Industry Odisha Bureau, Jun 21: Claimed to be one of the oldest sciences in the world, scores of evidences aver that ‘Yoga’, having its origin in India, is not only confined to certain ‘asanas’ and ‘pranayams’ meant to keep a person in good health, but also an ancient art of living as well as a science that simulataneously harmonizes body, mind and spirit of the numero uno living being called human beings.
While Indian mythology asserts that “Lord Shiva is the inventor of ‘yoga’ for which He is adored as the ‘Adi Yogi’ (as evident from the Pashupati seal discovered during the excavation of the Mohenjodaro archaeological site in the Indus Valley)”, archaeological evidence reportedly dating back to 2,700 BC (Before Christ) claims “the ancient art and science ‘yoga’ being a part and parcel of the great Indus Valley Civilization as it used to promote both the material and spiritual well-being of the community living then.”
While the earliest mention of ‘Yoga’ is “crystal clear in the Rig Veda”, the term ‘Yoga’ is said to be “derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ (to join or to unite)”.
Also, it is said that the fourth precious part “Atharva Veda also mentions breath control”. To sum up, ‘Yoga’ is widely believed “helping an invidual overcome suffering and evolve spiritually to the state of liberation.”
Besides, evidence galore ascertaining the Indian origin since “Vyasa Dev (revered author of Hindu epic The Mahabharat)’s ‘Yoga Sutras’, great ancient Indian religious teachers Mahavira and Buddha, who were exponents of ‘yoga sadhana’, and also the ‘Bhagawad Gita’ “presents, in greater detail, the concept of ‘Gyan Yoga’, ‘Bhakti Yoga’, and ‘Karma Yoga’ evincing a plethora of evidences contending ‘Yoga’ being of ancient India’s brainchild and a unique scientific invention.
Moreover, ancient Indian sage and philosopher Patanjali is “traditionally credited with compiling the Yoga Sutras, a collection of aphorisms that outline the principles, practices, and philosophy of Yoga, including ethical guidelines, meditation techniques, and the path to self-realization and liberation (samadhi)”, while the “scholars estimate that the ‘Yoga Sutras’ were composed between the 2nd century BCE (Before Common Era/Before Christ) and the 5th century CE (Common Era/Anno Domini/AD)”.
Some researchers put emphasis on the classical period ranging from “500 BC to 800 AD” since it is claimed to be “the richest period in the historical development” of ‘Yoga’, while the post-classical period, that stretches from “800 AD to 1,700 AD”, is claimed to have witnessed “Adi Shankaracharya and Ramanujacharya as the more prominent contributors of ‘Yoga’, while it also gained prominence in the teachings of revered Surdas, Mirabai and Tulsidas.”
Although it was widely believed then that ‘Yoga’ was “only for the mystics and the recluses”, ‘Raja Yoga’ is claimed to have been developed by Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Ramana Maharshi, K. Pattabhi Jois and Paramahansa Yogananda who made a vital contribution by demystifying it and making it available to the householders”.
In the mid-nineteenth century, “Swami Vivekananda is being credited as the first Indian who took ‘Yoga’ to the West much prior to June 21, 2014 being adopted by the United Nations as the International Yoga Day globally.”
It is further being averred by research scholars as well as international media reports that ‘Yoga’ “had moved far beyond India’s borders and had become a regular part of daily life for millions worldwide in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.”
