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THE PROBLEM OF THE MEANING OF YOGANIDR�A’S NAME

Ek�anam. �s�a is the name usually given to Kr.s.n.a’s elder sister who wasborn in King Kam. sa’s cattle enclosure (vraja) near the city of Mathur�a.She came into the world at Kr.s.n.a’s birth to protect him from the king’swickedness. In the Pur�an.as, Ek�anam. �s�a is also known as the goddessYoganidr�a. According to Monier-Williams (1899),yoganidr�a means“ ‘meditation-sleep’, a state of half meditation half sleep (which admitsof the full exercise of the mental powers; it is particuliar to devotes),light sleep, (esp.) the sleep of Vis.n.u at the end of a yuga, Vis.n.u’s Sleeppersonified as a goddess and said to be a form of Durg�a, MBh.; Ragh.etc.; (according to others) the great sleep of Brahm�a during the periodbetween the annihilation and the reproduction of the universe.” Thisspecial type of sleep known asyoganidr�a is now normally translated as“yogic sleep” or “cosmic sleep”. Mackenzie Brown (1983: 562) definesyoganidr�a as “an entranced state that is readily connected with themystical, enchanting power ofyogam�ay�a.” Madeleine Biardeau (1981)also contends that Vis.n.u’s sleep is similar to asam�adhi state; “but itis clearly an inferior kind ofsam�adhi, since, during this experience,the god holds on to a thought which remains distinct, one which mighteven be described as discursive thought (following the usual meaningof the rootcint-), of which he, in his supreme form, is the object.”1

In this article, I intend to clarify the exact meaning of the compound“yoganidr�a”, setting it against the backdrop of kingship in a numberof passages from theMah�abh�arata [MBh] and Harivam. �sa [HV], 2 aswell as a few other texts. Rather than immediately connect this wordwith psychical yoga, I believe it will prove more productive if we firstassociate the word with that kind of fake sleep (yoganidr�a) which evena king protected by the best fighters needs, if he wants to dominate theworld.

VIS.N. U’S SLEEP ON THE OCEAN

It is well known that after having destroyed the universe, the Purus.ottamalies down on a couch and sleeps for a very long period of time beforewaking up to create a new world. As a special favour from the god

Journal of Indian Philosophy27: 35–47, 1999.c 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.

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Brahm�a, the wise and long-lived M�arkan.d.eya witnessed this wonder.According to theVanaparvan(Book Three) of the MBh,3 when athousandkalpashave passed, M�arkan.d.eya sees all the waters of theuniverse being dried up by seven scorching suns. He watches terribleclouds flooding the world which is soon transformed into a vast ocean;afterwards winds suddenly whirl around the skies. Brahm�a then drinksup these winds and lies down to sleep (svapiti, 3, 186, 76; 188, 85).Wandering about on this desolate ocean, M�arkan.d.eya finally sees a childlying in the hollow of the branch of a huge banyan tree. “How can thisbabe be lying here (�sete), when all the world has come to an end?”(3, 186, 84; 188, 93), wonders the ascetic. Without further inquiry, thechild invites him to enter his mouth and explore the entire world withinhis belly. Finding no end to this marvelous being, the sage seekingprotection from the child was suddenly expelled from his mouth. “Iwish to know you and your supremem�ay�a”, said M�arkan.d.eya (3, 186,122; 188, 135). Having gained the child’s confidence, M�arkan.d.eyalearns that this yellow-clad child is no other than the god N�ar�ayan.a,one who can assume any form, even those of the greatest gods. “As thesoul of the universe I sleep (svapimi), the Grandfather of all worlds, fora full revolution of a thousandkalpas. All that time I stay here, goodhermit, not a child though disguised as one, until Brahm�a wakes up(a�si�suh. �si�surupen. a y�avad brahm�a na budhyate)” (3, 187, 39–40; 189,41–42). Two metaphors overlap in this story. Although he exceeds allcosmic limits, the supreme god is presented as a child playing in themiddle of a vast ocean.4 Sleep is the other manifestation of the divinem�ay�a: Vis.n.u sleeps Brahm�a’s sleep, as it were, and wakes up whenBrahm�a does.

