The credit for raising the status of Yoga Sastra to that of a Darsana Sastra goes entirely to sage Patanjali. He compiled the entire Yoga Sastra into 196 aphorisms or sutras and presented them in his yoga darsana. This treatise even today is considered as the most authentic and foundational work on yoga. In fact, the story relating to the miraculous birth of Patanjali is also very interesting.
The Story of Miraculous Birth of Patanjali
Once, as Lord Vishñu was half asleep on the serpentine coils of Sesha Nag, Lord Siva began performing his magical dance( Tandev) Having withnessd this enchanting dance of Siva, Lord vishnu become overjoyed with exuberance. He was so glad that his body started to bloat up owing to his overflowing happiness. This raised his weight immensely. This increase in weight of lord Vishnu became unbearable for Sesha Nagand so he started hissing. Seeing this, Laxmi, the consort of lord Vishnu woke him up from his ecstacy. Having learnt the reason for his ecstacy and subsequent increase in weight, even Sesha nag wished to experience the same and expressed his desire to witnessthe dance of Lord Siva. Lord Vishnu then commanded him to be born as a human being for the fulfilment of his desire.A childless woman named 'Ganika' was living in country of Gonarda and was doing penance to beget a child. One day as she was offering water to the Sun god with folded hands Sesha Nag fall into her hands in a subtle form and laterbecamea child. Ganika accepted him as her son. He was named Patanjali as he fell (patah in Sanskrit means falling down) in the folded hands (anjali).
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