Classical Yoga Studies: Yoga Upanishads, Gita, Yoga Sutra

Chudamani is a gem on the crown. The name, Yoga Chudamani Upanishad, suggests the meaning that it is the top-most scripture on yoga. It is the forty-sixth of one hundred and eight Upanishads of Muktika-Upanishad order in which it was described by Lord Sri Rama to Lord Sri Hanuman. It is found attached to the Sama Veda and contains 121 verses, expounding mainly the Sadanga Yoga, the yoga of six limbs.
I, the Author of the Upanishad says, hereby proclaim the profound secret of Yoga Chudamani sought with esteem by the adepts of yoga, which bestows success in the attainment of liberation.
Sadanga Yoga Asana (posture), Pranayama (Balancing the Prana), Pratyahara (Cessation of Sense Organs), Dharana (fixing the mind on a single object), Dhyana (Meditation) and Samadhi (mind-less meditation) are the six limbs of yoga. By importance, Siddhasana is the first one and Padmasana is the second.
How Success will come unto him who does not know the six Chakras, sixteen Adharas, three goals and five Bhu…

Tri-Sikhi means three tufts. Tri-Sikhi Brahmana Upanishad literally means the Upanishad about the Brahmin with three tufts. It is the forty-fourth Upanishad among 108 Upanishads and found attached to Sukla Yajur Veda. A Brahmin of three tufts once went to Adithya-Loka (the world of Sun) and asked the Sun God four questions. What is the body?What is life?What is the prime cause?What is Atman (Self)?
He replied that all of them are Lord Siva only. He is the Supreme Being, absolute bliss, pure and eternal. He is the indivisible-one-essence but appears as divided like a molten mass of iron appears in different forms. He appears as many because he is tinged with illusion and existence.


From Brahman, Avyakta (Void) came into existence. From Avyakta,Mahat (Masses) came into existence. From Mahat, Agamkara (Self-consciousness) came into existence. Out of Agamkara, five Tanmatra-s (Sabta, Sparsa, Ruba, Rasa and Ganta) came.From Tanmatra-s, Pancha Mahabhuta-s (Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether) cam…