Previous Year Question
With reference to Hath Yog, which of the following statement is/are correct?
Hath Yog was practiced by Nathpanthis.
Hath Yog technique was also adopted by the Sufis.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is correct. In medieval India, the Nathpanthis were closely associated with yogic practice. The Nath tradition was particularly connected with the development and practice of Hatha Yoga. Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath are regarded as prominent figures of this tradition.
The Nathpanthis did not depend solely upon external religious rituals for liberation. They emphasized strict discipline of the body and mind through practices such as asanas, breath control and meditation. Through these practices, the practitioner attempted to establish control over the body and mind and realize the Ultimate Reality.
Therefore, associating Hatha Yoga with the Nath tradition is historically correct. In premodern India, the Nath Sampradaya was among the principal practitioners of Hatha Yoga and has often been regarded as one of the major traditions associated with its development.
Statement 2 is also correct. During the medieval period, there is evidence of contact and exchange between Indian Sufis and Nath Yogis. In particular, interaction and dialogue between Chishti Sufis and Nathpanthi Yogis are recorded.
A yogic text known as the Amritakunda entered Persian and Arabic textual traditions through translation. Through such interaction, some meditative methods and practices such as breath control associated with yoga became known within Sufi circles.
Some Indian Sufis adopted breath-control practices, meditation and particular bodily postures associated with yogic techniques according to the needs of their own spiritual practice. This does not mean that the Sufi tradition adopted the complete philosophy of Hatha Yoga unchanged; rather, particular useful yogic practices were incorporated within a Sufi spiritual framework.