Saint Patanjali was a great saint of India who wrote many books including Yoga shastra.
Year of starting or the written period of this book may be some 4500 years ago or it is before 72 birth of King Dasaratha’s dynasty. One of the Great Hindu mythology book in Ramayana where Saint Patanjali name is there. His book name is Yoga Sashtra is also called as Raja Yoga. The Yoga Shastra is now very famous and re-written by many authors through out the world in a modified form and in so many languages also in English. For information only we will have some details of Yoga Shastra’s Astanga yoga.

There are eight step of Astanga Yoga and out of which 6 steps are for the development of body, mind and intellect and rest two steps are for the progress towards the Ultimate.
In those days there were many saints through out the India and they used to do penance by Yoga Sadhana for their spiritual development and to remain in a divine condition rather to remain in a merging condition with Infinite. Actually they were not bothered about their health or even they were not hankering for any material gain.

The eight steps are Yam, Niyam, Ashan, Pranayam, Pratyahar, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. All these words are in Sanskrit so it will be not so easy to write the correct word in English still I am trying to write the nearest meaning of it.

Yam- Yam being a Sanskrit word is having many inner meanings. Yam means Satya, Ahimsha, Asteya, Brahmacharya, Aparigraha. Meanings of these words are as follows which are based on Yoga’s theory.


Truth- In Sanskrit it is Satya. We should say satya [truth] in all condition even we may be in a condition of loosing health, money, favor, prestige, and what not? We should not hide any truth for our self-benefit. We should not support and give encouragement for un-truth in any circumstances. In real sense, Truth is God. Truth is religion. Truth is austerity. Truth is an achievement.
Truth is the passage to reach the stage of liberation. In Mundak Upanishd,” Satyen Labhya Styapasa heysa Athma; Satyameva Jayate Nanrutam.”
We can win the world by truth only.

Non-Violenc. In sanskrut it is Ahimsha. ‘ karmana manasa vacha, sarva bhutesu sarvada
Akleshsa Jananam Proktam Ahimsatyena Yogibhi”
By body, by mind, by words we should not hurt or create any trouble to any one either mentally or physically or what so ever may be the condition or situation prevail at anytime. A saint was taking bath in the river Ganga. A cancer as usual sting the saint. Saint came on the shore from river and removed the cancer from his body and allowed to go in the river again. This is the nature of a Yogi.

Not to steal- In Sanskrut it is Asteya. ‘Para drabyesu Lostravat’ “ Karmana Manasa Vacha Paradravyesu Nisprihah”
First poem’s stanza is of Great Chanyakya. We should think other’s money or property as stone. Second verse is, by work, by word, and even by mind we should always remain aloof from or should not have greed on any one’s anything.

 [To be continued]