Human beings suffer a lack of freedom and happiness. Delivering yourself from this eternal need for liberation and endless happiness is yoga or union. To be detached, blissful, and stable like God is the goal of a yogi. Such an ascetic striving for that state is called a yogi. A devotee is also an ascetic.
योगीश्वरं शिवं वन्दे वन्दे योगेश्वरं हरिम ।
तपस्विभ्योधिको योगी ज्ञानेभ्योपिमतोधिक:।
कर्मिभ्यश्चाधिको योगी तस्माद्योगी भवार्जुन ॥ (Geeta, chap. 6, salok 46)
A yogi is better than mere ascetics. He is even better than a knower of scriptures and those who perform actions to satisfy worldly desires. Therefore, hey Arjun, be a yogi.
योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मर्दतेनान्तरात्मना ।
श्रद्धावान्भजते योमा समे युक्त तमोमतः ॥ (Geeta, chap 6, salok 47)
Among all the yogis, those devoted ones are specially dear to me who sing my glories unceasingly having attached their mind unto me.
The word 'yoga' is made up of root 'yuj' (yujyate:samyog) which means to unite, to relate, meeting etc. In other words, we can say that if there is a want of something, its fulfilment or completion is called yoga. As there are many needs so there are many yoga too. But, generally, in human beings there is a lack of eternal happiness and freedom. Therefore, yoga is that which get rid of this lack of eternal bliss and freedom. As God is the only source that is eternally free and blissful in nature, the union of individual soul and supreme soul is called yoga. And the person who practices the methods to achieve this ultimate goal is called a yogi.
The Yoga shastra or the yogic science is of infinite significance. It has been extolled in the Vedas, the Upanishads and all the Puranas. In Geeta, Sri Krishna has endorsed it so many times. Among all the yogic texts, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra is of great importance. It is an extraordinary text by Maharishi Patanjali. It lights the path to our ultimate goal and describes the system to practice it is based on everyday experience. It lays down the psychological principles in succinct aphorisms.
Nothing remains to be known once we know the principles of yoga. For example, the nature of mind, the nature of the faculty of decision and choice, how to control mind by force (hatha) that enables one to unlock the secrets of the universe - all these have been explained in Yoga philosophy.
The doors of yoga science are open to all religions, sects, whether one is an atheist or an agnostic. Whoever has born into this material world has a right to liberate herself from suffering - this is the basic principle of yoga.
We are not here to amass wealth and luxuries only. Those who have this goal in mind cannot progress on the spiritual path. Man is entangled in this material world due to his selfishness and material desires. This is the cause of ignorance. Having a complete control on mind and nature through yoga practices strengthens one spiritually. When we experience disappointments and instability of mind, then we realise the unity of individual and universal mind and experience undying will power. Various achievements are nothing compared to this.
Self-realization, by calming mind and making it stable by turning away from material entanglements, is the goal of yoga. There are eight steps of yoga - self-control or yam, method or niyam, posture or aasan, breath-control or paranayam, self-withdrawal or pratyahar, perseverance or dharna, meditation or dhyana, complete withdrawal by one-pointed meditative absorption or Samadhi. A one progresses in following these steps the mind becomes increasingly pure and spiritual knowledge dawns. This Ashtang (eight parts) yoga includes all other yogas like mantra yoga, karma yoga, gyan yoga, hatha yoga, laya yoga, bhakti yoga, dhyan yoga, and Samadhi yoga. It is essential to keep on the path without getting distracted by small achievements it may entail.
One who follows this path of yoga is called a yogi. Jogi is a degenerate term of yogi. The word jogi is connected with Natha (नाथ ) sect. This sect is based on the worship of Shiva. All the mantra (incantations) and tantra (mechanisms) trace their origins to Shiva, hence he is called the Adinatha or the eternal consort or supporter. It is said that Shiva revealed these highly mysterious yogic princples to Parvati. The prominent saint of Maharashtra, Nirvitinath was a great yogi. Saint Gyaneshvar received his spiritual training from him. In his geeta(song) text called 'Gyaneshvari', he traces his lineage thus: Adinatha, Matsyendranath, Gorakhnatha, Gahninatha, Nivritinatha, Gyaneshvar. The eleventh century has been called the age of Gorakhnatha. From then on the Natha sect produced literary works on yoga in Hindi.
Yogic literature in Sanskrit has been around from ancient times and some of the works have been written by the Natha sect too. There has been a constant flow of the Hindi literature based on the philosophy of the Formless (nirguna) and qualitative (sagun) Universal reality. Mostly the non-qualitative or nirguna strain of works are associated with the principles of yoga. Saint Kabir, Raidas, and Dudaji wrote and sang about nirguna principles of the universal truth.
