विचारः - Vicāra
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Blog author Jayaraman Mahadevan
विचारः - Vicāra
Etymology
वि + चर् + घञ् = विचारः
vi + car + ghañ = vicāraḥ
· वि - Vi is the prefix - that means विशेष – special (in the context of the word)
· चर् - Car – is the root that means गति & भक्षण - gati & bhakṣaṇa – to move and to eat
· घञ् Ghañ is the suffix that means भाव bhāva – the act. The suffix is added as per the Grammar rule भावे bhāve ( अष्टाध्यायी aṣṭādhyāyī 3.3.18)
The derivative statement to the word is - विशेषेण चरणं पदार्थादिनिर्णये ज्ञानमिति [1]viśeṣeṇa caraṇaṃ padārthādinirṇaye jñānamiti – special movement (of the mind) towards determining the meaning of the word/object – knowledge
Lexicon
In amarakośa one related reference can be found. The connected word is Vicāraṇā. Its reference is as follows –
…चर्चा संख्या विचारणा 1.5.2
…carcā saṃkhyā vicāraṇā
The words –, Carcā, Saṃkhyā, vicāraṇā all relate to analyzing a particular topic with epistemological inputs.
Textual occurrences
Yogasūtra
There
are three references to the term Vicāra in Yogasūtra. All the
three are found in the first chapter. They are discussed below.
वितर्कविचारानन्दास्मितारूपानुगमात्संप्रज्ञातः ॥ १.१७ ॥
vitarkavicārānandāsmitārūpānugamātsaṃprajñātaḥ .. 1.17 ..
एतयैव सविचारा निर्विचारा च सूक्ष्मविषया व्याख्याता ॥ १.४४॥
etayaiva savicārā nirvicārā ca sūkṣmaviṣayā vyākhyātā .. 1.44..
निर्विचारवैशारद्येऽध्यात्मप्रसादः ॥ १.४७ ॥
nirvicāravaiśāradye'dhyātmaprasādaḥ .. 1.47 ..
Sūtra 1.17 discusses the four states of saṃprajñātasamādhi (a state of Samādhi where the mind gets totally identified with the object of focus). Among the four states – Vicāra is the second state. The inputs on the word Vicāra from traditional commentaries are as follows –
1) All traditional Commentators accept and follow the view of the principal commentator Vyāsa that the Vicāra stage of Samādhi refers to the subtle (object of focus) (सूक्ष्मो विचारः sūkṣmo vicāraḥ – Vyāsa )
2) While certain commentators are silent – most commentators are of the views that – while the object of the focus remains the same – Lord Nārāyaṇa (refer śabdayoga 9.4) or such other forms – the complete examining of the subtle building blocks of the self-same object of focus is Vicāra (सूक्ष्मगताशेषविशेषसाक्षात्कारः स विचार इत्यर्थः sūkṣmagatāśeṣaviśeṣasākṣātkāraḥ sa vicāra ityarthaḥ - Vivaraṇa / तत्रैवालम्बने कारणत्वेनानुगता ये प्रकृतिमहदहङ्कारतन्मात्ररूपा भुतेन्द्रिययोः सूक्ष्माद्यर्थास्तद्गताशेषविशेषसाक्षात्कारे विचारसंज्ञा tatraivālambane kāraṇatvenānugatā ye prakṛtimahadahaṅkāratanmātrarūpā bhutendriyayoḥ sūkṣmādyarthāstadgatāśeṣaviśeṣasākṣātkāre vicārasaṃjñā – Pradīpikā)
3) The commentators also agree on the fact that the subtle components of any object of focus – are – the five Tanmātra, the mind, Mahat, Avyakta (Prakṛti) in that order (तत्रैवालम्बने कारणत्वेनानुगता ये प्रकृतिमहदहङ्कारतन्मात्ररूपा भुतेन्द्रिययोः सूक्ष्माद्यर्थास्तद्गताशेषविशेषसाक्षात्कारे विचारसंज्ञा tatraivālambane kāraṇatvenānugatā ye prakṛtimahadahaṅkāratanmātrarūpā bhutendriyayoḥ sūkṣmādyarthāstadgatāśeṣaviśeṣasākṣātkāre vicārasaṃjñā – Pradīpikā)
4) According to Nāgojī bhaṭṭa this state of saṃprajñāta samādhi is attained by complete absorption of the mind the nature of the object specified and it is attained by doing dhāraṇā, dhyāna and Samādhi. (धारणादित्रयेण यस्तद्गताशेषसाक्षात्कारः स विचारः – Nāgojī bhaṭṭa)
5) Yoga Vārttika gives the etymology of the term Vicāra which is worth noting - विशेषेण चरणं सूक्ष्मवस्तुपर्यन्तमिति viśeṣeṇa caraṇaṃ sūkṣma-vastu-paryantamiti – the special movement – till the subtlest dimensions of the object.
