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Yogic Elements in Principal Upanisads
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Prologue to Yogic Sciencea
Yoga is consciousness of unity with the atman. The word 'Yoga' in a technical sense first occurs in Taitt.Up. 3 II/4/1), Kath.Up. (... 1/2/12), śve.Up. (... ब्रह्मण्यभिव्यक्तिकराणि योगे, 2 / 11 ) (तत्कारणं सांख्ययोगाधिगम्यं, 6/13), Mai.Up. (तथा तत्प्रयोगकल्पः प्राणायामः प्रत्याहारो ध्यानं धारणा तर्कः समाधिः षडङ्ग इत्युच्यते योग:, .. 6/18). The true explanation of it is 'arranging' which is evident from the expression ' occuring in Mai.Up. (6/3). In Mai.Up. (6/25) the word 'Yoga' is used in the meaning of 'union' between prāṇa and the syllable Om.1 So we find that the Upanisads contain the earliest theory of the Yogic practice.
Paramba Shree Yogamaya
Particularly prāṇa is the basic element in all beings and is greatest among the organs in human beings generally. So, to achieve greatness in life one has to contemplate upon prāṇa. By engaging oneself with Yogic Contemplation one can achieve a complete life. The accomplishment related to prāṇa is completely the subject matter of Yogic science.
This article aims to discuss how the Yogic elements have their roots in the age-old Upanisads.'
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Upanisads and Yoga
Among the fourteen principal Upanisads eight śrutis of the second chapter of Śve.Up. deal with Yoga. The conduct and behaviour, the place, the preliminary symptoms, the attainment of the yogic power and its consequences all are discussed in a very significant manner in this Upanisad. It seems that the latter Samkhya and Yoga systems of philosophy has been developed on the basis of this έve.Up.
Usually a layman understands the postures by the word 'Yoga'. But the postures are a part of Yoga and not the whole. Even before the Bh. Gītā the sitting posture for prāna contemplation is depicted in Sve. Up. as that the body, neck and
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