Maharshi Patanjali, despite all the legends associated with him, is in unison related to the Naga cult and Shaivait tradition. This only means that he was not from the Vedic tradition. The Yoga he expounds is the accumulation and proposition of the Samanik Vrata or Yoga. He gives importance to the Vratas, calling the mahavratas or supreme vows.
The origins of the Yoga system, linked to the Samanas or Jains, are clear from the gradual development seen in Jain scriptures. Jain Yoga focuses on a four-step path to freedom: 1. Right faith, 2. Right knowledge, 3. Right conduct, and 4. Right austerity. Even though later schools adopted these paths under different names, the core principles remained unchanged.
The ancient Vedic people sought happiness through rituals and prayers to their gods, focusing on material pleasures. Over time, they realized outer efforts alone weren’t enough for true fulfillment and eternal happiness. They integrated Samanic principles into their practices, adapting and presenting them as Yoga. They preferred the term Yoga over the original term Vrata because it suited them better.
When the Vedic Aryans first arrived, they learned from local ascetics and gradually adopted their rituals and spiritual beliefs as they moved towards the Kuru-Panchal region, which they called Aryavarta. Initially, they held negative views towards the Vratyas, who followed the Samana tradition. However, as some groups migrated further into the Magadha region, they had closer interactions with the Vratyas.
King Shivaji’s military campaigns were not crusades against Islam but strategic maneuvers against specific adversaries, notably the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and the Vijapur Sultan Adilshah. It’s crucial to note that his enemies’ Muslim identity did not define his opposition to them.
