Key Concepts

  • Yoga is far more than physical exercise — it is a comprehensive knowledge system covering ethics, psychology, physiology, and spiritual development, systematised by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras
  • The United Nations proclaimed June 21 as International Day of Yoga by resolution 69/131 on 11 December 2014 — proposed by India; the first celebration was on 21 June 2015
  • Siddha medicine is South India's (primarily Tamil Nadu's) classical medical tradition, attributed to the 18 Siddhars — saint-scientists who combined medicine, alchemy, and spiritual insight
  • Unani is the Greco-Arab medical tradition adapted and developed in India, forming the "U" in AYUSH
  • These systems are relevant for GS-1 (cultural heritage), GS-2 (health policy, AYUSH), and GS-4 (holistic well-being)

Yoga as a Knowledge System

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras

Patanjali (distinct from the grammarian Patanjali) compiled the Yoga Sutras, a collection of 196 aphorisms that systematise the philosophy and practice of yoga. Scholars broadly date the text to somewhere between 500 BCE and 400 CE, with most placing the final compilation around the 2nd century BCE to 4th century CE.

The Yoga Sutras define yoga as "yogas chitta vritti nirodha" — "yoga is the cessation of the modifications of the mind" — establishing it as a science of consciousness, not just physical postures.

Ashtanga Yoga — Eight Limbs

Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed yoga) is a progressive path from external ethics to inner absorption:

Limb Sanskrit Meaning
1 Yama Ethical restraints (non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, non-possessiveness)
2 Niyama Personal observances (purity, contentment, discipline, self-study, surrender to the divine)
3 Asana Physical postures — stability and ease in sitting
4 Pranayama Breath regulation — control of life-force (prana)
5 Pratyahara Withdrawal of the senses from external objects
6 Dharana Concentration — fixing the mind on a single object
7 Dhyana Meditation — sustained, unbroken concentration
8 Samadhi Absorption — complete integration of consciousness

Hatha Yoga Tradition

Hatha Yoga (force yoga) emerged as a distinct tradition in medieval India (c. 10th–15th century CE), systematised in texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Swami Swatmarama, c. 15th century) and the Gheranda Samhita. It emphasises physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), and energy locks (bandhas and mudras) as the path to liberation.

International Day of Yoga

Event Detail
Proposal India proposed the International Day of Yoga at the UN General Assembly in September 2014 (PM Narendra Modi's address)
UN Resolution Resolution 69/131, adopted on 11 December 2014
Co-sponsors Record 175 UN member states co-sponsored the resolution
Date 21 June — the summer solstice, the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere, significant in many cultures
First celebration 21 June 2015 — celebrated across the world including New Delhi (Rajpath, with a mass yoga session)

Note: UNESCO inscription of Yoga has been discussed but as of 2026, Yoga has not been inscribed on UNESCO's ICH Representative List (Yoga traditions of India are under consideration). Do not state it as inscribed without verifying the current status.

Evidence-Based Research on Yoga

A growing body of peer-reviewed research supports yoga's benefits:

  • Cardiovascular health: Studies published in European Journal of Preventive Cardiology and other journals show yoga reduces blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol
  • Mental health: Meta-analyses demonstrate yoga's effectiveness for reducing anxiety and depression symptoms
  • Diabetes management: Studies show yoga improves glycaemic control in Type 2 diabetes
  • WHO's acknowledgment of traditional medicine (Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034) includes yoga as a mind-body practice with documented health benefits

Siddha Medicine

Siddha is one of India's oldest medical systems, rooted in the Tamil cultural tradition of South India, primarily practiced in Tamil Nadu and among Tamil communities worldwide.

Feature Detail
Origin Attributed to the 18 Siddhars — saint-scientists, alchemists, and physicians of the Tamil tradition
Founding figure Agasthyar (Agastya) is considered the founding father of Siddha medicine
Core principles Based on three humors similar to Ayurveda: Vaadham (air), Pittham (fire), Kapam (water) — collectively called mukkuttram
Unique contribution Siddhars are said to have been the first to use pulse diagnosis (naadi paarthal) to identify diseases
Texts Written in Tamil on palm-leaf manuscripts; use of poetic Tamil verse
Materials Emphasises use of metals, minerals, and herbs; developed a sophisticated Indian alchemy (Rasa Vaidya)
18 Siddhars The tradition names 18 Siddhars as the founders and transmitters of the knowledge; Agasthyar, Thirumoolar, Bogar, Konganar are among the most venerated

Siddha's distinctiveness from Ayurveda: while Ayurveda developed primarily in Sanskrit-speaking North India, Siddha developed in Tamil-speaking South India; Siddha places greater emphasis on alchemy and mineral preparations and has a uniquely Tamil literary tradition.

Unani Medicine

Unani (from Arabic Yunani = "Greek") is the Greco-Arab medical tradition founded on the works of Hippocrates and Galen, developed by Ibn Sina (Avicenna) in the Kitab al-Qanun, and brought to India by Muslim scholars in the medieval period.

  • Unani in India developed a distinctive Indo-Unani tradition synthesising Arabic pharmacology with Indian medicinal plants
  • Major centres: Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad
  • Governed in India by the Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM) under the AYUSH framework
  • The "U" in AYUSH = Unani

AYUSH Integration

The Ministry of AYUSH (est. November 2014) oversees:

  • Ayurveda (A), Yoga and Naturopathy (Y), Unani (U), Siddha (S), Homeopathy (H)
  • National AYUSH Mission (NAM) for mainstreaming traditional medicine in national healthcare
  • AIIA (All India Institute of Ayurveda), NCISM (National Commission for Indian System of Medicine)
  • WHO-GCTM (Global Centre for Traditional Medicine) established at Jamnagar, Gujarat — a WHO centre to support evidence-based traditional medicine globally

PYQ Relevance

  • UPSC Prelims: Date of UN resolution for International Day of Yoga (December 2014 = resolution; June 21 2015 = first celebration)
  • Prelims: 18 Siddhars tradition; Agasthya as founding father of Siddha
  • Mains GS-1: "Discuss the contribution of yoga as an Indian knowledge system to world health and culture"
  • GS-2: AYUSH policy, WHO-GCTM, National AYUSH Mission

Exam Strategy

  • Critical distinction: UN resolution = December 2014; First International Yoga Day = June 21, 2015
  • The prompt asks "adopted by UN in 2014" — the resolution was adopted in 2014; first celebration in 2015
  • Yoga Sutras of Patanjali ≠ Mahabhashya — the grammarian Patanjali and the yogi Patanjali are different persons
  • Siddha = Tamil tradition; Unani = Greco-Arab tradition adapted in India
  • For Mains: distinguish Yoga as cultural soft power (PM Modi's initiative at UN) from Yoga as scientific knowledge system (Patanjali, eight limbs, research evidence)