Viparyaya is the second of the canonical vrittis within yogic philosophy and is a term that translates to "misconception," "misapprehension," or "false knowledge."
Viparyaya stands preeminent within schools of Eastern thought and philosophy (not least of which is the philosophy of Yoga), referring as it does to a distorted or erroneous perception and understanding of reality.
In short, Viparyaya is the result of a cognitive error or mistake in which one misinterprets or misapprehends the true nature of something, and arises when there is a discrepancy between the perceived object or situation and its actual reality.
According to Yoga philosophy, there are five main types of Viparyaya to be considered:
Samshaya (Doubt): Samshaya refers to doubt or uncertainty. It is the state of not being sure or having indecisiveness about the true nature or reality of something.
Avidya (Ignorance): Avidya is a fundamental concept in Yoga philosophy, and it is acknowledged as the root cause of Viparyaya.
Avidya is the ignorance or lack of true knowledge about the nature of the self (‘purusha’) and the world (‘prakriti’). It leads to the misidentification of the self with the body, mind, and external objects, thereby distorting one's perception and understanding of reality.
Viparyaya (Misconception): Viparyaya here refers specifically to the misapprehension or false knowledge arising from Avidya. It is the erroneous understanding of the true nature of oneself, others, and the world.
Shabda-Jnana (Verbal Testimony): Shabda-Jnana refers to knowledge gained through verbal testimony or relying solely on the words of others. It is considered a very weak form of knowledge because it can be subject to misinterpretation, bias, or incomplete information - it is literally ‘taking someone’s word for it’... the ‘it’ being the knowledge that we seek.
Smriti (Memory): Smriti is a Vritti in and of itself, though here it is defined as the knowledge gained through memory or recollection. While memory is a valuable tool, it can also be fallible and prone to distortions, leading to misrepresentations about past events or experiences.
The practice of yoga as a discipline of self-understanding aims to overcome Viparyaya by cultivating self-awareness, discriminative knowledge (‘Viveka’), and direct perception of reality (‘Pratyaksha’).
By practising yoga and experiencing the state of yoga, one can dissolve the cognitive misconceptions and false perceptions that obscure the true nature of oneself and the world.
By recognising Viparyaya in the first place and then taking the necessary steps with which to overcome Viparyaya, one can develop a clearer and more accurate understanding of reality, leading to greater insight, liberation, and freedom from suffering.
Matt ~ The Bearded Naked Yogi
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