Yoga & Ayurveda Blog

What does the word 'Now' mean? Is it a temporal meaning, the time that a clock indicates that is referred to, or is it something more than that? Many learned commentators have come out with different interpretations of this word Atha as 'Now'. Let us look at some of them.

'Now' stands for Adhikāram, which is the right or eligibility to study and practice Yoga. Texts like Vedanta specify strict qualifications to undertake their study. Similarly a person should qualify to study Yoga. An unknown author specifies three criteria, [1] a burning desire, [2] necessary energy, [3] freedom from disability and availability of opportunity.

'Now' can also mean that something has to precede this study - a formal education. The student should have a background of study in ancient thought to understand the intricacies of Yogasutra. For instance, Patañjali talks of concepts like the Gunā-s, Svādhyāya, etc freely without even a cursory explanation whereas a book like "Sānkhyā" spends a lot of time explaining the Gunā-s for example. Patañjali appears to have assumed prior knowledge of these concepts. It is like a qualifying degree to go on to a Masters Program. So test the student for minimum required knowledge and - 'Now' he can start.

"Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā" another ancient text on Yoga talks about screening the students with reference to character. It avers that Yoga is 'param gopyā' - meaning 'the highest secret/ to be protected'. Hence it must only be taught to deserving students, or will be a wasted effort. Svātmarāmā, the author, fears that it may be misused if it falls into the wrong hands. Sri T Krishnamacarya also said that Yoga can be a sweet smelling flower in the hands of a worthy student. It can also arm the unworthy with a sharp weapon to injure others. Hence Atha is arrived at after evaluating the student, verifying his character and 'Now' he can start. It is like getting security clearance for a job.

Adhikāram in the ancient context also means the student's social status and background to study Yoga.

Apart from these it is important to teach Yoga only to the serious student. Yoga is taught 'one-on-one'. It takes years of teaching and practice before a 'student' becomes in turn a 'teacher'.The effort would be wasted if the student were to leave halfway. So scrutinize the student and then decide to teach. 'Now' you can study with me.

In today’s context what does Atha mean in terms of qualification and selection? Does it mean the educational background/ social status/ moral standing? Does a teacher reject those who do not pass all these tests?

The considered opinion is that none of these holds good after all. The selection of the student depends solely on his 'sraddhā' – a burning interest to learn. {Sraddhā will be discussed in detail in the future }.

My teacher used to schedule his classes with his son at 3 o'clock in the morning. He would ask his international student [coming from a very cold climate] to meet him at 12 noon, and hold the classes under a metal roof. This was his way of testing their sraddhā.

A person has a lot of opportunities in today's world. He/she has myriad choices. So if he decides to learn Yoga and approaches the teacher, that is sufficient. It is then the responsibility of the teacher to build on that first step, to nurture that small spark of interest and make it grow into a full-fledged passion. Thus 'Now' is not temporal, it is not educational, nor character, but spatial. If the student appears in front of the teacher, asking for a lesson – start teaching.

We at Yoga Raksanam believe that if a student comes to us for classes; to motivate him, make him continue practice at home and attend future classes rests solely with the teacher. The students' responsibility is to take the first step. That is “Atha” as we understand it.

By DV Sridhar at Yoga Raksanam, Chennai, India