Raja Yoga (the Yoga Sūtras with commentary) — trans. Swami Vivekananda (1896)

lotus upon the top of the head, several inches up, and virtue as its centre, the stalk as knowledge. The eight petals of the lotus are the eight powers of the Yogi. Inside, the stamens and pistils are renunciation. If the Yogi refuses the external powers he will come to salvation. So the eight petals of the lotus are the eight powers, but the internal stamens and pistils are the extreme renunciation, the renunciation of all these. Inside of tliat lotus think of the Golden One, the Almighty, the Intangible, He whose name is Om, tlie Inexpressible, surrounded with effulgent light. Meditate on that. Another meditation is given. Think of a space in your heart, and in the midst of that space think that a flame is burning. Think of that flame as your own soul, and inside that flame is another space, effulgent, and that is the Soul of your soul, God. Meditate upon that in the heart. Cliastity, non-injuring, pardoning everyone, even the greatest enemy, truth, faith in the Lord, these are all difl"erent \'rittis. i^e not afraid if you are not perfect in all of these ; work, and the others will come. He who has given up all attachment, all fear, and all anger, he whose whole soul has gone unto the Lord, he who has taken refuge in the Lord, whose heart has become purified, with wliatsoever desire he comes to the Lord He will grant that to him. Therefore worship Him through knowledge, or worship Him through love, or worship Him through renunciation.

" He is my beloved worshipper, he is my beloved Ijhakta, who is not jealous of any being, who is the

RAJA YOGA IN BRIEF.

friend of all, who is merciful to all, who has nothing of his own, whose egotism is lost ; he who is always satisfied ; he who works always in Yoga, whose self has become controlled, whose w-ill is firm, whose mind and whose intelligence are given up unto me, know that he is my beloved Bhakta. From whom comes no disturbance, who never becomes the cause of disturbance to others, he who has given up excessive joy, grief, and fear, and anxiety. Such a one is my beloved. He who does not depend on anything, pure, active, gi\'ing up all, who does not care whether good comes or evil, never becomes miserable ; he who is the same in praise or in blame, with a silent, thoughtful mind, blessed with what little comes in his way, homeless, he who has no home, the whole world is his home, steady in his ideas, such a one becomes a Yogi."

There was a great god-sage called Narada. Just as there are sages among mankind, great Yogis, so there are great Yogis among the gods. Narada was a good Yogi, and very great. He travelled everywhere, and one day he was passing through a forest, and he saw a man who had been meditating until the white ants had built a huge mound round his body, he had been sitting in that position so long. He said to Narada, " Where are you going ? " Narada replied, "I am going to heaven." " Then ask God when He will be merciful to me ; when I will attain freedom." Further on Narada saw another man. He was jumping about, singing, dancing, and said, " Oh, Narada, where are you going ? " His voice