise, Sub specie aeternitatis and spiritual consciousness. The text, states Georg Feuerstein, suggests Yoga is a journey and recommends a steady spiritual practice with a Guru (teacher).

The Upanishad calls one's Guru as the one who is a spiritual guide and one worthy of devotion, praising the Guru as Brahman, Vishnu, Achyuta, identical to one's Atman (soul), declaring that there is no one greater in the universe than one's Guru. The verse 2.22 states that those who have faith in Ishvara and Guru will become great. The variation in the manuscripts suggest corruption of the text over time, states Deussen, such as the abrupt, non-metric addition of "reciting this text thrice a day leads to liberation" in verse 8 of the short version.

See also

• Hatha yoga
• Yoga (philosophy)
• Yogatattva Upanishad
• Yoga Vasistha

References

1. ^ Deussen 1997, p. 709.
2. Deussen 1997, p. 567.
3. ^ Larson & Bhattacharya 2008, p. 620.
4. Deussen 1997, pp. 557, 709.
5. Ayyangar 1938, p. vii.
6. Deussen 1997, pp. 567–568.
7. Ayyangar 1938, pp. 326–396.
8. Prasoon 2008, p. 82.
9. Ayyangar 1938, pp. 326–396, There are 178 verses in chapter 1 of the text, 22 in second, 25 verses in third, the fourth has 24, the fifth contains 62 while the sixth chapter has 79 verses..
10. ^ Mircea Eliade (1970), Yoga: Immortality and Freedom, Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691017646, pages 128-129
11. Flood 1996, p. 96.
12. Kempton 2011, p. 362.
13. Feuerstein 1989, p. 247.
14. Akshaya Banerjea (2014), Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120805347, pages 184-185
15. Ayyangar 1938, p. 22.
16. Deussen 1997, pp. 556–557.
17. Deussen, Bedekar & Palsule 1997, p. 561. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDeussenBedekarPalsule1997 (help)
18. Deussen, Bedekar & Palsule 1997, p. 562. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDeussenBedekarPalsule1997 (help)
19. Deussen, Bedekar & Palsule (tr.) 1997, pp. 558–59. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDeussenBedekarPalsule_(tr.)1997 (help)
20. Daniélou 1991, p. 168.
21. Ayyangar 1938, pp. 365, 371.
22. Hattangadi 2000, p. verses 2.20-2.21, 4.3-4.4.
23. Deussen 2010, p. 26.
24. Ayyangar 1938, pp. 354–358.
25. Larson & Bhattacharya 2008, pp. 621–622.
26. Ellen Goldberg (2002), The Lord Who Is Half Woman: Ardhanarisvara in Indian and Feminist Perspective, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791453254, pages 86-87
27. Larson & Bhattacharya 2008, pp. 620–621.
28. Ayyangar 1938, pp. 326–327.
29. Ayyangar 1938, pp. 375–380.
30. Guy Beck (1995), Sonic Theology: Hinduism and Sacred Sound, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120812611, page 94-95
31. Booth 2014, p. 489.
32. Johari 2000, p. 72.
33. Gance 2005, p. 70.
34. Feuerstein 1989, pp. 6, 22–26, 41.
35. Feuerstein 1998, pp. 381–382.
36. ^ Ayyangar 1938, p. 382.
37. Deussen 1997, pp. 709–711.

Bibliography

• Aiyar, Narayanasvami (1914). "Thirty minor Upanishads". Archive Organization. Retrieved 16 January 2016. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Ayyangar, TR Srinivasa (1938). The Yoga Upanishads. The Adyar Library. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Booth, Mark (11 February 2014). The Sacred History: How Angels, Mystics and Higher Intelligence Made Our World. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4516-9856-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Daniélou, Alain (1 August 1991). Yoga: Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. ISBN 978-0-89281-301-8. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Deussen, Paul (1 January 1997). Sixty Upanishads of the Veda. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-1467-7. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Deussen, Paul (2010). The Philosophy of the Upanishads. Oxford University Press (Reprinted by Cosimo). ISBN 978-1-61640-239-6. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Feuerstein, Georg (1989). Yoga: The Technology of Ecstasy. J.P. Tarcher. ISBN 978-0-87477-525-9. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Feuerstein, Georg (1998). The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice. Hohm Press. ISBN 978-0934252836. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Flood, Gavin D. (1996), An Introduction to Hinduism, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0521438780 {{citation}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Hattangadi, Sunder (2000). "ब्रह्मविद्योपनिषत् (Brahmavidya Upanishad)" (PDF) (in Sanskrit). Retrieved 12 January 2016. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Gance, Leia (2005). Great Alchemist and Quantum Manifestation Power: St. Germain's Secret Alchemical Remedy for Victory & Fulfillment. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4120-5194-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Johari, Harish (1 September 2000). Chakras: Energy Centers of Transformation. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. ISBN 978-1-59477-909-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Kempton, Sally (1 February 2011). Meditation for the Love of It: Enjoying Your Own Deepest Experience. Sounds True. ISBN 978-1-60407-329-4. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Larson, Gerald James; Bhattacharya, Ram Shankar (2008). Yoga : India's Philosophy of Meditation. Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. ISBN 978-81-208-3349-4. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Prasoon, Prof.S.K. (2008). Indian Scriptures. Pustak Mahal. ISBN 978-81-223-1007-8. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

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v t e The 108 Upanishads

Isha Kena Katha Prashna Mundaka Mandukya Taittiriya Aitareya Chandogya Brihadaranyaka Brahma Kaivalya Jabala Shvetashvatara Hamsa Aruneya Garbha Narayana Paramahamsa Amritabindu Amritanada Atharvashiras Atharvashikha Maitrayaniya Kaushitaki Brihajjabala Nrisimha Tapaniya Kalagni Rudra Maitreya Subala Kshurika Mantrika Sarvasara Niralamba Shukarahasya Vajrasuchi Tejobindu Nadabindu Dhyanabindu Brahmavidya Yogatattva Atmabodha Naradaparivrajaka Trishikhi-brahmana Sita Yogachudamani Nirvana Mandala-brahmana Dakshinamurti Sharabha Skanda Mahanarayana Advayataraka Rama Rahasya Ramatapaniya Vasudeva Mudgala Shandilya Paingala Bhikshuka Maha Sariraka Yogashikha Turiyatita Sannyasa Paramahamsaparivrajaka Akshamalika Avyakta Ekakshara Annapurna Surya Akshi Adhyatma Kundika Savitri Atma Pashupatabrahma Parabrahma Avadhuta Tripuratapini Devi Tripura Kathashruti Bhavana Rudrahridaya Yoga-Kundalini Bhasma Rudraksha Ganapati Darshana Tarasara Mahavakya Pancabrahma Pranagnihotra Gopala-Tapani Krishna Yajnavalkya Varaha Shatyayaniya Hayagriva Dattatreya Garuda Kali-Santarana Jabali Saubhagyalakshmi Sarasvati-rahasya Bahvricha Muktikā

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