Historical Background of Yoga (Vedic, Medieval and Modern) Mansi Verma1, Nazrah Shah2, Pooja Jadon3 and Vandana Tripathi4 1,2,3,Under Graduate Student, Department of Political Science, Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi 4Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi Abstract—Shri Shri Ravi Shankar says, “Yoga is not just dichotomy, philosophical and theological issues by connecting exercise and asans. It is the emotional integration and spiritual the soul to the body. elevation with a touch of mystic element, which gives you a 1. VEDIC PERIOD glimpse of something beyond all imagination. Yoga is as old as the Universe, for it is both the Path and As per yogic scriptures, practicing yoga leads to union of the Goal. The Goal is realization of the innate nature of individual consciousness with that of universal consciousness, the Universe. We can describe its essence by the Highest indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body, man and nature. Historical evidences of the existence of yoga can Being which are–Atma, PURUSHA, Shiva, Devi, Sat. In be seen in VEDIC PERIOD (2700 B.C.)-till Patanjali’s period. We Yoga, that highest being is PURUSHA and the can get information about yoga practices and their literature manifestation of that spirit in the world of matter is from – Vedas, Upanishads, and Smritis, teaching of Buddhism, called PRAKRITHI. In this manifested world, or Jainism, Panini, Epics and Puranas. SHIV is seen as the first yogi PRAKRITHI, the JIVA, individual soul, returns to or Adiyogi in the yogic core. PARAMATMA or the Universal Soul. Therefore, PURUSHA In Medieval Period there was enrichment of many satellite & PRAKRITHI, are one and the same: PURUSHA is the traditions of yoga and Hatha yoga was one amongst them. Goal and PRAKRITHI, the path to that Goal. Hatha yogis in medieval time thought of yoga as a practice of Yoga is derived from a Sanskrit word ‘YUJ’, which becoming god like or god’s equal while in your body either by alchemical means or by practicing yoga. The ideals of means to join together, to integrate, therefore, Yoga can meditation espoused by Buddha during 15th century be correctly said as union or reunion. As Upanishads considered good by many yogis but at the same time they also says, ‘that which was one became the many’. Therefore felt that there is a need for focusing more on preparatory in this cosmic drama, the sense of Dwaitam, the sense of practicing such as working on physical body and on breath. separateness rose and from this Dwaitam or duality Yoga as we know today saw revival throughout India. Bhakti (two-ness) rose Bhayam, that is fear and as Upanishads yoga was also practiced in medieval India by adept such as says, ‘where there are two, there is fear’ and therefore Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Literature of medieval period was this far which is the root cause of all the man’s sufferings dominated by Tantras. Tantras has the origins of most of rises from sense of separateness. This fear can be Hatha- yoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita and Siva. removed when we achieve highest sense of oneness. The The history of modern yoga is thought to begin with sages call this Moksha, which is REUNION and this is the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago 1893. Elizabeth De true goal of yoga. Michelis says ‘yoga is compared to building to understand it is to be able to describe its architecture.’ Yoga is now not only 1.1 ORIGIN OF VEDAS related to its performing arena but also the class modern day According to Hindu Tradition, Vedas are as old as 10,000 complexities. It is an important living tradition which takes over years, but their originality is lost in antiquity. Vedas were boundary between the religions intersection and secularism. ancient hymns, which were originally sung and are not Yoga practice has transcended the difference of language Holistic Yoga: H3 (Health, Happiness & Harmony) ISBN: 978‐93‐85822‐57‐5 97 a Mansi Verma, Nazrah Shah, Pooja Jadon and Vandana Tripathi put in written form. They were sung by the Rishis who codified and elaborated in systematic way for the first lived ascetic lives in hermitages. The word yoga was time in Bhagwat Gita. The emphasis was given on Viveka occasionally used in reference to homas and fire or discrimination or Vairagya or detachment. No ceremonies, in this Vedic Period. The performance of practical instruction was given at that time to sit straight Homa was done by sages who used to sit immobile for with head and neck erect. Even the word ASANA was days, weeks and months in Asanas, straight and still only used to refer ‘’seat’’ where yogi would sit and sitting position of body. They used to chant Mantras meditate. which require breath control (Prayanama). The senses Maharishi Ved Vyasa in his magus opus, the Bhagwat had to be controlled