When we read the ancient vedic texts like puranas etc, we come across human beings with supernatural abilities, exuding phenomenal strength. We hear of women with amazing beauty and radiance, which used to even attract gods. When we compare these beings with today’s people, they seem like unbelievable stories and myths. Hence, the term mythology…
I really don’t blame the people for calling all this mythology, as it is not possible for a normal mind that exists in the present day and age to believe such facts to be true. If we logically think and observe our grandfathers, we would notice that their bodies were stronger and much healthier than ours. Our grandmothers had beautiful skins even till the late years, that too without recourse to artificial aids and beauty treatments. Modern science now tells us that the human brain and bodies have shrunk over time.
So if we just project ourselves backwards, we would observe that the mythologies were realities and if we project ourselves forward the image that will come would be scary.
[wp_ad_camp_1]
What is the reason? Being a student of yoga, having studied for nearly two decades, I am convinced that the answer lies here.
From satyug to the present day kaliyug we have progressively moved away from reality towards unreality and from light towards darkness. Let us take the help of Patanjali Ashtang Yoga to understand the process.
Ashtang Yoga was conceived 5000 years back – the time when, according to modern historians, the world was primitive and men lived in caves as hunters and food gatherers, men who had descended from apes. At that time Patanjali gave us the eight limbs of yoga as yama, niyam, asan, pranayam, pratyahaar, dharna, dhyan and samadhi.
Without going into the details, let us just look at the five yamas. 5000 years back, when the world was supposedly inhabited by barbarians, Patanjali understood the power of truthfulness and non-violence and the hazards of stealth, hoarding and excessive sexual indulgence. And mind you, this is only one-eighth of Ashtang yoga…Obviously, the secret to health, beauty and glow lies herein.
Patanjali emphasizes upon truthfulness or satya as the first yama. The one who speaks the truth under all circumstances has nothing to fear. It is fear that breeds negative emotions like anger, jealousy, insecurity, etc. In the absence of fear, there is no negative emotion. The body is perpetually in positive prana and the food is digested properly. This translates as a glowing complexion and radiant skin for the one who follows the yama of satya. In fact, the first siddhi of yoga, vak shakti (that is, whatever you speak manifests) comes with speaking the truth.
The Author is the founder of Dhyan Foundation. For more information please visit: dhyanfoundation.com
An excellent book on yoga and preservation of health:
Yoga and Meditation
A holistic approach to perfect homeostasis
By Dr Yogini Shubh Veer
Can you please indicate your source for patanjali living 5,000 years ago. Wikipedia says 400 BC. Thank you.
This Article is good, and if possible send more details on the result aspects of the YOGA.
There are differences of opinion between most traditionally accepted dates (i.e. those dates recorded in the Hindu scriptures) and those dates accepted by western indologists. Most dates were chosen by British and German indologists prior to Indian independence, who wanted them to fit into a Christian perspective of history. Hindu scriptures have the most complex and vast calendar in existence, mapping times going back trillions of years. For example the present age of the universe is 150 trillion years according to the traditional Hindu calendar. Even today every puja first begins with a sankalapa where one identifies their location in time and space from the beginning of universal creation. Those ancient rishis could understand the vastness of the universe, extending many billions of miles across, and could comprehend the vast age of the universe. Why should it be assumed they couldn’t date the events in their history accurately in modern times? The dates cited on websites like wikipedia refer to the commonly accepted dates of indologists, where as the dates cited here refer to the dates mentioned within Hindu scriptures such as Puranas.
During the British Ruling in India, or before Alexander’s entry to India, also, before that enough of evidence been taken from INDIAN Origin. The main preservatives of our Culture existence are with them.The Sankalpaa system for the time and dates are truee on which we Indian Hindu Community follows, through 10,000 years of Hindi Mythology.
To the author with respect:
I think that the words should be Niyama, Aasana, Praanaayaama, Prathyahaara, Dhyaana etc. The ‘a’ at the end should not be swallowed.
Also it is a request that when one speaks of beauty and radiance, it need not be synonymous only with women, or visa versa. By saying this the millenia old error that our ancient civilization has descended into of juxtaposing women with physical beauty only and its effects and consequences, is being emphasised and continued.
To “Bob” with respect: A lie uttered by even a saint will not make it a truth. And the white, western, christian academia is anything but saintly. Our scriptures are clear on the fact that “Yoga” in all its forms was known at least as far back as the BhagavadGeetha, as Sri Krishna speaks of this. Pathanjali Maharishi who codified it cannot have lived much later, and probably lived earlier to the Geetha times. And in our panchaangam calendars, this period is about 3120 BCE and earlier.
Can you give me one good reason as to why we should choose not believe our own MahaRishis and Mahopadhyayas over modern Dr.Professors?
Bob,with all due respects.You should maybe look at the history of two ancient cities,namely Mohendro daro and Harrappa,and may then you will get an idea of how advanced vedic (Eastern) culture was compared to western civilization.
Om Shanti ! in general interest of the ‘spiritualism’ , I would like to convey to the Noble Souls following this article that, the greatest contribution of Indian Rishis is the power of ‘Dhyana’ (meditation) which is the only source to understand our true nature of immortal supreme Consciousness, and to communicate with inhabitants of other planes (lokas) who could reach us within no time on account of their far far superior powers acquired compared to earthlings. Certainly there are far more oldest civilizations in the rest of the universe! “Samadhi” is the only way to see them !
This is very helpful. I am grateful to the Vedic teachings and all the Indian rishis who continue to preserve them even today. Thank you
Yoga gives one the power to change from within -to shed, to purify, to simplify. The Guru is supreme in this journey.
Shanti ,
If only every human being would able to believe at least to the air which run in the body through six points called ” Cercle d’énergie”, or Sat-Chakras keep our body and mind in good health.
Be conscious of that would guide our mind more to protect the planet than destroy it.
Ancient people of our great Bharat Desh practiced Yoga with different names and acquired certain amount of super natural powers. They did not come out of their caves to tell to others the secrets of Yoga. At the end of this world drama which is of five thousand years (and not of millions/billions of years) the creator, director and chief actor of this universe – the incorporeal, self luminous point of light God father Shiva descended on earth to teach ancient Raj
Yoga and art of living with peace, purity and dignity in society. What is purity? Man has become body conscious identifying oneself as male and female which has led to carnal desires. And therefore therefore there is spurt in rapes and murders. Raj Yoga meditation liberates man from five vices called sex-lust, greed, anger, attachment and ego.
The articles explains about the deterioration of the humans being capacity in the present Yuga. Yogi Ashwini takes one example from Patanjali’s Ashtang Yoga on practising Satya (Truthfulness) and how to even practice that leads to phenomenal health brilliance of the body by being in perpetual positive pranayama.
We are indebted to the gurus and seers who contine to teach the ancient Vedic science in its authentic form.
One should not read Wikipedia articles on yoga and hinduism as many of the references are from western educated authors and US academics who still have nefarious intenions on India.
where the book on yoga is available, can we get order through online or it is available in book shops.
vasudev
To Shri Vasudeva Rao:
If you enter Patanjali’s Yogasutras or Yogasutra of Patanjali – you will be flooded with titles – literally 100s of devotees and mahatmas and scholars have written commentaries- shivaramgi