वितर्कः - Vitarka

 

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Blog author Jayaraman Mahadevan

 

वितर्कः - Vitarka

 

 Etymology

वि + तर्क + घञ् = वितर्कः

vi + tarka + ghañ = vitarkaḥ

·       वि  vi is the prefix that may mean both विशेष & विरुद्ध - viśeṣa viruddha - special and also opposite  (in the context of the word Vitarka)

·       Tarka is the root that means भाषा  bhāṣā – to speak, to talk

·       घञ्  Ghañ is the suffix that means भाव  bhāva – the act. The suffix is added as per the Grammar rule भावे  bhāve (aṣṭādhyāyī 3.3.18)

Based on the above - the derivate statement would be - विशेषेण तर्क्यते, विरुद्धतया तर्क्यते इति  viśeṣeṇa tarkyate, viruddhatayā tarkyate iti - the act of special speech or opposite speech.

 

Lexicon  

In amarakośa there is no entry of this term.

 

Textual occurrences

Yogasūtra

There are five references to Vitarka in this text found only in the first and second chapters. They are discussed chapter-wise.

Pāda 1

वितर्कविचारानन्दास्मितारूपानुगमात्संप्रज्ञातः ॥ १.१७ ॥

vitarkavicārānandāsmitārūpānugamātsaṃprajñātaḥ .. 1.17 ..

तत्र शब्दार्थज्ञानविकल्पैः संकीर्णा सवितर्का समापत्तिः ॥ १.४२ ॥

tatra śabdārthajñānavikalpaiḥ saṃkīrṇā savitarkā samāpattiḥ .. 1.42 ..

स्मृतिपरिशुद्धौ स्वरूपशून्येवार्थमात्रनिर्भासा निर्वितर्का ॥ १.४३ ॥

smṛtipariśuddhau svarūpaśūnyevārthamātranirbhāsā nirvitarkā .. 1.43 ..

 

In Sūtra 1.17 -  Vitarka is mentioned as the first of the four levels of the Saṃprajñātasamādhi. Therein traditional commentators clarify the meaning of the term Vitarka in the following manner –

1)    The Etymology of the term Vitarka in the context of Samādhi is given both in Vārttika & Yogasiddhāntacandrikā commentaries as - विशेषेण तर्कणमवधारणं वितर्क: viśeṣeṇa tarkaṇamavadhāraṇaṃ vitarka: - special act of ascertaining and determining.

2)    Sage Vyāsa and other commentators clarify that - in the Vitarka level of the Samādhi – the gross aspect of the object focus - perceptible to the senses - is meditated upon. (वितर्कश्चित्तस्याऽऽलम्बने स्थूल आभोगः vitarkaścittasyā''lambane sthūla ābhogaḥ – Vyāsa). Other commentators clarify that the gross aspect refers to the focusing upon the Bhūtas – the five elements and the sense organs (भाव्यभूतेन्द्रियगोचरसाक्षात्कारः सवितर्कः bhāvyabhūtendriyagocarasākṣātkāraḥ savitarkaḥ – Sadāśiva Brahmendra). It has been stated in Yoga-siddhānta-candrikā - it could be the four-armed (Catur-bhuja) form (of Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa) – (स्थूलांशचतुर्भुजादेः साक्षात्कारो वितर्कः sthūlāṃśacaturbhujādeḥ sākṣātkāro vitarkaḥ. Yoga-siddhānta-candrikā)

3)    The details of the method of focusing in the Vitarka stage is clarified by another commentator  Nāgojī Bhaṭṭa. He states that the mind should be so completely immersed in the object - as to be able to bring out all dimensions of the object of focus – that is not generally noticed during common sensory perception – both in the spatial and temporal dimensions. The knowledge should also include both virtues and problems pertaining to the object of focus. Such is the Vitarka-samādhi (तत्रालम्बने स्थूलयोर्महाभूतेन्द्रिययोर्विद्यमानानामशेष-विशेषाणामतीतानागतवर्तमानव्यवहितविप्रकृष्टानां गुणदोषाणामदृष्टाश्रुतामतानामपि पूर्वापरानुसंधानेन शब्दार्थोल्लेखेन च भावनया यः साक्षात्कारः स वितर्क इत्युच्यते  tatrālambane sthūlayormahābhūtendriyayorvidyamānānāmaśeṣa-viśeṣāṇāmatītānāgatavartamānavyavahitaviprakṛṣṭānāṃ guṇadoṣāṇāmadṛṣṭāśrutāmatānāmapi pūrvāparānusaṃdhānena śabdārthollekhena ca bhāvanayā yaḥ sākṣātkāraḥ sa vitarka ityucyate – Nāgojī Bhaṭṭa) 

 

Sūtras 42 and 42 of the first Pāda discuss the Savitarka and Nirvitarka divisions of the Vitarka Samādhi presented above. Based on these two Sūtra it could be seen that while in Savitarka state there is an admixture of the – word, object and knowledge – in the Nirvitarka state –the object alone shines forth in the intellect – bereft of any other connections of word and knowledge.

