Ancient Yoga Gurus of India

Yogis Of India

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Maharishi Patanjali

Maharishi Patanjali is the ‘father of Yoga’ who compiled 195 Yoga Sutras that became the foundation of Yoga philosophy. The commentary on these sutras is called Bhasya. The core essence of Patanjali is the eightfold path of Yoga (Ashtanga Yoga) that focusses upon healthy living through Yoga.

Adi Shankaracharya

Born in 788 AD in a village called Kaladi in Kerala Adi Shankaracharya was a philosopher of the greatest renown because he brought new life to the Vedas and restored them to their ancient glory. He revived Vedanta at a time when Vedanta philosophy was going through a period of darkness due to the excesses of ritualistic practice. His correct interpretations saw a revival in the status of the Vedas and so he was able to successfully advocate Advaita Vedanta. He founded the Dashanami monastic order and believed in worship of the Shanmata tradition. He established four Adi Shankaracharya Peeths and devoted one of the Vedas to each: (1) South - Sarada Peetha, Sringeri. (2) East - Govardhana Peetha, Jagannath Puri. (3) West - Kalika Peetha, Dwaraka. (4) North - Jyothir Peetha, Badrinath.

Swami Vivekananda

Born in Calcutta in 1863, Swami Vivekananda showed a desire to unravel the spiritual and realize God even when he was a child. This is why he chose Ramakrishna as his Guru because he was sure that Ramakrishna would be able to demonstrate for him the reality of God. Ramakrishna introduced him to Advaita Vedanta and also told him that all religions are true. However, the best form of worship is service to man. The credit of introducing Vedanata and yoga to Europe and America goes to Swami Vivekananda. He raised Hinduism to the pedestal of a world religion by introducing it at the Parliament of World's Religions at Chicago in 1893 where he also gave an inspiring speech and called the people of America his brothers and sisters. Vivekananda also raised interfaith awareness. He founded the Ramkrishna Mission and Math.

Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo was one of the brilliant prolific spiritual personalities of India. Sri Aurobindo Ghose was a great yogi, philosopher and poet. Sri Aurobindo penned down a total 68 books on different domains of spiritualilty. His best publication is ‘The Life Divine’, which focuses upon theoretical aspects of Yoga, another one is ‘Synthesis of Yoga’ that throws light on practical facets of Yoga. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry is a great seat of spiritual practice, which is known as Integral Yoga. Auroville or Aurobindo Ashram spread the spirit of universal brotherhood. He was born in Kolkata on 15th August, 1872 and sent to London for study at the age of seven.

Swami Kuvalayananda

Born in 1883, Swami Kuvalayananda saw the renaissance of the national movement and became a

 freedom fighter. He was influenced by Sri Aurobindo when at college and by Paramahansa Madhavdasji 

at a later date. Madhavdasji was a great yogi from Bengal but lived on the banks of the sacred Narmada 

at Malsar near Baroda. Madhavdasji by far had the greater influence on Kuvalayananda as he encouraged 

his students to approach yoga scientifically. Kuvalayananda, studied the effects that yoga had on the 

human body and the health benefits that accrue from yoga practice. The experiments carried out at the 

laboratory at Baroda Hospital in 1920-21 convinced Kuvalayananda that yoga could propagate health 

and bring about spiritual motivation that could illuminate change in human society. He wished now to 

use yoga systematically to bring about health and healing to humanity. With this mission in mind he 

established the Kaivalyadhama Institute of Yoga at Lonavala, Pune.

Swami Sivananda Saraswati

Born in 1887 at Pattamadai, Tamil Nadu in 1887 Swami Sivananda was a Doctor in Malaysia,

 but he renounced his medical practice in 1924 when Swami Vishwananda Saraswati initiated him 

into Dashnami Sannyasa. He practiced intense sadhana, yoga and learnt the scriptures. 

He became a wondering monk and toured the length and breadth of India. Wherever

 Sivananda went, he tried to awaken the moral and spiritual consciousness of people. In 1936, 

he founded the Divine Life Society at Rishikesh with the main aim of spreading spiritual knowledge 

and serving mankind. Being a doctor he started the Sivananda Ayurvedic Pharmacy in 1945.

Tirumalai Krishnamacharya

Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (November 18, 1888 – February 28, 1989) was an Indian yoga teacher, 

ayurvedic healer and scholar.

 Often referred to as "The Father of Modern Yoga," Krishnamacharya is widely regarded as one of

 the most influential yoga teachers of the 20th century and is credited with the revival of hatha yoga.

 Krishnamacharya held degrees in all the six Vedic darśanas, or Indian philosophies. While under 

the patronage of the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, Krishnamacharya traveled 

around India giving lectures and demonstrations to promote yoga, including such feats as stopping 

his heartbeat. He is widely considered as the architect of vinyasa in the sense of combining 

breathing with movement.

Paramahansa Yogananda

Paramahansa Yogananda is one of the pioneer Indian Yoga masters who introduced 

meditation and Kriya Yoga to the western world through his book ‘Autography of a Yogi’.

 In one of his other books, The Self-Realisation Fellowship Lessons, Paramahansa Yogananda 

stressed upon the realization of God through Yogic practices.