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The roots of yoga can be traced back to the Vedic millennia, wherein pre-classical texts like The Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita, and The Yoga Vasistha, mention the term yoga in different contexts. we find no references to Sage Patanjali in Upanishads like Katha Upanishads which is said to be one of the Yoga Shastras or in any other Yoga Upanishads of that period.
Katha Upanishad states Yoga as a steady holding of the senses. That is what one calls Yoga, the stillness of the senses, the concentration of the mind.
There are twenty Yoga Upanishads in the anthology of 108 Upanishads, that are related to yoga. The Yoga Upanishads deal with the theory and practice of yogic techniques, discussing different aspects and kinds of yoga.
In the great Indian Itihasa Mahabharata, references can be found about yoga and Hiranyagarbha. Also in various puranas, references can be found for yoga which we will elaborate in the later parts of this series.
Now it has been well established that yoga is referred in Pre-Vedic, Vedic and pre Classical Period. And chronologically, after these period we find Patanjala Yoga Sutra in Classical Period. Patanjali is said to have codified collection of this intuitive knowledge and presented in the form of Yoga as Darshanas in Sutra form.
Yoga is not discovered by Sage Patanjali in the Classical period, and the great system was already in practice since Pre-Vedic period. In next part of this series, we will discuss the history of yoga and various yogic aspects in following periods:
1. Pre – Vedic
2. Vedic
3. Pre – Classical Period
The third and concluding part of this series, will discuss the history and various forms of yoga in following periods:
1. Classical Period
2. Post Classical Period
3. Modern Period
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