A PUBLICATION OF YOGA PRADIPIKA
Darshana
Upanishad
Yoga Upanishad Series
Preface
Darshana Upanishad
Darshana Upanishad is also known as Darshanopanishad, Yoga
Darshana Upanishad, or Jabala Darshana Upanishad. It is one of
the twenty Yoga Upanishads and the ninetieth of 108 Upanishads
of Muktika Upanishad order and found attached to Sama Veda.
This Upanishad consists of 109 verses in ten chapters and mainly
deals with Ashtanga Yoga.
This Upanishad is the dialogue between the great Sage
Dattatreya who is the four-handed Maha Vishnu himself and who
is the king of yoga territory and his devoted disciple and the great
sage Sankriti.
Thirunavukkarasu Sivasubramaniam
Editor cum Publisher in
1. Yoga Pradipika
2. Classic Yoga
3. Fit Well Yoga Life
Chapter 1
Yama
When the sage Dattatreya was alone, Sankriti approached his
Guru and saluted him with folded hands with great modesty and
asked him to explain in detail the yoga of eight limbs, the
knowledge of which would make him become a Jivan-Mukta.
The Great sage starts to explain the yoga of eight limbs: Yama,
Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and
Samadhi are the eight limbs of Yoga.
The ten types of Yama are Ahimsa (Non-violence), Sathya (Truth),
Asteya (Non-stealing), Brahmacharya (Celibacy), Daya
(Compassion), Arjava (Straight-forwardness), Kshama
(Perseverance), Drutir (Willpower or Firmness), Mithahara
(Moderate food) and Saucha (Cleanliness).
Ahimsa - Non-Violence
The non violence is verily the penance. It is the non-indulgence in
violence by the mind, words, and body in accordance with the
injunctions of the scriptures. For a scholar in scriptures, the best
of non-violence is the strong belief that Atman transcends all,
which is impartial and beyond the grasps.
Ashtanga Yoga: Yama
(Note: He who believes that Atman exists in all, sees Atman in
everyone and everything he interacts with. He treats all as his
own Atman. If he intends violence against anyone, it is violence
against his own self. This belief makes him not to indu