THE ROLE OF MEDITATION AND DETACHMENT IN PATANJALI YOG SUTRA AND SHRIMAD BHAGWAT GEETA: A HOLISTIC APPROACH

Abstract

Two important Indian philosophical texts that stress meditation and detachment are the Patanjali Yog Sutra and the Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta. A key work that blends Samkhya philosophy with earlier yogic traditions, the Patanjali Yog Sutra stresses meditation, detachment, and moral behavior as ways to transcend mental fluctuations and achieve liberation or self-realization. It serves as a helpful guide for mental and spiritual discipline and offers ideas relevant to contemporary mindfulness and wellness practices. Part of the Mahabharata, the 700-verse Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta is a spiritual framework that integrates several schools of thought, including Samkhya, Yoga, and Vedanta, while striking a balance between action, devotion, and knowledge. It tackles universal questions like duty, morality, and the purpose of life. The goal of both works is to guide practitioners towards moksha, or self-realization. In Indian philosophy, meditation and detachment are key concepts that stress self-awareness and unity with the ultimate truth (Brahman or Purusha). By focusing one's attention on a single object or concept, meditation improves mental control, clarity, and promotes moral and spiritual growth. Disengagement from material possessions, needs, and egoic attachments, or detachment, allows people to set aside worldly distractions and focus on more significant truths. A transforming road to emancipation (kaivalya), where the purusha (pure awareness) is separated from the prakriti (material nature), meditation is also a method for developing mental discipline. The traditional focus on mental control as a necessary condition for spiritual development is supported by neuroscientific research showing that meditation improves brain plasticity, fortifies attentional networks, and decreases responsiveness to outside stimuli.