A Comparison Of The Power Of Yoga In Patanjali's Yoga-Sutra

Narayan never stated explicitly that he practised Yoga as prescribed in Patanjali's Yoga-Sutra but his comments in his unpublished journal and his essays and memories can be taken as external evidences to it. Patanjali's influence is cognizable in the various instructions given to himself, which Narayan has registered in his unpublished journal. These instructions match very closely to the injunctions received by Krishnan in order to communicate with his dead wife and which ultimately help him achieve Sanada Samadhi. It is a concentration on the felicity of mind and is basically of the nirvichara kind related to the instruments of reception (the sense-organs). The novel also exhibits the four ways of spiritual realization that are expounded in

it was she, it was herself" (Narayan 209). The words 'gorgeous' and 'felt' indicate the improvement in his faculties of sight and touch. Yoga-Sutra 38 of "On Concentration" states that, "By taking as the object of meditation, the images of dreams or the state of dreamless sleep, the mind of the yogi gets stabilized" (Aranya 96). Krishnan's statement is a hint to the fact that he has been concentrating on his wife even in his dream. Finally, Krishnan separates himself from worldly activities, the klista ones, by giving up his college-job. This ekendriya detachment leaves no room for further agitation of mind. Equipped thus, he now concentrates on the fragrance of jasmine. It is stated in Yoga-Sutra 35 of "On Concentration" that the "development of higher objective perception called Visayavati also brings about fixity of mind" (Aranya 91). By concentrating on the smell of Jasmine, which for him is very closely associated with his memory of Susila, Krishnan develops higher-sense perception. It assists him in perceiving super-sensuous aspects of the smell as he