Pāda 2

वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम् ॥ २.३३ ॥

vitarkabādhane pratipakṣabhāvanam .. 2.33 ..

वितर्का हिंसादयः कृतकारितानुमोदिता लोभक्रोधमोहपूर्वका मृदुमध्याधिमात्रा दुःखाज्ञानानन्तफला इति प्रतिपक्षभावनम् ॥ २.३४ ॥

vitarkā hiṃsādayaḥ kṛtakāritānumoditā lobhakrodhamohapūrvakā mṛdumadhyādhimātrā duḥkhājñānānantaphalā iti pratipakṣabhāvanam .. 2.34 ..

Vitarka in the above two sūtras of the second chapter of the Yogasūtras are indeed used in a very different connotation than that of the first chapter.

1)    As could be seen from the Sūtra 2.34 Vitarka refer to Violence and other activities that are opposed to the Yamas and Niyamas that have been discussed in the preceding Sūtras of the chapter. For example –Ahimsā (non-violence) is the Yama and the Vitarka to that is Himsā (violence). Satya (truth) is the Yama and the asatya (falsehood) is its Vitarka. Thus it could be seen that Vitarkas are the opposing attitudes to the 10 virtues in the form of Yamas and Niyamas. Here the commentators have derived the term Vitarka as विपरीतास्तर्का विचाराः - वार्त्तिक -  opposing tarkas- notions (विपरीतास्तर्का विचाराः – वार्त्तिकम् viparītāstarkā vicārāḥ - vārttikam). 

2)    Sūtra 2.33 states that if a practitioner is afflicted by Vitarka (vitarka-bādhana) then one should practice Pratipakṣabhāvana (thinking about the detrimental effects of indulging in those opposing acts).

3)    Sūtra 2.34 clarifies the method of Pratipakṣabhāvana to douse the Vitarkas. It involves in thinking –

a)    Vitarkas point not only to indulging in violence etc, it also includes inciting others into violence etc, and approving someone’s act of violence – In essence - Vitarka comes in various forms. One should be wary of it.

b)    The Vitarkas are caused by/preceded by Lobha (greed), Krodha (anger) and Moha(delusion) – hence they do not have very noble origins

c)    Vitarkas may be of varying degree of intensity – mild, moderate and intense – all these are detrimental to and distracting from the noble goal of Yoga.

d)    All the Vitarkas invariably lead to endless suffering and ignorance.

 

Bhagavadgītā & Haṭhayogapradīpikā

 This term is not found in the both these texts.

 

Tabulation on Distribution of References in Yoga Texts

Vitarka	Yogasūtra 7 references	Bhagavadgītā -	Haṭhayogapradīpikā -
	Chapter 1 Sūtras–17, 42, 43 Chapter 2 Sūtras –33, 34	Word Not found in these texts

 

Observations

From the above Śabdayoga discussions –

1) It could be seen that Vitarka is a term unique to Yogasūtras – not to be found in the other two types of texts.

2) Even in Yogasūtras - the meaning of the term in the first chapter is entirely different and unrelated to the self-same term in the second chapter.

The following table collects and compares the differences of the two Vitarkas of Yoga - that have emerged from the references above

 

Tabulation of differences of the term in two Chapters of Yogasūtras

S.No	Chapter 1	Chapter 2
1	This refers to a level in the Saṃprajñāta-samādhi which has to be attained	This refers to set of negative attitudes that are to be carefully avoided during the practice of Yamas and Niyamas.
3	Practice of Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna & samādhi in the prescribed manner is the means to attain this state	Practice of Pratipakṣabhāvana is the method to overcome this.
4	It is derived as – विशेषेण तर्कणम् अवधारणाम्- viśeṣeṇa tarkaṇam avadhāraṇām  determining and ascertaining with special attention	It is derived as – विपरीताः तर्काः विचाराः  - viparītāḥ tarkāḥ vicārāḥ -   -        opposing thoughts/impulses
5	There are two type of Vitarka Samādhi – Savitarka and Nirvitarka	There are ten types of Vitarkas opposing - 5 yamas and 5 Niyamas each.
6	The success in this level of Vitarka leads to the next level of Samādhi – the vicara Samādhi	The success in avoiding these Vitarkas – leads to - firm establishment (प्रतिष्ठा, स्थैर्यम् - pratiṣṭhā, sthairyam) in the Yamas and Niyamas and consequently to various other powers listed in  Sūtras 2.35-44.

 

Thus it becomes clear that mere dictionary meanings of terms of Yogasūtra may not bring forth the intended the meaning of Yogic terms like Vitarka. A complete immersion into the relevant texts (as has been done in Śabdayoga) only will lead to the manifestation of intended meanings. 

 

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