| Abstract: |
Yoga, as one of the most ancient and comprehensive systems of spiritual, mental, and physical discipline originating from the Indian subcontinent, has evolved into numerous traditions and schools over millennia. Among these, Ashtanga Yoga the classical eight-limbed path systematized by the sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sūtras and Sri Ananda-Yoga, rooted in the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and his lineage, represent two of the most influential and philosophically rich yogic traditions in both historical and contemporary contexts. While Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga offers a rigorous, structured path progressing from ethical discipline (Yama and Niyama) through physical posture (Āsana), breath control (Prāṇāyāma), sensory withdrawal (Pratyāhāra), concentration (Dhāraṇā), meditation (Dhyāna), and culminating in the state of absorption (Samādhi), Sri Ananda-Yoga integrates devotional, metaphysical, and Kriya-based practices oriented toward self-realization and divine communion. This paper undertakes a systematic comparative study of the philosophical foundations, methodological aspects, spiritual objectives, ethical frameworks, and practical dimensions of these two traditions. Through textual analysis and critical engagement with primary and secondary literature, the study identifies key convergences particularly in the goal of liberation, the centrality of meditation, and the importance of ethical living as well as significant divergences in ontological orientation, the role of the guru, the use of Kriya techniques, and the relationship between body and spirit. The study concludes that while both traditions share the fundamental telos of moksha or self-realization, their pathways differ in emphasis, technique, and cosmological underpinning, offering complementary rather than contradictory approaches to the ultimate goal of human liberation. |
