Patanjali Yoga Of The Vedic Poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar

Patanjali Yoga is of 196 aphorisms,
Compiled by sage Patanjali,400 CE.
Patanjali formulations are the foundation
Of Yoga philosophy of Hinduism.

Yoga is of meditative practices
To attain a state of consciousness
Free from all active and discursive thoughts
To lead to unawareness of the external.

There are eight limbs prescribed in the yoga.

1.There are five Yamas (ethics) to be followed-
Ahimasa (Nonviolence) , Satya (non-falsehood) ,
Asteya (non-stealing) , Brahmacharya (sexual restraints)
And Aparigraha (non-avarice) for life perfection.

2.There are five Niyamas (behaviors) to be adopted-
Sauca (purity of mind, speech and body)
Santosa (contentment with acceptance) ,
Tapas (persistence, perseverance, austerity)
Svadhyaya (study of Vedas and introspection)
Ishvarapranidhana (contemplation of the God)

3.Asana (in a posture for a period) is for body health.
Posture one can hold with comfort is asana.
Numerous postures have subsequently
Been evolved to practise Yogasana course.

(Padmasana (lotus) , Veerasana (heroic) , Bhadrasana (decent) ,
Svastikasana (like the mystical sign) , Dandasana (staff) ,
Sopasrayasana (supported) , Paryankasana (bedstead) ,
Krauncha-nishadasana (seated heron) , Hastanishadasana (seated elephant) ,
Ushtranishadasana (seated camel) , Samasansthanasana (evenly balanced)
and Sthirasukhasana (any motionless posture that give pleasure) .
Were suggested as ideal asanas to be practiced)

4.Prāṇāyāma is the practice of consciously
regulating breath (inhalation and exhalation)
inhale, retention, exhale, pause - is a cycle.
This is done in several ways for a period.

5.Pratyahara is a process of withdrawing
one's thoughts from external objects, things,
person and situation. It is a step
Of self-extraction and abstraction.


6.Dharana is the sixth limb of yoga,
Concentration of mind on an object
Or on mantra as one-pointed focus
With no drifting of mind from that angle.

7.Dhyana is contemplating, reflecting
on whatever Dharana has focused on.
Dhyana is the uninterrupted train of thought,
current of cognition, flow of awareness.

8.Samadhi is the eighth and the last limb.
It is oneness with the subject of meditation.
There is no distinction between the actor
of meditation, the act of meditation.
There is only oneness in the state of Samadhi.

No more is he alive to the rest of the world,
Which is moksha, redemption from the cycle of birth.
Vision of Veda based faiths is moksha,
Pursuit of which is the mission of life.
23.03.2023