Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 7
योगप्रकारनिर्णयः
Classification and Definition of Yoga
मंत्रयोगःस्पर्शयोगो भावयोगस्तथापरः । अभावयोगस्सर्वेभ्यो महायोगः परो मतः
maṃtrayogaḥsparśayogo bhāvayogastathāparaḥ | abhāvayogassarvebhyo mahāyogaḥ paro mataḥ
Ensinam-se o mantra-yoga, o yoga baseado no toque (sparśa-yoga) e também o yoga da contemplação interior (bhāva-yoga); contudo, o yoga além de todos—Abhāva-yoga—é considerado o Mahāyoga supremo.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
FAQs
It ranks progressive yogic approaches—mantra, inner contact, and devotional contemplation—and culminates in Abhāva-yoga, a Shaiva-oriented transcendence where the mind’s constructed states subside and one abides in the Supreme (Shiva) as the highest Mahāyoga.
Mantra-yoga and bhāva-yoga naturally align with Saguna worship—japa, pūjā, and loving contemplation of Shiva in the Linga—while Abhāva-yoga points to the culmination where worship ripens into stillness and direct orientation to Shiva beyond form, without rejecting the Linga as the sacred support.
Begin with mantra-japa (especially Shiva-mantras) joined to steady bhāva (devotional contemplation), then refine meditation toward quieting mental movements—resting in Shiva-centered awareness where reactive thought-forms diminish (the drift toward Abhāva-yoga).