Teachings of

T Kåñëamäcärya
S SRIDHARAN

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 Teachings of T Kåñëamäcärya

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 Meaning of the Name
T Kåñëamäcärya
T=stands for Tirumala, the place from
where his family hails
Kåñëa=his actual name given by his parents.
The name of the Lord Vishnu
Äcärya=teacher (special significance)

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 What äcärya means?
AaicnaeitihzaôawaRn! AacreSwapyTyip
Svymacrte ySmat! tSmadacayR %Cyte
_______________________________________
äcinotihiçästrärthän äcaresthäpayatyapi
svayamäcarate yasmät tasmädäcärya ucyate
_______________________________________
Study the scriptures thoroughly, live according
to the teachings and teach

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 Bio data
• Born on November 18, 1888
• Father a Vedic Pundit ran a Gurukulam
• Krishnamacharya had his earlier
education at his father’s Gurukulam
• He lost his father at the age of 11 and
continued his education at the Parakala
Mutt, Mysore
• He secured at least 5 important degrees
in Vedic education
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 Graduation ceremony picture

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 Bio data
• Went to Himalayas (Kailash
Manasarovar) and learnt Yoga under
Yogi Ramamohana Brahmachari
• Got married and raised a family
• Established a Yoga Shala in Mysore
• Migrated to Chennai (Madras) in 1960s
• Spent his last days in Chennai
• Died February 28, 1989
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 Father of Modern-day Yoga
Yoga Journal, a foreign yoga magazine, in its issue
May/June 2001, in an article entitled ‘The Legacy
of Krishnamacharya” says:
“You may never have heard of him, but Tirumalai
Krishnamacharya influenced or perhaps even
invented your Yoga. Whether you practice the
dynamic series of Pattabhi Jois, the refined
alignment of BKS Iyengar, the classical postures
of Indra Devi or the customised Vinyasa of
Desikachar your practice stems from one source,
a five foot two inch Brahmin born more than one
hundred years ago in a small South Indian
village.”
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 Some of his important works

• Yoga Valli-A sanskrit commentary on

Yoga Sutra (Chapter 1 published)
• Cit acit Tatva Mimamsa-A Sanskrit
commentary on Brahma Sutra
(Unpublished)
• Yoganjalisaram (Published)
• Dhyanamalika (Published)
• Collection of Hymns on various deities
(Unpublished)
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 His strong beliefs
• Veda-s are the authority
• One should live according to the
injunctions of the Veda-s to have a good,
healthy and long life
• Practice of Yoga is compulsory for
enjoyment and emancipation
• Following Yama and Niyama, the
disciplines, is an integral part of Yoga

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 His Spiritual lineage
Nathamuni
• Place: Veeranarayanapuram (Tamil Nadu)
• Period: late 9th Century or early 10th Century
• Foremost among the Srivaishnava Teachers
• Revived the four thousand Tamil Verses
(Divya Prabhandam)
• His works: Nyaya Tattva, Pursha Nirnaya
and Yoga Rahasya

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 Yogäïjalisäram (24)
Aadavasnpunrav&Ä>e Aa*av&ÄeÉRgv½r[aE,
guévrcr[aE à[My píat! sm†Kàa[> smarÉet.
ädäväsanapunarävåtteù ädyävåtterbhagavaccaraëau |
guruvaracaraëau praëamya paçcät samadåkpräëaù
samärabheta ||

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Begin the day by praying to teacher and
God, then practice äsana and präëäyäma

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 Yogäïjalisäram (22)
*um[eédyat! Àagevasn sNXyapUjn ivxy> kayaR>,
yame yame àa[ayamaN dz dz k…yaRt! Aayuv&RXyE.
dyumaëerudayät prägeväsana sandhyäpüjana vidhayaù käryäù |
yäme yäme präëäyämän daça daça kuryät äyurvådhyai ||
_______________________________________________________________

Wake up before dawn, Meditate on the Sun

facing East, Do 10 Präëäyäma every “yäma”
every 3 hours

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 Yogäïjalisäram (23)
pirimtÉaejI sucirtTyajI XvStzrIr¬ezae yaegI,
suiSwricÄae Égvit iv:[aE #hEv lÉte zaiNt< prmm!.
parimitabhojé sucaritatyäjé dhvastaçarérakleço yogé |
susthiracitto bhagavati viñëau ihaiva labhate çäntià paramam ||
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• Eat Moderately
• Practice äsana with a stable mind
• Cleanse the impurities of the body
• Worship God

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 Yogäïjalisäram (29)
muinÉu'œúv ÉaeJy< sda dev ze;< imt< saiTvk<caxRkalesupKvm!,
Smrn! devnaw< k…é:vaxR pU[ Svk…i]< tt> SvCDtaey< ipbe½.
munibhuìkñva bhojyaà sadä deva çeñaà mitaà
sätvikaïcärdhakälesupakvam |
smaran devanäthaà kuruñvärdha pürëaà svakukñià tataù
svacchatoyaà pibecca ||
_______________________________________________________________
• Eat the food offered to God in silence,
• Eat moderately sattvic and well cooked food,
remembering God
• End by drinking clear and pure water

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 Yogäïjalisäram (3)

r] àwm< c]u> ïaeÇ< nasa< ijþa< tdnuTva< c,

ùdy< tuNd< naiÉ< yaein< ttStu r]et! skl< gaÇm!.
rakña prathamaà cakñuù çrotraà näsäà jihväà tadanutväà ca |
hådayaà tundaà näbhià yonià tatastu rakñet sakalaà gätram ||
______________________________________________________________

• Take Care of the limbs of the body

• Don’t misuse them
• Moderation in Sleep, Eating and Work

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 Yogäïjalisäram (26)
vd vd sTy< vcn< mxur< laeky laek< õehsup[
U Rm!,
majRy dae;an! dehàÉavn! AajRy iv*aivnyxnain.
vada vada satyaà vacanaà madhuraà lokaya lokaà snehasupürëam
märjaya doñän dehaprabhävan ärjaya vidyävinayadhanäni ||
______________________________________________________________

• Speak Truth and sweet,

• Be friendly to all,
• Get rid of impurities of body,
• Seek knowledge and wealth with humility

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 Yogäïjalisäram (4)

maSvp maSvp kLye smye ma k…é lap< ipzunE> pué;E>,

s<Smr inTy< hirmâ]< Stuih sivtar< suv[Rv[Rm.
!
mäsvapa mäsvapa kalye samaye mä kuru läpaà piçunaiù puruñaiù |
saàsmara nityaà harimabjakñaà stuhi savitäraà suvarëavarëam ||
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• Don’t sleep during day time, Moderation in
sleep
• Don’t move/ associate with evil people
• Meditate on the “Lord with the lotus eyes”,
golden colour and in the middle of the Sun

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 Yogäïjalisäram (18)
ma k…é \[mPyLp< hey< ma vs irpupirvare sttm!,
mai]p raegJvlne gaÇ< ma ivSmr marm[< ùdye.

mä kuru åëamapyalpaà heyaà mä vasa ripupariväre satatam |

mäkñipa rogajvalane gätraà mä vismara märamaëaà hådaye ||
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• Don’t be in debt (aparigraham)
• Don’t live near enemies (upeksha)
• Don’t cover your body with desire
(astheyam)
• Don’t forget the Lord who has Goddess in his
heart (Isvara Pranidhanam)
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 Yogäïjalisäram (17)
Tyj ixŠ
ar< mataipÇae> k…é NyŠ
ar< ipzune mnuje,
Éj sTkar< ÉavukbaeÏir vs sÌaeóIvstaE sttm!.

tyaja dhikkäraà mätäpitroù kuru nyakkäraà piçune manuje |

bhaja satkäraà bhävukaboddhari vasa sadgoñöhévasatau satatam
_________________________________________________________
• Never reject the parents, take care of them
• Avoid the company of evil minded (unsuited for your pursuit)
• Always stay connected with good company
• Idea of Panca Maha Yajnas

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 Yogäïjalisäram (16)
ragae raegaTpÄaE bIj< Éaegae raegàsr[ bIjm!,
yaegae ragCDedkbIj< yaih suËr< ragaTÉaegat!.
rägo rogätpattau béjaà bhogo rogaprasaraëa béjam |
yogo rägacchedakabéjaà yähi sudüraà rägätbhogät ||
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• Desire is the origin of disease
• Through enjoyment (excess) it spreads
• Through yoga turn away from feeding
desire and distance yourself from both
räga and bhoga
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 Yogäïjalisäram (7)
nafI ¢iNw;u jnn< lBXva ma<se kaeze v&iÏ< gTva,
siNx;u lIlanqn< k«Tva raegae yaegaÚZyit ha ha.
näòé granthiñu jananaà labdhvä mäàse koçe våddhià
gatvä |
sandhiñu lélänaöanaà kåtvä rogo yogännaçyati hä hä ||
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• Disease originate at the Nadi junctions
• Disease grows in the Koça-s and muscles
• Spreads through the joints
• Yoga removes diseases

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 Yogäïjalisäram (11)
AaiTmk dEihk mans Éedat! iÇivx< iviht< yaega_ysnm!,
skl< yCDit vaiÁDt su)l< nih nih yaega_ysn< iv)lm!.
ätmika daihika mänasa bhedät trividhaà vihitaà yogäbhyasanam |
sakalaà yacchati väïchita suphalaà nahi nahi yogäbhyasanaà
viphalam ||
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• Yoga Practice are three types
• Yoga for the ‘Self’ (Atma)
• Yoga for the body (Deha)
• Yoga for the mind (Manasa)
• Bestows all that is sought
• Does not go waste

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 Yogäïjalisäram (19)
}anrtaeva kmRrtaeva Éi´rtaeva sveR laeka>,
iSwTva yaege nih nih lÉte kamip isÏm! pZy ivicÇm!.
jïänaratovä karmaratovä bhaktiratovä sarve lokäù |
sthitvä yoge nahi nahi labhate kämapi siddham paçya vicitram ||
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• Types of path for Realisation
• Jïäna - Knowledge
• Karma-Action
• Bhakti-Devtion
• Without Yoga does not yield the desired results.
• Indeed a wonder

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 Yogäïjalisäram (27)
Aasnkr[aÄrs< srs< àa[aymat! àbl< àa[m!,
xar[zuÏ< k…é miSt:k< Xyanat! zuÏ< icÄ< inTym!.
äsanakaraëättarasaà sarasaà präëäyämät prabalaà präëam |
dhäraëaçuddhaà kuru mastiñkaà dhyänät çuddhaà cittaà
nityam
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• Practice of äsana, makes the body light
• Practice of präëäyäma, strengthens Präëa
• Practice of dhäraëa, cleanses the memory
• Practice of dhyäna, purifies the mind
• Practice daily

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 Yogäïjalisäram (30)
à[m àa[< àwm< yaege Éjre àa[< É®ya prya,
àa[ayam< k…é tTpíat! XyaTva à[v< prezsdnm!.
praëama präëaà prathamaà yoge bhajare präëaà bhaktyä parayä |
präëäyämaà kuru tatpaçcät dhyätvä praëavaà pareçasadanam ||
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• In yoga first worship Präëa
• Worship Präëa with devotion
• Practice Präëäyama
• Meditate on Praëava

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 Yogäïjalisäram (25)
yavan! dI"R> kaEúyae vayu> àyait baý< sUúmStdnu,
tavanNt> àivzit nae va mTva mnsa smIk…é:v.
yävän dérghaù kaukñyo väyuù prayäti bähyaà sükñmastadanu |
tävänantaù praviçati no vä matvä manasä samékuruñva ||
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• Method of practice of Präëäyäma
• First expel the air from the body in a long and
subtle way
• Then take the outside air inside
• Then with focus make the breath equal

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 Yogäïjalisäram (21)
inTya_ysnat! iníl buiÏ> sttaXyynat! mexaS)ªitR>,
zuÏaXyanat! AÉIóisiÏ> sNtt jpt> SvêpisiÏ>.
nityäbhyasanät niçcala buddhiù satatädhyayanät medhäsphürtiù |
çuddhädhyänät abhéñöhasiddhiù santata japataù svarüpasiddhiù ||
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• Daily practice gives mental stability
• Regular chanting improves memory
• Meditation helps in achieving one’s ambitions
• Japa gives “Self Realisation”

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 Yogäïjalisäram (20)
AadaE padaE tdnu c j'œ"e píaËé naiÉ< ùdym!,
XyaTva baø suNdrvpu;< sumuo< laeky gaek…lnawm!
ädau pädau tadanu ca jaìghe paçcädüru näbhià hådayam |
dhyätvä bähü sundaravapuñaà sumukhaà lokaya gokulanätham ||
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• How to meditate?
• Begin from the Lord’s feet
• Move up to His trunk and the chest
• Further up His beautiful arms
• Stay with the face of the Lord of Gokula
endowed with divine charm.
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 Yogäïjalisäram (8)
n&Tyit yaegI ùdye x&Tva suNdrvpu;< lúmIkaNt<,
jgdaxar< prmaTman< nNdit nNdit nNdTyev.
nåtyati yogé hådaye dhåtvä sundaravapuñaà lakñmékäntaà |
jagadädhäraà paramätmänaà nandati nandati nandatyeva ||
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• In the Yogi’s heart is enshrined the Lord
• The handsome consort of Lakñmé
• Who, the Superior, supports the Universe
• Lost in this vision the Yogi dances in joy

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