3. The Esoteric “Jnána yoga.” It is the occult and mystic meditation of the Divinity, practised by religious recluses after their retirement from the world in the deep recesses of forests, according to the teachings of the Áranyakas of the Vedas. In this sense it is called “Alaukika” or recluse, as opposed to the “laukika” or the popular form. It is as well practicable in domestic circles by those that are qualified to practise the “Jnána yoga” (ज्ञानयोग) or transcendental speculation at their leisure. Of the former kind were the Rishis Súka deva, Yájnavalkya and others, and of the latter sort were the royal personages Janaka and other kings and the sages Vasistha, Vyása and many more of the “munis.”
4. The Exoteric Rája yoga. This is the “laukika” or popular form of devotion practised chiefly by the outward formulae—vahirangas of yoga, with observance of the customary rites and duties of religion. The former kind called Vidyá (विद्या) and the latter Avidyá (अविद्या), are enjoined to be performed together in the Veda, which says: यत्तद्वेदोभयं सह &c. The Bhagavadgitá says to the same effect, नकर्मणामनारम्भ्यनैष्कर्म्मं पुरुषोश्नुते. The yoga Vásishtha inculcates the same doctrine in conformity with the Sruti which says: अन्धतमम्प्रबिशन्ति येउबिद्यायांरताः । ततोभूयएबतेतमो ये उअबिद्यायांरताः ।
5. The Subjective or Hansa yoga. The hansa or paramahansa yoga is the subjective form, which consists in the perception of one’s identity with that of the supreme being, whereby men are elevated above life and death. (Weber’s Ind. Lit. p. 157.) The formula of meditation is “soham, hansah” (सोऽहं हंसः) I am He, Ego sum Is, and the Arabic “Anal Haq”; wherein the Ego is identified with the absolute.
6. The objective word Tattwamasi. The objective side of yoga is clearly seen in its formula of tat twam asi—“thou art He.” Here “thou” the object of cognition—a non ego, is made the absolute subjective (Weber. Ind. Lit. p. 162). This formula is reduced to one word tatwam तत्वं denoting “truth,” which contained in viewing every thing as Himself, or having subordinated all cosmical speculations to the objective method.
7. The Pure yoga-Suddha Brahmacharyam. The pure Yoga has two meanings viz.; the holy and unmixed forms of it. The former was practised by the celibate Brahmacháris and Brahmachárinis of yore, and is now in practice with the Kánphutta yogis and yoginis of Katiyawar in Guzerat and Bombay. Its unmixed form is found among the Brahmavádis and Vádinis, who practise the pure contemplative yoga of Vedánta without any intermixture of sectarian forms. It corresponds with the philosophical mysticism of saint Bernard, and the mystic devotion of the Sufis of Persia. (See Sir Wm. Jones. On the Mystic Poetry of the Hindus, Persians and Greeks.)
8. The Impure or Bhanda yoga. The impure yoga in both its significations of unholiness and intermixture, is now largely in vogue with the followers of the tantras, the worshippers of Siva and Sakti, the modern Gosavis of Deccan, the Bullabhácháris of Brindaban, the Gosains, Bhairavis and Vaishnava sects in India, the Aghoris of Hindustan, and the Kartábhajás and Nerá-neris of Bengal.
9. The Pantheistic or Visvátmá yoga. This is well known from the pantheistic doctrines of Vedánta, to consist in the meditation of every thing in God and God in every thing; “Sarvam khalvidam Brahama” सर्ब्बं खल्विदं ब्रह्म । एतद्धैतत; and that such contemplation alone leads to immortality. भूतेषु भूतेषु बिचिन्त्य धीरः प्रेत्यास्माल्लोकादमृता भबन्ति । It corresponds with the pantheism of Persian Sufis and those of Spinoza and Tindal in the west. Even Sadi says; “Hamán nestand unche hasti tui,” there is nothing else but thyself. So in Urdu, Jo kuch hai ohi hai nahin aur kuchh.
10. The Monotheistic or Adwaita Brahma yoga. It consists in the meditation of the creed ओं एकमेवबाद्बितीयं of the Brahmans, like the “Wahed Ho” of Moslems, and that God is one of Unitarian Christians. The monotheistic yoga is embodied in the Svetáswatara and other Upanishads (Weber p. 252 a). As for severe monotheism the Mosaic and Moslem religions are unparalleled, whose tenet it is “la sharik laho” one without a partner; and, “Thou shalt have no other God but Me.”
11. The Dualistic or Dwaita yoga. The dualistic yoga originated with Patanjali, substituting his Isvara for the Purusha of Sánkhya, and taking the Prakriti as his associate. “From these,” says Weber, “the doctrine seems to rest substantially upon a dualism of the Purusha male and avyakta or Prakriti—the female.” This has also given birth to the dualistic faith of the androgyne divinity—the Protogonus of the Greek mythology, the ardhanáriswara of Manu, the undivided Adam of the scriptures, the Hara-Gauri and Umá-Maheswara of the Hindu Sáktas. But there is another dualism of two male duties joined in one person of Hari-hara or Hara-hari; whose worshippers are called dwaita-vádis, and among whom the famous grammarian Vopadeva ranks the foremost.
12. The Trialistic or Traita-yoga. The doctrines of the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, and that of the Platonic triad and Christian Holy Trinity are well known to inculcate the worship and meditation of the three persons in one, so that in adoring one of them, a man unknowingly worships all the three together.