It is not about inferior or superior but the goal one sets before oneself, the aspiration behind the Yoga so to say. There is also a question of the temperament and stage of inner evolution.
Hathyoga is the first documented method and was practiced by old Lemurian kings. It was perfected by Ravana and people who are conscious mainly of the physical body and mistake it for the Self, those with Asuric tendencies are drawn towards it naturally. It leads primarily towards control of the body and, when combined with certain practices of rigorous pranayama to certain physical siddhi. Though these impress the layman there is hardly anything spiritual about it. Often it inflates the ego of the practitioner.
Rajyoga does not belong to Patanjali. It was practiced by Atlantic kings, mainly Bali who had perfected it. It leads to mind control and the astasiddhis, certain kind of inner knowledge, purity and force. It appeals to the mental man. At best in its highest peak it leads to the doors of spirituality.
The triple path of the Gita, trimarga appeals to those who have become conscious of their inner being. It leads to inner liberation, jivanmukti, which is clearly a spiritual state.
The Tantric and kundalini yoga appeals to the seekers of power. It leads to power, knowledge and Bliss and if pursued to the end towards spiritual liberation.
The integral yoga appeals to those who have become conscious of their soul’s aspiration or are for some reason drawn towards the personality of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
Patanjali mainly codified and tried to synthesise the Hatha yoga practices into the larger system of Rajayoga adding to it certain elements of gyana and bhakti and karma as elements of purification. Its goal is spiritual liberation from the cycles of birth and death.
Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga, on the other hand takes a much larger sweep. It synthesises the Vedantic Yogas with the Tantra and the material existence with the spiritual. Its goal is transformation so that the Divine Manifestation and the Divine Perfection can take place here. Patanjali yoga and the Rajayogas do not even conceive it.
Several options for each one to choose from.
This of course is a very brief summary. For details one can refer to Sri Aurobindo’s writings in Early Cultural Writings and The Synthesis of Yoga.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
