Ṣaḍaṅga Yoga in Vrhaspati Tattwa: An Ontological and Soteriological Analysis within the Hindu Tradition of Bali

Abstract

This qualitative study, employing a library research design, aims to examine the ontological essence and soteriological dimensions of the teachings of Ṣaḍaṅga Yoga in the Vrhaspati Tattwa and to explore their relevance to the dynamics of the contemporary Hindu religious tradition in Bali. The study is motivated by the growing functional reduction of yoga, which is increasingly perceived merely as a form of physical exercise and fitness practice. Drawing on a philosophical hermeneutic approach, the textual data of the Vrhaspati Tattwa were analyzed descriptively and analytically using the theoretical frameworks of Tri Tattwa Ontology and Yoga Soteriology. The findings reveal that, from an ontological perspective, Śiwa constitutes the Absolute Reality, encompassing both transcendent and immanent dimensions; Ātman is understood as pure consciousness bound by avidyā; and the universe functions as the locus of spiritual purification. From a soteriological perspective, Ṣaḍaṅga Yoga offers a systematic path to liberation (mokṣa) through six successive stages: Pratyāhāra, Dhyāna, Prāṇāyāma, Dhāraṇā, Tarka, and Samādhi. The inclusion of Tarka emerges as the distinctive feature of this yogic system, functioning as an epistemological pivot that integrates philosophical rationality grounded in buddhi-citta with mystical experience, culminating in the realization of Śiwajñāna. This study concludes that Ṣaḍaṅga Yoga reconstructs yoga from being merely a physical practice into a holistic model of consciousness transformation. Its theoretical and practical implications provide a robust philosophical and theological foundation for restoring the essential meaning of yoga within the religious practices of the Hindu community in Bali.