Raja Yoga- 1- 1

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Sri Maha Vishnu ( Venkatachalapathy ) Temple Tirupathi .

1. The Philosophy of Yoga-1.

It is said that the original propounder of classical Yoga was Hiranyagarbha Himself.

It is Patanjali Maharishi who formulated this science into a definite system under the name of Ashtanga Yoga or Raja Yoga.

This forms one of the Shad-Darsananas or Classical Systems of Philosophy.

Vyasa has explained the original aphorisms or Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and this has been further elaborated through a gloss by a learned author named Vachaspati Mishra, and through the celebrated writings of Vijnana Bhikshu.


The Yoga, in allegiance to the Sankhya, holds that there is an eternal and omnipresent inert Prakriti and a plurality of omnipresent Conscious Purusha.

The Yoga accepts a third principle, viz., Ishvara.

The contact of the Purusha with Prakriti makes the latter evolve itself into its various effects.

The Purusha, due to Aviveka (non-discrimination), feels that it is an individual on account of its identification with Prakriti and its modifications.

Swami Sivananda
To be continued.....



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