The HV contains another version of the same story. Vai�sam. p�ayanatells King Janamejaya the marvelous experience M�arkan.d.eya had whileHari N�ar�ayan.a was sleeping (svapiti) on the ocean (App. 1, No 41, 184;3, 10, 12). As he was strolling about by himself, M�arkan.d.eya enters themouth of the god. Later, he gradually exits his body, without realizingthat he has done so due to the effects of the divinem�ay�a (192–193; 3,10, 16). As soon as he begins to express his astonishment, he is drawninside the god again. The sage does not realize that he is dreaming(svapnadar�sana, 210–211; 3, 10, 25). Finally he walks out of the god’sbody once more and sees a little child sleeping (suptam) on the branchof a banian tree (220–221; 3, 10, 30). At first frightened by the god’sm�ay�a, the ascetic is finally reassured. “I want to know”, he asks, “whatyour ownm�ay�a really is when you lie down (�sete) on the ocean in the

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guise of a child” (254–255; 3, 10, 47). The god reveals to the asceticthat he is Brahm�a N�ar�ayan.a, the origin and end of all cosmic realities.

Expressed in terms of sleep, M�arkan.d.eya’s description is presentedby both the MBh and the HV as the most reliable witness of N�ar�ayan.a’sm�ay�a.5 In spite of his wisdom, M�arkan.d.eya is no more than a part ofthe dream of a supreme god who sleeps, enjoying the world through themedium of his own dreams. In MBh 12, 47, Bh�ıs.ma is said to praiseKr.s.n.a with stanzas clearly inspired by this famous vision: “Homage toyou who has the nature ofm�ay�a and who, after having consumed allcreatures and converted the universe into a single expanse of water,sleeps alone like a child!” (sam. bhaks.ya sarvabh�ut�ani kr. tv�a caik�arn. avam.jagat j b�alah. svapiti ya�s caikah. tasmai m�ay�atmane namah. jj MBh 12,47, 38; 47, 57). A few verses earlier, the same Bh�ıs.ma had said:“Homage to you who has the nature of sleep, resorting to ayogaona thousand-hooded cobra-couch!” (yo �sete yogam�asth�aya parya_nken�agabh�us. ite j phan. �asahasraracite tasmai nidr�atmanejj MBh 12, 47,30/76*; 47, 48). In these verses,m�ay�a andyogaare closely connectedwith nidr�a. Through the spell of hism�ay�a, he uses sleep as a skillfulmeans (yoga).

The episode of Kr.s.n.a’s birth uses the same vocabulary. After havingkilled K�alanemi, Hari-N�ar�ayan.a retreats to his celestial hermitagesurrounded by thick darkness, as if he were on a vast ocean. Vis.n.ulies down on a couch served by Nidr�a (HV 40, 8; 1, 50, 8), “agoddess born from his own body, one who obeys his commands”(vis.n. u�sar�ıraj �am. nirde�sak�arin. �ım, HV 48, 10; 2, 4, 10). Even Brahm�aand all thebrahmars. is are not familiar with this darkyogamade of sleepwhich Vis.n.u has entered (nidr�amayam. yogam. pravis. t.am. tamas�avr. tam,40, 15; 1, 50, 15). This slumber (nidr�a) is then presented as am�ay�apresent throughout the world (40, 26; 1, 50, 27), in princely wars and atnight, in ordinary sleep and in death, etc. “Hidden by Nidr�a’s presencein N�ar�ayan.a’s hermitage, the unchanging Vis.n.u lies down confusing theworld” (sa tay�a nidray�a channas tasmin n�ar�ayan. �a�sramej �sete sma hitad�a vis.n. ur mohaya~n jagad avyayah. jj, 40, 34; 1, 50, 35). Finally Vis.n.uwakes up, summoned up by ther.s. is to leave his sleep. Heavy-eyed,Vis.n.u hastens to meet Brahm�a and Earth who are waiting for him. Tocarry out his decision to be born in the city of Mathur�a for Kam. sa’sruin, Vis.n.u needs the help of a goddess who also is identified as ayogakany�a (48, 36/612*; 2, 4, 48), a young woman (kany�a) who takesthe form of ayoga, ready to interfere. Even if she is thought of as aseparate character, Nidr�a is definitively to be identified with Vis.n.u’sm�ay�a.

