स्मृतिः- Smṛti

 

 

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Blog author Jayaraman Mahadevan

 

 स्मृतिः- Smṛti

Etymology

स्मृ+क्तिन् = स्मृतिः

smṛ+ktin = smṛtiḥ

 

• smṛ is the root that means - स्मृत्याम् - smṛtyām- to remember. (There are other smṛ roots which mean आध्यान ādhyāna – mediate, चिन्ता Cintā – worry)
• ktin is the suffix which is used to indicate Bhāva – the act. This suffix is added as per the grammatical rule स्त्रियां क्तिन् striyāṃ ktin (Aṣṭādhyāyī 3.3.94)

The derivation statement of the term would then be - स्मर्यते इति स्मृति smaryate iti smṛti – the act of remembering.

 

Lexicon

There are two references to this term in amarakośa.

1. स्मृतिस्तु धर्मसंहिता…1.6.6

smṛtistu dharmasaṃhitā

smṛti refers to the compendium on Dharma

2. स्याच्चिन्ता स्मृतिराध्यानम्  …1.7.29

syāccintā smṛtirādhyānam

Cintā, smṛti and ādhyāna are synonyms. (the words may mean remembering, worry, meditation)

 

Textual occurrences

Yogasūtra

There are six references to this term in this text – 4 in the first chapter and 2 in the fourth chapter.

1. प्रमाणविपर्ययविकल्पनिद्रास्मृतय ॥१.६॥ pramāṇaviparyayavikalpanidrāsmṛtaya ..1.6..
2. अनुभूतविषयासंप्रमोषः स्मृतिः ॥१.११॥ - anubhūtaviṣayāsaṃpramoṣaḥ smṛtiḥ ..1.11..   In Sūtra six of first chapter Smṛti is just enumerated as one among the five vṛttis. Sūtra 11 of the same chapter defines the vṛtti smṛti as non-obliteration of the experiences.
3. श्रद्धावीर्यस्मृतिसमाधिप्रज्ञापूर्वक इतरेषाम् ॥१.२०॥ - śraddhāvīryasmṛtisamādhiprajñāpūrvaka itareṣām ..1.20..- Sūtra 20 of chapter one, counts smṛti as one among the sequentially arranged methods to attain the state of upāyapratyaya asaṃprajñāta-samādhi. Smṛti in this context refers to undistracted dhyāna according to Vācaspatimiśra[1]and Vijñānabhikṣu[2]also concurs. Vācaspatimiśra also states that all those limbs of aṣṭāṅgayoga that lead to Dhyāna should also be considered to be indicated by the word smṛti and the next word Samādhi (in this context).[3] Sadāśivabrahmendra[4], another commentator, elaborates this, when he says- a Yogin remembers the right techniques that are to be practiced – when enthusiasm - indicated by the word vīrya has arisen in the mind.     
4. स्मृतिपरिशुद्धौ स्वरूपशून्येवार्थमात्रनिर्भासा निर्वितर्का ॥ १.४३ ॥

smṛtipariśuddhau svarūpaśūnyevārthamātranirbhāsā nirvitarkā .. 1.43 .. - It has been stated here that to attain the state of Nirvitarka-samāpatti (samādhi) –smṛti has to be cleansed. Smṛti in this context has been described by Sage Vyāsa[5], the primary commentator to this text, as – the memory of the convention of connecting a word with an object. It is based on such memory that imaginary verbal testimony, inferences emerge.

It becomes evident that such memory kindles further Vṛttis. Upon disallowing the conventional connection between the word and the meaning, the memory is cleansed of all imaginary content and connections. (as such, a word is a word and an object outside is an object. Connecting the word and object is just a human convention) This leads to the state of Samādhi, where the object alone shines forth without any distractions.

5. जातिदेशकालव्यवहितानामप्यानन्तर्यं स्मृतिसंस्कारयोरेकरूपत्वात् ॥४.९॥ jātideśakālavyavahitānāmapyānantaryaṃ smṛtisaṃskārayorekarūpatvāt ..4.9..- This is a sūtra that mentions about the continuity of Vāsanas from many births. As memory and subliminal impression that lead to the memory are invariably connected and homogenous in nature, even if there is a gap of birth, place, time etc – the same subliminal impression gives rise to same memory.
6. चित्तान्तरदृश्ये बुद्धिबुद्धेरतिप्रसङ्गः स्मृतिसंकरश्च ॥ ४.२१ ॥

cittāntaradṛśye buddhibuddheratiprasaṅgaḥ smṛtisaṃkaraśca .. 4.21 .. - Here the confounding of the memories is spoken. Such a problem is projected by Sage Patañjali if the (Buddhist) view the citta is taken to be ultimate and consciousness is not accepted as separate from the mind. Background: Based on the previous sūtra, it emerges that the mind can hold only one content at a time – it cannot at the same time hold the congnizer and also the object of cognition. Yogins explain this by stating that cognizer/consciousness is reflected in the mind that contains cognition. This is not acceptable to the Buddhist. In place of the consciousness, why should it not be said that another citta cognizes the action of cognition of this Citta – the Buddhist ask. Current Sūtra is a response to this faulty proposition of the Buddhists. If a mind is said to be observer of the other, then the observer mind also needs to be observed and this leads to endless observer and observed minds (atiprasaṅga). Further, as there are endless minds, endless would be the subliminal impressions about the observations and in the process of recollection from these endless minds, there would be mix up of memories (smṛti-saṅkara). This is the context of occurrence of the word smṛti here.          

 

Bhagavadgītā

There are four references on Smṛti in this text.

1. क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः ।

स्मृतिभ्रंशाद्बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥ २.६३ ॥

krodhādbhavati saṃmohaḥ saṃmohātsmṛtivibhramaḥ .

smṛtibhraṃśādbuddhināśo buddhināśātpraṇaśyati .. 2.63 .. - In second chapter, the chain of adverse consequences on conjunction of the senses with their objects is discussed. As one among the link in this chain - smṛti-vibhrama - loss of memory - is stated. According to Śrī-śaṅkara-bhagavatpāda the commentator,[6] loss of memory here points to – the non-arising of such memory which contains valuable teachings of the śāstra and the teachings of the ācārya. It is obvious that when such valuable teachings are not remembered - one is led astray.

2. मृत्युः सर्वहरश्चाहमुद्भवश्च भविष्यताम् ।

कीर्तिः श्रीर्वाक्च नारीणां स्मृतिर्मेधा धृतिः क्षमा ॥१०.३४॥

mṛtyuḥ sarvaharaścāhamudbhavaśca bhaviṣyatām .

kīrtiḥ śrīrvākca nārīṇāṃ smṛtirmedhā dhṛtiḥ kṣamā ..10.34..- This verse is from the Vibhūti-yoga where Lord shows his glorious manifestations in the created world. Smṛti–memory (about noble and positive things) is counted as one among the fine manifestations of the lord in human personality. 

3. सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि संनिविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च ।

वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥१५.१५॥  

sarvasya cāhaṃ hṛdi saṃniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtirjñānamapohanaṃ ca .

vedaiśca sarvairahameva vedyo vedāntakṛdvedavideva cāham ..15.15.. - This verse is from the Bhakti Yoga. Here Lord Kṛṣṇa states – memory (smṛti), knowledge and the loss (of memory and knowledge) is also fom me. Śrī-śaṅkara-bhagavatpāda’s commentary clarifies that - by the good deeds of a living being, the Lord grants memory and knowledge of positive things. Loss of such positive knowledge and gaining of wrong knowlege and memory is from negative deeds.[7]

 

4. नष्टो मोहः स्मृतिर्लब्धा त्वत्प्रसादान्मयाच्युत ।

स्थितोऽस्मि गतसन्देहः करिष्ये वचनं तव ॥१८.७३॥

naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtirlabdhā tvatprasādānmayācyuta .

sthito'smi gatasandehaḥ kariṣye vacanaṃ tava ..18.73..- This reference to the word smṛti is from the final chapter of the Gītā. These are the words of Arjuna. After listening to the entire discourse of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna states – my delusion is gone. I have attain memory. Śrī-śaṅkara-bhagavatpāda’s [8] commentary clarifies that – the memory here is the memory of the knowledge of the Ātman. On attaining this, all the knots of the heart melt away.

