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International Journal of Research 2015; 1(7): 17-19

International Journal of Sanskrit Research2015; 1(3):07-12

ISSN: 2394-7519 IJSR 2015; 1(7): 17-19 The ancient basis of Patanjala © 2015IJSR www.sanskritjournal.com Narottam sarkar Received: 14-09-2015 Accepted: 17-10-2015 Abstract Today most of the people think that, is the father or founder of the famous Yoga . But in Narottam sarkar the , there are some significant yoga evidence revealing that, yoga tradition is much (Ph.D.Scholar), Jadavpur older than Patanjali and its main practices already existed before his time. This ancient yoga was University, Jadavpur,Kolkata- explained in , Upanisadas, and . 700032, West Bengal Key words: ancient, patanjala yoga, Vedas, Puranas

Introduction The word ‘Yoga’ comes from a Sanskrit root ‘yuj’ (to yoke, to unite), which meaning is 'to join'. Patanjali in his ‘Yoga-Sutra’,where yoga is defined as the ”[1], which “योगिचबििनरोधःृ means stopping of movements of the mind.The purpose of yoga is to lead to a silence of the mind. This silence is the necessity for the mind to be able to accurately reflect objective without its own subjective twisting. Yoga is the science and practice of finding liberation () from the material world. It is a practical path to self-realization, a means of attaining by purifying the entire , so that the mind-body can feel the absolute fundamental

reality of illusions on everyday life. A man who attempts this organization is called a yogin or . There are four main division of yoga: Yoga, Yoga, Yoga and .Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutra, defines Raja yoga. Patanjali explains that upward progress of the Yogin towards the supreme end ( ) is made मोक्षः up of eight stages. These eight stages are called ‘Astangas’. They are as follows: 1. (moral ); 2. (rules and observances); 3. (bodily postures); 4. (control of the life force); 5. (withdrawal of the senses far from the external world); 6. Dharana (memory); 7. Dhyana (); 8. (total concentration).

Discussion Yoga Darsana that is connected to the system. The Mahabharata says that-

“यदवे योगाः पयित तत ्सांख्यॆरिप यते I एक साख्य च योग यः पयित स तविवत ् II”[2] ं ं ं ं

The Patanjali Yoga teaching occurs in the context of a broader Yoga Darsana that includes other streams also. This Yoga Darsana existed long before Patanjali and was taught in many ways. It is the Yoga Darsana originally attributed to and related Vedic teachers.

Before the Patanjali period, most of the yoga was taught in Vedas, Upanisads, Mahabharata, Gita, and Puranas.These are the main ancient literature of yoga. Here Yoga has various meanings and comes in many forms.

 Like, Khathopanisad says about Yoga- Correspondence Narottam sarkar “ता ं योगिमित मये िथरािमिद्रयधारणाम् I (Ph.D.Scholar), Jadavpur [3] University, Jadavpur, Kolkata- अप्रमतदा भवित योगो िह प्रभवाययौ II” 700032, West Bengal (This they consider Yoga: the steady holding of the senses.) ~ 17 ~ International Journal of Sanskrit Research

 Maitri-Upanisad says- commentator Vijnana Bhikshu in his ‘Yogavartika’commentary on the first sutra of the ‘Yoga “तथा तत ्प्रयोगकपः प्राणायामः प्रयाहारो यान ं धारणा, तकर् , समािध, षडङ्गा इययतु े ’. It also explains Hiranyagarbha as the adiguru quoting [8] योगःI”[4] the yogi . Besides, Several Upanisads like Katha, Kena, Svetasvatara, (Yoga is said to be the oneness of breath, mind, and senses, are said to be Yoga-. These Yoga Upanisads also do and the abandonmentof all states of .) not emphasize Patanjali and they are not mentioned in Patanjal’s any quotation. The Puranas, which are large  The says- encyclopedic works of traditional goes back to medieval and ancient periods, contain many sections on Yoga but do not give importance to Patanjali. When such texts teach “तं िवद्याुःखसंयोगिवयोगं योगसिज्ञतमं ् I [5] Yoga, they often do so with quotes from the older Vedas, as स िनयेन योक्तयो योगोऽिनिवर्णचेतसा II” the Svetasvatara Upanishad. This yoga text mentioned;

(Yoga is known as the disconnection (viyoga) of the “प्राणान ् प्रपीयहे सयं क्तचु ःे connection (samyoga)withsuffering.) क्षीणे प्राण े निसकयोवसीत I  Yoga Sutra says-“ .Which means Yoga is योगिचबििनरोधःृ ” दायु ुक्तिमव वाहोमेनं the control of the whirls of the mind. िबद्वान ् मनो धारयेताप्रमः II २.९” [9]

In the Indian civilization, Vedas are the foundation of all Where fire is churned or produced by rubbing (for sacrifice), Indian culture, and religion. So we can say, the which are controlled (by yoga practices), then the mind attains Vedic also the origin of present yoga system. perfection. Perhaps, the earliest yoga concepts belonged to

