Sanskrit Poem on Importance of Yoga योगस्य महत्त्वम्

योगस्य महत्त्वम्

सर्वप्रथम महर्षि पतञ्जलिः योगसुक्तम् प्रतिपादितम।
अस्मिन् ग्रन्थे अष्टांग-योगस्य वर्णनम् अस्ति।

सम्प्रति महानगरे प्रदूषणस्य समस्या अस्ति।
ध्वनि, वायुः एवम् जलप्रदूषण: महानगरस्य जीवनस्य विकटसमस्या अस्ति।

एकल परिवारः महानगरस्य यथार्थ: एतेन कारणेन जनाः रुग्नाः भविन्त।
समयाभावेन जनेषु परस्परम् प्रेमः स्नेहः च न अस्ति।

वयम् सर्वे तनावग्रस्ताः भवामः।
अतएववयम् नूनं योगः करणीय:।

प्रतिदिनम् प्रातः सायं योगम् पूजनीयम्।
केवलम् योगेन वयम् स्वस्थः भविष्यामः शारिरिकम् मान्सिकम् च पुष्ठये योगः महत्वपूर्णः अस्ति।

गीतायाम् अपि कथ्यते –

योगः कर्मसु कौशलम्।

अधुना अखिलम् विश्वम् अपि जून मासस्य एक एकविशति: तिथिः योगदिवसः इति मन्यते।
समस्तदेशाः सम्प्रति योगस्य महत्वम् स्वीकुव्रन्ति।

जयतु योगः जयतु भारतः एवम् जयतु विश्वम्।

~ आयुष सावर्ण St. Gregorios School, Gregorios Nagar, Sector 11, Dwarka, New Delhi

Ancient History of Yoga in India

Nobody is sure about the origin of Yoga. Earlier historians believed that yoga came into existence 500 years back, during the time of Gautam Buddha. This concept was refuted when excavations of the Indus valley civilization started and figurines resembling different yogic postures were found in soapstone seals. Rig Veda, which is popularly known as the first book of mankind mentions yogic meditation. Yajur Veda exhorts mankind to practice yoga for enhancing mental health, physical strength, and prosperity. In addition, yoga-related terms like pranayama and samadhi occur repeatedly in Bhagavad-Gita. Yoga was systematized by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras during the time frame between 300–200 B.C. According to him, yoga was the only way for the soul to know its true self.

Popularity of Yoga during the 19th Century

Yoga got its worldwide recognition when Swami Vivekananda spoke about the practice of Yoga in the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. He lectured about this ancient form of holistic healing in different parts of America and Europe and founded the Vedanta Society for propagating this practice. During the early 20th century a number of teachers from India migrated to the Western countries to teach yoga. They authored numerous books, detailing the benefits yoga had on the human mind and body.