Kriya Blog # 5 - Sanskrit Origins & Its Place in Yogic Text, Classical Yoga & Ayurveda

Kriya Blog # 5 - Kriyā & The Yoga Sutra

The word Kriya is found in the Yoga Sutras of Sage Patanjali four times.  Interestingly it is only used in the second chapter called the Sadhana Pada.  We could translate this as the chapter relating to spiritual practice.  Kriya Yoga is mentioned in the 1st Sutra and then reiterated in a similar context in Sutra 32.  The word Kriya is then used two other times without referring to Kriya Yoga.  In Sutra 18 and 36 the word Kriya is used to describe actions.  Kriya Yoga in the Yoga Sutras does not explain Yoga sequencing, use of Pranayama, Bandha etc. but it does highlight Bhakti as īśvarapraṇidhāna,  Karma as tapaḥ (tapasya)  and Jnana Yoga as svādhyāya. The first Sutra of the Sadhana Pada states:

तपः स्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोगः ॥१॥

tapaḥ svādhyāy iśvarapraṇidhānāna kriyā yogaḥ ॥1॥

Austerity (tapaḥ), self-inquiry (svādhyāya), and devotional surrender to the Supreme being (īśvarapraṇidhāna) are the parts of kriya yoga. ||1||

Tapasya & Karma Yoga

Tapaḥ as mentioned in the Yoga Sutras is similar to Tapasya, they are different grammatical breakdowns of the same word.  Both words draw from the Sanskrit root word tap which means to sweat.  Effort in our Yoga practice can both literally and figuratively make us sweat.  Sweating is a byproduct of taking action.  Often we think of Tapasya as intense practice and modification alone.  From a larger Yogic and Ayurvedic view all actions when done consciously with devotion and surrender become Tapasya.  When we take on an attitude of Karma Yoga all actions become an offering into the Divine fire.  Regular action, that is driven by ego binds us to our limited sense of self.  Our mundane actions become Karma Yoga when we offer our efforts to the Supreme being.  Karma Yoga, and its connection to surrender create a relationship with the last part of the Yoga Sutras Kriya Yoga, īśvarapraṇidhāna, or devotional surrender to God.  Karma Yoga and Bhakti are interconnected.  Karma and Jnana are also interconnected. Bhakti and Jnana are different approaches to Yoga, yet there fruits are the same.  Each individual has a disposition towards Jnana and Bhakti, to greater and lesser degrees.  Most of us are a mix of the two. Whichever disposition we lean towards, they are both actions (karma yoga).  Everyone is on the path of Karma Yoga, some of us more through the lens of Bhakti and others more through the lens of Jnana. 

Svādhyāya & Jnana Yoga

Svādhyāya is the study of the Self, or indwelling soul.  Sva means self and adhyaya study.  In the highest sense, it is direct Self-inquiry which uncovers the infinity of God inside and all around us.  A more outward svādhyāya path is the study of Yogic and Vedantic scriptures.  Scripture study is a powerful path of Jnana yoga and also a slippery slope.  Many master have said in various clever ways, an ounce of practice is worth a pound of theories.  This is not to discourage study and learning.  It is to encourage practice.  A purely academic approach to yoga is inherently problematic.   On the other hand, if your yoga tradition is discouraging the study of the larger tradition, history, origins of the practice, method, and means of practice, they also might be sidestepping critical thinking.  Any thought or feeling wave is part of duality.  Studying is no less valid to enrich our life than singing and dancing.  Singing and dance is just as much a thought wave as scripture study.  A person with a jnana nature will love study, debate, and critical thinking. Yes, we can use our minds to eventually see as Hariharananda says, that the “living Power of God” is everywhere.   

The waves belong to the Ganges, not the Ganges to the waves. A man cannot realize God unless he gets rid of all such egotistic ideas as ‘I am such an important man’ or ‘I am so and so’. Level the mound of ‘I’ to the ground by dissolving it with tears of devotion.”
~ Sri Ramakrishna

This beautiful teaching shows the importance of inquiring into the nature of “I”-ness and its fruit as Bhakti (devotion). 