Hiranyagarbha. Which means “the gold embryo” first, occurs The another text in the Katha-Upanisad- prominently as a Vedic , generally a form of the Sun God,

which has many names involving Hiranya or Gold. There is a

special hymn to Hiranyagarbha in the Rig Veda X. 121. This “आमनं रिथनं िविद्ध शरीरं रथमेव त ु I [10] Hiranyagarbha refers to the Supreme Being or Isvara. विद्धु ं त ु सारिथं िविद्ध मनः प्रग्रहमेव च II १.३.३” Hiranyagarbha of the earliest Vedic and Upanisadic lore is Yoga is likened to a chariot in which the reasoning spoken of as the first being to reveal yoga “िहरयगभ योगय वेता consciousness is the driver, and the body is the cart. Mastery It indicates that mental Yoga exercises were नायः पुरातनः”. of the body thus achieved by control of the senses.At first, this known and played a substantial part in the religious and yogic text produced that, the mind and body are not inherently philosophical outlook of the epoch. The philosophy of yoga separate but linked. was ancient and was based on the Upanisads. This means that the PatanjaliYoga Darsana is a later subset of In great ancient text in the Mahabharata, Sri occurs the earlier Vedic, upanishadic and puranic Yoga Darsana. So it and states: is not a new teaching. The Yoga Sutras involved short axioms that required interpretation in the light of the existing more “सांख्यय वक्ता किपलः परमिषर्ः स उयते I detailed traditions, mainly through authoritative commentaries. िहरयगभ योगय वेा नायः परातनःु II ६० The topics addressed in the Yoga Sutras from and अपातरतमावॆ वेदाचायःर् स उयते I to dhyana and samadhi are already taught extensively प्राचीनगभ र् तमिषृ ं प्रवदतीह के चन II ६१”[ 6] in the older literature. In the Mahabharata(Shanti Parva 316.7),the Yajnavalkya speaks of an “eightfold yoga the teacher of Samkhya, is said to be the supreme . taught in the Vedas.” Hiranyagarbha is the original knower of yoga. There is no one else more ancient. Repeatedly, in the in the Bhagavad Gita, “बेदषे ु चागिणनु ं योगमाहुमर्नीिषणः I Krishna states that- सममगू ुणं प्रहुनॆतरं नपसमृ II ७ िद्वगणु ं योगकृ यं त ु योगाना ं प्राहुमम् I “इमं िवववते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमययम ् I सगुण ं िनगर्णु ं चवॆ यथाशािनदशर्नम ् II ८ िवववान ् मनवे प्राह मनिरवाकवु ेऽवीत ् II १ धारणा चवॆ मनसः प्राणायाम पािथर्व I एवं परपराप्रािममं राजषर्यो िवदःु I प्राणायामो िह सगुणो िनगर्णु ं धारणं मनः II ९ स कालने ेह महता योगो नः परतप II २ यत्र येत मचवु ॆ प्राणामॆिथलसम I स एवाय ं मया तऽद्ये योगः प्रॊक्तः परातनःु I वातािधक्यं भवयेव तमािद्ध न समाचरेत ् II १०”[11] भक्तोऽिस मे सखा चिते रहयं तदे ममु ् II ३”[7] Historical Survey Yoga has a long history. The very earliest indication of the He taught the original Yoga to Visvasvan, another name of the existence of some form of Yoga practices in comes from Sun God, again suggested by Hiranyagarbha. Vivasvan was the Harappan culture which can be dated at least as far back as said to have taught this Yoga to , the original man or first 3000 B.C. A number of seals show a figure seated in a Yoga king, making it into the prime Yoga path for all humanity. position that has been used by the Indian for meditation Here, however, Krishna gains prominence over till the present day. One of the described figures bears signs of Vivasvan/Hiranyagarbha as the original teacher of Yoga. divinity worshipped as the Lord of Yoga. At the time of Another yogic text like the Brihadyogi Yajnavalkya mining at Mohenjadaro, Stuart Piggot wrote: "There can be XII.5. Similarly explains Hiranyagarbha as the original teacher little doubt that we have the prototype of the great god of yoga, as the Samkhya system. So Samkhya’s great as the Lord of the Beast (Pashupati) and prince of Yogis."[12] ~ 18 ~ International Journal of Sanskrit Research

