The Origin of Yoga

Adinatha Siva is the first and super master of the yoga. He is the founder of Nath-Sampradaya, a sect or community of yogis called-Nathas. He is regarded as the Pralayankar, god of destruction in Indian scriptures.

It is recorded in the Rigveda, first book of the universe as well as in the Sri madbhagvad Gita, a lyrical-preachment or an Upnishada that Hiryanyagarabha, an epithet of Lord Brahmma, the god of creation, first of all attained the knowledge of the yoga right from the Supreme Godhead, Onkara or Narayana. He imparted the knowledge of yoga to Agnideva, the Firegod who delivered it to Vayudeva, Airgod. Aaditya, Sungod received from him and further conveyed it to Angira, a prajapati, father of Brihaspati-the preceptor of demigods and Guru of Lord Siva. These last four Gurus imparted the combined knowledge and the essence of yoga to Maharishi Patanjali. The sages take him for incarnation of Sheshanaga-the Serpentgod, later on, who wrote- Yogdarshana, a detailed masterpiece of yoga. No doubt, one of the foremost exponents was Maharishi Patanjali, a historical yogic-teacher whom some identify with a Sanskrit-vaiyakaran, grammarian who lived about 330 BC;

Yoga was already being practiced in the second millennium BC, but its main scripture, the Srimad bhagwad Gita, was probably written about 300 BC.

There is an allegory in the Puranas that when Lord Siva had been imparting the knowledge of yoga to his wife, Sati Parwati in the aloofness of an Island, called Shavetdweepa. Fortunately a fish, which came at sea-shore ; And luckily, a parrot which was sitting on the lower branch of the same tree under where the divine-couple was lost in sharing the secret knowledge, as a Guru (preceptor) and a Shishya (disciple) to each other, heard of that all and attained the knowledge of the secret yoga

The fish died soon after that and took a birth as a human being and became a Yogacharya, master of yoga who is today known as Matsyendranatha, disciple of Siva as well as the preceptor of Gorakhnatha, a great Yogi of his time.

After listening to that Divine-Lecture the parrot too lost itself in deep meditation. and died to become the son of Maharishi Vedvyasa, compiler of the Vedas, the Puranas, Itihasa-a huge epic-Mahabharata, Brahmsuttra, a book on Vedanta. He became famous with name of Shukdeva, who is still famous for his devotion of love in the Srimadbhagvat Purana, as a true devotee of Lord Krishna and is regarded as Mahayogi and Jivanmukta Mahapurusha, great yogi and a living-liberated man.

The Himalaya has conferred countless world-famous Siddhayogis like Vasistha, Duttatreya, Gheranda, Yagvalkya, Shandilya, Vedvysa, Angira, Ashtavakra, Videha Raja Janaka, Gorakhnatha, Attri, Jamadagni, Agastya, Shukdeva, Siva, Markandeya, Parshurama, Gautama, Patanjali, Upmanyu, Uddalaka, Narda, Pulah, Kratu, Marichi, Pulastya, Matanga, Dushtdamana and many more.

Adinatha Siva, god of destruction, is Mahayogeshwara, great god of Yogis. He is adept in all Yogic-Sadhanas (Yoga-discipline). He taught yoga to Nathyogis. The Siddhas (perfect-ones) keenly adore him, seek his blessings. It is often said, he still resides in the remote caves of Maansarovar Kailasha (the Himalaya) with his family and Ganas, followers. Even the Indra, king of gods and Kubera, king of Yakshas always remain at his service. Lord Siva most of the time keeps himself immersed in deep meditation. No one can see him, even not the gods without his grace. He has got the third-eye, infinite knowledge; yet so innocent that devotees call him Aashutosha, god who pleases or gets satisfied easily.

Glory of Siva is described especially in the Puranas-Linga, Skanda, Shivbrihata and Bhavishyottra. It walks even today in the mountains, caves and jungles of the Himalaya, along with sacred streams of the river Ganga.

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