Sage Patanjali: The Father of Modern Yoga. The complete lifestory and his contributions

Maharishi Patanjali is an important figure in ancient Indian history, revered both as a sage and as an incarnation of Adi Shesha, the infinite cosmic serpent upon whom Lord Vishnu rests. It is said that once, while Lord Vishnu watched Lord Shiva perform a cosmic dance, Adi Shesha found it difficult to support Vishnu’s weight due to Shiva’s powerful energy. Curious, he asked Lord Vishnu about this. Vishnu explained that Shiva's harmony was due to his yoga practice. Realizing the value and benefits of yoga, Adi Shesha decided to be born as Patanjali on earth to share the wisdom of yoga with humanity. Patanjali was a great spiritual leader who defined the steps that every soul must traverse in its journey back to the infinite spirit or the supreme consciousness.

Origin Story

Miraculous Birth

According to a popular legend, Patanjali was not born through ordinary means. It is said that he descended from heaven in the form of a tiny serpent into the hands of a devoted woman named Anjali. This divine event led to his name: “Patanjali,” derived from the Sanskrit words "pata" meaning "fall," and "anjali," meaning hands folded in prayer or reverence. It is said that he could speak from the time he was born.

Yet another well-known legend describes Patanjali's miraculous birth differently. Gonika, a devout yogini deeply committed to the practice of yoga, wished fervently for a son to pass her knowledge to. One day, while praying and offering water from her cupped hands to the sun, a small serpent appeared, transformed into a human child, and became her son. Due to this story, Patanjali is often called "Gonikaputra," meaning "son of Gonika.”

Life and Places of Patanjali

The exact historical details about Maharishi Patanjali’s life remain largely unknown. Traditional accounts place him in several different regions, including Nepal, Kashmir, Sri Lanka, and multiple locations across India. Puranic texts like the Matsya Purana, Vayu Purana, and Skanda Purana indicate that Patanjali lived around the same period as great sages like Vyasa and Panini, approximately between 500 BCE and 200 BCE. Regardless of the place and time of his birth and life, it is said that he fulfilled his self-appointed destiny.

There are many narratives about Sage Patanjali but historical facts are not available. One story mentions his marriage to a woman named Lolupa. According to this account, Patañjali encountered Lolupa, described as an exquisitely beautiful maiden residing within the hollow of a tree on the northern slope of Mount Sumeru. Captivated by her beauty, he married her, and they are said to have lived together happily into old age.

Scholarly Contributions of Sage Patanjali

1. Yoga Sutras

   Sage Patanjali is traditionally recognized as the author of the Yoga Sutras, the foundational text of classical yoga philosophy. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a highly influential text in Hindu philosophy, often referred to as Raja Yoga, meaning “Royal Yoga.” It contains 196 concise aphorisms (sutras) divided into four chapters, each addressing a specific aspect of yoga practice and philosophy. The text was likely compiled between 500 BCE and 200 BCE. The chapters of the Yoga Sutras are:

   
   

   Samadhi Pada: Discusses the concept and significance of "samadhi," a state of deep meditation leading to spiritual unity.

   
   

   Sadhana Pada: Focuses on the practices required for achieving spiritual growth and describes the path of Ashtanga Yoga—the Eight Limbs of Yoga.

   
   

   Vibhuti Pada: Describes various supernatural powers (siddhis) and accomplishments attainable through consistent yoga practice.

   
   

   Kaivalya Pada: Explains the ultimate goal of yoga: liberation (moksha), the complete freedom from worldly limitations and cycle of rebirth.

2. Ashtanga Yoga: The Eight Limbs

   The Sanskrit word “Yoga” means “to yoke” or “to unite.” A yoke (called yuga or yoka in Sanskrit) is a wooden beam that joins a pair of animals so they can pull a cart together. It serves two main purposes: to unite the animals to the cart and to control their movement via ropes. In a similar way, yogic practice functions as a method of both unifying and controlling the body, breath, senses, and mind. This internal discipline prepares the practitioner for deeper states of meditation and ultimately supports the pursuit of liberation (moksha). In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali outlines eight distinct steps, collectively known as Ashtanga Yoga, designed to guide spiritual seekers toward liberation and self-realization. These are:

   
   

   Yama: Ethical guidelines that govern how one interacts socially with others, including non-violence, truthfulness, and restraint.

   
   

   Niyama: Personal disciplines aimed at cultivating purity, contentment, self-discipline, and spiritual study.

   
   

   Asana: Physical postures that prepare the body to sit comfortably and steadily during meditation.

   
   

   Pranayama: Techniques focused on breath control to regulate and enhance one's life force or vital energy.

   
   

   Pratyahara: The withdrawal of senses from external objects, facilitating inner awareness and concentration.

   
   

   Dharana: Concentration of the mind upon a single object or idea, helping to deepen the practice of meditation.

   
   

   Dhyana: Sustained meditation leading to profound absorption and clarity.

   
   

   Samadhi: A state of complete unity and spiritual oneness, where individual awareness dissolves into universal consciousness.

Ashtanga Yoga invented by Patanjali

3. Other Works of Patanjali

   King Bhoja, an 11th-century ruler who was also a scholar and philosopher, honoured Patanjali as “one who purified the mind through yoga, speech through grammar, and body through medicine.” Bhoja is credited with writing a commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, known as the Rajamartanda. In the opening verses of this text, he offers a praise (mangalacharana) that identifies Patanjali as the author of three foundational works: the Yoga Sutras, the Mahabhashya, and a treatise on Ayurveda, though this medical text is not clearly identified or preserved.

   
   

   Mahabhashya is an important scholarly contribution of Sage Patanjali. It is an authoritative and detailed commentary on the great ancient grammarian Panini’s Sanskrit grammar text, Ashtadhyayi. Composed around the 2nd century BCE, the Mahabhashya greatly influenced the preservation and understanding of Sanskrit as a classical language. Patanjali’s analysis is praised for its depth, precision, and linguistic clarity, making it an important text in the history of Sanskrit linguistics.

4. Ayurveda 

   Traditionally, another important Ayurvedic text titled Carakavarttika, dating between the 8th and 10th centuries CE, is attributed to a sage named Patanjali. This work is a commentary on the Charaka Samhita, one of Ayurveda’s foundational texts. Due to the time gap, most scholars believe the book to be the work of a different scholar bearing the same name. However, traditionally, this work is also attributed to the same sage Patanjali, showing the popular faith in his divine nature that can surpass time.

   
   

5. Dance

   Interestingly, Maharishi Patanjali is also revered as a great patron of classical dance in India. Having witnessed Lord Shiva’s cosmic dance, he is worshipped in temples dedicated to Nataraja. Dancers, especially those in classical traditions like Bharatnatyam, honour him for his contributions to understanding rhythm, movement, and spiritual expression. Thus, he is often regarded as the patron saint of dance.

Legacy and Recognition

The Vishnu Dharmottara Purana describes Patanjali as Ananta, the divine serpent holding the planets on his thousand heads. He is often shown with a human upper body and a serpent’s lower body, holding a conch and discus, symbolizing divine knowledge and kundalini energy. Many see Patanjali as both a sage and a divine figure, believing that meditating on his image brings clarity and blessings.

Ancient texts suggest that powerful sages like Patanjali possessed remarkable yogic powers, enabling them to live extraordinarily long lives, spanning many centuries or even millennia. Such sages are described as having the power to choose when to leave their mortal bodies at will. Patanjali's Jeeva Samadhi, a shrine commemorating his attainment of samadhi through yogic meditation, is located within the Brahmapureeswarar Temple in Tirupattur, Tamil Nadu.