वृत्तिः- vṛtti

 

  About Śabdayoga

Blog author Jayaraman Mahadevan

 

वृत्तिः - vṛtti

 

Etymology

वृत्+क्तिन् = वृत्तिः

vṛt+ktin = vṛttiḥ

 

·       The root here is  vṛt. The meaning of the root is वर्तनम् – vartanam – to be, to happen, to be present.

·       The suffix is ktin. The addition of the suffix to the root is by the rule स्त्रियां क्तिन् (अष्टाध्यायी ३.३.९४ ) - striyāṃ ktin (aṣṭādhyāyī 3.3.94). According to the rule - the word will be a feminine word and the meaning indicated by the suffix is Bhāva – the act.

Hence based on this – the derivative statement would be - वृत्यते इति वृत्तिः  - vṛtyate iti vṛttiḥ - the act of being present. (in the context of Yoga, then the implied sense would be - cittavṛttis are those (acts) by which the existence of the citta is known)

 

Lexicon

There are three references to the word vṛtti in amarakośa.

आजीवो जीविका वार्ता वृत्तिर्वर्तनजीवने (2.9.1)

ājīvo jīvikā vārtā vṛttirvartanajīvane

ājīva, jīvikā, vārtā, vṛtti, vartana – all these words indicate the meaning jīvana – means of livelihood

 

…वरो वृत्तौ(तौ) (3.2.8)

…varo vṛ(t)tau

Vara and vṛ(t)ta indicate encompassing and attainment of boon

 

 

…कैशिक्याद्याश्च वृत्तयः (3.3.73)

…kaiśikyādyāśca vṛttayaḥ

Kaiśikī and others are the styles (in nāṭya)

It is interesting to note that the meaning in which the term is used in yogasūtra is not to be found in any of the three references of amarakośa. Thus the meaning of the term has to be understood in the context of usage of the term in Yoga literature.

 

Textual occurrences

Yogasūtra
The word vṛtti and similar sounding words such as pravṛtti and nivṛtti are found in 11 occasions in this text.

Pāda 1 -  4 occurrences -  sūtras – 2,4,10,35 –

·       In the first occurrence Yoga itself is defined as the restrainment/cessation of  vṛttis of the mindचित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः - cittavṛttinirodhaḥ (2). 

·       In the second occasions it is stated - when not in Yoga - consciousness would resemble the vṛttis – वृत्तिसारूप्यम् - vṛttisārūpyam (4). 

·       In the third occasion in this chapter the word vṛtti is used as part of the definition of nidrā. It is used to indicate that deep sleep is also an activity of the mind and it is not a state of absence of activity of mind - वृतिर्निद्रा - vṛtirnidrā (10).

·       In the fourth occasion the word pravṛtti is used in the context of describing a technique to calm the mind by focusing on the various divine experiences/knowledge in various senses of perception. According to the commentary of Sage Vyāsa - pravṛtti is used to indicate divya-saṃvit – divine knowledge ...प्रवृत्तिरुत्पन्ना...  - ...pravṛttirutpannā... (35)

Pāda 2 – 2 occurrences -  sūtras  15, 50.

·       In the first occasion the expression guṇavṛtti is found. The expression or the operations of the guṇas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas) that are mutually opposing to each other are indicated by the term guṇavṛtti - ...गुणवृत्तिविरोधाच्च... ...guṇavṛttivirodhācca... (15).

·       The second occasion of occurrence of the term vṛtti - indicates the prāṇa-vṛttis or the activities or expressions of the breath/ prāṇa. The exhalation, inhalation and retention of the breath are the vṛttis of prāṇa - बाह्याभ्यन्तरस्तम्भवृत्तिः....- bāhyābhyantarastambhavṛttiḥ.....(50)

Pāda 3 - 2 occurrences - sūtras 30, 43 –

·       In the first occasion, the expression nivṛtti is used. This indicates the going away/overcoming of the hunger(kṣut-nivṛttiḥ) and thirst(pipāsā-nivṛttiḥ) ...क्षुत्पिपासानिवृत्तिः  - ...kṣutpipāsānivṛttiḥ (30).

·       In the second occasion a unique expression is found -  akalpitā vṛttiḥ - it means non-imagined existence/activity (of the mind outside the body). A special dhāraṇā technique called videhā is spoken here, whereby in reality (not just imagining) the mind can be made to move out of the body and in due course can be made to enter into other’s bodyबहिरकल्पितावृत्तिः...- bahirakalpitāvṛttiḥ.... (43)

 

Pāda 4 - 3 occurrences – Sūtras - 5, 25, 30 –

·       In the first occasion the word pravṛtti is used – to indicate activities or movement. In this context this indicates the varied activities of the multiple bodies assumed by the Yogin by his powers प्रवृत्तिभेदे प्रयोजकम्...  - pravṛttibhede prayojakam... (5).

·       In the second context the word nivṛtti is used to indicate the retiring, cessation, going away of pondering/thoughts about the nature of the consciousness (ātman) which happens when the special nature of the consciousness is clearly known ...आत्मभावभावनानिवृत्तिः  - ...ātmabhāvabhāvanānivṛttiḥ (25).