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NIDR�AYOGA OR YOGANIDR�A?

The passages quoted thus far show a tendancy to bringyogaandnidr�atogether. MBh 12, 47 says that Vis.n.u, who has the nature ofnidr�a(nidr�atman), resorted toyoga (yogam�asth�aya). HV says that Vis.n.udevoted himself to a darkyoga, made of sleep (40, 15; 1, 50, 15).A similar but more concise expression is used in HV: “His [Vis.n.u’s]second form put itself to sleep on a couch, inexpressibly meditatingon its own supreme being in order to bring about the annihilation andthe creation of beings” (dvit�ıy�a c�asya �sayane nidr�ayogam up�ayayauj praj�asam. h�arasarg�artham. kim adhy�atmavicintakamjj 31, 13/459*;1, 41, 19).6 In these sentences, the wordyoga may be considereda general term meaning “use, application or performance”. It couldalso signify “a means, expedient, device, way, manner, method” (cf.Monier-Williams, ad verbum). To enter or approachnidr�ayogamaysimply mean “to put oneself to sleep”. It is also possible to put moreemphasis on the termyoga, and risk the following translation: “to use(literally to enter or to approach) a strategem consisting of sleep”.The meaning of the termyoga in nidr�ayogais somewhat unclear. Inany case, use of this compound seems to have declined as use of thereverse-order compoundyoganidr�a increased, the latter being used asanother name for the goddess Ek�anam. �s�a.

But MBh 12, 47 uses also the compoundyoganidr�a: “Homage to youthe Male with a thousand heads and a boundless nature, to you who areinvolved inyoganidr�a when the four oceans join!” (sahasra�sirase caivapurus. �ay�amit�atmanej catuh. samudrapary�ayayoganidr�atmane namah. jjMBh 12, 47, 39; 47, 59). The termyoganidr�a is found as well in HVApp. 1, No 42B, 2996; 3, 72, 70. When recounting V�amana’s episode,after King Bali is bound using snakes as ropes to the Sutala region, thewise N�arada showed him how to free himself (moks.op�aya): the recitationof a hymn which contains Vis.n.u’s principal names. This hymn alludesto M�arkan.d.eya’s vision. “Reclining on a watery couch you resorted toyoganidr�a and again think of creation. By this truth let me be saved”(jala�sayy�am up�as�ıno yoganidr�am up�agatah. j lok�am. �s cintayase bh�uyastena satyena moks.aya jj). Later on, in theVis.n. u-Pur�an. a, the nameof the goddess Nidr�a or Ek�anam. �s�a appearing before Kam. sa is mostoften Yoganidr�a: 5, 2, 3; 5, 3, 16. 20;7 and after the annihilation of theworld, Hari is also said “to resort to his divineyoganidr�a consistingin his ownm�ay�a” ( �atmam�ay�amay�ım. divy�am. yoganidr�am. sam�asthitah. ,ViP 6, 4, 6). In the Tenth Book of theBh�agavata-Pur�an. a, the samegoddess is calledyogam�ay�a (2, 6; 3, 47), as well asyoganidr�a (2, 15;

THE PROBLEM OF THE MEANING OF YOGANIDR�A’S NAME 39

4, 29). TheDev�ım�ah�atmyafrom theM�arkan. d. eya-Pur�an. a 81–93 usesthe same term when reminding King Suratha of the teaching of anascetic about the goddess Can.d.�ı. “Since she is Yoganidr�a for the Lordof the world and Mah�am�ay�a for Hari, it is through her that the worldis being bewildered” (yoganidr�a jagatpater mah�am�ay�a hare�s cais. �atath�a sam. mohyate jagat, 1, 54). Further on: “When Vis.n.u lay down on�Ses.a at the end of thekalpa after the world becomes a single ocean,the great Lord enjoyedyoganidr�a” (yoganidr�am. yad�a vis.n. ur jagatyek�arn. av�ıkr. te j �ast�ırya �ses.am abhajat kalp�ante bhagav�an prabhuh. jj1, 67). Finally Brahm�a praised Yoganidr�a herself who dwells withinHari’s eyes to arouse him (vibodhan�arth�aya hareh. , 1, 70).8 Insofar asI can judge from these texts, the compoundyoganidr�a seems later thanthe compoundnidr�ayogaor thannidr�a used as a proper name. But fora better understanding of the meaning of this phrase, we should lookto the meaning of sleep in earlier texts.

