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“Food, fear, reproduction are common amongst men and beasts” said Prof Narasimhan, Director, Anantha Research Foundation, Mysore, quoting the Upanishads, “but what differentiates men from beasts is the power of discrimination or viveka. Yoga is the royal pathway to hone this viveka”. Prof Narasimhan was addressing the students, the faculty and the invited guests at Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Institute for Management Development (SDMIMD) during the yoga day on 24 June 2015.
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He said, in pursuit of basic instincts, the more positive emotions, such as love, kindness and brotherhood get subdued. It does not mean to say that pursuit of pleasure is proscribed in scriptures; Vedas do not eulogise giving up this life for the sake of the other. They call our attention to freedom, which is our very nature. Taking the example of drinking coffee he said, “I do enjoy coffee but can live without it too!” How can one “attain” (such a freedom is always ours but forgotten) such a state of mind? Patanjali Yoga Sutra and Bhagavad Gita give us a set of techniques by which one can have control on mind and enjoy life here and here-after. Yoga, in the sense of eight limbed or ashtanga yoga, elevate man from animal-man to divine-man and help him overcome the fear at the body, nervous, mind and the intellectual levels. The harmonious interaction of the body, mind, intellect and the spirit is the aim of yoga, he said. (The root form of yoga is yuj, which means, “to join”.)
Dr Jayashree, Professor of Sanskrit and Founder of Ananata Research Foundation began and end the talk in Shruti Parampara by rendering melodiously appropriate Santi mantras. The scintillating talk was followed by an animated discussion and was preceded by a wonderful demonstration of yoga asanas by the students of SDMIMD. Dr. N.R. Parasuraman, Director, SDMIMD, Dr. H. Gayathri, Deputy Director, SDMIMD, Prof Govinda Sharma and Prof Lisa Garner Santa were present during the function.
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