By Swami Harshananda
Pramāda literally means ‘heedlessness’.
In general, the word means heedlessness or carelessness and a blunder that arises out of it. However, in the Yogasutras[1] of Patañjali,[2] it is used as a technical term and listed as an obstacle to yoga or samādhi. It is defined as neither remembering nor practicing the basic virtues like ahiṅsā[3] and satya,[4] which are essential for attaining samādhi.
Once the mind is allowed to slip from the path of yoga due to pramāda, it can result in a total fall.[5] The famous sage Sanatsujāta compares pramāda to mṛtyu or death since it ultimately leads to sansāra or trans-migratory existence.[6]
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore