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 About Maharshi Patanjali
Patanjali is the compiler of the Yoga Sutra, a major
work containing aphorisms on the practical and
philosophical wisdom regarding practice of Raja
Yoga. "Yoga" in traditional Hinduism involves inner
contemplation, a rigorous system of meditation
practice, ethics, metaphysics, and devotion to the
one common soul, God, or Brahman
His life
Patanjali was born in Bharatavarsha, India 250 BCE.
His father was Angiras from Himalayas and his mother
was Gonika from Kashmir. At 20 years old Patanjali
married Lolupa. The son of Patanjali was Nagaputra.
Patanjali learned yoga from his mother and guru
Gonika and from his param guru and grandfather
Hiranyagarbha. Patanjali studied Samkhya, Vedas, the
Upanishads, Kashmir Saivism, Brahmanism, Jainism and
Buddhism. (Patanjali's lineage was Hiranyagarbha and
Kapila) Patanjali's incarnation of the serpent
Ananta, whose name means 'the endless one' -- and
who is another form of Adisesa. Patanjali was born
the Lord Vishnu was seated on his serpent, Adisesa.
(Adisesa is in fact one of the many incarnations of
Vishnu). While seated on his serpent carriage Vishnu
was enraptured by the dancing of Lord Siva. Vishnu
was so affected that his body began to vibrate
causing him to pound down heavily on Adisesa -- who
consequently suffered great discomfort. When the
dance ended the weight was instantaneously lifted.
Adisesa asked Vishnu what had happened. On hearing
about the dance Adisesa wanted to learn it so he
could personally dance it for the pleasure of
Vishnu, his lord. Vishnu was impressed and predicted
to Adisesa that one day Lord Siva would bless him
for his understanding and devotion and that he would
be incarnated so that he could both shower humanity
with blessings and fulfill his own desire to master
dance. Adisesa immediately began to ponder on the
question of who his mother would be. At the same
time a virtuous woman named Gonika , who was totally
devoted to Yoga and Lord Shiva father of yoga, was
praying and seeking for someone to be a worthy son
to her. She wanted to pass on the knowledge and
understanding she had gained through yoga. Concerned
that, with her days on earth now severely numbered,
she had not yet found a candidate, she prostrated
herself before the Sun, the earthly manifestation of
the light and presence of Shiva. She scooped up the
only gift she could find -- a handful of water --
and beseeched him to bestow her with a son. She then
meditated upon the Sun and prepared herself to
present her simple but sincere offering. On seeing
all this Adisesa -- the bearer of Vishnu -- knew
that he had found the mother he was looking for.
Just as Gonika was about to offer her handful of
water to the Sun, she glanced down at her hands and
was astonished to see a tiny serpent moving in her
hands. She was even more astonished when, within a
few moments, that serpent had assumed a human form
by order of Shiva. Adisesa, who it was, in his turn
prostrated before Gonika and pleaded with her to
accept him as her son |
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