SLEEP (SVAPNA) AS A VEDIC THEME OF REFLECTION

While being taught by Aj�ata�s�atru, king of K�a�s�ı (BU 2, 1, 15–20), G�argyais brought close to a sleeping man. Indeed sleep appears to be one of thebest entryways into the understanding of the complexity of reality. Thelearned king takes advantage of a sleeper waking him up so as to teachhis student the distinction between “that real which consists of the vitalfunctions” (including the five senses, the mind, and so on) and “the otherreal which underlies the vital functions” (2, 1, 20), that is “the personconsisting of perception” (vij ~n�anamayah. purus.ah. ). Instead of usinghis faculties to grasp external objects, the sleeper gathers the cognitivepower of his vital functions into his own cognitive power. Under theseconditions, this person (purus.a) can dream; the text compares him toa king: “Just as a great king, taking his people with him, may movearound in his domain at will, so he, taking the vital functions herewith him, moves around his body at will” (2, 1, 17). This person canalso experience deep dreamless sleep (sus.upti) and Aj�ata�s�atru explainsthat at this moment thepurus.a rests in the pericardium “oblivious toeverything, just as a young man, a great king, or an eminent Brahminremains oblivious to everything at the height of sexual bliss” (2, 1,19).9

Based upon such texts, Indian philosophers10 have used the states ofwakefulness, dreaming, dreamless sleep as categories to define levelsof consciousness and as sources of comparison for understanding therelationship of Brahman to the world; they most often liken dreams to

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illusory appearance or ignorance. But the oldest Upanis.ads are not asclear about the status of dreaming. The passages quoted above distinguishdirectly between a knowing subject (purus.a) and his vital fonctions,comparing them to a king and his subjects respectively. Even if he mayseem to be deluded by slumber, the king (or god) remains awake forhis own benefit. Sleep seems to be connected with positive experiences.It refers to innumerable creative and pleasurable possibilities. Versescited by Y�aj~navalkya substantiate this point. “Subduing by sleep thebodily realm, Remaining awake (asuptah. ), he contemplates the sleepingsenses (supt�an). Taking the light, he returns to his place – The goldenperson! The single goose! [: : : ] Travelling in sleep to places high andlow, The god creates many a visible form – now dallying with women,now laughing, now seeing frightful things. All they see is his pleasureground; But him no one sees at all” (BU 4, 3, 11–14). In this quotation,the dreamer is portrayed as a demiurge able to use sleep as a tool tofabricate anything he desires and to take pleasure with women at will.Epic and Pur�an. ic authors move within this medium, giving free reinto their imagination.

Still older Vedic texts presentsvapnaor sleep in a more ambiguouslight. Of the positive and negative forces which, according to theAtharva-Veda11, 8, 19–20, entered man when he was created by Tvas.t.r.,sleep heads the list of the negative forces. “Sleep, weariness, misery(nirr

oti), the deities named evils, old age, baldness, hoariness, entered

the body afterward (anu). Theft, ill-doing, wrong, truth, sacrifice, greatglory, both strength, dominion, and force, entered the body afterward.”11

According toJaimin�ıya-Br�ahman. a, to prevent men from living virtuouslyon this earth and from following them to heaven, the gods put evil inthem, i.e. “sleep, exhaustion, anger, hunger, love of dice, desire forwomen” (1, 98–99),12 a list of evils which tallies with those found inseveral later texts. Nevertheless, even in theR. g-Veda, svapnaappearsalso to be a means of subduing enemies. “Having overcome Cumuri andDhuni by means of slumber (svapnena), you (Indra) killed the Dasyu,helped Dabh�ıti (ahead): : : ” (RV 2, 15, 9).13 Sleep can therefore beused as a weapon exactly as in Pur�an. ic mythology.

