Sanjay Sonawani
Research Paper: The Origin of the Yoga System
Yoga is believed to have first been explained in the Upanishads, which are considered the final parts of the Vedas. There is a debate about whether the Upanishads logically extend the ideas in the Vedas. A closer look shows that the spiritual concepts in the Upanishads are very different from the Vedas’ philosophy and rituals. Therefore, linking them might be a serious misunderstanding for students.
The Samana philosophy had a strong impact on the ancient Upanishads. Before the word “Brahma” appeared in the Upanishads, the word “Yaksha” (which means mysterious radiance) was used as a synonym for Brahma. In the Upanishads, the word “Brahman” is different from both “Brahman” (a term for a priest) and the Vedic word “Brahma.” In the Vedas, “Brahma” refers to a mantra (chant), but in the Upanishads, it means the cause of creation.
Different philosophies often use the same word in various ways, so similar terms can mean different things in different contexts. This makes it hard to trace all these meanings back to a single source. For instance, the Upanishads and the Vedas, despite claims that the Upanishads are the end part of the Vedas (hence called Vedanta), actually differ fundamentally. They cannot be directly connected because they have opposing views, even though people might think otherwise.
Origin of Yoga
Similarly, the term “Yoga” is used in various ways to describe both physical and spiritual practices. In the Vedas, the word “yuj” means to yoke horses to a chariot, which simply describes the action of preparing a chariot for travel. This usage is different from our usual understanding of “Yoga.” In fact, “Yoga” has more than forty different meanings and about a hundred synonyms according to dictionaries.
The spiritual use of the word “Yoga” first appears in the Taittiriya Upanishad. This text highlights the importance of meditation and knowledge of Brahman (Brahmavidya) for eliminating the need for actions (Karmas). In this context, Yoga means uniting oneself with one’s blissful self, expanding the original meaning of Yoga. Scholars estimate that the Taittiriya Upanishad was written between the 6th and 5th centuries BCE, before Buddhism. The term Yoga is further explored in the Shvetashvatara and Maitri Upanishads, dated between the 5th and 2nd centuries BCE.
The Vedic Aryans, in their Vedas, present a contrasting view. Unlike the spiritual focus of the Upanishads, the Vedic texts revolve around sacrificial fire rituals to gain blessings from gods for victories in wars or material wealth. Although some verses in the Rigveda, like 5.82.7, 6.44.8, 9.113.4, 10.133.6, and 10.190.1, discuss ethical values, they lack a spiritual ideology. In the Rigveda, the word Yoga simply means yoking horses to chariots, without any spiritual meaning. The term Atma in the Rigveda refers to the self but not as an eternal entity controlling the self.
Origin of Yoga
The Vedics couldn’t have developed Yoga because they didn’t use the term “Atma” (soul) or have a clear understanding that the soul is the cause of life and is immortal. This understanding is fundamental to Yoga, originally known as Vratas, which isn’t found in the Vedas.
For instance, in the Rigveda 10.168.4, the term “Atma” appears: “आत्मा देवानां भुवनस्य गर्भो यथाव॒शं चरति देवा एषः । घोषा॒ इदस्य शृण्विरे॒ न रूपं तस्मै॒ वात॑य ह॒विषा॑ विधेम ॥” This is translated by Wilson as: “The soul of the gods, the germ of the world, this divinity moves according to his plural asure; his voices are heard, his form is not (seen); let us worship that Vata with oblations. Nutritious life-sustaining (waters); Rudra, have compassion upon the food which has four feet.”
Here, “vata” (wind) is seen as the soul of the gods, worshipped with offerings to obtain food. However, this differs from how the term is used in Yoga philosophy schools and the Samana tradition, where “Atma” is a central concept.
In this Vedic verse, “vata” (wind), though unseen, can be heard and sensed, suggesting that the Vedic Aryans had a vague idea of the concept of Atma.
The Rigveda is thought to have been composed around 1500 BC. Initially, much of it was composed in ancient Iran, and the rest was created after the Vedic Aryans migrated to the Indian subcontinent. In the tenth book (mandala) of the Rigveda, we see the introduction of new deities and the mention of the Shudra community. This reflects the Vedic Aryans’ geographical movement and their interactions with local spiritual practices.
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. This interaction led to changes in their beliefs and expanded their philosophical understanding.
These new insights and knowledge, previously unfamiliar to them, influenced later Vedic texts like the Atharvaveda and the Upanishads. These texts reflect the evolving spiritual and philosophical perspectives of the Vedic Aryans as they interacted with different traditions and cultures in the Indian subcontinent.
Origin of Yoga
Next Part of this research paper: The Early History of the Yoga
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