Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

4, The Eightfold Practice of Yoga:

A•fläöga Yoga.) The most important

exercise is samyama (effort), consisting

of a repeated application of the triad

concentration– contemplation–trance to

the various dimensions of reality until

kaivalya is reached, a point of no return.

Yogaväsi•flha Rämäyaæa

See VÄŸIÆfiHA.

yogi

In a general sense every serious practi-

tioner of a spiritual path; more specifi-

cally the practitioners of Yoga in one of

its forms.

yoni (‘womb’)

This is both physiological and

metaphorical. Stylized images of the

yoni, representing ŸAKTI, are found in

conjunction with the LI¢GA(3) in Ÿiva

temples; without the liöga they serve in

DEVÏ temples as objects of worship.

Metaphorically BRAHMANis called ‘the

yoniof the universe’ in the Brahma-

sütras.

Yudhi-•flhira (‘firm in battle’)

The oldest of the five PÄŒ¥AVAS, the son

of YAMA, a model of calmness, pru-

dence and justice. He was brought up at

the court of the KAURAVAS, and the

blind king Dhøtarä•flra chose him rather

than his own son Duryodhana as his

successor, thereby causing the mortal

feud between the Kauravas and

Päæõavas. Yudhi•flhira with his four

brothers had to go into exile to

Väraæävata (Väräæasï?). After the

MAHÄBHÄRATA war he was formally

crowned emperor of Hastinäpura and

reigned righteously for many years. At

the end he departed together with his

remaining family for the Himälayas,

and finally was enthroned in INDRALOKA

(Indra’s heaven).

Yogaväsi•flha Rämäyaæa 214

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