BharatNotes 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 177 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: Yoga was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2016 (11.COM, Addis Ababa) — India's 13th ICH inscription at that time. The International Day of Yoga (June 21) is a UN observance distinct from the UNESCO ICH inscription.
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
Recent Developments (2024–2026)
International Day of Yoga — 10th Anniversary (June 21, 2024)
The International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrated its 10th anniversary on 21 June 2024. The main national event was held at SHER-I-KASHMIR International Convention Centre, Srinagar, J&K — a symbolically powerful venue chosen to mark the integration of J&K into India's mainstream after the Article 370 changes of August 2019. The 2024 IDY theme was "Yoga for Self and Society," and events were held in over 190 countries with an estimated 300 million practitioners worldwide participating. PM Modi led the main ceremony, and ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) organised over 200 events across 60+ countries.
Yoga was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016, and the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) at Jamnagar (fully operational 2024) has established yoga as a focus area within its evidence-based traditional medicine research framework. The GCTM's research tracks yoga's therapeutic efficacy for non-communicable diseases (hypertension, diabetes, mental health), aligning ancient practice with WHO's Universal Health Coverage goals. India's National AYUSH Mission expanded yoga wellness centres at Community Health Centres and district hospitals across all states during 2024–25.
UPSC angle: IDY 10th anniversary (June 21, 2024, Srinagar), 300 million practitioners, UNESCO ICH (2016), WHO-GCTM (Jamnagar, 2022/2024) — all are exam-relevant facts that recur across Prelims (dates, venues) and Mains GS1 (yoga as soft power) and GS2 (AYUSH policy, health diplomacy).
AYUSH Ministry Expansion and Siddha Recognition 2024–25
The Ministry of AYUSH — established in November 2014 as a full-fledged ministry — continued to expand the regulation and institutionalisation of all traditional medicine systems in 2024–25. The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), constituted under the NCISM Act 2020, continued accrediting AYUSH colleges and standardising curricula. The Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) updated minimum standards for Siddha medicine programmes, strengthening the institutional framework for Tamil Nadu's classical Siddha tradition.
Siddha medicine — rooted in Tamil Nadu's 18 Siddhars tradition (Agasthya as founder) — received formal recognition of its distinct pharmacopoeial framework: the Siddha Pharmacopoeia of India provides standardised formulations. The Ministry of AYUSH's TKDL (Traditional Knowledge Digital Library) — which prevents biopiracy of Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani formulations at international patent offices — was specifically highlighted at the IKS-TKDL Workshop-8 (August 2025) as a model of how ancient knowledge systems can be protected under modern intellectual property frameworks. India's Siddha exports (traditional medicines) to the global Tamil diaspora represent a growing niche within India's heritage economy.
UPSC angle: Ministry of AYUSH (2014), NCISM Act 2020, Siddha Pharmacopoeia, and TKDL are GS2 institutional governance facts. For GS1, the 18 Siddhars tradition and Agasthya as founding father of Siddha are Prelims-relevant. The convergence of Siddha with modern regulation is a good Mains anchor for "traditional knowledge in contemporary India" questions.
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)
