After practicing yoga for few years and specially after completion of the Yoga Instructor's Course (YIC) recently, I'm trying my best to quest my thirst for knowledge about yoga. more specifically, going to the source (i.e. scriptures) to find out the true knowledge related to yoga. This post is an attempt to compile all information available with me to share the references of yoga in scriptures of Hinduism.
There are four paths of Yoga:
- Karma Yoga: This is the path of action. It is the process of achieving perfection in selfless action that ultimately leads to the moksha or liberation of soul.
- Jnana Yoga: This is the path of Knowledge. It the process of self-liberation through the pursuit of intellectual knowledge
- Bhakti Yoga: This is the path of true devotion and love towards god with no desire of anything in return.
- Raja Yoga: This is the Royal path amongst all. This includes various asanas, pranayam, kriya and meditation techniques.
Each of these paths have been described in detail in the scriptures as referenced below. Srimad Bhagvad Gita describes all paths very clearly.
Raja Yoga has the maximum number of references /detail description in the scriptures. Most translations in other languages have also been made for this path of yoga.
Besides all these original scriptures, there are thousands of interpretations / translations of each one of these scriptures by various scholars, yogis and practitioners. However, many a times, the true message from the original scripture gets lost in translation or interpretation. Hence, this attempt to compile the list of all original scriptures so that those, including me, who want to study further on any paths of yoga, they can refer to the original scriptures directly to gain the true knowledge.
It does not matter which path you choose. To attain the libration of soul or moksha, some aspects of all the paths are necessary to be practiced with a dominance of one.
