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Patanjali
According to historical texts, the sage Patanjali lived in India approximately
2,200 years ago, sometime around 220BC. It is said that he is the incarnation
of the serpent Ananta upon whom the Lord Vishnu rests before the beginning
of creation. He was both scholar and philosopher, and the author of many
classical treatises on yoga philosophy, Sanskrit grammar and medicine.
In the Yoga Sutras Patanjali collated and codified all knowledge
on this age old subject and as a consequence has come to be known as the
"father of yoga". He demonstrates a profound understanding of human nature
and psychology and through this knowledge he leads the reader through
a mental and spiritual evolution along the yogic path. In total Patanjali
codified the entire yoga system into 196 aphorisms or sutras. Patanjali
also wrote a classical commentary on grammar - the Mahabhasya - expanding
the knowledge of Sanskrit grammar by redefining its rules and enlarging
its vocabulary with the aim of making the language fit for the finest
of human thoughts. Patanjali also commented on the ancient system of good
health and life, Ayurvedic medicine. In particular, he focused on the
formation and structure of the human body, the beauty and problems of
the body, the diagnosis of diseases and the curative effects of pharmacological
techniques. Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar adheres to Patanjali's classical
treatise, the Yoga Sutras, and has interpreted their meaning for
the modern student. For further information, try B.K.S. Iyengar's comprehensive
guide: Light on the Yoga Sutras. In Indian iconography Patanjali is often
depicted as half human and half serpent, the man's torso extruding from
a base of serpent coils. His hands are usually shown in namaste, indicating
a meditative state and suggesting that he is greeting and blessing us
in our yoga practice. Two additional hands hold a conch that calls the
student to practice, and a disc that represents the wheel of time and
the law of cause and effect.
Sources: Yoga: The Iyengar Way; How to Use Yoga; IYI (MV) own material.
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