and therefore this ritualistic Gita gives the concept of Yoga as an attitude towards accuracy and purity required Dharna (concentration). living could embrace the entire spectrum of man’s Therefore without formalizing the potential aspects of existence. The contents of Gita dialogue are described as Yoga, it was part and parcel of yoga of Vedic seer’s of Brahma Vidya (science of ultimate reality, Para Vidya life. (spirituality), Yoga Sastra (Treatise on yoga practice), The word YOGA has its appearance in Vedas. Dr. K.H. each chapter is referred to in the same colophon as Kumar Kaul, author of ‘Yoga in the Hindu Scriptures’, has describing a particular yoga or more correctly, a yogic given us significance of yoga in different Veda we had. path. Yoga is generally to mean a state of union or According to him in the Rig Veda, the Rishis advice to integration or coherence that is union or merger of follow the path of yoga to the aspirant for obtaining human consciousness with cosmic or divine energy from ‘DIVINE PERSON’. In Yajur Veda, reference consciousness or complete integration of physical, like ‘Yajita man…’ of Rig Veda is found which puts mental, intellectual and transcendental aspects of emphasis on mental yoga. In Atharveda, the reference is individual or human personality. found to Paraná (the vital energy of universe) and It is reasonably obvious that the yoga tradition or Chakras (8 chakras in pranic body and mine apertures’ in the meditative practices associated with the advanced the body). stages of yogic discipline were very established in India ‘’Astachara navdara drvanam pruayodhya tasyam long before. The excavation of seals portraying deities in hiranyayuh kosh o kosha svargo jyotisavrth’’ meditative posture in the sites at Mohenjo-Daro and Pranvidya (science of prana) is referred in Atharveda Indus Valley Civilization period strongly suggest that which says that Paraná is the essence of Universe . In Yoga tradition is not only 4,000 years old but have had Atharveda, significance of practice of Yoga has been its place in Indian society well before the Vedic period. given. Therefore, all four Vedic Samhitas refer directly or 2. MEDIEVAL PERIOD indirectly to Yoga System or Yoga Tradition. During 15th century, as many yogis felt that the ideals of THE WRITTEN TRADITION The written traditions meditation espoused by Buddha were good, they also like RAMAYANA, MAHABHARTA are considered as felt the need for preparatory practices such as working ‘practical yoga manual’ or ‘yogic allegory’ of Hindu on physical body, on breath. And thus, "HATHA YOGA Literature showing mankind how to live in spiritual life. PRADIPIKA" written by Swami Swatmarama became an BHAGVAD GITA which is embedded within Mahabharata influential text .Many people thought that the practice of is the ultimate text book of Yoga. It has eighteen yoga is restricted to Hatha yoga and Asanas or postures chapters and discourses between Lord Krishna and only where as in Yogasutra, only three sutras were Arjuna, the proper ‘Yoga Bhava’ or ‘Yoga attitude’ dedicated to Asanas. Fundamentally Hatha yoga is a towards human sufferings and crisis is given. The famous preparatory practices by which body sustain higher level yogic concepts of Gita include ‘’Yoga Karmasu of energy. This preparatory process begins with the body kaushaam’’ (yoga is still in action) and ‘’Yoga Uchayati and then breath and then mind and then the inner self. Samatva’’ (yoga is equal mindedness in all Hatha yogis in medieval India believed that yoga was circumstances). The concepts such as Karma Yoga , about becoming god like or god's equal while remain in Bhakti Yoga, Janana Yoga, DHYANA Yoga which were body -either by Alchemical means or by Hatha yoga very much part of Hindu culture from Vedic times were Holistic Yoga: H3 (Health, Happiness & Harmony) ISBN: 978‐93‐85822‐57‐5 98 a Historical Background of Yoga (Vedic, Medieval and Modern) practices which we recognized today as breath the sun and the moon in our body is Hatha yoga. But work/Pranayam and physical postures/Asanas. Around unfortunately the modern scientific approach gave no 8th century in Buddhist text, Hatha yoga appeared and it explanation about these two concepts. emerged from "Tantra". it is commonly known as Maharishi Patanjali, in his famous work THE (YOGA "Psychophysical yoga" which is a combination of bodily SUTRA) gave first complete, detailed, technical postures ,breathing and meditation. These postures in presentation of practical yoga as SCIENCE OF Hatha yoga referred as Asanas-which in today's time in SPIRITUALITY. Yoga sutra believed to be at least 2500 their English term known as -cat pose, and warrior 1 years old, around 600 BC to 800 BC. Maharishi Patanjali’s pose. The Yoga Sutra became the most authentic scripture There were different schools or forms of yoga which which explains the principles of ASHTANG YOGA.