Reconciling Yogas: Haribhadra's Collection of Views on Yoga With a New Translation of Haribhadra's Yogadrstisamuccaya by Christopher Key Chapple and John Thomas Casey

Yogadrstisamuccaya (A Collection of Views on Yoga)

Yogad®ÿ÷isamuccaya (A Collection of Views on Yoga) HARIBHADRA Translated by Christopher Key Chapple and John Thomas Casey 100 RECONCILING YOGAS A NOTE ON THE TRANSLATION The Yogad®ÿ÷isamuccaya is comprised of 228 §lokas, a standard verse form that includes thirty-two syllables generally divisible into meaning units of two sixteen-syllable lines, further divided into two eight-syllable units. The verse form dates from before the Christian Era and is employed in the Råmåyåœa and in the Mahåbhårata, as well as in Puråœic literature. In translating the Yogad®ÿ÷isamuccaya, we have drawn from two critical editions of the text. These critical editions collate multiple manuscript versions of the text. The earlier edition was published by the Italian Sanskritist Luigi Suali (a student of Hermann Jabcobi) by the Jaina Dharma Prasaraka Sabha in Bhavanagar in 1911. The other (and more reliable) edition was published by the Jaina Grantha Prakashaka Sabha in Ahmedabad in 1940. We have obtained copies of both texts from the L. D. Institute of Indology in Ahmedabad. Both include the so-called autocommentary (Svopajña), which although attributed to Haribhadra most likely was either penned by a later author or augmented by later copyists . For various obscure passages, Dr. Yajneshwar Shastri has assisted by giving us alternate readings of the text and has helped us consult passages from Ya§ovijaya’s Dvåtri¤§addvåti¤§ikå that discuss the Yogad®ÿ÷isamuccaya. Samanis Charitra and Sharda Pragya also have graciously read through the text and made suggestions . We also consulted with Dr. Pravin L. Shah and Pandit Dhirajlal Mehta regarding the text. The Yogad®ÿ÷isamuccaya was translated previously into English by K. K. Dixit. It is available through the L. D. Institute of Indology in Ahmedabad and includes useful prefatory and interpretative material. We have prepared this new translation for various reasons. Our methodology of translation attempts to retain the “feel” of the original verses. With only rare exceptions, Dixit translates each thirty-two syllable verse as a single sentence. To the extent possible, we have opted for a sparer translation that somewhat preserves the phrasing and rhythm of the original verses. We also have attempted to identify thematic breaks in the text to emphasize Haribhadra’s dazzling command of Hindu and Buddhist thought. The analysis of the Yogad®ÿ÷isamuccaya in this book includes many important aspects of the text that have not been previously discussed fully, including the relationship between clas- 101 YOGAD‰‡†ISAMUCCAYA sical Yoga and Jainism and Haribhadra’s comparative assessment of different Yoga paths. The prior chapters explored the parallel between the Jaina progressive stages of spirituality (guœasthånas) and the eight stages of the various Yogas described by Haribhadra. Haribhadra’s detailed critique of goddess worship and Tantric traditions has been highlighted, as well as the heuristic devices that Harbibhadra used in an attempt to convert his readers to the Jaina view, such as the appropriation of goddesslike names to describe his rendering of Yoga and his praise and “Jainification” of action, scripture, and faith, three key terms used in the Tantric schools, with which Jainism found itself in competition. While translating, we have tried to direct particular attention to how the author chooses and uses key terms in an attempt to make our translation of these terms consistent. For instance, ayoga is a very important technical term in Jainism. It can be translated simply as “disjunction.” However, after grappling with this term over a period of several years, we agreed upon the term total freedom, which has been applied consistently throughout the work, signalling the importance of this key idea. Similarly, after much anguish and consultation with several scholars, we decided to translate the term avedyasa¤vedya as “licentiousness.” Although the text includes what is described as an “autocommentary ,” K. K. Dixit indicates that he regards it to be written by someone other than Haribhadra. He notes that “at some places it seemed that the commentator has misunderstood the text.”1 In our work, we have learned to become suspicious of commentaries.2 At times, commentators neglect to trace terms used throughout the text and often fail to see continuity in the main author’s style or vocabulary. Furthermore, we have learned that subsequent commentators parrot their predecessors and fail to offer new insights. For example, Dixit states that he follows the commentary because Ya§ovijaya has done so.3 Consequently, we have...