साधन- sādhana

 

  About Śabdayoga

Blog author Jayaraman Mahadevan

 

साधन- Sādhana

Etymology 

साधनम् = षाध + ल्युट्

Sādhanam = ṣādha + lyuṭ

 

In this word – 

·        Sādha  is the root – meaning - saṃsiddhi - to achieve well 

·        Lyut is the suffix that indicate instrumentality (by which). Lyut is added to the root by the rule 3.3.117 of Sage Panini in the text aṣṭādhyāyī.

In essence - साध्यते अनेन इति साधनम्  sādhyate anena iti sādhanam - That by which (a task) is achieved is sādhanam.   

  

Lexicon 

Amarakośa gives eight meanings to the term Sādhana -  

māraṇe mṛtasaṃskāre gatau dravye’rthadāpane।

nirvartanopakaraṇānuvrajyāsu ca sādhanam॥3.3.119

They are  - Killing, funeral, motion, substance, making someone give money, repayment, material/instrument and following. 

 

Textual occurrences

Yogasūtra 

We do not find the term Sādhana in any of the sutras. But the second chapter of the text is conventionally titled Sādhana-pāda – that contains tools or methods that lead to the goal of Yoga.

While commencing the commentary on the Aṣṭāṅgayoga yoga – sage Vyāsa, principal commentator of Yogasūtras states – na ca siddhirantareṇa sādhanam ityetadārabhyate  (2.28)– success in Yoga cannot be achieved without (appropriate) instruments/methods. Hence, this (the description of the eight limbs) is commenced.

In Bhagavadgītā the usage of the term Sādhana is not found. 

Haṭhayogapradīpikā

Though the term sādhana is used in the Haṭhayogapradīpikā (2.57, 3.51 and 3.76) no new inputs can be gleaned from these references. The term is used in the sense of instrument or method to achieve Haṭha’s goals. 

Observations 

It is by textual study it becomes clear that none of texts as such predominantly use the term Sādhana.

00000

 

 << Go to List of Words