As Wendy Doniger remarks in her book on evil in Hindu mythology,all these things, both good and evil, including the notion of sleepreferred to in theAtharva-Veda, have more to do with power than withmorality.14 Sleep is present in the world as a stumbling stone, but also asa possible source of power. As such, it can either destroy man or be usedas a way of overpowering enemies. Sleep is actually one of them�ay�aswhich can be wielded by warring deities or titans. In the HV, it takes its

THE PROBLEM OF THE MEANING OF YOGANIDR�A’S NAME 41

place beside otherm�ay�as wielded by both Devas and Asuras. Duringthe battle over T�ar�a (HV 35–38; 1, 45–48), Indra is said to have useda t�amas�ı m�ay�a (a m�ay�a made of darkness) to destroy thed�anav�ı m�ay�a(D�anavas’ specificm�ay�a); Varun.a’s and Soma’s joint forces are used toneutralize Maya’smah�am�ay�a (the greatm�ay�a) emanating from�Urva’sascetic energy; Agni and V�ayu join together to subjugate thep�arvat�ım�ay�a (a m�ay�a made of mountains) devised by the Asuras. Finally Hariappeared with his famous disk (cakra) and cut K�alanemi’s arms off.This list of m�ay�as shows clearly that the sleep which appears just afew chapters later in the same text is simply one of the manym�ay�aswhich the gods, as great sovereigns, can use to baffle their enemies.15

THE KING’S SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITHNIDR�A

What I have said thus far about the possible use ofnidr�a as a ruse toovercome an adversary is not sufficient, however, to explain its verytight connection with Vis.n.u. There is an additionnal factor that linksnidr�a to the function of sovereignty in the Hindu context, and to Vis.n.uas the cosmicgop�ala.16

The MBh is quite expansive on the topic of instructions given to theking (r �ajadharma). Important among the various pieces of advice oftengiven in the form of old stories or fables is the following one: kingsmust never let themselves become overconfident, nor even confident.Here are a few examples of this precept. Bh�ıs.ma tells Yudhis.t.hira that“the king should be able to lull his adversaries into confidence. Hehimself, however, should not trust anyone; it is not recommended thathe trust even his own sons” (vi�sv�asayet par�am. �s caiva vi�svasen na tukasyacitj putres.v api hi r�ajendra vi�sv�aso na pra�sasyatejj 12, 86. 32;85, 33). In this connection Bh�ıs.ma quotes a conversation between Indraand Br.haspati regarding a king’s obligations. Br.haspati says that thisking “should honor his enemy as if he trusted him, but without trustinghim at all” (amitram upaseveta vi�svastavad avi�svasan, 12, 104, 8; 106,9). A few lines afterward he adds: “Once his foes have been overcome,he should never sleep at ease. For someone wicked is always waking asa fire ready to flare up when struck” (na nityam. paribh�uy�ar�ın sukham.svapiti v�asavaj j �agarty eva hi dus. t. �atm�a sam. kare ’gner ivotthitah. jj 12,104, 11; 106, 12). A king must always be awake and suspicious. In fact,this is exactly the advice that Brahm�a gave to the gods in HV after theirvictory over K�alanemi and just before he returns to Brahmaloka wherehe gets involved in this particuliaryogawhich involvesnidr�a: “In yourdwellings, in the celestial world and especially in the battle-field, never

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yield to confidence. For D�anavas are abject beings who force their waythrough fissures (chidres.u)” (HV 38, 77–78; 1, 48, 79–80).

