Vedas, Upanishads & Patanjali Yoga Sutras: The Tripod of Ancient Hindu Wisdom

ABOUT THE BOOK: The Vedas are the earliest documents of the human mind that we possess. They are the most ancient literary monuments of the human race. The study of the Vedas is nothing but a search for the Truth, nothing but understanding ourselves, nothing but to know why we are born in this world and where we will be going when we drop this physical body. The purpose of the study is to discover and understand the truth behind the phenomenal universe and human existence. This study is a joint venture between the student and the teacher with full mutual trust and goodwill to find out an answer to the fundamental question of the purpose of human existence. While Vedas and the Upanishads lay down a theoretical framework for such study, Sage Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras or Aphorisms analyze and prescribe a practical methodology for achieving that objective. They help us to realize our identity with the Divine Self, to make us aware and tune ourselves with our own intrinsic nature. Patanjali’s Yoga system is a practical structure which attempts to understand the nature of the ubiquitous element within us called 'mind'. It analyses all the aspects of human mind such as its states of being, impediments to its growth, its afflictions and the methods of harnessing it for the achievement of the ultimate goal of self realization. The Yoga Sutras offer a comprehensive method for controlling the thought waves arising in the human mind by channelizing them into a source of spiritual energy. This booklet attempts to present a pen-portrait of the profile of these three ancient gems of wisdom.