From The Jacket

In India and abroad yoga seems to be different things to different people, with the result the original and pure yoga as expounded by the great sage Patanjali two thousand years ago actually has become drained, diluted, remote, shallow, unreachable and unrecognizable. The path of True Yoga actually leads one out of darkness into the light; and it is a perpetual journey into the mysteries of life. It takes up and leads us unfailingly and unerringly to the heights of greater splendour and glory where perfect peace, harmony and wisdom reign supreme. But his goal of yoga can only be reached through a regenerated, spiritual mind; a mind which is pure, subtle and sensitive. Needless to say, this yoga is missing now. It is misunderstood, misconceived into something by various names, gymnastics, fakirism, beauty culture and therapy, health science, six therapy, meditation technique and so on. Against this backdrop, the essays are framed on the basis of the first two sections, namely, Samadhi Pada and Sadhana Pada of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. these are originally condensed talks delivered at Sri Aurobindo Society, Tirupati. In preparing these essays, the writer has drawn both upon his own experience and the Yoga Sutras. Ultimately, the only pure yoga is in living, constantly purifying oneself, leading to the discovering of oneself. The reader will find it useful and perhaps even illuminating to dispel certain misconception.

Born in 1957, Dr. K. V. Raghupathi received his postgraduate degree in English Literature in 1979, M. Phil in 1982 and Ph. D. in 1997 from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, and PGDTE (Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching of English) from CIEFL, Hyderabad. He began writing seriously in 1985. Since then he has published innumerable poems, articles and book reviews in various literary and cultural journals and magazines of high reputation, participated in seminars and conferences, presented research papers and delivered lectures and public talks on literature, language, yoga, religion and spiritual life. He has so far published seven books in English verse: Desert Blooms (Kolkata, 1987), Echoes Silent (Kolkata, 1988) The Images of a Growing Dying City (Kolkata, 1989), Small Reflections (Kolkata, 2000), voice of the Valley (New Delhi, 2003), Wisdom of the Peepal Tree (New Delhi, 2003) and Samarpana (New Delhi, 2006). He is a recipient of several awards, notably, H. D. Thoreau Fellowship 2000 (Dhvanyaloka, Mysore), Michael Madhusudan Academy Award 2001 (Kolkata) and the Chosen Best Poet of 2003 by the Poetry Society of India, New Delhi and Poetry Chain, Mumbai. He began his yoga Sadhana in 1985 in Patanjali's tradition. He is a great lover and promoter of classical Karnatic music. He lives and teaches in Tirupati.