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{{short description|Sanskrit text, Yoga Upanishad}}
{{good article}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox Upanishad
| image =
| caption = Padmasana, a Yoga posture
| Devanagari = योगतत्त्व
| meaning = Yoga and truth
| composition_date = 150 AD
| Veda = [[Atharvaveda]]
| verses = 143
| philosophy = [[Vedanta]]
}}
{{Hinduism small}}
The ''''' Yogatattva Upanishad''''' ([[Sanskrit]]: योगतत्त्व उपनिषत्, [[IAST]]: Yogatattva Upaniṣhad), also called as '''''Yogatattvopanishad''''' (योगतत्त्वोपनिषत्),{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|p=618}} is an important [[Upanishad]] within [[Hinduism]].{{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|pp=557, 713}} A Sanskrit text, it is one of eleven Yoga Upanishads attached to the [[Atharvaveda]],{{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|p=567}} and one of twenty Yoga Upanishads in the four [[Vedas]].{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|p=vii}}<ref>GM Patil (1978), Ishvara in Yoga philosophy, The Brahmavadin, Volume 13, Vivekananda Prakashan Kendra, pages 209–210</ref> It is listed at number 41 in the serial order of the [[Muktika]] enumerated by [[Rama]] to [[Hanuman]] in the modern era [[anthology]] of 108 Upanishads.{{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|p=556}} It is, as an Upanishad, a part of the corpus of [[Vedanta]] literature collection that present the philosophical concepts of Hinduism.<ref name=maxmullerteupanved/>

Two major versions of its manuscripts are known. One has fifteen verses but attached to Atharvaveda,{{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|pp=713–716}} while another very different and augmented manuscript exists in the [[Telugu language|Telugu]] language{{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|pp=713–716}} which has one hundred and forty two verses and is attached to the [[Krishna Yajurveda]].{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=192}}{{sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=301–325}} The text is notable for describing [[Yoga]] in the [[Vaishnavism]] tradition.{{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|pp=713–716}}<ref>Gerald James Larson (2009), Review: Differentiating the Concepts of "yoga" and "tantra" in Sanskrit Literary History, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 129, No. 3, pages 487–498</ref>

The ''Yogatattva Upanishad'' shares ideas with the [[Yogasutra]], [[Hatha Yoga]], and [[Kundalini Yoga]].{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|p=618}} It includes a discussion of four styles of yoga: Mantra, [[Laya yoga|Laya]], [[Hatha|Hatha yoga]] and [[Rāja yoga|Raja]].{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|p=301}} As an expounder of [[Vedanta philosophy]], the Upanishad is devoted to the elaboration of the meaning of [[Ātman (Hinduism)|Atman]] (Soul, Self) through the process of yoga, starting with the syllable [[Om]].{{Sfn|Deussen|2010|p=9}} According to ''Yogatattva Upanishad'', "[[jnana]] (knowledge) without yoga cannot secure [[moksha]] (emancipation, salvation), nor can yoga without knowledge secure moksha", and that "those who seek emancipation should pursue both yoga and knowledge".{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=193}}

==Etymology==
''Yoga'' (from the Sanskrit root ''{{IAST|yuj}}'') means "to add", "to join", "to unite", or "to attach" in its most common literal sense.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary|year=1899|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.31959|author=Monier Monier-Williams|page=804|publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref> According to [[Surendranath Dasgupta|Dasgupta]] – a scholar of Sanskrit and philosophy, the term yoga can be derived from either of two roots, ''yujir yoga'' (to yoke) or ''yuj samādhau'' (to concentrate).<ref name="Dasgupta 1975 226">{{cite book |last= Dasgupta |first= Surendranath |title= A History of Indian Philosophy | volume =1 |year= 1975 |publisher= Motilal Banarsidass |location= [[Delhi]], India |isbn= 81-208-0412-0 |page= 226}}</ref>

Yogatattva is compound word of "Yoga" and 'tattva', the latter meaning "Truth",{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=192}} or "Reality, That-ness".<ref>Stephen Phillips (2009), Yoga, Karma, and Rebirth: A Brief History and Philosophy, Columbia University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-231-14485-8}}, Chapter: Glossary, page 327</ref> [[Paul Deussen]] – a German [[Indologist]] and professor of Philosophy translates the term ''Yogatattva'' as "the essence of Yoga".{{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|p=713}}

The term ''Upanishad'' means it is knowledge or "hidden doctrine" text that belongs to the corpus of Vedanta literature collection presenting the philosophical concepts of Hinduism and considered the highest purpose of its scripture, the Vedas.<ref name=maxmullerteupanved>Max Muller, [https://archive.org/stream/upanishads01ml#page/n93/mode/2up The Upanishads], Part 1, Oxford University Press, page LXXXVI footnote 1, [https://archive.org/stream/upanishads01ml#page/n133/mode/2up 22, verse 13.4]</ref>

==Chronology and anthologies==
Estimates of the text's origin include those by Michael Whiteman – a professor of mathematics and a writer on Yoga in Hinduism and Buddhism,{{Sfn|Cardin|2015|p=355}}) who states it is possibly dated to about 150 CE.{{Sfn|Whiteman|1993|p=80}} [[:de:David Gordon White|David White]] – a professor of Comparative Religion, in contrast, suggests that the text derives its "ideas and images from the heritage of classical Vedanta", and it is likely a medieval era text composed between 11th- to 13th-century CE.<ref>David Gordon White (2011), Yoga in Practice, Princeton University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-691-14086-5}}, page 104</ref>

In the collection of [[Upanishads]] under the title "Oupanekhat", put together by Sultan Mohammed [[Dara Shikhoh]] in 1656, consisting of a [[Persian language|Persian]] translation of 50 Upanishads and who prefaced it as the best book on religion, the Yogatattva is listed at number 21.{{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|pp=558–559}} Dara Shikoh's collection was in the same order as found in Upanishad anthologies popular in north India. In the 52 Upanishads version of [[Henry Thomas Colebrooke|Colebrooke]] this Upanishad is listed at 23.{{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|p=561}} In the Bibliothica Indica edition of Narayana – an Indian scholar who lived sometime after the 14th-century Vedanta scholar Sankarananda, the Upanishad is also listed at 23 in his list of 52.{{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|pp=562–65}}

==Structure==
[[File:Vishnu.jpg|right|thumb|Vishnu, the supreme Yogin]]
The [[Telugu language|Telugu]] version of the ''Yogatattva Upanishad'' has 142 verses,{{sfn|Ayyangar|1938|p=325}} while the shortest surviving manuscript in Sanskrit is just 15 verses.{{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|pp=713–716}} Both versions open by hailing Hindu god [[Vishnu]] as the supreme [[Purusha]] or supreme spirit, the great [[Yogin]], the [[King of the gods|Supreme Being]], the great [[Tapasvin]] (performer of austerities), and a lamp in the path of the truth.{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=192}}{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|p=618}}<ref name=Sanskrit>{{Cite web|url=http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/yogatatva.pdf|title=''Yogatattva Upanishad''|language=sa|access-date=23 December 2015}}</ref> This links the text to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism.{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|p=618}}

The meaning and message in verses 3 to 15 of the Sanskrit version mirror those of the last 13 verses of the Telugu version of the text.{{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|pp=714–716}}{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=322–325}}

==Contents==
The ''Yogatattva Upanishad'' is among the oldest known texts on yoga that provide detailed description of Yoga techniques and its benefits.<ref name=eliadeyif129/>
{{Quote|
For the first time, an Upanishad gives numerous and precise details concerning the extraordinary powers gained by practice and meditation. The four chief ''asanas'' (siddha, padma, simha and bhadra) are mentioned, as are the obstacles encountered by beginners – sloth, talkativeness, etc. A description of ''pranayama'' follows, together with the definition of the ''matra'' (unit of measurement for the phases of respiration), and important details of mystical physiology (the purification of the ''nadis'' is shown by external signs: lightness of body, brilliance of complexion, increase in digestive power, etc.
|[[Mircea Eliade]] on ''Yogatattva Upanishad''|Yoga: Immortality and Freedom<ref name=eliadeyif129/>}}

===Self realization and virtues of a yoga student===
On Hindu god [[Brahma]]'s request [[Vishnu]] explains that all souls are caught up in the cycle of worldly pleasures and sorrow created by [[Maya (illusion)|Maya]] (changing reality).{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=192–93}}{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|p=302}} and [[Moksha|Kaivalya]] can help overcome this cycle of birth, old age and disease.{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=192–93}} Knowledge of the [[shastras]] are futile in this regard, states Vishnu, and the description of the "indescribable state of liberation" eludes them and even the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]].{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=192–93}}{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|p=302}}

It is only the knowledge of ultimate reality and supreme self, the [[Brahman]], which can lead to the path of liberation and self-realization, states Yogatattva Upanishad.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=302–304}}{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=192–93}} This realization of the supreme self is possible to the yoga student who is free from "passion, anger, fear, delusion, greed, pride, lust, birth, death, miserliness, swoon, giddiness, hunger, thirst, ambition, shame, fright, heart-burning, grief and gladness".{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=302–304}}{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=192–93}}

===Yoga and knowledge===
[[File:Bronze figure of Kashmiri in Meditation by Malvina Hoffman Wellcome M0005215.jpg|right|thumb|Yoga is described as a means to [[meditation]] in the text.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=317–318}}]]
In the early verses of the ''Yogatattva Upanishad'', the simultaneous importance of yoga and jnana (knowledge) are asserted, and declared to be mutually complementary and necessary.<ref name=eliadeyif129/><ref>Jean Varenne (1976), Yoga and the Hindu Tradition, University of Chicago Press (Trans: Derek Coltman, 1989), {{ISBN|81-208-0543-7}}, pages 57–58</ref>

{{Cquote|
<poem>
तस्माद्दोषविनाशार्थमुपायं कथयामि ते । योगहीनं कथं ज्ञानं मोक्षदं भवति ध्रुवम् ॥
योगो हि ज्ञानहीनस्तु न क्षमो मोक्षकर्मणि । तस्माज्ज्ञानं च योगं च मुमुक्षुर्दृढमभ्यसेत् ॥
अज्ञानादेव संसारो ज्ञानादेव विमुच्यते । ज्ञानस्वरूपमेवादौ ज्ञानं ज्ञेयैकसाधनम् ॥<ref name=sanskrityogatattva>[http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/yogatatva.pdf ॥ योगतत्त्वोपनिषत् ॥] Sanskrit text of ''Yogatattva Upanishad'', SanskritDocuments Archives (2009)</ref>

I relate to you the means to be employed for destruction of errors;
Without the practice of yoga, how could knowledge set the Atman free?
Inversely, how could the practice of yoga alone, devoid of knowledge, succeed in the task?
The seeker of Liberation must direct his energies to both simultaneously.
The source of unhappiness lies in ''Ajnana'' (ignorance);
Knowledge alone sets one free. This is a dictum found in all [[Vedas]].
</poem>
– Yogatattva verses 14–16{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=193}}{{Sfn|Derek (tr)|1989|p=226}}{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|p=304}}}}

The text defines "knowledge", translates Aiyar – a Sanskrit scholar,<ref>Alex Wayman (1982), [https://www.jstor.org/stable/1398480 Reviewed Work: Thirty Minor Upanishads, including the Yoga Upanishads by K. Narayansvami Aiyar], Philosophy East and West, Vol. 32, No. 3 (Jul., 1982), pages 360–362</ref> as "through which one cognizes in himself the real nature of ''kaivalya'' (moksha) as the supreme seat, the stainless, the partless, and of the nature of [[Sacchidananda]]" (truth-consciousness-bliss).{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=193}} This knowledge is of the Brahman and its non-differentiated nature with that of the [[Atman (Hinduism)|Atman]], of ''Jiva'' and ''Paramatman''.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=301–305}} Yoga and knowledge ([[jnana]]) both go together to realise [[Brahman]] and attain salvation, according to the Upanishad.{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|p=618}}

===Yogas===
[[File:Kailash Integral Yoga.jpg|thumb|''Yogatattva Upanishad'' emphasizes [[Hatha yoga]] (shown).{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|pp=137–138}}]]
In the Upanishad, Vishnu states to Brahma that Yoga is one,{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|p=305}} in practice of various kinds, the chief are of four types – Mantra Yoga is the practice through chants, Laya Yoga through deep concentration, Hatha Yoga through exertion, and [[Raja Yoga]] through meditation.{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|p=618}}

There are four states which are common to all these yogas, states the text, and these four stages of attainment are: ''Arambha'' (beginning, the stage of practicing ethics such as non-violence and proper diet, followed by asana),{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=306–312}} ''Ghata'' (second integration stage to learn breath regulation and relationship between body and mind),{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=312–314}} ''Parichaya'' (the third intimacy stage to hold, regulate air flow, followed by meditation for relationship between mind and Atman),{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=314–317}} and ''Nishpatti'' (fourth stage to consummate [[Samadhi#Hinduism|Samadhi]] and realize Atman).{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=317–325}} The emphasis and most verses in the text are dedicated to Hatha Yoga, although the text mentions Raja yoga is the culmination of Yoga.{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|pp=137–138}}

The Mantra yoga is stated by the Yogatattva as a discipline of auditory recitation of mantras but stated to be an inferior form of yoga.{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|pp=137–138, 618–619}} It is the practice of mantra recitation or intonations of the sounds of alphabet, for 12 years.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=305–306}} This gradually brings knowledge and special powers of inner attenuation, asserts the text.{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=193}} This mantra-based method of yoga, asserts Yogatattva, is suited for those with dull wit and incapable of practicing the other three types of yoga.{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|pp=618–619}}{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=305–306}}

Laya yoga is presented as the discipline of dissolution where the focus is on thinking of the "Lord without parts" all the times while going through daily life activities.{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|pp=137–138, 618–619}}<ref>Daniel Mariau (2007), Laya Yoga, in ''Encyclopedia of Hinduism'' (Editors: Denise Cush et al.), Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0-7007-1267-0}}, page 460</ref> The Laya Yoga, the second in the order of importance, is oriented towards assimilation by the [[chitta]] or mind, wherein the person always thinks of formless [[Ishvara]] (God).{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=193}}{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=305–306}}

{{Quote box
|quote =Of the ten ''Yamas'', [[Mitahara]] (moderate food) is most important. Of the ten ''Niyamas'', O [[Brahma|four-faced one]], [[Ahimsa]] (non-violence) is most important.
|source = —''Yogatattva Upanishad 28–29'' <ref name=sanskrityogatattva/>{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|p=306}}
|width = 30%
|align = left
}}
The Hatha Yoga, to which ''Yogatattva Upanishad'' dedicates most of its verses,{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|pp=137–138}} is discussed with eight interdependent practices: ten [[yamas]] (self-restraints), ten [[niyama]]s (self-observances), [[asana]] (postures), [[pranayama]] (control of breath), [[pratyahara]] (conquering the senses), [[dharana]] (concentration), [[Dhyana in Hinduism|dhyana]], and [[samadhi]] that is the state of meditative consciousness.{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=193–94}}{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=305–306}}{{Sfn|Larson|Potter|1970|pp=618–619}}

The text discusses meditation and thereafter through verse 128, twenty stages of Hatha Yoga practice such as of ''Maha-mudra'', ''Maha-Bandha'', ''Khechari mudra'', [[Mula Bandha]], [[Uddiyana bandha]], [[Jalandhara Bandha]], [[List of mudras (yoga)|Vajroli]], [[List of mudras (yoga)|Amaroli]] and [[List of mudras (yoga)|Sahajoli]].{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=317–321}} Thereafter, the Upanishad asserts Raja yoga to be the means for Yogin to detach himself from the world,{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=321–323}} translates Ayyangar – a Sanskrit scholar.<ref>{{cite book|author=Antonio Rigopoulos|title=Dattatreya: The Immortal Guru, Yogin, and Avatara: A Study of the Transformative and Inclusive Character of a Multi-faceted Hindu Deity|date=1998|publisher=State University of New York Press|isbn=978-0-7914-3696-7|pages=79 with notes 12–14, 80 with notes 19–22}}</ref> The tool for meditation, states the text, is Pranava or Om mantra, which it describes in verses 134–140, followed by a statement of the nature of liberation and the ultimate truth.{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=194}}{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=323–325}}

====Asanas====
{{Infobox
| title = Asanas in ''Yogatattva Upanishad''
| image =
[[File:Yoga tattva upanishad - 4 chief asanas.png|thumb|Yoga tattva upanishad - 4 chief asanas for Pranayama]]
|caption = Main postures discussed for [[pranayama]] practice (clock-wise - Bhadrasana, Siddhasana, Simhasana, Padmasana)
}}
The Upanishad mentions many ''asanas'', but states four postures of the yoga for the beginner commencing on ''pranayama'' (breathing exercises) – [[Siddhasana]], [[Lotus position|Padmasana]], [[Simhasana]] and [[Bhadrasana]].{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=307–309}} The detailed procedure and the setting for these are described in the text.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=307–309}}

Sitting in Padmasana (lotus) posture, the text states that the pranayama or breathing must be gradual, both inhalation, holding and exhalation should be slow, steady and deep.{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=194–195}} The text introduces a series of time measures (''matras'', musical beats) to aid self monitoring and to measure progress, wherein the beat is created by the yoga student with fingers self circumambulating and using one's own knee for the beat pulse.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=307–309}} A sequential gradual inhalation over sixteen Matras (digits), holding the air deep within for sixty-four Matras and gradually exhaling the air over thirty-two Matras is suggested as the goal of the breathing exercise.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=307–309}}{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=194–195}}

{{Quote box
|quote =Whatever the Yogin sees with his eyes, he should conceive of all that as the Atman (soul, self). Similarly, whatever he hears, smells, tastes and touches, he should conceive of all that as the Atman.
|source = —''Yogatattva Upanishad 69–72'' <ref name=sanskrityogatattva/>{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=312–313}}
|width = 22%
|align = left
}}
The Upanishad suggests breathing exercises in a variety of ways, such as breathing with one nostril and exhaling with another, asserting that a regular practice multiple times a day cleans up the ''Nadis'' (blood vessels), improves digestive powers, stamina, leanness and causes the skin to glow.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=307–309}}{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=194–195}} The text recommends restraining oneself from salt, mustard, acidic foods, spicy astringent pungent foods. The text also states that the yoga student should avoid fasting, early morning baths, sexual intercourse, and sitting near fire. Milk and ''ghee'' (clarified butter), cooked wheat, green gram and rice are foods the text approves of, in verses 46–49.{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=194–96}}{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=309–310}} The Upanishad also recommends [[massage]], particularly areas of body that tremor or profusely perspire during the practice of yoga.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=310–311}}

[[File:DiagrammaChakraKundalini.jpg|right|thumb|Kundalini Yoga]]
The next stage of Yoga practice, states the text, is termed Ghata (Sanskrit: घट) with the goal of bringing union of [[Prana]] (breath), [[Apāna|Apana]] (hydration and aeration of body), ''Manas'' (mind) and ''Buddhi'' (intellect), as well as between [[Jiva|Jivatma]] (life soul force) and [[Paramatma]]n (supreme soul). This practice is a step, asserts the text, for ''Pratyahara'' (withdrawal from distraction by sensory organs) and ''Dharana'' (concentration).{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=196–97}} The aim of ''Dharana'', states Yogatattva, is to conceive everyone and everything one perceives with any of his senses as same as his own self and soul (Atman).{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=312–313}} In verses 72 to 81, the text describes a range of mystical powers that develop within those who have mastered ''Ghata'' stage of yoga. The Upanishad adds that "perfection requires practice, the yogin must never revel in what he achieves, never be vain, never be distracted by trying to comply with demonstration requests, remain oblivious to others, yet be always intent on achieving the goals he sets for himself".<ref name=sanskrityogatattva/>{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=313–314}}

====Kundalini====
The Upanishad, in verse 82 and onwards, elaborates on the third stage of Yogic practice, calling it the ''paricaya'' (Sanskrit: परिचय, intimacy) state.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=314–315}} It is the stage where the yogin awakens the Kundalini, asserts the text. ''Kundalini'', states James Lochtefeld – a professor of Religion and Asian Studies,<ref>[https://www.carthage.edu/live/profiles/269-james-lochtefeld James Lochtefeld], Karthage College, Wisconsin (2015)</ref> refers to "the latent spiritual power that exists in every person".<ref name=jameslochtefeldkundalini>James G Lochtefeld (2001), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M, Rosen Publishing, {{ISBN|978-0-8239-3179-8}}, pages 381–382</ref> The premise mentioned in Yogatattva, is also a fundamental concept in [[Tantra]], and symbolizes an aspect of [[Shakti]] that is typically dormant in every person, and its awakening is a goal in Tantra.<ref name=jameslochtefeldkundalini/> In Yogatattva text, this stage is described as where the Yogin's Chitta (mind) awakens and enters the [[Sushumna]] and the [[chakra]]s.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=314–316}}<ref name=sanskrityogatattva/>

[[File:Shirshasana.jpg|right|thumb|[[Sirsasana]].]]
{{Quote box
|quote =Samadhi is that state in which the ''Jiva-atman'' (lower self) and the ''Param-atman'' (higher self) are differenceless.
|source = —''Yogatattva Upanishad 107'' {{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=199}}{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|p=318}}
|width = 22%
|align = left
}}
The five elements of [[Prthivi]], [[Ap (water)|Apas]], [[Agni]], [[Vayu]] and [[Akash (Jainism)|Akash]] are called as the "five Brahmans" corresponding to five gods within (Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Ishvara and Sada-Shiva), and reaching them is described by the text as a process of meditation.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=314–316}} The meditation on each, asserts Yogatattva, is assisted by colors, geometry and mantras: ''prthivi'' with yellow-gold, quadrilateral and ''Laṃ'', ''apas'' with white, crescent and ''Vaṃ'', ''agni'' with red, triangle and ''Raṃ'', ''vayu'' with black, satkona ([[hexagram]]) and ''Yaṃ'', ''akash'' with smoke, circle and ''Haṃ''.{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=197–98}}{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=315–317}}

The Upanishad dedicates verses 112 through 128 on a variety of Hatha yoga asanas.{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|pp=198–200}}{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=319–322}} The procedure and benefits of yoga practices of [[Sirsasana]] (standing on the head for 24 minutes), Vajroli and Amaroli are explained briefly by the text. With these practices the Yogin attains the Raja Yoga state, realizes the facts of the life cycle of mother-son-wife relationship.{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=200}}

====Om meditation====
{{Quote box
|quote =[[Image:Om symbol.svg|20px|link=Hinduism]] (these three letters "AUM"...) is no different than the Brahman, by that Yogin in the Turiya-state pervades the entire world of phenomena, in the belief "all this is I alone". That is the Truth. That alone is the transcendent existence, which is the substratum.
|source = —''Yogatattva Upanishad 135–136'' <ref name=sanskrityogatattva/>{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|p=323}}
|width = 22%
|align = left
}}
The Upanishad expounds the principles behind Om mantra as part of the yogic practice asserting that "A", "U" and "M" are three letters that mirror the "three Vedas, three [[Sandhyavandanam|Sandhyas]] (morning, noon and evening), three [[Svaras]] (sounds), three Agnis and three [[Guṇa]]s".{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=322–324}} Metaphorically this practice is compared to realizing the hidden smell of a flower, reaching the [[ghee]] (clarified butter) in milk, reaching the oil innate in [[sesame]] seeds, effort to extract gold from its ore, and finding the Atman in one's heart.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=322–324}} The letter "A" represents the flowering of lotus, "U" represents the blooming of the flower, "M" reaches its [[Nāda|nada]] (tattva or truth inside, sound), and "ardhamatra" (half-metre) indicates the ''[[Turiya]]'', or bliss of silence.{{Sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=323–324}}{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=201}}

The Upanishad states that following the yogic practices prescribed, once the yogin has mastered the functioning of nine orifices of the body and awakened the Sushumna inwards, he awakens his Kundalini, he becomes self-aware, knows the Truth and gains the conviction of his Atman.<ref name=sanskrityogatattva/>{{sfn|Ayyangar|1938|pp=324–325}}

==Reception==
{{Quote box
|quote ='''Yogin's relationship with the world''' At an unprohibited far off place, Calm and quiet, undisturbed, The Yogin guarantees protection, To all beings, as to his own self.
|source = —''Yogatattva Upanishad 15 (Sanskrit)'' {{Sfn|Deussen| Bedekar | Palsule (tr.)|1997|p=716}}
|width = 30%
| bgcolor=#FFE0BB
|align = right
}}
''Yogatattva Upanishad'' is one of the most important text on Yoga.<ref name=eliadeyif129>Mircea Eliade (1970), Yoga: Immortality and Freedom, Princeton University Press, {{ISBN|0-691-01764-6}}, page 129</ref><ref>Tom Stiles (1975), Historical perspectives of Classical Yoga philosophies, Yoga Journal, Volume 1, Number 3, page 6</ref>

{{Quote|
It is the Yogatattva that appears to be most minutely acquainted with yogic practices: it mentions the eight ''angas'' and distinguishes the four kinds of yoga: Mantra yoga, [[Laya yoga]], [[Hatha yoga]] and [[Raja yoga]].
|[[Mircea Eliade]]|Yoga: Immortality and Freedom<ref name=eliadeyif129/>}}

The text, states Whiteman, discusses a variety of Yoga systems, including the Hatha yoga, "a system of practices developed intensively', with the basic objective of "health and cleanliness of the physical body and perfection of voluntary control over all its functions." {{Sfn|Whiteman|1993|p=80}} A notable feature of this Upanishad is definition of four types of yoga and a comparison.{{Sfn|Whiteman|1993|p=80}}{{Sfn|Aiyar|1914|p=192}}

The ''Yogatattva Upanishad'' and the ''[[Brahma Upanishad]]'' are also known as one of the early sources of tantric ideas related to chakras, which were adopted in [[Tibetan Buddhism]]. {{Sfn|Gyurme|2008|p=86}} However, states Yael Bentor, there are minor differences between the location of inner fires as described in the texts of Tibetan Buddhism and in Yogatattva text of Hinduism.<ref>Yael Bentor (2000), Interiorized Fire Rituals in India and in Tibet, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 120, No. 4, page 597 with footnotes</ref>

==See also==
* [[Yoga (philosophy)]]
* ''[[Yoga Vasistha]]''
* ''[[Yoga Yajnavalkya]]''
* ''[[Yoga-kundalini Upanishad]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{Cite web|last= Aiyar |first= Narayanasvami|url=https://archive.org/stream/thirtyminorupani00xxxxuoft#page/n209/mode/2up|title=Thirty minor Upanishads|access-date=23 December 2015|year=1914|publisher=Archive Organization}}
*{{cite book|last= Ayyangar |first=TR Srinivasa |title=The Yoga Upanishads |url=https://archive.org/stream/TheYogaUpanishads/TheYogaUpanisadsSanskritEngish1938#page/n345/mode/2up |year=1938 |publisher=The Adyar Library }}
*{{cite book|last= Cardin |first=Matt |title=Ghosts, Spirits, and Psychics: The Paranormal from Alchemy to Zombies: The Paranormal from Alchemy to Zombies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3JMeCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA355|date=28 July 2015|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-61069-684-5}}
*{{cite book| last= Derek (tr)|first= Coltman |title=Yoga and the Hindu Tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=meUWxDDqzuAC&pg=PA226|year=1989|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-0543-9}}
*{{cite book|last= Deussen |first=Paul |title=The Philosophy of the Upanishads|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k_Bea7AXHY4C&pg=PA42|date=1 January 2010|publisher=Cosimo, Inc.|isbn=978-1-61640-239-6}}
*{{cite book|last1= Deussen |first1=Paul |last2= Bedekar |first2=V.M. (tr.)|last3= Palsule (tr.)|first3=G.B. |title=Sixty Upanishads of the Veda|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYepeIGUY0gC|date=1 January 1997|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-1467-7}}
* {{Citation | last =Flood | first =Gavin D | year =1996 | title =An Introduction to Hinduism | publisher =Cambridge University Press | isbn =978-0-521-43878-0 | url-access =registration | url =https://archive.org/details/introductiontohi0000floo }}
*{{cite book|last= Gyurme |first=Tenzin |title=S-Alchemy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w37oAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA86|year=2008|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-0-557-43582-1}}
*{{cite book|last1= Larson |first1=Gerald James |last2= Potter |first2=Karl H. |title=''Yogatattva Upanishad'' (Translated by NSS Raman), in The Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies: Yoga: India's philosophy of meditation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p6pURGdBBmIC&pg=PA617|year=1970|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-3349-4}}
*{{cite book|last= Whiteman |first=Joseph Hilary Michael |title=Aphorisms on Spiritual Method: The "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" in the Light of Mystical Experience : Preparatory Studies, Sanskrit Text, Interlinear and Idiomatic English Translations, Commentary and Supplementary Aids|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nsbWAAAAMAAJ|year=1993|publisher=Colin Smythe|isbn=978-0-86140-354-7}}

==External links==
* [http://www.celextel.org/upanishads/krishna_yajur_veda/yogatattva.html Full Translation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705193616/http://www.celextel.org/upanishads/krishna_yajur_veda/yogatattva.html |date=2017-07-05 }}

{{Mukhya Upanishads}}
{{Hindudharma}}
{{Yoga}}

[[Category:Upanishads]]
[[Category:Advaita Vedanta]]

Yogatattva Upanishad - Revision history

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