Bh�ıs.ma tells Yudhis.t.hira another story which includes a speech givenby the king of the Kaikeyas to a R�aks.asa who is trying to take possessionof his heart. “How can you pretend to do that” – retorts the king – “sinceall the castes (varn. a) in my country are devoted to specific duties.”After having listed all he is doing, to prove his fearlessness, the kingadds: “When the whole population sleeps, I keep myself awake” (r �as. t.resvapati j�agarmi, 12, 79, 23; 77, 23). When about to leave Dv�aravat�ıin order to worship�Siva at Mount Kail�asa, Kr.s.n.a places S�atyaki incharge of the city. He warns him to be extremely suspicious of Paun.d. raand finally says:na ca nidr�a tvay�a k�ary�a r�atrau : : : “You should notsleep at night” (HV App. 1, No 31, 150; 3, 75, 2). Indeed, real kingsnever yield to sleep. Always awake, such warriors act exactly like Time(k�ala) or like the Rod of punishment (dan. d. a) acts in Hindu tradition:“Even if everybody sleeps, Time (or Chastisement) is awake” (k�alah.[dan. d. ah. ] suptes.u j�agarti, 12, 15, 2; 121, 6; 122, 51–52; etc.).

This attitude of “constant-wakefulness” which is recommended forkings is known to N�ar�ayan.a, the author ofHitopade�sa,a collection ofstories and aphorisms intended to educate the princes. The followingverse stands in the third section calledVigrahaor War: “In hills and diffi-cult mountain passes the king should be protected; and he should sleepwakefully even though guarded by brave men” (�sailes.u durgam�arges.uvidheyam. nr.paraks.an. am j suyodhai raks. itasy�api �sayanam. yoganidray�ajj 75; K�ale’s translation). The phrase translated by “he should sleepwakefully (or alert)” is �sayanam. yoganidray�a. “He should not enjoya sound sleep absolutely trusting in the fidelity of his bodyguards”,comments M. R. K�ale.17 Here the wordyogaclearly means “device,stratagem”.18 The yoganidr�a prompted by N�ar�ayan.a is a sleep used asa stratagem or a “fake sleep”.

According toKath�asarits�agara 15, 61–107,19 one of the ordealsKing Narav�ahanadatta has to pass through before being anointed asUniversal Sovereign (cakravartin) carries with it an implication thathe must gain the favour of the goddess Can.d. ik�a or K�alar�atri. Accom-panied by his entire army, the king enters the Tri�s�ırs.a cave which wasdug inside Mount Kail�asa and makes his way across it. To completehis task successfully he must worship K�alar�atri who stands at thenorthern entrance of the gloomy cavity. Daylight is dwindling anda profound darkness is envelopping the King’s army. “Immediately,Narav�ahanadatta’s entire army loses consciousness, as though theywere asleep. He alone did not fall faint” (ks.an. �ac ca jaj~ne nih. sam. j ~nam.

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sainyam. suptam iv�akhilam j narav�ahanadattasya sa eko ’bh�un namohitah. jj 15, 1, 97). Understanding that his army was put to sleepby K�alar�atri who became angry because she had not been worshipped(anarcanasam. kruddhak�alar�atrivijr.mbhitam), he praises her with what hethinks are appropriate verses. Unsuccessful in spite of his efforts, the kingdecides to offer the goddess his own head, and thus gains her favour. Inspite of the alterations to the story, the theme of a relationship betweenking and sleep remains recognizable. King Narav�ahanadatta standsalone and awake at the head of a slumbering army. Thecakravartinmust overcome K�alar�atri and her lulling power. Moreover, only the kingwho is ready to lay down (or sacrifice) his own life for the sake of hispeople has the power to overcome the darkness of night and of sleep.One of the greatest treasures possessed by any universal sovereign isactually an effective mastery of sleep (nidr�a) and the possibility ofusing sleep as a skillful means (yoga, up�aya) to baffle adversaries.

An episode of the MBh may also be connected with this theme. Atthe beginning of Book V (Udyogaparvan), the P�an.d.avas come backfrom their long exile with a lingering doubt as to whether or not warmay still be avoided. Kr.s.n.a finally returns to his own city of Dv�arak�a.Preparing for the ultimate confrontation, Duryodhana goes to Dv�arak�ato invite Kr.s.n.a to join his side. He enters the room where Kr.s.n.a issleeping and sits proudly on a fine seat at the head of the bed. Arjunaarrives soon afterward and stands at the back of the bed, bowing andjoining his hands. Upon awakening, Kr.s.n.a casts his eyes first on Arjuna,whereas Duryodhana pleads his right to the first to have arrived (ch. 7).Madeleine Biardeau rightly remarks that on this occasion Kr.s.n.a’s sleepreminds one of N�ar�ayan.a’s yogic sleep after the cosmic destruction.20

But curiously, and without any reference, in hisPur�an. ic EncyclopaediaVettam Mani gives another version of this episode that agrees withthe explanation ofyoganidr�a that I presented here. “Duryodhana wentto Dv�arak�a to invite Kr.s.n.a to his side, and seeing him at a distanceKr.s.n.a feigned sleep and lay down there.”21 Vettam Mani’s particularreading tends to show that there is a tradition in India according towhich Kr.s.n.a, as a realcakravartin, sleeps without sleeping, or ratherfeigns sleep while remaining the perfect and eternels�aks. in (witness).22

NOTES

1 “ : : : mais il s’agit �evidemment d’unsam�adhi de type inf�erieur, puisque le dieu ygarde une pens�ee encore distincte (voire discursive: c’est le sens habituel decint-)dont il est d’ailleurs lui-meme l’objet sous sa forme supreme” (Biardeau 1981:62–63).

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2 When quoting both the MBh and the HV, the first reference is to the CriticalEdition, the second one to the Vulgate published by the Citrashala Press.3 Texts quoted in this paragraph come from Van Buitenen’s translation of the MBh.Unless otherwise indicated, translations of sanskrit texts are mine.4 “The strong-armed Hari of unimaginable soul, who sits here as though at play”(�aste harir acinty�atm�a kr�ıd. ann iva mah�abhujah. , 3, 187, 52; 189, 54). On the themeof Kr.s.n.a’s childhood, see Couture (1991), praes. 43–58.5 The same could also be said of the supreme god who is presented as a childplaying on the ocean.6 A similar formula is used in theN�ar�ayan. �ıya-parvanof the MBh to introducethe episode of Madhu and Kait.abha: “resorting to sleep, he made his couch in thewaters” (apsv eva�sayanam. cakre nidr�ayogam up�agatah. , MBh 12, 335, 17; 12, 347,19).7 Same passages inBrahma-Pur�an. a 72, 37; 73, 3, 20, 24.8 Thomas B. Coburn (1996: 35) interpretsyoganidr�a in Dev�ı-M�ah�atmya as “thetwilight slumber of tranquility”. In this connection he mentions his PhD. Dissertationat Harvard University, pp. 303–308, that unfortunately I did not read yet (Coburn,1977). Referring to Coburn’s interpretation, see C. Mackenzie Brown: 551–563. “TheBh�agavata [Pur�an. a]” – says Brown – “insists that thisyoga-nidr�a of Vis.n.u’s is notlike ordinary sleep but is a transcendent (t�urya) state of consciousness, also calledsam�adhi (VII.9.32–33)”. He further stipulates: “By an intriguingly simple reevaluationof Vis.n.u’s cosmic sleep, theDev�ı-M�ah�atmyauses the notion ofyoga-nidr�a to attest,not to Visnu’s yogic skill in attaining trance, but rather to His succumbence to thestupefying, benumbing power of the Supreme Dev�ı, in Her manifestation as sleep.”Actually, yoganidr�a has been reinterpreted as a mystic experience, but the point Iwant to make in this paper is that this is not the first meaning of the term.9 For BU, I used Olivelle’s translation.10 See among other references, two articles by A. O. Fort (1980 and 1985). AlsoJean Filliozat: 1947; and Masaaki Hattori: 1984.11 Whitney’s translation, 1971: 649. See Doniger O’Flaherty, 1976: 7.12 Quoted and discussed by W. Doniger O’Flaherty, 1976: 249 and also 91. Seealso Malamoud, 1989: 73–74.13 My translation of Renou’s French translation (Renou, 1969: 62).14 Doniger O’Flaherty, 1976: 142–143.15 In HV 85 (2, 57), the tricky (mah�ayogin, yogadharmin) Kr.s.n.a resorts to a ruse(up�aya) to subdue his mighty adversary K�alayavana. Feeling unable to kill him, heuses the latent power of Mucukunda, an old king who has formerly claimed “justa sleep” (nidr�am eva, 85, 41; 2, 57, 44) as a favour from the gods. Kr.s.n.a forcesK�alayavana to enter the cave where Mucukunda was sleeping so that he would beunintentionally killed when he disturbed Mucukunda’s slumber. This episode is partof the present cycle of mythology involvingyoganidr�a, and I will come back to itin another paper. See Sheth, 1984: 22, for a lucid summary of this chapter.16 HV 30, 7 (1, 40, 12); 51, 5 (2, 7, 5); 68, 27–28 (2, 25, 28–29).17 K�ale, reprint 1985: 33. In his sanskrit gloss, K�ale notes: “yoganidr�a is a sleepjoined to a half-waking state; even if he sleeps, a king must remain cautious”(ardhaprabodhayuktanidr�a yoganidr�a tay�a j nr

