Yoga Vijnana or The Ancient Science of Yoga (A Color Photograph on Each Page)

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The energies and other achievements born of yoga are obstacles. Hence the Yogis of restrained mind must not take resort to them all.

Shlok – 1

1. Having offered obeisance to Sankara the Lord of the Yogis and Sri Krsna the Lord of Yoga I compose this treasury of various modes of sitting for acquiring expertise in yoga.

I a devotee of yoga have composed this treasury of Yogic models of body as guidelines for the students devoted to Yogic studies.

The context here is that of the object and the seeker of that object. The subject is that of explaining the Yoga. The person eligible for it is practitioner and Samadhi is the goal.

The physical exercise that is employed for the purification of the nerves the body as well as vital airs is called the ASANA (or the mode of sitting) in this work.

There are many meanings of the world ASANA available in the Lexicography as well as the etymology. But here the word ASANA has a specific reference. Herein the word ASANA is used as a technical term in the HATHAYOGA lore. (Hathayoga is a particular mode of Yoga of practicing it) in the science of Yoga any particular gestures or postures of one’s body are called ASANAS.

For practicing Yoga one’s body is the chief and most important instrument. Some of the yogic ASANA are found in the form of KARANAS in dancing.

For achieving spiritual body is the aspirant has to achieve physical fitness and for this, such a physical mode of the body is a must wherein there is steadiness as well as absence of disturbance of any sort.

Keeping these characteristics in view the ASANA is defined by Patanjali as an ASANA is one where there is steadiness and comfort. Such an ASANA is an instrument of Yoga.

These ASANA are of two kinds :

1. Kus’a –Blanket –hide- cloth etc. These are external or material ASANAS.

2. Padmasana, Siddhasana, Svastikasana, etc. These are to be practiced by body l.e. Physical ASANAS.

For yogic Saddhana physical stability and good health are necessary. For this purpose other ASANA are to the practiced. These ASANA give physical fitness and stability. Yograja Guru Goraksnanth has described may Asanas, ASANAS. All of them are not available. Out of them main 84 ASANAS are available. They are well known to many of the practitioners of yoga. It is very likely that there are difference of names and performance. They have been treated here in this work.

Over and above these ASANAS the author has described certain researched ASANAS too. All these have been presented here with the Author’s own Photographs.

Even if any aspirant is supposed to have achieved mastery over the ASANAS in his former birth he is expected to achieve success in ASANAS in this birth also. The reason is because he ahs not got that gross body that was with him in the former birth.

We are convinced of the former birth and rebirth by the inquiry made by the physician. His inquiry starts with a question: “Whether this disease or a disease resembling this was found in the patient’s forefathers?” In other words whether the disease is hereditary. For just as the offspring inherits its cosmogony and nature from the parents, it in herits its diseases too. There is no alternative to the unhappiness caused by disease. There are two sorts of disease.:-

(1) Physical and (2) Mental.

The main causes of disease are wrong type of food and behaviour, mental tension and anguish.

Wrong type of food:

Any food taken for the sake of taste only – very pungent, saltish, sour, sweet, bitter, very hot cold, state mixed with fruits and edible roots together with milk is called unhealthy or mal-nutritious food.

Moreover any food taken without hunger, intoxicating or damaging one’s anatomy is called wrong type of food. Some is the ease with drink. Any intoxicating drink or drug is an addiction. Over and above these any food or drink taken in the company is of a wrong type.

Wrong type of behaviour

- too much of sleep

- too much of keeping awake.

- too much of physical or mental strain.

- too much of lethargy.

- bad company

Mental worry is an invitation to diseases and anguish is a good conductor of diseases.

So the aspirants are advised to remain away from the causes of diseases.

The students of the science of yoga should observe the rules and regulations laid down by the author Yogas’astra because observance of these rules and regulations of ASANAS are resistants against and destroyers of diseases. In short the student must observe Yama and Niyama of Yogadarsana.

Any ASANA is effective to the whole of the body. That means they activate all the limbs.

Everyday exercise of ASANA helps in removing or avoiding physical fat. It also helps in maintaining physical health and fitness.

By practicing ASANAS on can remove dullness of the spinal cord as well as the joints of the bones of the body.

Because of this practice life-long preservation of physical and mental energies is ensured.

Thanks to this practice the body has not to seek support from others or become dependent on others. There is no exception to this rule.

By performing ASANAS the internal parts of the body and nerves are purified.

In Yogadarsana the next part of ASANAS is PRANAYAMA. We have discussed Pranayama and its accessories the MULA BANDHA the JALANDHARA BANDHA the UDDIYANA BANDHA and also noli kriya Viparitakarani and Khecari Mudra.

Over and above these MAHAMUDRA, MAHABANDHA MUDRA, MAHACEDHA MUDRA and SAKTICALANA MUDRA etc are also discussed in details.

The special feature is that of the illustration. Photographs of all the ASANAS BANDHAS MUDRAS and kriyas are also attached herewith.

Lastly one word of advice is that these ASANAS etc are to be practiced strictly under the guidance of the Guru.

The culmination of these ASANAS Mudras Bandhas and kriyas is the Samadhi. All the achievements are easily available to the aspirant who reaches this point.

In preparing this volume I have consulted the following works :

1. YOGASUTRAS – PATANJALI

2. GORAKSHPADDHATI

3. HATHYOGAPRADIPIKA

4. BRHADYOGASOPANA

5. And other treatises on Yoga

I am thankful to all my predecessors in this field