īśvarapraṇidhāna & Bhakti Yoga

Single pointed devotional surrender to God (īśvarapraṇidhāna) has the potential in and of its self to bring one fully into Samadhi.  Ishvara is a name of God.  Pranidhana means a powerful mood of surrender.   Strong and powerful longing to know God or the Nature of Reality as it is, can bring a complete transformation to our mind. Many great saints say that crying for God is more powerful than hours of meditation practices.

“Crying to God for five minutes is equal to one hour of meditation.”
~ Mata Amritanandamayi  (Ammachi)

“The state that we attain by calling and crying to God is equal to the bliss that the yogi experiences in samadhi.”
~ Mata Amritanandamayi  (Ammachi) 

“When the child refuses to be comforted by anything except the mother’s presence, she comes. If you want to know God, you must be like the naughty baby who cries till the mother comes.”
~ Paramahansa Yogananda 

“He who loves me is made pure; his heart melts in joy. He rises to transcendental consciousness by the rousing of his higher emotional nature. Tears of joy flow from his eyes, his hair stands on end, his heart melts in love. The bliss in that state is so intense that, forgetful of himself and his surroundings, he sometimes weeps profusely, or laughs, or sings, or dances; such a devotee is a purifying influence upon the whole
universe.”
~ Srimad Bhagavatam 11.8 (Lord Krishna to His disciple Uddhave)

“Jesus wept.”
~ John 11:35

Niyama and Kriya Yoga

 The three primary constituents of Kriya Yoga mentioned in Sutra 1 Chapter 2, are also part of the last three Niyamas.  Niyama is the second limb of Ashtanga Yoga.  This means Kriya Yoga is built into Ashtanga Yoga.  The Niyamas are right, positive duties, observances, or the attitudes for a Yogi to cultivate and fully embody.  There are five Niyamas.  

śauca santoṣa tapaḥ svādhyā-iśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ ॥32॥ 

Niyama consists of purity/cleanliness, contentment, mental and physical austerity, self and scriptural study and devotional surrender to the supreme being.  

Chapter 2, Sutra 32 The Yoga Sutras for Patanjali 

Each of the Yama and Niyama of Yoga is considered a whole path in and of themselves.  Mastering one leads to mastery of all others.  Below we explore the Niyamas in-depth as they are not different than Kriya Yoga.     

Saucha is cleanliness of the body and mind.  It is physical hygiene on all levels.  Achieving saucha can include pranayama, proper diet, and use of Shat Kriya to cleanse the inner instruments.  Mental cleanliness is a matter of right ethics which can be achieved by following the Yamas (sutra 30-31, chapter 2).  While saucha is not listed as one of the three components of Kriya Yoga, it directly relates to Shat Kriya.  Many Yoga traditions and Ayurveda give powerfully transformative rules for diet, cleansing and mental hygiene.  Mantra and mediation clean the mind of the constant onslaught of over-identifying with the ego. Asana brings a strong body.  Pranayama strengthens the body and purifies the nadis.

(1.) When the Yogi has perfected asanas, practice of pranayama can be taken up according to the instructions of the Guru.  While doing pranayama with senses under control, the Yogi should observe nutritious and moderate diet.

(2.) When the breath is irregular and disrupted, the mind is then unsteady. When the breath becomes still, so does the mind.  This brings the Yogi long life. So one should restrain the breath. 

(3.) So long as the body is breathing we have life. When the breath leaves the body, we are said to be dead.  Therefore we should practice breath retention (pranayama).  

(4.)  When the nadis (channels) are clogged with impurities, the breath cannot go into the sushumna (central channel).  Then we can not attain Unmani avasta (Unmani avasta is the equivalent of Samadhi or Nirvana of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika)

 (5.) When all of the nadis that are now full of impurities become clean, only then can the yogi succeed in performing pranayama. 

