Sage Patanjali is considered as the founder of Yoga as he was the first person to propound the ancient tradition of Yoga in a systematic way. Patanjali lived cirla 200 B.C.
There is an interesting story about Patanjali’s birth. His mother, Gonika was a very pious lady. One day while, bathing in the river, gonika prayed to the sun God, “O Lord, please give me a glorious son.”
In answer to her prayers the Sun god told the wise snake shesha (or Ananta) to take birth as Goniks’s son. Instantly the great shesha became a tiny snake and dropped down into Gonika’s palms which were folded in prayer. The snake then changed himself into a beautiful baby boy. Gonika was delighted she named the child pata-anjali. pata means falling anjalimeans palms folded in prayer.
Patanjali grew up to be an extra ordinary man, renowned for his learning and wisdom. He was the author of three brilliant works. One was on Sanskrit grammar. The second was a work on ancient Indian Medicine, ayurveda. The third and the most important, was on yoga. It is called the yoga sutras of Patanjali where he clearly explains about yoga.
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The Yoga sutra of Patanjali is divided into four chapters or padas. The first deals with samadhi, the second with the means (sadhana) to achieve yoga, the third enumerates the powers (vibhuti) that the yogi comes across in on his quest, and the fourth that deals with absolution (kaivalya)
The following subject matter is described in yogasutra of Patanjali.
1. Yoga is the means to calm the mind. A calm mind is still, starless and free from all distractions.
2. When mind is calm and quiet in meditation or dhyana then man attains samadhi. Samadhi or trance enables one to enter into the inner life.
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3. The aim of yoga is to attain the kaivalya and samadhi which leads one to blissful life.
4. The practice of yoga is to be done very sincerely and seriously. For the pract of yoga one must lead a simple life and avoid all temptations.
In order to objective by know the device of patanjali’s yoga system, one ma read the explaination of eight fold path of yoga.
This is known as astanga yoga. In Patanjali’s own word: (yama-niyama-asana-pranayama-pratyahara-dharana-dhyana-samadhi) astanga yoga
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The meaning of this sutra is – Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi are the eight steps of the systematic discipline of yoga.
– Yama – rules of self-restraint. Niyama – rules of observances asana – postures pranayama – control of breathing. pratyafiara – withdrawal and total subjugation of senses. Dharana – concentration dhyana – meditation. Samadhi-trance/self realisation