Narendra. He became a disciple of Sri Rama-
krishna Paramhansa, who renamed him Swami
Vivekananda. He went on to become one of India’s
leading social reformers. His lectures focused on
humanitarianism and service to God through ser-
vice to others rather than on dogma, as well as on
Hinduism and its true meaning. In 1897 this pio-
neer of the Vedanta movement in the United States
and England founded the Ramakrishna Mission,
one of India’s largest charitable institutions.
Although he died at age 39, his contributions were
so appreciated that he is known as the “patron
saint” of modern India.
Swami Paramananda (1884–1940)
The author, poet, and teacher Swami Paramananda
was the youngest monastic disciple of Swami
Vivekananda, founder of the Ramakrishna Order,
the most widely known religious and philanthropic
organization in India. He was one of the first East-
ern teachers to travel to the United States, in 1906.
In 1909 he founded the Vedanta Centre in Boston.
He wrote several books, including Change Your
Mind, A Practical Guide to Buddhist Meditation.
Bhagavad-GitaThe title of this book-length Sanskrit poem, Bha-
gavad-Gita, means “song of the Lord.” The Bha-
gavad Gita is the most widely read scripture in
India. Also known as the Gita, it is part of the
Mahabharata (Great India), a religious classic of
Hinduism. The story spotlights Lord Krishna and
Prince Arjuna on the eve of the battle of Kuruk-
shetra. Krishna persuades Arjuna to fight his fear of
the opposing army with the armor of spiritual wis-
dom attained through yoga (union with God).
In chapter 6 of the Gita, considered the most
important authority of yoga philosophy, Krishna
advises Arjuna, “When his mind, intellect and self
(ahamkara) are under control, freed from restless
desire, so that they rest in the spirit within, a man
becomes a Yukta—one in communion with God. A
lamp does not flicker in a place where no winds
blow; so it is with a yogic, who controls his mind,
intellect and self, being absorbed in the spirit
within him. When the restlessness of the mind,
intellect and self is stilled through the practice of
Yoga, the yogic by the grace of the Spirit within
himself finds fulfillment. Then he knows the joy
eternal which is beyond the pale of the sense
which his reason cannot grasp. He abides in this
reality and moves not therefrom. He has found the
treasure above all others. There is nothing higher
than this. He who has achieved it, shall not be
moved by the greatest sorrow. This is the real
meaning of Yoga—a deliverance from contact with
pain and sorrow.”
Unlike the Upanishads, the Gita teaches that
surrender to God is a more easily attainable spiri-
tual path than pure knowledge. Various chapters of
the Gita deal with renunciation and meditation. It
says that the person who works according to his or
her dharma (purpose in life) but cares not for the
reward of those actions is a true yogi. Union with
God can be achieved by following a divine set of
guidelines that fall under the categories of hatha
(physical practice), jnana (knowledge), karma
(right action), bhakti(devotion), raja(control of the
mind), and mantra(chant).
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Although the Yoga-Sutrais revered by all practi-
tioners, Patanjali describes only a simple cross-
legged posture used for meditation. A few more
asanas(postures) are described in what is consid-
ered the bible of the physical component of yoga,
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika. This 500-page text was
written by Sri Yogindra Svatmarama in the 14th
century and provided the first textual evidence of
asanas. The Pradipikais divided into four parts. The
first explains yamas(restraints on behavior), niya-
mus(observances), asanas(postures), and nutrition.
The second discusses pranoyama (control or
restraint of energy) and the shatrurmas(internal
cleansing). The third part talks about mudras(hand
gestures), bandhas(locks), the nadis(channels of
energy through which prana flows), and the kun-
dalinipower. The fourth describes pratyahara(with-
drawal of the senses), dharana (concentration),
dhyana(meditation), and samadhi(absorption).
Krishnamacharya
Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888–1989) receives
much credit for shedding new light on what is now
considered the Hatha yoga of modern times. By age
12 he was already a serious student of the Vedas. In
1924 he opened a school of yoga in Mysore, India.
In 1976 he and his son, T.K.V. Desikachar, founded166 yoga