Apects of Yoga

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Aspects of Yoga is a sterling contribution of Dr. H. Kumar Kaul, a noted academician and writer to the study of Yoga. This work represents original research and breaks new ground in the field of Yoga practices in Punjab. This is the first scientific and authentic analysis and exposition of practice of Yoga in this State.

This doctoral thesis, accepted by Punjabi University, Patiala, goes into theory and practice in a highly critical and scholarly manner. It is difficult if not impossible, to present all the essential aspects of Yoga, its practice by Nathas, Siddhas, Yogis and Sufis of Punjab, Sikh Gurus and in Akharas and Yogashrams in such a volume. But the learned author deserves the attention of luminaries of Yoga and felicitations of curious readers of the discipline for accomplishing this difficult task in a facile manner.

Born in Srinagar (Kashmir) in 1932 Dr. H. Kumar Kaul distinguished himself as a college student, as the best actor. best debaters, best swimmer and best sportsman. His enviable performance in these diverse fields brought in its wake the highest honour All Round Best. Passed his M. A. (English Literature) and B. Ed. (Kashmir University), Diploma in Journalism (Delhi University) and Ph.D. from Punjabi University, Patiala.

In 1963, he joined D.AV College, Abohar (Punjab) and remained Head of the Department of English for ten years. In 1975, became Principal of S. D. College, Barnala (Punjab). He has been practising Yoga for the last 20 years. He is a member of the All India Yoga Association, Sagar: Member of the Yoga Academy, Banaras; Chairman (Yoga) Mission International, Faridabad: Trustee of the International Centre for the Study of Tantra Yoga, New Delhi. He has won many distinctions and Awards in the National Yogasana Competitions. Dr. Kaul is a prolific writer His 13 books on Yoga have been widely acclaimed in and outside India. His 220 Research papers on Yoga have been published in National and International Magazines and newspapers. His talks on Yoga therapy have been broadcast from All India Radio, Jalandhar Due to his extraordinary contribution in the field of Yoga, the title of Yogacharya was conferred upon him in the World Yoga Conference (1986), Yoga Ratna in 1987 and the title of Yoga Shiromani was conferred upon him by the Mission International, Faridabad. In 1990, he was selected Senior Vice President of the Indian Council for Research in Yoga and a member of the Governing Council of the World Yoga Parishad Dr. Kaul is a broad-reservoir of ideas and experience-a dynamic personality.

Much has been said and written about yoga and yogic paraxis. Today Yoga is deemed as a very potent method of relaxing the physical as well as mental tensions all the world over. We find its postures and practices, somehow or the other in almost all the prominent world religions. In India, many sects and religions originated but yoga practices are known to be the oldest ones. Since the time immemorial, many varieties of yoga came in vogue according to the needs of the different cultural and ethnic groups. At few places, the external aspect was taken into consideration whereas at few other, yoga was considered a great vehicle for the control as well as means for internal spiritual flights. Owing to such under- standing many bifurcations came into existence though their central theme of controlling the supernatural as well as mundane remained the same. We know that Patanjali codified these scattered thoughts in the standard form which came to us known as Patanjel Yoga Sutras. These sutras consist of four cantos wherein different stages of samadhi have been discussed.

The Punjab which has remained since long the North-West gateway of India, was always flooded with a sort of composite culture and was always supposed to be held as pioneer in different walks of life. The great exponents of yoga, namely, Gorakh, Jalandhar, Chaurangi etc. belonged to this area and after their names many maths, deras and ashrania are still extant in the different parts of the Punjab. Very less is found written on the Yoga practices with reference to Punjab, and very less source material also is available pertaining to this topic in the Punjab. In pre-partition Punjab which included Pakistan, Himachal, Haryana, alongwith the modern. Punjab, many yoga seats like Gorakh Hatri, Multan, Jwalamukhi, Achal Batala, Jalandhar, Uddiyana, etc. were famous for yogic practices but somehow the influence of Sikhism proved to be detrimental for these institutions because Sikhism laid much stress on Sahaj Yoga which was quite opposed to the Hatha yogic practices which laid much stress on mastering the body and acquiring of miraculous powers. The deras and ashrams did not become non- existent, they rather gradually first became the seats of learning of Hindu Dharma and then according to the needs of the people became propagators of Sikhism in the Punjab. So one may feel surprised to find the name of a dera or akhara having the name of the institution commemorating some ancient yogi or pir and presently running as a common place of worship for the people practising their different beliefs.

Since no detailed work on yoga practices pertaining to Punjab was available, I thought it as a fit topic for my research. I personally practised yoga and had a keen desire to know more about its theory and practices. Unfortunately, not many scholars are available in the Punjab who know much about yoga and yogic ashrams in the state. I decided to undertake the field work on this topic under the guidance of the Department of Religious Studies in the Punjabi University, Patiala. More often than not, I came across many hard- ships during my going from one place to other wherever I got even a little hint about a prospective yoga ashram or a dera.

To make the study more pointed and elaborate, this work has been divided into eight chapters. In the first chapter titled, Yoga- Meaning and Relevance, the import of the term yoga on the basis of ancient scriptures namely, Ashtadhyay, Yog Sar Sangraha, Bhagvad Gita and Puranas has been discussed. Then in the modern works the term yoga used in the sense of the méthod of reintegration has been discussed. Moreover, in this very chapter, mastering of sensory impulses, the method of yoga, Aurobindo's dictum 'Everyone is a yogi and also relevance of yoga in psychological-cum-physiological, philosophical, social and metaphysical contexts' have also been taken into account.

In the section Excavations, the Mohenjodaro and Harappan civilizations and the findings of the excavations have been discus- sed. In the section titled Vedic Traditions, yoga in all the four Vedas, Mundakupanishad, Isaupanishad, has been discussed.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages