Posted on August 3, 2009 in Latest News
The “Yoga Sutras” is an important collection of aphorisms on Yoga practice, complied by sage Patanjali. Yoga means union and Sutra means thread. Yoga Sutras are thought to be as old as 400 BCE. Archaeological evidence and other texts suggest that the methods described in the Yoga Sutras were being practiced as early as 3000 BCE. Oral tradition states that the period may be even longer.
Patanjali is a revered name and has been deified by many groups. It is claimed that he is an incarnation of Adisesa who is the first ego-expansion of Vishnu. Some say that desiring to teach yoga to the world, he fell (pat-) from heaven into the open palms (-anjali) of a woman, hence the name Patanjali. He is also often respectfully referred to as Patanjali Maharishi, or great sage.
Yoga Sutras is actually a compendium of an ancient pre-existing oral yoga tradition consisting of practical advice on the yogic path. The most generally accepted format of the Yoga Sutras, compiled in Sanskrit, consists of four chapters, called padas. The four chapters are:
- Samadhi Pada: This chapter deals with absorption, mergence, linking, getting in touch, union through realizing harmony, interconnectedness, integrity, and indigenous belongingness and the reality of all our relations.
- Sadana Pada: In this chapter practice, processes, methods, and technique of yoga are discussed in detail.
- Vibhuti Pada: Proficiency, progress, fruition, success, and ability are explained in this chapter.
- Kaivalaya Pada: It is explained how one can achieve complete, unconditional, and absolute liberation.
What does Yoga Sutras of Patanjali outlines?
As a system, the type of yoga as put forth by Patanjali, is non-theistic, having not even the slightest suggestion of worshipping idols, deities, gurus, or sacred books; but at the same time it does not contain any atheistic doctrine either. Although this fact has been contested by self stylized special interest groups, a careful unbiased study of the Yoga Sutras, especially the discussion of what Patanjali means by the word, “isvara”, will support the aforesaid fact as incontestable. It is devoid of caste distinction, ceremony, ritual, book study, guru worship, or traditional methods of worship. One marvel of the Yoga Sutras is that it is not self important, rather yogic practice is the path, while the Yoga Sutras are simply a guidebook to one’s practice, not a necessity.
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