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Mahabharata is a great epic of India. The epic consists of eighteen books (parvan). The Bhagavad-Gita, 6 the Moksadharma 67 and the Anugita, 68 are the latest additions to Mahabharata which was completed 65 66 Cf. Georg Feueratein, The Yoga Tradition, pp. 192-195. Bhagavad Gita is generally placed in the B. C. 3 C, which was added in to the great epic. And it is regarded as one of the earliest extant literature of Vaisnavism, the religious tradition concerning the worship of the Divine in the form of Visnu. As incorporated into Visnuist devotion, Yoga can be understood as a mystical discipline whose goal is the union of the human and divine soul. 67 It gives us clues especially about Sankhya and Yoga in their earlier forms, prior to their systematizations 68 This teaching is given by Krisna to Arjuna, after the last battle. It emphasizes the element of jnana with the absolute (Brahman) as the highest goal of human aspiration,

33 in that form probably in B.C. 6-7 C. 69 These are the books in which we can justifiably refer to yogic practice. Santi Parvan of Mahabharata is the largest didactic portion that is replete with reference to Yoga and Sankhya as an important text of pre-classical Yoga. In the great epic Mahabharatha, we are able to see the fluidity in the meaning of Yoga. It is connected with action, knowledge, devotion, meditation and psychic power and the like. The most significant texts on Yoga in the Mahabharatha are found in the Moksadharma. It abounds in reference to Yoga and yogic techniques. Chronologically this portion belongs to a later date than that of the Bhagavad Gita We encounter several other traditions, notably the pancaratra religion (an early form of Vaisnasism)," the pasupata religion (a form of Saivism)," pre classical Sankhya and pre classical Yoga." In the Moksadharma, the two means of attaining emancipation are Sankhya and Yoga. 73 The tradition of Yoga is characterized as when understanding freed from the attributes of action, becomes directed towards the mind (after being withdrawn from outward object), then does it succeed in knowing Brahma by meditation or Yoga ending in complete absorption (samadhi). and attempts to downplay the devotionalism. 69 Cf. Mircea Eliade. Op cit, p 146, lines? 10-11. TO 71 74 Cf. Kisari Mohan Ganguli. The Mahabharata. Vol. III. Santi parvan (moksadharma prvan), Part II, section. ccvi. p. 78-81, section. ccix. p. 86-88. 71 Cf. Kisari Mohan Ganguli. Ibid. Vol. III. Santi parva, Part II, section. Ccxc (moksadharma parva). p. 343-345, 72 Cf. Georg Feueratein. The Yoga Tradition, p. 264. 73 Cf. Kisari Mohan Ganguli. Op cit. Vol. III. Santi parva, Part II, section. Cxcvi (moksadharma parva). p. 52, section. ccxxxvi. p. 172. 74 Kisari Mohan Ganguli. Ibid. Vol. III. Santi parva, Part II, section. Ccv

34 75 Though by the time Moksadharma, Sankhya and Vedanta become distinct traditions, the result of Yoga is the attainment of Brahma, and Yoga is not systematically outlined yet as work of Patanjali. On the other hand, Bhagavad Gita seeks to integrate Yoga by making enlightenment possible for all kinds of human beings. Yoga, in contrast to Sankhya, designates any activity that leads one to the union between the soul and its God, i.e., Lord Krisna. At the same time Bhagavad Gita identified it with the Brahman of metaphysics of the Upanisads. Yoga has here incorporated into the Vaisnavist religious experience. One of such an activity, however, means renunciation of the fruits of one's acts in Bhagavad Gita It signifies that to act without being trouble by the desire for the fruit is possible only by Yoga. It does not mean cittavrttinirodha, as the classical Yoga of Patanjali does. 76 The description of yogic practice is found in the Mahabharata, and in many puranas. They are being considered as the fifth Veda. The puranas in their present from are chronologically much later. However, the extant puranas are said to be preserved the earlier types of that literature. They include brief treatment of yogic teaching. However, they all tend to be (moksadharma parva). p. 77. lines; 7-10. 75 Kisari Mohan Ganguli. Ibid. Vol. III. Santi parvan (moksadharma prvan), Part II, section. ccxxxvi. p. 169. lines; 9-12. 76 It is a collection of tales of ancient times. The puranic lore extends back to Vedic times. Puranic literature comprises two groups, the major (Mahapuranas), and the minor (Upapuranas) each group consisting of 18 works. The extant recension of the Puranas can hardly be placed earlier than the Gupta period. For instance, the Bhagavata-Puranna is one of the texts that discussed the types of yoga and so on. Cf. Bibek Debory & Dipavali Debory, The Puranas, Vol. 1. pp. 432-433.

35 integrally connected with worship of particular deities, primarily Visnu and Siva. For instance, Padma-Purana recommends that Visnu should be worshipped through prayers and sacrificial rites known as the Kirya-YogaSara," whereas the Visnu-Purana understands Yoga as the path of meditation on Visnu by which one attains eternal freedom.78 Vayu-Purana presents Yoga as attaining sivapura (Siva's city) called the mahesvara yoga through which one can achieve the ultimate goal of liberation (apavarga).79 The puranas contain a variety of yogic schools. The Linga-Purana³) and Bhagavata-Purana, Garuda-Purana 82 and Agni-Purana etc., 81 83 follow the eightfold Yoga of Patanjali, but they interpret eight limbs differently. Puranas also discuss the types of Yoga. The BhagavataPurana and Garuda-Purana etc., refer to Bhakti-Yoga. Like tantric scriptures, the puranas like Bhagavata-Purana, Garuda-Purana, SivaPurana 84 and Agni-Purana contain information about rituals, mantra, japa (recitation), mudras (hand gestures), yantras (mystic diagrams It appears in the last book of Padma-Purana as an appendix. It deals with it in the short 6 th book of Visnu-Purana. 77 78 79 It presents in the last chapter of Vayu-Purana. 80 The yogic concepts were introduced in the chapters 7-9, 88 of Ling-Purana. 81 Bhagavata-Purana is a most significance text among Puranas. It was probably composed in 13 th centrury A. D. In the chapter 2 and 12, the path of devotion is pursued for yogis. 82 Garuda- Purana was probably created in its present form around 9 th century A. D. The three chapters, viz., 14, 49, and 118 dedicated to eightfold path. 83 The eightfold Yoga has explained in the chapters 352-358 of Agni-Purana. 84 The yogic concepts have appeared in the chapters 17, 37-39 of Siva-Purana.

36 similar to the mandalas), kundalini sakti and so on, for example. Most of the puranas as a scriptures of Saivism or Vaisnaism propose a single ultimate principle, the God.