using the word अनुशासनं instead of शासनं in the opening sūtra अथ योगानुशासनम्. This point is made clear by Mādhavācārya in his Sarvadarśanasaṅgraha[१]. The question of the justness of hailing Patañjali as the father of the science of Yoga, in view of Yājñavalkya's statement to the contrary, is raised and answered by pointing out the significance of the word अनुशासन, which he says, suggests, that Patañjali, himself does not want to take credit of the originator, but only of a formulator. Mādhavācārya says that in the composition of his Yogasūtra, Patañjali was prompted by the desire of presenting to the world an analytical and connected treatise of Yoga, which had become difficult to comprehend, as it was found scattered in mutilated bits in the various Purāṇas. That Hiraṇyagarbha was a predecessor of Patañjali is also corroborated by statements of Vācaspatimiśra in the Bhāmatī. he has explained the expression 'साङ्ख्ययोगव्यपाश्रयाः' occurring in the bhāṣya under the sūtra पत्युरसामञ्जस्यात् (II-ii-37) as referring to Hiraṇyagarbha, Patañjali and others (हिरण्यगर्भपतञ्जलिप्रभृतयः). In the Yogapratyuktyadhikaraṇa also, mentioned above, he refers to Hiraṇyagarbha as the early teacher of Yogaśāstra, when he says 'योगशास्त्रस्य हैरण्यगर्भपातञ्ज्लादेः'
In the Śaiva and other āgamās also, constituted of four pādas, namely चर्या, क्रिया, योग, and ज्ञान, the form and other details of Yoga are explained at length in the Yogapāda.
Scope of Yogaśāstra
The science of Yoga like the scienece of medicine (cikitsāśāstra) admits of four distinct parts. Just as the science of medicine is devoted to the study of four different aspects, namely the nature of disease (roga), the causes of disease (rogahetu), the nature of good health (ārogya) and the means of acquiring and preserving good health, namely administration of medicines (ārogyopāya); the science of Yoga is also devoted
- ↑ ननु 'हिरण्यगर्भो योगस्य वक्ता नान्य पुरातनः' इति याज्ञ्यवल्क्यस्मृतेः पतञ्जलिः कथं योगस्य शासितेति चेत्, अध्दा । अत एव तत्र तत्र पुराणादौ योगस्य विप्रकीर्णतया विशिष्य दुर्ग्राह्यार्थत्वं मन्यमानेन भगवता दयासिन्धुना फणिपतिना सारं सञ्जिघृक्षुणा अनुशासनम् आरब्धं, न तु साक्षात् शासनम् । -- Sarvadarśanasaṅgraha-Patañjaladarśana.
