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## Decision to Compose the Yoga Shastra
The first volume of Yoga Shastra was published in the fourth month of the rainy season. The autumn season, adorned with newly bloomed lotuses, also shone brightly, displaying its magnificent wealth with thousands of eyes. As if writing a proclamation of victory for Kamadeva with fresh jasmine buds like white letters, the Hemant season also arrived. The Hemant season, adorned like a courtesan with jasmine and Sindhuvar flowers, was followed by the Shishir season, which also enhanced its beauty. In this way, all four seasons appeared. Then, like the flag of Kamadeva, the celestial maidens appeared. They played musical tunes like mantras to conquer Kamadeva, revealing their limbs to the Lord. Many celestial maidens played the Veena with the Gandhar raga, singing songs in rhythmic order. Others played the Veena sweetly, expressing the rhythm in reverse and forward order, using their full artistry. Many celestial maidens played three types of Mridanga, with deep voices like clouds, using different types of beats and rhythms. Some celestial maidens danced, creating wonder in the sky and on earth, with new and captivating gestures and glances. Many maidens twisted their limbs and swayed, showing their armpits, pretending to tie their broken garments and loose hair. Many, under the pretense of acting with their long legs, repeatedly showed their thighs and lower body, adorned with beautiful Gorocan paste and fair complexion. Many goddesses pretended to tie the loose knot of their Ghaghra, revealing their navel. Many, under the pretense of acting with their ivory-like hands, gestured to embrace their limbs. Some maidens, under the pretense of tightly tying the string of their inner garment below the waist, removed their upper saree, revealing their buttocks. Many beautiful goddesses, under the pretense of twisting their limbs, showed their firm and prominent breasts for a long time, and said, "If you are free from attachment, then why do you create attachment in us? If you are detached from the body, then why don't you offer us your chest? And if you are merciful, then why don't you protect us from Kamadeva, who suddenly draws his bow-shaped weapon? It is fine to scorn our love with curiosity for a while, but it is not appropriate to hold onto this stubbornness until death." And many other goddesses said, "Lord! Abandon your harshness and make your mind gentle. Fulfill our desire. Do not ignore our prayers." In this way, the Lord was not moved even a little by the songs, dances, musical performances, gestures, and sweet words of love of the celestial maidens. In this way, the entire night passed, enduring many favorable and unfavorable obstacles. After this, Sangamdeva, the demon, obstructed the Lord's pure food for six months and continued to create various disturbances. But in the end, defeated and exhausted, he said to the Lord, "Bhattarak! Stay happily and travel as you wish; now I am leaving." Thus, he left after six months, burdened with heavy sins. The Lord's compassionate heart was moved, thinking, "Where will this poor creature go with such sins? What will happen to him? Even I, the savior, could not save him!" Thinking in this way, his eyes became moist with tears of compassion.
In this way, after saluting the Ishtadev, he now presents the Yoga Shastra, with the desire to speak about Yoga, the cause of the path to liberation.
**4. श्रुताम्भोधेरधिगम्य, सम्प्रदायाच्च सद्गुरोः । स्वसंवेदनतश्चापि, योगशास्त्रं विरच्यते ॥४॥**
**Meaning:** Knowing from the ocean of scriptures, from the tradition of the true Guru, and from my own experience, I compose the Yoga Shastra.
**Decision to Compose the Yoga Shastra:**
This verse states that it is appropriate to compose a Shastra after deciding on the meaning of the word "Yoga" (knowledge). Therefore, to decide on the meaning of Yoga, one must know three things: 1. From the scriptures, 2. From the Guru tradition, and 3. From one's own experience. This 'Yoga Shastra' is being composed after deciding on the meaning of the word "Yoga" through these three methods. This is the same thing...