Thus as evident from the above views of the commentaries – Vicāra in the context of the Samādhis is not intellectual analysis. It is a Yogic activity that involves the process delineated above.
Sūtra 1.44 states two divisions of Vicāra Samādhi– Savicāra and nirvicāra. In line with the Savitarka and Nirvitarka states (refer śabdayoga 9.4) – the two Vicāra states are about subtle objects where - in the Svicara the word, object and knowledge will be intermixed. In the Nirvicāra state that object alone will shine forth in the mind - bereft of the connections of word and the knowledge.
Sūtra 1.47 - mentions the term Nirvicāra. Herein, it is stated that when the Nirvicāra state reaches vaiśāradya – excellence adhyātmaprasāda – the knowledge of the consciousness manifests. (Sadāśiva Brahmendra- यद्वैशारद्यमभ्यासपाटवेन तस्य प्रधानान्तन्यग्भावाच्चितिशक्तेरुद्वेगः, तस्मिन्सत्यध्यात्मनश्चितिशक्तेः प्रसादः ख्यातिर्जायते - yadvaiśāradyamabhyāsapāṭavena tasya pradhānāntanyagbhāvāccitiśakterudvegaḥ, tasminsatyadhyātmanaścitiśakteḥ prasādaḥ khyātirjāyate)
Bhagavadgītā - This word is not found this text
Haṭhayogapradīpikā
There is just one related reference in this text. It is as follows -
ब्रह्मचारी मिताहारी त्यागी योगपरायणः ।
अब्दादूर्ध्वं भवेत् सिद्धो नात्र कार्या विचारणा ॥ १.५७ ॥
brahmacārī mitāhārī tyāgī yogaparāyaṇaḥ .
abdādūrdhvaṃ bhavet siddho nātra kāryā vicāraṇā .. 1.57 ..
Here the expression vicāraṇā is found. Unlike the profound meanings and connotations in the Yogasūtra– here it is evident from the context that - vicāraṇā – refers to enquiry. It is stated that - if one practices celibacy & moderation in eating and has a nature to renounce and be totally dedicated to the practice of Yoga – success is achieved after an year - there is no need to further enquiry(vicāraṇā).
Tabulation of Textual References
|
vicāra |
Yogasūtra 7 references |
Bhagavadgītā
|
Haṭhayogapradīpikā 1 reference (related expresssion) |
|
Chapter 1 Sūtras - 16
|
- |
Chapter 1 Verse 57 |
Observations
The Śabdayoga analysis on the term Vicāra has revealed that the term vicāra is used in a special sense in the Yogasūtra. While there are no references in Bhagavadgītā, in Haṭhayogapradīpikā a related expression is found (Vicārana) that is totally different from the Yogasūtra connotation.
In the Yogasūtra and the traditional commentaries the following aspects of Vicāra emerged –
1) The etymology of the term Vicāra
2) the subtle objects that are considered under the category of Vicāra – from the Indriyas to avyakta/pradhāna
3) The method of attaining the Vicāra-samādhi – as that of focusing on the subtler aspects of the self-same gross object of meditation taken up earlier in the Vitarka Samādhi
4) The need of dhārana-dhyāna-samādhi steps to attain this Samādhi.
5) The two fold Vicāras – Savitarka and Nirvitarka
6) The outcome of excellence of Nirvicāra state – as that of having the direct perception of the consciousness.
Thus these subtle aspects about the term Vicāra are to be carefully noted and understood in the process of study of the Yoga literature on the states of Samādhi.
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