Yaÿodä
The wife of the cowherd Nanda and
foster mother of Kø•æa.yati (‘pilgrim’)
A generic designation for samnyäsis
(‘renouncers’). The rules by which they
are to abide are known as yatidharma.
A major collection of such has been
made by Viÿveÿvarasarasvatï in his
Yatidharmasaögraha. (See alsoTYÄGA.)Yatïndra-mata-dïpikä
(‘the lamp of the teaching of the king
of the renouncers’)
A popular work by Ÿrïniväsa (18th cen-
tury) explaining systematically the phi-
losophy of VIŸIÆfiÄDVAITA, the teachings
of RÄMÄNUJA.Yayäti
A mythical figure about whom a great
variety of stories circulate in the epics
and Puräæas, and who became the sub-
ject of many plays. The Mahäbhärata
introduces him as the fifth king in the
lunar dynasty, the son of Nahu•a, the
father of Yadu and Puru, who became
the founders of the lines of the Yädavas
and Pauravas. His infidelity brought
upon him the curse of old age and infir-
mity from Ÿukra, the father of his wife
Devayänï. Ÿukra agreed to transfer the
curse to one of his sons, if one was will-
ing to bear it. Puru did so, and Yayäti
enjoyed a thousand years of sensual
pleasures. He then restored youth to
Puru.Yoga
One of the six orthodox systems.
Derived from the word yuj(to join, to
yoke, to combine), Yoga is often used in
India as an equivalent of religious prac-
tice, or as a generic term for a system of
philosophy or religion. In a more specific
sense, Yoga may either mean a set ofphysical exercises (Haflhayoga) or a sys-
tem of meditation and concentration
(Räja Yoga). The latter is also often
called PÄTAÑJALAYOGA, with reference
to Patañjali’s YOGASÜTRAS, which are
its principal text, or Säƒkhya Yoga,
because of the close proximity of the
SÄßKHYA system to the philosophy
underlying Yoga. It places little empha-
sis on physical exercises (äsanas) but
insists on ethical preparation (yama-
niyama) and a process of interiorization
(saƒyama) in order to lead the spirit
(puru•a) to the realization of its original
nature (kaivalya), free from admixture
with matter (prakøti). The practice of
Yoga is fairly universal among SAMNYÄ-
SIS and also quite popular among
Hindus generally.Yogänanda, Swami
(1893–1952)
Founder of the Yogoda Sat Sangha
(1917). Born Mukunda Lal Ghosh, he
came to the USA in 1920, and began
teaching a simplified form of KUŒ¥ALINÏ
Yoga. He was the founder of Self-
Realization Fellowship (1937): its head-
quarters are near Los Angeles, and the
author of Autobiography of a Yogi.Yoga-nidrä (‘Yoga sleep’)
The trance-like condition of Vi•æu
between the destruction of a universe
and the creation of a new one; personi-
fied in Devï Mahämäyä, the Great
Illusion.Yoga Sütras
Ascribed to PATAÑJALI, these consist of
196 brief aphorisms, arranged in four
parts entitled samädhi (concentration),
sädhana (practice), vibhuti (extraordi-
nary faculties) and kaivalya (emancipa-
tion). The teaching of the Yoga Sütras
has also been called a•fläöga Yoga
(eight-limbed Yoga) because of its
structure in eight stages. (See appendix213 Yoga SütrasEncyclo - Letter Y 10/2/03 10:05 am Page 213