We can see that all of the limbs of Yoga are intertwined, one supporting the other.  Ashta means eight, “anga’ means limbs, like limbs of a body.  It is said by many that if you touch one limb of the body you are in contact with the whole body.     

Santosha is supreme contentment.  One who has attained perfect Santosha does not long after things outside of one's self, as what is inside is also all around us.  To be truly self-contented, we must see that we are the soul, and “everything is the Living Power of God.”    Once we realize God is so close to us, that we are not different than God, our contentment will be perfected. Santosha relates to our psychological wellness.  It is a transcendent force.  People who are on the path of genuine Santosha are pleasant to be around and bring inspiration to all. 

The third Niyama is also the first component of Kriya Yoga, tapasya, which is simply explained as austerity or self-restraint.  Yet it is much more than just that.  Human birth is a form of tapasya, and any work we undertake that takes effort is tapasya. Tapasya also means to create heat.  We see this in the case of a mother gestating a child.  Her body is literally, via heat, building a life. Each in-breath and out-breath helps to keep our body temperature steady so breath observation alone is tapasya.  In the monastic traditions of yoga, tapasya refers to self-mortification of the body as a pursuit of God-consciousness.  We find tapasya of this sort in many of the world’s wisdom traditions.  Fasting, sweat lodges, sundance, and vision quest are just a few.  Tapasya does not have to mean that we are harming or depriving ourselves.  If we take physical suffering as a path to God is it still depriving us?  If we transform pain into a divine offer, given to the fire of devotion, how can the pain harm us?  Life has pain.  We can give that pain to God.  Tapasya can be “mortification of the body” but it can also be as simple as trying to not let one breath go by unobserved, or chanting a mantra continually.  Tapasya can always be checked by the first of the Yamas, ahimsa, or non-violence.  As you can see there are many ways to view tapasya. Informed by the tradition of Yoga, we can walk our unique path to work with this powerful teaching of Kriya Yoga. 

 The fourth Niyama is also the second component of Kriya Yoga, swadhyaya, which is Self-study. or introspection. This is sometimes translated as “study of the scriptures,” but the literal meaning is “Self-study,” or study of the Higher Self. There are many methods to master this niyama.  Inquiring into our motives and reasons for taking actions is a form of swadhyaya.  A person on the path of swadhyaya can admit when they are wrong quicker than others. 

 Some techniques of Self inquiry ask questions like “Who am I?”,  “Where do I come from?”, “What is the nature of my soul?”, “Where is God hiding inside of me?”,  “How can I find God in all things?”.  The Jnana practice of Neti, Neti, or “not this, not this”, rejects all experiences, thoughts, and sensations as being misleading because they are impermanent.  This is a technique to achieve liberation.  It is not meant to be an approach to life conflicts.  It is a inner teaching, not out outer teaching. 

We often act as if short term situations are permanent. This is a misunderstanding jnana yoga looks to remove via the practice of Neti, Neti.  The ultimate truth can come from Neti, Neti alone. Practicing “not this, not this”, “I am not that, I am not that”, removes all misleading thoughts and over-identification with passing phenomenon. This opens the path for Realization of the Ultimate.  The Ultimate “I” is beyond change. Neti, Neti is a powerful practice, although it is not for all.  Some will use it as a form of spiritual bypassing, this is to be avoided in our personal sadhana at all cost.  We should never use Neti, Neti to avoid taking responsibility for life. We can practice seeing the transient nature of objects while taking responsibility, growing up, and showing up. Inward seeking of the unchanging reality as a wholistic life path does not need to be ungrounded or spaced out.  A true Jnana Yogi is practical, down to earth and level headed. 

