A YOGA ERA IS JUST ABOUT TO USHER IN THE 21st CENTURY

The tradition and lineage of Yoga Science is very ancient. This is precious wealth of ancient India. All streams of knowledge-science are its resultant. Yoga is such a vault of Super Energies wherein all bodily, mental, intellectual, spiritual etc energies develop well and in the unveiling of joy, peace and good health success definitely comes our way. It is because of this that world humans today are taking shelter of Yoga Sciences for attaining peace, good health and bliss. Hence just as today’s era is called the Scientific Age so too it will certainly not be an overstatement to call it a Yoga Era.

The word Yoga is made from the ‘Yuj’ Dhatu. In Sanskrit language 2 Yuj Dhatus are mentioned. In it one means to unite or join or become one and the other is Samadhi (trance) or mental steadiness. Thus the common meaning of Yoga is the merging of a creature’s soul with God’s cosmic soul. Yoga is the uniting or becoming one of human consciousness with divine consciousness (God). Via Yoga we can become one with Almighty God. The Bhagwad Geeta defines Yoga as equanimity of the psyche and skillful execution of various actions. According to the Bhagwad Geeta when after our life contacts sorrow it dissociates from it is called Yoga. It means the dissociation from contact with sorrow is called Yoga. According to Maharshi Patanjali Yoga is repression of thought waves. Despite there being a word based difference between Geeta’s and Patanjali’s interpretations the meaning is the same because according to Patanjal Yoga when thought waves are repressed the devotee gets wisdom of the separate nature of Prakriti (material nature) and Purusha (God). Due to this divine wisdom man no longer undergoes any sorrow which means he gets dissociated from all grief.

The ordinary meaning of Yoga is tact or skill. As per this meaning in Yoga Vashishtha text the meaning of Yoga is the skill with which we cross this ocean of material world. Yogi Yajnavalkya too has given a similar type of meaning. He says that Yoga means the same equal form attained by a living being as God after it unites with God. Over here equal form means the living being after becoming equal with God surrenders to the latter. According to Jain Gurus all those spiritual practices that aid attainment/sanctity of the soul and Moksha or salvation are called Yoga. Yuga Rishi Gurudeva accepts Yoga as a spiritual practice of life.

In our root nature Yoga chiefly helps elicit experience of the soul, liberating the mind, peace and bliss. In reality Indian Yogis over and above spiritual philosophy are always laboring for actually experiencing the soul. They are never satisfied by dry philosophy but undergo spiritual practices to experience the divine soul or God. Indian Rishis call this means to experience the divine soul as Vijnana. In this manner in ancient India there were 2 streams of Jnana and Vijnana. Regarding this Adi Shankaracharya has clarified that Jnana means attaining knowledge of Atman or divine soul from great preceptors or scriptures and Vijnana means to actually experience this Jnana (which so far is more theoretically understood). Such experiences are eternally blissful in nature. It is for attaining this actual experience that Rishis of yore unearthed Yoga Sciences. As per the quote of Adi Shankaracharya experiential Jnana is Jnana that includes Vijnana. In the Bhagwad Geeta secret Jnana along with Vijnana is the means with which one attains Moksha or salvation. In Vedant tradition Yoga is considered the chief spiritual practice to attain soul experience. Apart from this in Vedic literature the word Yoga is used for both state (goal) of soul experience and the means or spiritual practice with which to attain it. In this manner the aim of ancient Indian Yoga tradition was not merely to attain Jnana (theory) but Vijnana (actual experience) too.

In ancient literature preliminarily in Rigveda one finds the word ‘Yoga’. In this manner Yoga tradition had already commenced in the Vedic Era which was termed Yogamaya. In Rigveda for succeeding in Yoga a prayer is made to Almighty God. Over here by using the word Yoga many times tells us that it means uniting or merging which proves that Yoga is embedded in it. In Yajurveda one finds mention of attaining Jnana via Yoga wherein it is said that we all via Yoga with a same sighted steady psyche in the created world of that supreme Almighty God attain that absolute divine wisdom from him for joyous benefits created by our power. In Yajurveda one finds a description of Yoga practices. In many Mantras of Samaveda one finds indications of Yoga. In Atharvaveda Yoga is called the means in order to attain Mukti or salvation. A prayer is made for the success of the austerities undergone by great Yogis. In Yajurveda there is mention of a teaching of the path of attaining salvation. Thus from Vedic Mantras it is crystal clear that despite there being a little lack of Yoga practice and step by step analysis of Yogic terminology yet a description of Yoga is found via Mantra sentences, natural materials and symbols. This definitely tells us about the existence of Yoga in Vedic times. Rishis of yore were great Yogis. If seen from this standpoint the evolution of Yoga tradition was witnessed right from the Vedic Era which is even more ancient than Rigveda Era. Ere the seeds of Yoga tradition were not lying hidden in India’s very ancient prehistoric era, its sprouting and growth would not have been witnessed in preliminary Vedic times.

Historian John Marshall has accepted the fact that in the archeological remains of Indus Valley Civilization statues of some Yogis have been unearthed. According to him in this statue in special Mudras symbols like Trishul weapon, crown, assemblage, nakedness, Kayotsarga Mudra, Yoga practices and bull have been noted which proves that this statue was of some Yogi only. As per the opinion of V N Lunia such type of other Yoga symbols were found in coins unearthed there. While mentioning these coins Lunia says that on a coin made of China clay is etched a person seated in Yoga posture. There is 2 serpents to his right and left side and 2 serpents in front of him. Dr Radhamukund Mukherjee believes that one can clearly note archeological and doubtless proof of the existence of people undergoing Yoga practices or meditation belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization. The fact is that to the extent the history of Yoga tradition is ancient in India its form is that much more astounding. The preliminary form of Yoga tradition verily has been symbolic. These symbols were methodically discussed in Upanishad Era and minute details of its spiritual practice too were elucidated.

The word Yoga used in Upanishads indicates spirituality because words like Yoga, meditation, austerities have been used in terms of Samadhi or trance. In the Shwetashwatar Upanishad there is a discussion of Yoga, its practice and results which clarifies Yoga tradition. In Amrit Upanishad Shadang Yoga has been discussed whereas some Upanishads opine that Yoga has 9 stages. In this manner step by step Yoga tradition got evolved further so as to attain an independent existence. A description of this evolved form can be found in Sutras, Smritis and great poetries. In Patajali Yoga Sutras there is a mention of 8 stages of Yoga which is the foundation principle of contemporary Yoga. Patanjali gave Yoga a churned form. In Manu Smriti, Yama-Niyama have not been included but in Yajnavalkya Smriti 10 Yamas and 10 Niyamas are included. In Ramayana one finds Yoga mentioned synonymous with penance so as to attain Self/God Realization. In Mahabharat epic Yoga’s indestructible treasure has been gathered. Generally over here the word Yoga has been used in the form of finding a solution.

It is a historical fact that the fertile land of Yoga commenced first in very ancient times in India. The flowing river of time of Yoga tradition never stopped nor has stopped today too. Step by step various forms of Yoga got evolved and its deep import too increased manifold. Its influence is seen in Buddhist and Jain literature too. In the 4 Arya Truths of Lord Buddha shined forth the truth of 4 Vyuhas-bondages described in Yoga texts. In Buddhist Yoga the goal is to attain the inner state of Bodhisattva. Jain Yoga is a name for the method of spiritual practice. In it there is a description of non violence, truth, abstaining from robbery, Brahmacharya or celibacy and not hoarding things which if imbibed in full measure is called a great vow. In this manner in Buddhist/Jain texts Yoga tradition evolved in an equal way. In Shung, Shak, Kushan, Gupta and pre middle era Yoga tradition reached great pinnacles. In Ashtanghriday, Ashtangsangrah and Charak Samhita Yoga Sutras have been analyzed. In it one finds mention of the Panchbhut Theory. In Puranas or Indian Mythology subjects based on Yoga have been discussed is great detail. From the standpoint of the history of Yoga scriptures the spot of Bhagwat Purana is in the time span between Aupanishad Yoga Patanjal Yoga. In it we find details of all 3 spiritual practices viz. Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Kriya Yoga. In Agni Puran Padmasan and in Garud Puran Swastikasan, Padmasan, Asit etc have been included. In Vishnu Puran Pranayam has been mentioned.

In this time period (650-1200 AD) in the field of Yoga a few teachers/Acharyas wrote other literature regarding Yoga. Vachaspati Mishra wrote a book called ‘Tattvavaisharadi’ which was a Tika/annotation on Vyas Bhashya. Vijnanbhikhshu wrote 2 books called ‘Yogavartik’ and ‘Yogasar Sangrah’. Raghavanand wrote a book called ‘Patanjal Rahasya’. Bhoj wrote ‘Rajmartand’. Bhavaganesh wrote the book ‘Vritti’. Ramanandpati wrote the book ‘Maniprabha’. Anantpandit wrote ‘Yoga Chandrika’ and Sadashiv Saraswati wrote the book ‘Tyag Sudhakar’. In this very arena Nagobhatta has contributed in a very important manner. In this time period many Tikas/annotations were written regarding Yoga.

A few scholars have mulled over Yoga tradition only in a cultural manner and have immersed themselves in this task and yet within this endeavor many of its aspects remain incomplete and one sided. In this there is a prime need of deep widespread research so that the inspirer and guide of the history of ancient India along with its culture i.e. Yoga tradition be showcased to the entire world in an all round special viewpoint manner. In the Yoga Department of Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya (Divine Culture University, Shantikunj, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India) arrangements have been made for conducting deep research studies on this subject so that the multifaceted form of Yoga can be exhibited to world humanity and via Yoga the possibility of cultural neo awakening can materialize.