Most of the recent literature on yoga is based, on Hathayoga, and that too, with a lot of emphasis on Hathayogic asanas. Generally, these asanas are presented as a system of physical exercises meant for keeping fit and healthy. While highlighting the theoretical foundations of the subject, the authors ( e . g., K. T. Behanan, 1938; James Hewitt, 1960; Swami Kuvalayananda and Dr. S. L. Virekar, 1963; B. K. S. Iyengar, 1968; James McCartney, 1969; Pandit Usharbudh Arya, 1977) are seen to refer to Patanjala-Yoga-Sutras which is widely accepted as the source-book on Yoga.
A direct reading of the Patanjala-Yoga-Siitras-11'46, 47, 48 related to 'Asana' does not overtly or covertly convey any meaning emphasizing the exercise aspect of 'asanas' relating it to health and fitness. On the other
hand, 'asana' is described as a 'Yoganga' to be followed as an 'anusthana' for the purification of the citta ( PYS 11/28 ).
Therefore, it was decided to scrutinize the Sanskrit commentaries on PYS to get the view-points of the commentators on the subject-matter and the findings are presented here.
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Authors: Dr M V Bhole, Mr T Sreekumaran and Dr B R Sharma
Article was first published in Yoga-Mimamsa. YM, the quarterly publication of Kaivalyadhama (www.kdham.com), is the oldest (since 1924) peer-reviewed multi-disciplinary research journal on yoga.Yoga Mīmāṃsā (YM), the quarterly publication of Kaivalyadhama (www.kdham.com), is the oldest (since 1924) peer-reviewed multi-disciplinary research journal on yoga. Visit their site www.kdham.com
Article is courtesy and copyright Kaivalyadhama Lonavala, Maharashtra, India.