The fifth Niyama is also the third component of Kriya Yoga, Ishwarapranidhana, which is devotional surrender to the Supreme Self.  Spiritual devotion can take many forms.  For some, it looks very religious. For others, it is earth-based, such as having devotion to the water, air, earth, and ether.  For others, it is the devotion of watching the breath.  Bhakti is a form of high-frequency emotion.  The idea of Bhakti is to turn commotion into devotion.  Many believe that we can not be removed from our tendencies towards faith and belief in things that can not be proven by logic, reason, and data.   We see this in scientific orthodoxy. Working with the truth that our mind is faith based brings balance to our life.  Becoming conscious that we are faith based beings makes the quality of our Bhakti more complete.  

 Bhakti is ruled by Kapha which is nurturing, committed, and stabilizing.  Increasing Bhakti also develops healthy and balanced Kapha.   Bhakti cultivates the nectar of love. Kirtan and mantra are paths that lean heavily on Bhakti. Yet Bhakti is so much more than an outer path. Bhakti is our bhava or mood.  We need a deep mood or flavor to really taste Bhakti.  Bhakti is personal.  Kriya Yoga in the Yoga Sutras declares the importance of Bhakti. Kriya is an action and Yoga is union.  The action of devotional longing can take us all the way to the goal of yoga.  The Yoga Sutras dedicate a verse to its importance. 

īśvara praṇidhānt vā  Sutra 23 Chapter 2

Samadhi can be quickly attained through devotional surrender to God. 

Other References to Kriya in the Yoga Sutras 

In the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, Kriya Yoga is bought up two times as explored above. The word Kriya is used with Yoga attached to it two more times.  

 Sutra 18 uses the word kriya simply as action. To understand Sutra 18, Sutra 17 and prior Sutras need be laid out briefly. 

draṣṭr drśyayoḥ saṁyogo heyahetuḥ 17

 The cause of that pain which is to be avoided is the union of the knower and the knowable. Sutra 17

Translated by Paramahamsa Prajnanananda

The previous verse discus suffering and pain that can be avoided via yogic methods. Sutra 17 teaches that the subject and object or seer (drashta) and seen (drishya) being confused brings suffering.  Yoga and Vedanta teach that ultimately we are not what we are observing but the observer it's self.  This is the ultimate form of objectivity.  Yet this observation of the Self is not coming from the limited self.  It is seeing that the unlimited Self is functioned through the body-mind organism, yet we are more than that.  We are ultimately beyond the body, mind, and senses.  This is a profound experience but also a dangerous tool that can be used for spiritual bypassing.  We must understand what the teaching of the seer and seen is pointing toward; a direct experience of the Self.  It is not a method of how to deal with life issues.  When life problems arise we should not simply claim, “I am the impersonal objective reality of creation”.  We need to use ethics that are within dualities manifestation.  In more simple language saying “its all one” does not cut it.   Yama and Niyama are the methods for dealing with life and the path of Yoga.  Stating that we are part of the grand knower of all is a pointer towards the enlightened state. The pointer is not the state.  Confusing approaches to Yogic lifestyle and pointers towards the enlightened state used in contemplation has brought much confusion and suffering.  For the sake of others be cautious and aware to avoid spiritual bypassing.  Sadly many yoga schools and new age ideas are built on confusion tools for contemplation as morals and ethics.  Morals and ethics are needed.  When we bypass state "it's all one"  we skip over the gritty aspects of life's challenges.  I feel this is due to a lack of in-depth teaching on Jnana yoga. 

