Preface
Yoga has attracted the attention of scholars. philosophers, psychologists, physicians, practitioners and common men for hundreds of years. There has been an unbroken chain of theory and practice of Yoga from the Vedic period down to the present day. Yoga was broadly divided into two viz. Hatha Yoga that which gave importance to the well-being of the body and that which primarily dealt with the mind and the Soul, called Rāja Yoga. However, both the schools drew from the other some salient features as can be seen in several texts belonging to each branch. While the texts on Raja Yoga are very few, there are hundreds of texts dealing with the Hatha Yogic practice. But even many texts on Hatha Yoga categorically say that Raja Yoga is the culmination of Yogic practice. Some of the texts on Hatha Yoga mention four broad divisions of Yoga, viz. Hatha, Mantra, Laya and Rāja Yoga. But the emphasis has always been on the aim to reach Rāja Yoga which symbolises Samādhi, the summum bonum of one's spiritual pursuits. The natha sampradāya has contributed enormously to the spreading of Yogic practice and philosophy, not only across India, but also in many other countries. Lord Šiva is said to be the primal Guru of this system and is revered as Adinatha. Then follows a long list of preceptors such as Minanātha (sometimes identified with Matsyendranatha), Gorakşa, Jalandhara, Virūpākşa and others. A list of some of these mystics has been given by Svatmārāma in his Hathayogapradīpikā. However, the Tibetan tradition preserves the names of all the 84 Nätha Yogins. Virūpākşa's contribution is not yet known to scholars, leave alone others. The text Amrtasiddhiyoga is one of the gems in the field of yogic literature. It is a blend of yogic philosophy, practice, mysticism and, also contains germs of Śākta, Advaita and Sänkhya.
Introduction
The enduring knowledge tradition of Bharatam has long been characterized by a steadfast and methodical pursuit of the Ultimate Truth pervading the universe. Rooted in the etymology of 'Bhā' meaning the radiant light of knowledge in Sanskrit, Bhāratam, as this land is known, exemplifies a relentless quest for profound wisdom. The revered sages, known as 'mantra drstārah' or the seers of mystic sounds, have been stalwarts in guiding humanity towards liberation from the cyclic bondage of samsära. Armed with the profound insights of Vedanta and other philosophical treatises, these luminaries, deeply immersed in the self-realization journey (ātma-jñayāna), endeavoured to alleviate the sufferings of the afflicted masses. Their teachings, disseminated through various treatises and the sacred tradition of oral transmission (śrutiparamparā), expound upon the nature of existence, the root causes of human suffering, and diverse epistemological perspectives. The Indian philosophical systems assert that the objective of having taken a human birth is to experience the Truth. Vedanta proclaims that experiencing the Truth is indeed liberation and those that do not take any effort towards achieving this goal is destined to be entrapped in the vicious cycle of births and deaths.
Vedas (1182)
Upanishads (493)
Puranas (624)
Ramayana (741)
Mahabharata (354)
Dharmasastras (165)
Goddess (496)
Bhakti (242)
Saints (1503)
Gods (1289)
Shiva (370)
Journal (187)
Fiction (60)
Vedanta (362)
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