The concept of Yoga in Yoga Upanishads
by Philomina T.L | 2018 | 42,235 words
This page relates ‘Comparision of Yogasutra and Yogopanishads’ of study dealing with the evolution and significance of Yoga as reflected in the Yoga-Upanishads, a collection of authoritative texts dedicated to the concept of Yoga (spiritual discipline). The thesis traces the origins of the practice back to pre-Vedic times and and suggests that Yoga became a philosophical system following the creation of the Yogasutras.
6. Comparision of Yogasūtra and Yogopaniṣads
Pātañjayoga is treated with the spiritual aspect So it is called Rājayoga. But the Yogopanishadic yoga is highly physical, so it is termed as Haṭhayoga. In the Yogasūtra, the yogic practices are described in a systematic order while in the Yogopaniṣad, there is no such systematic relation. They sometime vary in themself. They deal with the yogic aspects or vedantic or other concepts related with our life etc. Even though it explains the yoga and its practice along with the description of its adhikāri, his eligibility, the qualities to be fulfilled, the nature of yogamaṭha etc, these things show the relevance of the Yogopaniṣadic yoga as those of the Patañjalayoga. Both the Yogasūtra and the Yogopaniṣads regard yoga as a means to mokṣa along with jñana. Both the yogas enumerate the combination of jñāna yoga as a path to realization. The saguṇopāsana concept is supported in both categories of yoga.
Even though the Yogopaniṣads emphasize it throughout the entire study, the Yogasūtra assigned the Īśvara concept conditionally. The Yogasūtra does not exhibit more religious reflection while the Yogopaniṣad reflects a lot of it. There are more various scientific interpretations and modern perspectives assigned to the Yogopaniṣadic yoga than those in the Yogasūtra. These things are discussed below.