Sutra 18 discuses the importance of our senses and the gunas (sattva, rajas and tamas) and that they are given to us “for experience and emancipation.”   Kriya is simply used in this verse to state that we are in the experience (bhoga) of activity (kriya) so that our senses (indiya), can function in illumination (prakasa) for our liberation (artham)  

 prakāśa kriyā sthiti śīlaṁ bhūtendriya ātmakaṁ bhoga apavarga arthaṁ drśyam 18

 The experienced is composed of of elements and organs, is of the nature of    illumination, action (kriya), and inertia, and is for the purpose of experience and release (of the experiencer).  Sutra 18

Translated by Swami Vivekananda 

The knowable is of the nature of illumination, activity (kriya), and inertia, consisting of the elements and sense organs; it’s objects are for experience and emancipation.  Sutra 18

Translated by Paramahamsa Prajnanananda 

In Sutra 19 Patanjali continues to discuss the Gunas in a greater context. I will not unpack it all here now. As our main point has been laid out. The word Kriya is used in its simple meaning, action.   

In Sutra 36 the word Kriya is used again as action.  In this case, it is explaining the importance of Satya or truthfulness as an action in the path of yoga.  Sutra 35 - 45 lays out the benefits or byproducts of practicing Yama and Niyama.   Each Yama or Niyama gets one verse.  Sutra 36 discusses the benefits of Satya or truthfulness. 

On being firmly established in truthfulness, action and the results rest on the action (of the yogi only) - Sutra 36

Translated by Paramahamsa Prajnanananda

For further commentary on these verse, you can explore a Yoga Sutra commentary.  I suggest Paramahamsa Prajnananandan and Baba Hari Das. The point for this blog is the word kriya is being used to denote action.  

Conclusion & Closing Thoughts  

Kriya is a diverse term with various usages.  Kriya Yoga is considered to be Pre-Vedic by some and part of the Tantric renaissance by others.  While many feel the history is important, I personally feel the fruits of practice are paramount, while history is secondary (yet very important). 

Yoga practices called Kriya span a wide range and are complicated to categorize.  Secrecy has added to the complications. Kriya practices consist of asana, pranayama, bandha, and mudra, leading to super-conscious meditative states.  Learning the bandhas, mudras, asanas, and pranayama taught in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a foundation for rousing Kundalini which is non-different that what many brand as Kundalini Yoga. These practices are found in Kriyas as well. Most all Kiryas work directly on Kundalini energy. 

When taking up Kriya practices we need to follow a teacher who is trustworthy, honest, and truly in the state of inner freedom, not watered down by the powers of the market place or the desire for honor reputation and gain.  Would you drive a vehicle if the engineer did not study and practice the methods to make a safe and sturdy car? Poorly designed Sadhana slows Self-Realization, clouds the mind, and in some cases encourages more ego development. 

A teacher who is a true Acharya, or a teacher established in right conduct, is key to building trust for the students.  The master teacher has used the path to overcome/integrate their own ego and see God in all things. They cannot only teach us the right method but also model the mental mindset and behaviors of the Yogi. 

Yoga is a method of Self-Realization. Yoga Therapy is a method of healing the body and mind. Ideally, Yoga Therapy as a physical therapeutic method has some relationship to the method of Samadhi or why would we call it Yoga Therapy?  In Physical Therapy the goal is to alter the physical body, not to still the thought waves.  Yoga Therapy in its authentic form is spiritual therapy. 

Classical and authentic Kriya practices are the pinnacle techniques for Self-Realization.  Second only to Pure Bhakti and direct Self-Inquiry.  Today many (namely Yogi Bhajan) have turned Kriya into a form of Yoga Therapy, with vague classification and assessment standards.  Yoga has many physical and therapeutic benefits for self-healing.  Cleansing techniques are not methods for Realization, but useful preliminary practices.  Physical poses are not an end, in and of themselves. Yoga Therapy is a clearly defined classification and assessment based system and Yoga for Realization, while interrelated, are not always the same thing.  Understanding what Kriya is in the Yoga Sutras and Hatha Yoga Pradipika can help us on the path.  Clearly understanding if we are practicing to still the mind, working towards Samadhi, or addressing the body's needs is important to classify.    Without this clarification, Yoga Therapy is not fully developed and methods of Samadhi are clouded.  Proper clarification allows the light of awareness to shine.  Yoga is the path of love, peace bliss, and joy.  Kriya can work to uncover the layers of confusion in our mind and body. 

