Reflecting upon the Importance of Yoga Day!
Yoga is not just about body, it's more than that, it's a way of life. It is the ancient science that Indian knowledge system has offered to the world to lead the life in a coherent, cordial and congruent way by aligning with all forces of the nature both living and nonliving. Yoga is about about the union of Mind, Body and Spirit in a state of permanent bliss known as Nirvikalpa Samadhi. The physical aspect of Yoga which is known as Asana in Astanga Yoga is just one limb or part of the Yoga shastra or the science.
The great sage Patanjali has codified this science in the form of 196 Yoga sutras in 2nd century BCE covering the 8 aspects of Yoga which are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pratyahara, Pranayama, Dhyana, Dharana and Samadhi.
Yoga has the solutions to all ailments affecting Body, Mind, and Spirit of everyone's every day life. This is an ancient science and tradition whose origin goes even beyond Patanjali maharshi's Yoga sutras.
In the Second chapter of Bhagavad-Gita which is known as Samkhya Yoga, in the shloka number 48, Shri Krishna tells to his disciple and close friend Arjuna about the Yoga.
योगस्थ: कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय | सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्यो: समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते || 48||
ಯೋಗಸ್ಥಃ ಕುರು ಕರ್ಮಾಣಿ ಸಂಗಂ ತ್ಯಕ್ತ್ವಾ ಧನಂಜಯ | ಸಿದ್ಧ್ಯಸಿದ್ಧ್ಯೋಃ ಸಮೋ ಭೂತ್ವಾ ಸಮತ್ವಂ ಯೋಗ ಉಚ್ಯತೇ || 48||
Yogasthah kuru karmaani sangam tyaktvaa Dhananjaya | Siddhyasiddhyoh samo bhootvaa samatvam yoga uchyate || 48||
which literally translates to - Be steadfast in the performance of your duty, O Arjun, abandoning attachment to success and failure. Such equanimity is called Yoga.
Krisha's message is very clear in this shloka that ಯೋಗಂ ಸಮತ್ವಮುಚ್ಛತೆ. योगं समत्वामुच्छते। Yogam Samatvam uchchate, which emphasizes that true yoga is achieved when one remains balanced and composed amidst the dualities of life, such as success and failure, pleasure and pain.
Jagadguru Sri Krishna has taught us the meaning and importance of yoga in the battle field of Holy Kurukshetra. He told this to his close friend and disciple Arjuna who was overwhelmed after seeing all his relatives and teachers gathered for the war. At this difficult juncture, Arjuna loses his mind and gets confused about his duties. He surrenders to his spiritual guru Sri Krishana who teaches him the profound knowledge of Yoga and the true nature of life.
At times we also become Arjuna's confused about various things in our day to day life, wandering here and their in search of the answers to the life's challenges. We can hang on to or embark on to this ancient knowledge that our Rishi's and Muni's have taught us to get the true picture of life, it's purpose and to get the required motivation and inspiration to lead a balanced, purposeful, meaningful, satisfying, affluent, abundant, joyful and cheerful life.
International Yoga day, is an opportunity for us to reflect upon this ancient India knowledge system about the holistic way of approaching life and make adjustments in daily life to reinvigorate the body, mind and spirit....
Wishing you all Happy International Day!!!
Jayaprakash Shivakavi - ಜಯಪ್ರಕಾಶ್ ಶಿವಕವಿ - जयप्रकाशः शिवकविः