The Yoga Sastra Sangamam is a National Conference on Yoga, distinctly different from the usually and normally held Yoga conferences and seminars. The Sangamam is devoted to the Yoga Sastra viz. Yoga texts. The Conference focuses on topics, ideas, contents, interpretations as well as practices elaborated in various texts on yoga like – Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Hatha Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, Shiva Samhita, Yoga Vasistha, Bhagavad Gita, Vasistha Samhita etc. and the various practices enumerated in these texts. The sangamam provides an intensediscussion and understanding of the yoga sastras. The fifth Yoga Sastra Sangamam was held at Vivekananda Kendra, Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari from 25th to 27th February 2022. It was a unique confluence of Philosophy, Knowledge and dimensions of Yoga representing the confluence of the three seas. In all 216 delegates and 11 guests participated in the deliberations. The National Conference was organised with the collaboration of Centre for Yoga and Naturopathy, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala and supported by Indian Yoga Association. There were addresses by several distinguished personalities like Dr Jayaraman Mahadevan, Dr Harilakshmeendrakumar, Dr K Subrahmanyam, Sri NV Raghuram, Dr TV Padmanabhan and many others. Three multi track paper presentation sessions were held at three different venues in which 70 scholarly papers were presented by Yoga Professionals, Phd research scholars, doctorates in yoga and sanskrit. There are 10 foreign delegates, seven from Afghanistan and three from Nepal. On 25th evening there was a grand cultural fete by the students of Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya, Kanyakumari. The Yoga Sastra Sangamam was concluded on 27th February with Patanjala Yoga Sutra Pranayama led by Dr Jayaraman Mahadevan.
Participation of RKMVERI Yoga students
Our institute, RKMVERI, boasts of a dynamic Yoga Department. A total of 8 students from our institute participated in the Yoga Sastra Sangamam 2022 held during 25th to 27th February at Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari.
The participants were research scholars Rama Arya and Sanjoy Majhi; Someshar Biswas and Kamin Mibang pursuing M.Sc. in Yoga; Kuntal Mondal, Goutam Das, Nayan Mallick and Anshu Gupta pursuing PGDY. The group reached Vivekananda Kendra by 11 am on 23rd February. They were provided accomodation at the Satyakama Residence. Before the start of the event, they visited the famous Kanyakumari temple, where Swami Vivekananda had also gone to seek the Devi’s blessings in December 1992 prior to his departure to the west. They had also managed some time on the beach.
Events at the Sangamam and participation of RKMVERI Yoga students
The participants had to go through a very compact schedule with the events beginning as early as 6 o’clock in the morning. The daily programmes included Yoga practices, discussions on various texts on Yoga like Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Patanjali Yoga Sutras, etc. Also there were paper presentations by research scholars and professionals in yoga. To lighten the intensity of the discussions and rigor of the schedule, there were some refreshing events like Bharatanatyam Recital (Ramayana Darshanam) on 25th evening and a visit to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial on 26th afternoon.
- Paper Presentation:
- Speaker- Sanjoy Majhi; Title of the paper- Role of Divine Grace in Attaining Cittavṛttinirodhaḥh.
- Speaker- Rama Arya; Title of the paper- Interconnectedness of causes of suffering: Sāmkhya, Yoga and Ayurveda
- Patanjali Yoga Sutra Recitation
In this event, any two padas (chapters) out of four had to be recited. Our students, Sanjoy Majhi and Rama Arya participated in this event at the Ramayana Hall and the Eknath Hall of the kendra. The event took place on the morning of 27th February, the concluding day of the sangamam. - Yoga demonstration
Six students from our institute presented a flawless Artistic Yoga Performance on the theme-Cittabhūmayaḥ. The participants were Someswar Biswas and Kamin Mibang pursuing M.Sc. in Yoga and Kuntal Mondal, Goutam Das, Nayan Mallick and Anshu Gupta pursuing PGDY. The success of the performance owes both to those who performed on stage as well as those who meticulously worked behind the curtains, from planning the theme to script writing and reading to providing the musical tracks.
Conclusion
Swami Vivekananda, more than a century ago proclaimed- “Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy- by one, or more, or all of these – and be free. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details.”
As declared by Swamiji, psychic control- the yogic way, is one of the paths. Before embarking, one must have a clear and detailed theoretical understanding of the path. But how can one acquire this understanding?
“ ..Vade Vade Jayate Tattvabodha..” , so runs a line in the Sukha- Rambha Samvad. Translated, it says- “Through discussions and deliberations, debates and interactions (as in seminars and symposia) there arises the truth of perception of things.” The recently concluded Yoga Sastra Sangamam 2022 was undoubtedly meant for that and it provided a perfect platform, where such discussions and interactions took place. We are very grateful towards the Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, for this kind of an endeavour. We are sure, our students, on their part, have gained a highly enriching experience, both by presenting their views and also by getting to hear from the experts and be a part of the discussions. We fervently hope that in the future, whenever such opportunities arise, there will be no lack of enthusiasm on the part of the students.
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Photos of the Sangamam