 

Haṭhayogapradīpikā

There are two references to the word Smṛti in this text. Both are from the final chapter.

1. लयो लय इति प्राहुः कीदृशं लयलक्षणम् ।

अपुनर्वासनोत्थानात् लयो विषयविस्मृतिः ॥ ४.३४ ॥

layo laya iti prāhuḥ kīdṛśaṃ layalakṣaṇam .

apunarvāsanotthānāt layo viṣayavismṛtiḥ .. - The word used here is vismṛti (antonym of smṛti). It is used in the course of defining the word Laya. Laya is defined as the forgetting or non-remembering of the objects of the senses. It is a Yogic state to be achieved.

 

2. चित्तं न सुप्तं नोजाग्रत्-स्मृतिविस्मृतिवर्जितम् ।

न चास्तमेति नोदेति यस्यासौ मुक्त एव सः ॥ ४.११० ॥

cittaṃ na suptaṃ nojāgrat-smṛtivismṛtivarjitam .

na cāstameti nodeti yasyāsau mukta eva saḥ .. 4.110 .. - This verse that occurs towards the end of the text, describes the state of Jīvanmukti.  It is mentioned here that, in that state the mind is neither asleep nor awake.  Neither is it  bereft of memory (smṛti) or loss of it. Neither does the Citta (mind) sets nor does it rise. 

 

From the above textual occurrences, diverse use of the term smṛti could be noted.

1. Smṛti is a basic function of the mind in the form of remembering.
2. Smṛti refers to the remembrance of -
1. the conventional connection of the word and the object that it points to, which needs to be cleansed to attain Samādhi.
2. the object of the senses
3. teachings of the Guru and the Śāstras, limbs of Yoga
4. the knowledge of the ātman
3. It is a worship worthy faculty of the mind
4. Vismṛti is the antonym of smṛti that has both positive and negative connotations (forgetting of the objects of the senses is positive, forgetting the teachings of the teachers of negative)
5. Absence of Smṛti & Vismṛti is an indicator of the state of jīvanmukti

This brings out the importance of the term. It also indicates that context-consciousness has to be exercised to understand and interpret this term in Yogic parlance.

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[1] स्मृतिर्ध्यानमनाकुलमविक्षिप्तम्

[2] स्मृतिर्ध्यानम्,

[3] यमनियमादिनान्तरीयकसमाध्युपन्यासेन च यमनियमादयोऽपि सूचिताः ।

[4] एतादृशोत्साहेन तदा तदानुष्ठेयानि योगाङ्गानि स्मर्यन्ते

[5] शब्दसंकेतश्रुतानुमानज्ञानविकल्पस्मृतिपरिशुद्धौ

[6] शास्त्राचार्योपदेशाहितसंस्कारजनितायाः स्मृतेः स्यात् विभ्रमो भ्रंशः स्मृत्युत्पत्तिनिमित्तप्राप्तौ अनुत्पत्तिः

[7] येषां यथा पुण्यकर्मणां पुण्यकर्मानुरोधेन ज्ञानस्मृती भवतः, तथा पापकर्मणां पापकर्मानुरूपेण स्मृतिज्ञानयोः अपोहनं च अपायनम् अपगमनं च 

[8] स्मृतिश्च आत्मतत्त्वविषया लब्धा, यस्याः लाभात् सर्वहृदयग्रन्थीनां विप्रमोक्षः

 

 

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