Origins of Yoga - Part 4 : Place in Epics and The Bhagvad Gita

The fact that Yoga plays a big role in the great Indian epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana  which originated way before the Christian era, throws light on how ancient the practice of Yoga is, and in what kind of detail it had been thought through and written about.

The epics are the lifeblood of popular religion in the subcontinent, and their stories are told, sung, dances and acted by itinerant troupes who travel the length and breadth of the country even today. Festivals are celebrated year after year to mark significant events from the epics, mostly rejoicing good over evil and the change from one season to the other. A kaleidoscope mixture of history, myth and religious [and spiritual] instruction, the epics proudly proclaim the exploits of the gods and heroes who practiced yoga and gloried in its power. 

 

The best known of these legends is the eighteenth chapter of the Mahabharata : The Bhagvad Gita or The Song of God. In this, the God Krishna, the embodiment of divine love, instructs Arjuna, who represents mankind, in the ancient teaching. Krishna emphasizes that Yoga is essential to bring harmony and success to daily life. He describes skill in action, presenting it as a practical discipline, suitable for all people, a middle way that avoids the extravagances of asceticism on one hand, and sensuality on the other.

 

The content of the Gita is the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before the start of the Kurukshetra war. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma about fighting his own cousins, Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince and elaborates on different Yogic and Vedantic philosophies, with examples and analogies.

This has led to the Gita often being described as a concise guide to Hindu theology and also as a practical, self-contained guide to life. During the discourse, Lord Krishna reveals His identity as the Supreme Being Himself (Svayam Bhagavan), blessing Arjuna with an awe-inspiring vision of His divine universal form.

The conversation reflects the origins of war, the war that originates in the self, and the self being the battleground. He takes us through the Gunas and the eternal dichotic battle between Purusha (Constant) andPrakriti (Trasient). Through the conversation, Krishna describes Dharma, Karma Yoga, Gyana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Samadhi.