Chitta Prasadanam

Chitta Prasadanam, as laid out by Maharishi Patanjali in his famous Yoga Sutras, is a pearl of valuable and powerful wisdom that may help us maintain a peaceful, beautiful, and blissful mind structure, no matter what the actions of others.

In yoga, Chitta is defined as the mind-stuff and Prasadanam means the act of creating one thing or something pure, delightful, and beautiful.

Maharishi Patanjali Yogasutra has described the methods of offering the mind in Sutra 1.33 of Samadhipada. There the four important mental qualities of Chitta Prasadanam are said to be Maitri (friendship), Karuna (compassion), Mudita (bliss or Joyfulness), and Upaksha (Indifference).

Patanjali has prescribed four attitudes in the samadhi pada, which we must develop towards people in different situations. For example, being happy to see someone happy, showing compassion to the sad, joy towards virtue, and disregard for sin. This arises sattvic attitude in the mind.

In yoga, the sacrament of Chitta Prasadanam is an excellent way to free the mind from impurities. Patanjali explains that its practice allows us to find peace within ourselves by forming loving relationships with others.

Chitta Prasadanam: The mind remains happy by having a feeling of friendship with a happy person, compassion from the sad, happiness from the righteous, neglect from the irreligious.

This is the level of decoration of Vedic yoga practice. In this, efforts are made to purify the body, life, and mind. Having a healthy body and mind gives special happiness in life. It can also be called complete health. At this level that the practice of health, purification of the body, control of prana, and happiness of the mind are practiced.

Yoga Sutra 1.33

Maharishi Patanjali Yogasutra 1.33 mentions four attitudes to lead the mind (Chitta) towards peace and happiness (Prasadanam), the attitudes are as follows:

‘Maitreekarunamuditaupekshanaam sukhduhkhapunya vishayanan bhavnatashchittaprasadnam’ (Yoga Sutra 1/33)

Sutra’s breakdown is like this:

Maitree – friendliness
Karuna – compassion
Mudita – Joy
Upekshanaam – indifference
Sukha – happiness
Dukha – sadness
Punya – virtuous acts
Apunya – wrongdoings
Vishanayan – regarding
Bhavana – feelings
Chitta – mind-stuff,
Prasadnam – clearing of impurities

The sense of friendship toward the happiness of others, and the sense of mercy for the sad people. Pious should make a feeling of happiness in men and kept a sense of apathy in men with the nature of sin. These feelings are pure that experience of peace shortly from the pure mind.

4 Attitudes and Virtues: The Way to Calm the Mind

Maharishi Patanjali has given the following measure to concentrate and purify the mind. Practicing the four mental virtues-

1. Maitri – Friendliness

Maitri means friendship ie feeling of friendliness or companion. This part of the formula suggests developing compassion and friendly ideas.

The spirit of friendship should be done with good and complete persons. Thus, Yogi teaches unsecured ideas to develop favorable ideas towards happy people instead of entering our minds. Friendship is achieved by restraint in friendship, and the feeling of loving-kindness arises.

2. Karuna – Compassion

Karuna means providing help to a helpless person without any thought. This part of the sutra is compassion toward suffering. This is a very advanced form of mercy. In which we are always ready to help any helpless, sad or troubled person.

When a yogi takes restraint in compassion, then he attains the power of compassion. Due to this, he helps more and more sad and helpless selflessly.

3. Mudita – Joyfulness

The third feeling is Mudita, meaning happiness. Mudita means joy or happiness. This part of the sutra teaches us to develop happiness through the good deeds and achievements of others. Mudita is to feel genuinely happy for others, devoid of jealousy.

Seeing the achievements of scholars, gurus, teachers, and their parents, neighbors, or colleagues, to have a feeling of happiness or happiness towards them.

When a yogi exercises restraint in the Mudita, he attains a force called Mudita. And he feels happy while respecting all his respected ones.

4. Upeksha – Indifference

Upeksha is the need to develop equanimity towards the negative behavior or evils of others. This practice is not asking us to turn our backs on harmful behavior but to show acceptance or ‘equanimity’ towards wrongdoing.

This exercise can often be the most obviously challenging to find. In fact, this part of the sutra is the prescribed way to find peace by ignoring the wrongdoings of other people.

The sinful men keep trying to harm their well-wishers and obstruct their works without understanding their reality. Therefore, the feeling of neglect (Upeksha) i.e. indifference towards such persons is preferable. In this way, by keeping the above-mentioned feeling awake towards different persons, the seeker is successful in keeping the mind pure, clean and happy, which is very useful for attaining the state of Sampragyat Yoga.

Conclusion

Once these four mental virtues (Chitta Prasadanam) translate into our behavior; they can help us deal with even the most difficult situations with ease and foster loving relationships with others.