 After I began working on this project I took to Facebook to see what kinds of questions people wanted to be answered around the topic of Kriya in light of Yogic text.  I did not get too many questions about Yogic text.  It seemed to be of less interest to people because many are struggling with what to do in regards to Yogi Bhajan’s vast amount of Yoga practices he called Kriyas. As someone who taught Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan exclusively for almost ten years, I touch on these topics a bit in these blog posts, yet I am not going into loads of depth around how to frame YB’s work in these blogs.  My original intention with this blog was to explain the word Kriya in Yogas languages and Classical text.  While people’s questions around what Yogi Bhajan taught are incredibly important, I can not answer every complicated question about the validity of his Yoga system within the context of this blog. Instead, I’ve laid out Kriya in light of the Yoga Sutras and Hatha Yoga Pradipika, two major Yogic texts. 

I do suggest Kriya Yoga International or other organizations affiliated with Yogananda to learn Kirya Yoga.  This is my personal biases.  I am not an authorized Kriya Yoga Acharya so I am not sharing the techniques in this general blog, or any of my Yoga teaching practice.   

I will be offering a program on how to integrate many of the teachings of Yogi Bhajan, in light of Classical Hatha Yoga and Ayurveda.  This course will be online. I hope to run it in the fall of 2020. If you have enjoyed these blogs, we will be going deeper into practices in the course “Kundalini Yoga Beyond Branding”.  Subscribe to the blog and follow me on FB to stay tuned for this upcoming program. 

Hari Om Tat Sat Om!  

Suggested Reading Resources on Kriya

Kundalini Tantra Yoga by Swami Satyananda Saraswati 

Kriya Yoga by Swami Shivananda 

Kriya Yoga by Swami Nityananda Giri

Hatha Yoga Pradipika translation and commentary by Swami Vishnudevananda 

Yoga Sutra of Patanjali Suggested Translation 

1.  Paramahansa Prajanananda Giri

2.  Baba Hari Das

Neti: Healing Secrets of Yoga and Ayurveda by Dr. David Frawley

The Spiritual Science of Kriya Yoga by Goswami Kriyananda 

Any book by Paramahamsa Hariharanada Giri

Suggested Teachers for Further Study of Kriya Yoga

Some of these schools focus more on the path of Shakti Kriya or Mantra Yoga and others Kriya Yoga in relationship to Yogananda’s method of Self Realization.  I personally feel that all of these schools offer quality teachings. I have a personal bias to Kriya Yoga International and practice the Kriya they teach daily.  Most of the below schools emphasize Guru-disciple relationships.  If you are not comfortable with that world view, I would suggest staying in the secular Yoga world.  Some of the below schools (not Yoganandas lineages)  have had issues around power and sexual abuse. I am not celebrating that aspect of there history but still feel they have authentic full system Yoga teachings. 

Yogananda’s Lineage 

Kriya Yoga International 

Self Realization Fellowship 

Ananda Village 

Roy Eugene Davis 

Swami Nityananda Giri of Rishikesh 

Song of the Morning Ranch and the Golden Lotus Yoga Teacher Association 

Kriya Yoga Temple of Chicago 

Shaktipata Traditions of Dadaji

Lakulish Yoga University 

Amrit Yoga  

Triple Crane Monastery America and Da Huayen Monastery Taiwan 

Kripalu Yoga (many say they have completely watered down the yoga system, I do not know but it is something to keep an eye on.) 

Enlightenment Intensive of Charles Burner (this is a self-inquiry practice created by one of Swami Kripalu's authorized teachers. 

Sivananda's Disciples

 Integral Yoga

Sivananda Yoga

Bihar School  

Miscellaneous

Tantric Master Shri Param Eswaran (Tantric Mantra, Puja, Vedic Seed Mantras)

Dr David Frawley