·       In the third occasion also the word nivṛtti is used to indicate the cessation or going away of afflictions and actions for the one who has attained dharma-megha-samādhi  ...क्लेशकर्मनिवृत्तिः  - ...kleśakarmanivṛttiḥ (30) 

It could be noted that along with the vṛttis of citta that are well know, the vṛttis of the prāṇa and guṇas are also found discussed in the text, which need to be focussed upon during the practice of Yoga.

 

Bhagavadgītā

There are twelve references to words connected to vṛtti in this text. It is to be noted that the word vṛtti alone is not used in any of these 12 occasions. Only terms such as pravṛtti, nivṛtti, āvṛtti, apunarāvṛtti  are found  in the here. The word pravṛtti is used the maximum for about seven times in this text. The occurrences are briefly discussed below - 

Chapter 5 – 1 occurrence – Verse 17 -  The expression apunarāvṛtti is found here to indicate that meaning - not coming back. Those whose impurities are cleansed through knowledge will not return back - गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं gacchantyapunarāvṛttiṁ (17).

Chapter 8  -   2 occurrences – verse 23, 26 -  In both the occurrences, the two expressions found are anāvṛtti and āvṛtti. 

·       Śrī Kṛṣṇa states that I will now speak about those Yogin who will return (āvṛtti) to earth from higher realms and those who won’t(anāvṛtti) -…त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः-  tvanāvṛttimāvṛttiṁ caiva yoginaḥ (23).

·       He clarifies that those who travel in the bright path will not return and those who take the dark path will return -एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते ekayā yātyanāvṛttimanyayāvartate (26).

Chapter 11 -  1 occurrence - Verse 31 – The expression used here is pravṛtti. Here Arjun expresses his desire to know about the viśvarūpa form of the Lord, the activities(pravṛtti) of which he does not know -न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛttim.

Chapter 14 - 4 occurrences – verses - 12, 13, 18, 22.

·       In two occasions the expression pravṛtti is found (12,22). In the first instance it is used to indicate restlessness as a manifestation of Rajas -लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः lobhaḥ pravṛttirārambhaḥ (12).

·       In the next reference the same word is to used to indicate that a guṇātīta (the one who has transcended the guṇas) is not perturbed by activity, inactivity etc. प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च…-  prakāśaṁ ca pravṛttiṁ ca (22)

·       We find the use of the expression apravṛtti – indicating inertia, lack of activity in a person who is dominated by Tamas. अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च - aprakāśo'pravṛttiśca (13)

·       The expression जघन्य-गुण-वृत्तस्थाः… jaghanya-guṇa-vṛttasthāḥ.. (18) is found to indicate the lowly nature of actions of those in whom Tamas dominates verse 18.

Chapter 15 – 1 occurrence, verse 4 -  Here again the word pravṛtti is used to indicate – that even the emergence of actions of this ephemeral since time immemorial is from the primordial conscious supreme being - यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता…-yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā.(4)

Chapter 16 - 1 occurrence, verse 7 – Here the two expressions pravṛtti and nivṛtti   are found. The description of people of demoniac nature is done here. It is stated that – they do not know what to embark upon(pravṛtti) and what to withdraw from(nivṛtti) – प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च - pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca (7)

Chapter 18 – 2 occurrences - Verses 30,46 - 

·       Here again the two expressions pravṛtti and nivṛtti are found. In the first occasion the Sattvik mind is describe as the one which knows what to do and what to desist from (pravṛtti and nivṛtti) प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च - pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca - (30).

·        In the second occasion the word pravṛtti alone is used to indicate that all the actions (pravṛtti) of the beings emanate from the supreme being and that needs to be worshipped. यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानाम्… -  yataḥ pravṛttirbhūtānām… (46)

Haṭhayogapradīpikā

There are just three occurrences of the expressions that are connected to vṛtti in this text.  The expressions are manovṛtti, manaḥpravṛtti,marut-pravṛtti, ekapravṛtti in chapter 3 and 4.

In chapter 3 – 1 occurrence - verse 127 – it is stated that while doing practices related to the breath the mind has to be applied. One should not allow the manovṛttis – activities of mind to wander. इतरत्र न कर्तव्या मनोवृत्तिः…- itaratra na kartavyā manovṛttiḥ… (127)

In chapter 4 – 2 occurrences Verses 24, 25. –

·       In the first reference we find the words manaḥpravṛtti,marut-pravṛtti to indicate the interconnectedness of the actions of the mind(manaḥpravṛtti) and the actions/movements of breath(marut-pravṛtti) - यतो मरुत् तत्र मनः प्रवृत्तिः यतो मनस्तत्र मरुत्प्रवृत्तिः - yato marut tatra manaḥ pravṛttiḥ

yato manastatra marutpravṛttiḥ (24).

·       In the next continuing with the same idea, it is stated that if the actions of one are curtailed/stopped then the actions of the other also stops. …एकप्रवृत्तेरपरप्रवृत्तिः - …ekapravṛtteraparapravṛttiḥ (25)

 

Observations 

Thus we see the myriad interesting and insightful references across the text connected to the expression vṛtti and the various compounds that it is part of in these Yoga texts.

 

 

00000

 << Go to List of Words