Yesterday I talked about the variations amongst plants, animals and humans. Now, amongst humans also, there are certain variations. Some may have the structure of humans, but may be cherishing the ideas of an animal. From their physical structure, you may say that they are humans, but mentally they are not humans. They are just like animals. The Sanskrit word for “animal” is pashu. They are pashus in human structure. And there are some humans who are just like humans – with all the merits and demerits – and there are some whose physical structure is like that of a human, but who are godly in nature. So among humans, there are these three species – pashu, viira and deva.

Now let us see what yoga is. Then I will say something regarding these three species of humans – pashu, viira and deva.

Some people say that the proper interpretation of yoga is Sarvacintáparityágo nishcinto yoga ucyate – “When the mind is free of all thoughts and all internal projections, that state is yoga.” Some people say that just doing physical exercises and controlling the glands and tissues is yoga.

In Sanskrit, the word yoga comes from two root verbs. One is yuj, which means addition. “Two plus two equals four” – this is addition. Another meaning of yoga is yuiṋj, which means “to unify, to make one”. When two become one, this is unification. When sugar is put in water, the identity of sugar is lost. This is unification.

Now, Sarvacintáparityágo nishcinto means that the mind is free from all thoughts or all psychic projections, but it does not mean unification, nor even addition, so this explanation cannot be accepted by wise men. Neither physical exercises nor suspension of the mind is yoga.

Another interpretation is Yogashcittavrttinirodhah. There was a great philosopher named Patanjali. He said this about two thousand years ago. The human mind has fifty main propensities, and these propensities, both inside and outside, are working in ten different directions. Each and every propensity works within and without, internally and externally: so, fifty [times] two. And these proprensities work in all ten directions: fifty [times] two [times] ten equals one thousand. The propensities, the expressions, are one thousand. And these propensities are finally controlled by the pineal gland, and not by the pituitary gland. The pineal gland is called sahasrára in Sanskrit.

Now, as per Patanjali, the explanation is Yogashcittavrttinirodhah – that is, “controlling or suspending all these one thousand propensities”. You may have controlled all these one thousand propensities, but this does not mean any addition or any unification, so this interpretation is also meaningless. It cannot be accepted by wise people, because this interpretation has nothing to do with the proper import of the term yoga.

Then the final interpretation, the interpretation of Ananda Marga, is Saḿyoga yoga ityukto jiivátmá Paramátmanah – “The unification of unit consciousness, jiivátmá, with Supreme Consciousness, Paramátmá, is yoga.” When the unit entity, the unit consciousness, becomes one with the Cosmic Consciousness, that becoming one, that unification, is yoga. In that unification, the unit consciousness loses its identity. When the river comes in contact with the sea, it no longer remains a river. It becomes one with the sea, it becomes the sea. For this process of yoga the best interpretation is Saḿyoga yoga ityukto jiivátmá Paramátmanah.

What are the stages? (Suppose the little boy cannot get through the books of philosophical science – so there are stages.) I told you that amongst humans, there are three species, pashu, viira, and deva – animals in human form, men in human form, and gods in human form.

Those who are in pashu form have to elevate themselves to the standard of man-god, that is, God. Pashu form means always moving in order to eat, drink, or sleep – for these things. They will have to elevate their standard to become human both in mind and body. This style of practice is known as pashvácára, as taught by Lord Shiva about seven thousand years ago.

For those who are humans both in mind and body, the style of practice is called viirácára. Our avadhútas and avadhútikás practise viirácára. Viira means brave. Why is it called brave? It is because they are fighting against the fetters of mind, they are fighting against the satanic fetters. So certainly they are brave. This viirácára is of two kinds. In the southern Himalayas, the practice taught by Shiva is known as viirácára. North of the Himalayas – in Tibet, China, Siberia, etc. – the practice taught by Shiva was known as Ciinácára, that is, “the Chinese style”.

From ancient India, the great Tantric yogi Vashistha came to China about five thousand years ago to learn this Ciinácára, the Chinese style of viirácára, and the Chinese-oriented [Tantra]. About 1500 years ago, a great yogi from China, named Pa Fa Hu Le, went to Bengal to revive Ciinácára.

Those who are established in viirácára have elevated themselves to the standard of deva. They are gods in human structure. What is the meaning of “god” here? Here “god” is meant with a small “g”, not a capital “g”; the feminine form is “goddess”. For “God” with a capital “g”, there is no feminine form; “God” is common. So, what is God?

Everything in this universe emanates from the Supreme God – capital “g”. All are different waves, coming out, emanating, from the Supreme Entity. All the waves have their peculiar length, no two waves are the same. That is why in Ánanda Sútram I said, Vaecitryaḿ Prákrtadharmah samánaḿ na bhaviśyati – “Variety is the law of nature, there cannot be cent per cent equality.”

Each and every entity has its peculiarity, its speciality. No two articles or expressions of the world are the same. These expressions of Parama Puruśa are devas. The controller of these devas, or the factor just above these devas, is Mahádeva. Mahádeva means the Supreme God, Supreme Entity. Here the “g” is capital “g”. Those who have elevated their status and are recognized as deva – their goal is attainment of Mahádeva, attainment of the status of Mahádeva, to be one with the Supreme Entity. This is divyácára. Their souls, their spirits, their entities, their existences, finally become one with Mahádeva. Hence they are deva.

The first style, from animality to humanity, is known as pashvácára. The second stage, or the second style, is viirácára in the south of the Himalayas and Ciinácára north of the Himalayas. As the final stage, divyácára is for all people who want to elevate themselves to the supreme excellence of Parama Puruśa.