In short, the popularity of nirguna philosophy had its influence on Meerabai's poetry too. But being intoxicated with the love of Krishna, a Gopi from previous life, Meera spent her life absorbed in the worship of the qualitative form of Krishna. The devotional love of Radha-Krishna described by the poet Jayadev in his 'Geeta Govinda' had its influence on her poetry. Her extraordinary devotion was in no way less than the Natha tradition in its impact on her times and beyond.
Maharishi Patanjali has described God thus: क्लेश कर्म विपाकाश्ये रप्राम्रष्ट: पुरुष विशेषः ईश्वरः॥ The one who is devoid of life and death generating desires, is God. This God is Meera's jogi. He is detached, untouched, and un-associated. She had the image of 'ramta jogi' (of her times in mind when she found herself engrossed in no-qualitative or nirguna Samadhi or meditation. Therefore, she has extensively written about the signs and symbolic instruments of a jogi like these - seli (सेली ), khappar (खप्पर), kundal (कुण्डल) sideburns, jataa (जटा) or matted hair , kanthaa (कंठा) or thick metal neclace, bhagvaa bhesh(भगवा भेष ) or orange robes, deer-skin (मृगछाला), posture (मुद्रा) , and meditating on void or alakh (अलख). Because even Shyam sundar visits Radha and Meera in this attire of a jogi. And Meera too is ready to give up her palace, luxuries and everything to follow her jogi. Her verses depict these sentiments. Her lover Krishna is yogeshwar, God of yogis and is eternally detached, and non-dual for union with whom she pines and cries throughout her life. At last His grace was bestowed on her.
In this section, there are poems that are based on her goal to achieve this union with her Lord. It can be said that her mysticism, her sentiments of worshipping the non-qualitative God come out clearly in this section. To be anxious and cry out in the absence of Sadguru or jogi, a desire to see them, to lead a life of jogi or hermit are the emotions visibly present in these poems where she prays to her Formless God.
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'Jogi' in Meera's words
The whole universe is a manifestation of Sat, Chit and Anand (Truth, consciousness and bliss) Lord who is omnipresent in equal measure. He is unattached and untouched. He is called a jogi due to His detached nature. But this is not the subject of crude senses. Even Vedas have stated their inability to describe Him in words' Neti Neti' or Not this, Not this. How can anyone understand His mysterious nature. It is natural for the individual soul separated from the blissful Universal being to get anxious and yearn to unite with Him. But this is extremely difficult due to various obstacles on the path. In other words, loving this jogi is like bringing hardships on oneself. But one who forgets her dearmost friend is not a friend in real terms. There is no expectation of personal gain from this Jogi. One who leaves you in lurch cannot be trusted. Is this real friendship? In Meera;s words:
मैं तो जाणूँ जोगी संग चलेगा, छोड़ गया अधबीच । I thought the Jogi will stand by me, but He has left me in the middle. Her worship of qualitative or sagun God shows her as a Gopi from past life who has been abandoned. She fell in love with the idol of Krishna in her childhood and in youth He visited her as a Jogi and left her again. All these visitations of Jogi to Meera are expressed in her poems. She expresses her unbounded ecstatic bliss upon seeing Him.
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1.
When will you think of me,
O wandering, divine Ram?
I am sat in meditation,
following the rules of devotion.
I thought you would stand by me,
but you've deserted me already.
Jogi comes and goes
He is no one's friend.
Meera says, Lord Giridhar Nagar
I meditate on your feet.
2.
Send my salutation to Jogi.
I won't go to see Him
I wear matted hair,
listen to saints and wear Kantha
The lines in my fingers have worn away
counting the days of your visit.
I carry rosary beads
and a begging bowl in hands.
Like a jogin I look for you
everywhere, just to be with you.
My spirit is with Sanvariya
here is only an empty shell.
Who can stop me,
I have left my people
to practice asceticism.
Meera is distraught due to separation
Someone takes me to Him.
3.
In a deserted jungle
the Jogi stays alone
A cow is tied to a rock
He gets the butter
the world gets remainder
the puppeteer plays the show thus.
He makes them sing, dance and
arranges the Union.
The Formless bread is most substantial
He only enjoys that.
Bai Meera's Lord, Giridhar Nagar
I meditate on your feet.
4.
O' Jogi, do not leave me, don't go!
devotional service is very difficult
show me the way
burn me with your hands
using these incense sticks
and smear those ashes on yourself
Meera says to Giridhar Nagar
merge my life in yours!
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