opah. supto ’pi s�avadh�anam. varteta iti

bh�avah. ). – K�amandaka’s N�ıtis�ara, an 8th century text (?), contains a similar idea: “Onthe road, the learned king whose troops encamp in a place difficult of access mustestablish a guard according to the rules and resort at night to an excellentyoganidr�a,protected by mighty and well equipped bodyguards” (m�arge ca durgopanivis. t.asainyovidh�aya raks. �am. vidhivad vidhij~nah. j sannaddhap�ar�svasthitav�ırayodhah. sevata s�adhv�ım.ni�si yoganidr�am jj 16, 44).

THE PROBLEM OF THE MEANING OF YOGANIDR�A’S NAME 45

18 In commenting on Kaut.il�ıya’s Artha�s�astra 1, 16, 34, Kangle (1986, II: 39)notes that, in this context, “yoga refers to the secret methods used to do away withindesirables, particularly the use of weapons, poison etc.” Chapter 5 of this work isentitledyogavr

otta and deals with kings’ “secret conduct”. The termyoganidr�a is not

found in this work, but it fits well with other similar terms beginning byyoga- likeyogapurus.a, a secret agent (1.21.29; 5.2.32; etc.);yogastr�ı, a woman in secret service(11.1.42);yogadar�sana, an occult manifestation (5.2.45; 13.2.38);yogavikraya, a saleby trickery (5 3.44);yogav�amana, forcing out (an enemy) by some trick (12.2.8;12.4.29; 13,2, title). See Kangle’s glossary I, 329.19 See Balbir’s translation, 1977: 1147–1148.20 P�eterfalvi et Biardeau, 1985: 333–334.21 Mani, 1975: 427.22 In connection with the termyoganidr�a, one can think of two other possible issuesto investigate. 1) T. Elizarenkova (1966) has studied the 23 occurences of the epithetj �agr.vi in the R. gveda recently. In most of the cases, this adjective, used 10 timesin connection with Soma, 9 times with Agni and once with Indra, means “vigilant,awake”, in 3 cases, only in connection with Soma, it may have a transitive meaning(keeping someone awake). Vis.n.u could also inherit his capacity to remain alwaysawake from those Vedic gods who have to remain always vigilant or alert in theirown mythical or ritual context. 2) According to MBh 12, not only the king, but alsothe true ascetic (yogin), in perfect control of himself, isvinidr�a (12, 47, 35; 47, 54),sleep being one of the main impediments toyoga (12, 232, 4; 240, 5). Devoted toknowledge, thisyogin abandons sleep (nidr�a : : : ty�ajy�a) and keeps himself alwaysawake (j �agaraty ani�sam. sad�a) (cf. 12, 209, 1–3; 216, 1–3). These data may also berelated with those I have presented here, at least if one argues that the realyogin ofthe epics is the one who emulatesr �ajayoga, the secret means through which kingsdominate, among other things, what is night for all other beings (cf.Bhagavad-G�ıt�a2, 69).

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Facult�e de th�eologie et sciences religieusesPavillon Savard, Universit�e LavalCit�e universitaireQu�ebec, Canada G1K 7P4