Flaptekst

Ordinary layman considers ¿sana and Pr¿¿¿y¿ma as the forte of Yoga. The field of Praty¿h¿ra
is not very popular and has remained unexplored by the researchers despite its huge importance
in the path of spiritual transition. Moreover, most of the scriptural texts are in Säsk¿ta which
cannot be grasped by me which obstructed my own further exploration. This prompted me to
take up the chosen subject in order to make it more accessible to the ordinary layman so that
they derive some knowledge in the field of Yoga and also gain benefits by practicing
Praty¿h¿ra in a small measure on a daily basis even in this era. Yoga is a systematic and
scientific process that helps in the manifestation of divinity within the humans. In fact, anything
that helps them reveal the best in them is Yoga. As stated by my Gurudeva, Sw¿m¿ Amar¿nanda
Saraswat¿, the benefits of Praty¿h¿ra, as one of the limbs of Yoga, is seen vividly when it is
used as a tool to conquer our habits which improves our health and living mode. Praty¿h¿ra
genuinely indicates the proper utilization of the sensory organs by neither spoiling them nor
forcing them to run amuck behind the sensory objects but to use them in normal truthful way
just like the honey bees which sucks only nectar leaving aside everything else.
The sense organs should not be pampered but hammered and trained through Abhy¿sa
(persistent efforts) and Vic¿ra (right thoughts) to pave the way towards righteousness for the
benefit of the body and the mind. Praty¿h¿ra in Yoga is not a process to be learnt. It is needed
to be used constantly to alert consciousness. Yogic S¿dhan¿ begins at the age of six, when the
children are being sent to Gurukul or schools. Praty¿h¿ra aims at learning the discipline of
what is good or bad from this very tender age. Lord Kr¿ s¿n¿a who is called Yoge¿wara, the master
of Yoga asserted that to be a Sthita Prajn¿a or equipoised in both success and failure, one has to
be like a K¿rma or tortoise which retracts its paws when confronting an obstacle. This itself is
seen in Praty¿h¿ra. To achieve this state, one requires adamantine will power, tenacity,
truthfulness and sincere dedication toward the final achievement of goal. This helps in uniting
the individual soul with the Cosmic Soul. Through this thesis, an attempt has been made to
delve deeply into the nuances of Praty¿h¿ra. Praty¿h¿ra helps in subduing the sense organs
and makes the mind calm. This ultimately helps in reaching the goal of Yoga.