Conclusion Acknowledgement Yoga, as a 'science' of achieving this transformation of finite Firstly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my man into the infinite One, has to be recognized as something advisor Dr. shiuli Basu for continues support of my Ph.D study intrinsically Indian. Yoga has been called a living fossil. It has and writing of this journal. Besides my advisor, I should like and had glorious history. It belongs to the earliest heritage of to thank the Anantaajournal.com publishers, which gives me a India's humanity. The Indian traditional teachings, the great opportunity for publishing this journal. Yoga’s of Hinduism, , and are clearly represented as an invaluable resource for contemporary References mankind. 1. Yoga-sutra, 1/2. Karel Wenex has explained in his book- “According to the 2. Mahabharata, Santi Parva, 304/4. Indian tradition, the ancient Vedic religion is not a product of 3. Khatha-Upanishad, 2/3/11. the imagination of primitive minds reacting to natural 4. Maitrî-Upanishad, 4/4. phenomena by personifying, worshipping, and dreading them, 5. Srimad Bhagavad Gita, 6/23. but on the contrary, is the creation of exceptional individuals 6. Mahabharata, Santi Parva, 337/60-61. who had reached the fullness of mystical vision, which gave 7. Srimadbhagavad Gita, 4/1-3. them an understanding of and insight into the problems of life 8. Sankhyadarsana, with Vijnana Bhikshu commentary, 1/1. and existence that may have amounted to the final knowledge 9. Svetasvatara Upanishad, 2/9. of the itself. And some hymns of the Rig Veda and 10. Katha-Upanishad, 1/3/3. Atharva Veda, if studied carefully, lead us to admit that only 11. Mahabharata, Shanti Parva 304.7 & 9. deep based on efficient Yoga technique could have 12. Indus Valley civilization, Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, 156. produced the profound insights that we find in them.” [13] 13. Yoga and , Karel Wener, 97, 101-103. L Adams Beckhas written:"This subject of Yoga is a high and 14. The Story of Orental Philosophy, L.Adams Beck, PP-100. difficult one. At points there is symbolism that only the instructed can piece and reach the truth behind. Remember Bibliography also that Yoga is in many respects a key to the highest teachings of the Indian , including that of the 1. Patanjaldarsan. Ed. by Kalibar Vedantabageesh, Buddha." He has endorsed Yoga as a gift to the West. We are Sreebalaram Prakashani, Kolkata, 2004. only beginning to realize what great gifts India brings us, gifts 2. Mahabharata (Text As Constituted In Its Critical not to be feared but welcomed." Edition). The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute This book’s another place, which quoted Dr. S. Poona, 1976, III. Radhakrishnan’s opinion: "It is good to know that the ancient 3. Srimad Bhagavad Gita. Ed. by Jagadish Ghosh, thinkers required of us to realize the possibilities of the soul in Presidency Library, Kolkata, 2008. solitude and silence, and to transform the flashing and fading 4. Upanishad Granthavali. Ed. by Ghambhirananda, moments of vision into a steady light which could illumine the Vol- I, Udwodhan Karyalay, Kolkata, 1962. long years of life."[14] 5. Yadnyavalkya Smriti. Ed. by Wasudev Laxman Sastri Pandurang Jawaji, Bombay, 1936. Vedic Indians knew how to celebrate life, but they also had a 6. Sankhyadarsana. Ed. by Pandit Dhundhiraj Sastri, penchant for deep thought, solitary concentration, and Chaukhamba prakasan, , 1985. penance.Dating from a period of the in India, Yoga has 7. Indus Valley Civilization. Ed. by Jonathan Mark had an enormous influence on all forms of Indian , Kenoyer, Oxford University Press, Karachi, 1998. including Hinduism, Buddhist, and Jain and later on the Sufi 8. Yoga and Indian Philosophy.Ed. by Karel Wener, and Christian. The teaching of Buddhism which arose in India Motilal Banarasidass, Delhi, 1998. is similar to those of yoga: striving toward nirvana and 9. The Story of Orental Philosophy. Ed. by L.Adams Beck, renouncing the world. Indeed, some kind of meeting between Farrar & Rhinehart, New York, 1928. yoga and early Buddhism certainly took place, and one of the 10. Rajayoga O Hathayoga. Ed. by Suresh Chandra Buddhist schools is actually called (practice of Bandhapadhay, Ananda Publishers Private Limited, Yoga). Indian Buddhism spread throughout Asia, some ideas Kolkata, 1994. from Yoga were carried into Tibet, Mongolia, China, and from 11. Mahabharata me Yogavidya. Ed. by Dr Rajkumari there on into Japan. Indeed, Zen is a specific form of Yoga's Trikha, Je.Pi. Publish House, Delhi, 2003. dhyana or 'transcendental meditation' and the word Zen (like 12. Interpretive Translation. the Chinese tchan) is a simple phonetic development from Presented by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati, www. Sanskrit dhyana. Swamij.com, visited on: 23 July, 2015. So, the original Yoga darshana traditionappears not only as the Patanjali tradition but also the Vedic, Upanishadic and Pouranic tradition. It teachings are found not only in the Yoga Sutrasbut in the Mahabharata, including the Bhagavad Gita, Moksha Parva and Anu Gita, which each contain extensive teachings on Yoga. These in turn connect tothe Vedas, andPuranas, which address Yoga in many forms like , ritual (), knowledge (), devotion (), and so on. The Hiranyagarbha Yoga tradition appears to be the main Vedic Yoga tradition. So The Patanjali Yoga tradition arises as an outgrowth of it or a later expression of it.

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