Yogacharya BKS Iyengar: His Guru

His Ancestry

Shri Krishnamacharya was born on November 18, 1888, at Muchukundapuram in the Chitradurga district in the State of Karnataka. His parents, Shri Tirumalai Srinivasa Tatacharya and Smt. Ranganayakamma were of distinguished ancestry and lived their lives according to the shastras. Krishnamacharya was the eldest of three brothers and three sisters.

Shri Krishnamacharya's lineage can be traced to the Yogi Nathamuni, a ninth century South Indian saint who was renowned for his great works in Sanskrit and Yoga - the Nyayatattva and Yoga Rahasya.

His education

Krishnamacharya had his initial education under his father who taught him the Vedas and the other religious texts in the traditional gurukula manner. He would be woken at two in the morning and made to chant the Vedas and perform asanas. His father who was his first guru planted the seeds of knowledge in him, encouraged and guided him in his quest for learning. He lost this precious guidance at the age of ten when his father died.

The entire family then moved to Mysore to join his great grandfather who was the head of the Parakala Math. It is here that he studied Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar), Vedanta and Tarka (logic) under the religious Guru to the Maharaja of Mysore. His thirst for knowledge increased and at the age of 16 he took the examination in Purva Mimamsa and the different shastras at the Maharaja Sanskrit College in Mysore. His passion for knowledge was further kindled, and his next aim was to go to Banaras to study under the famed pundits. He left for Banaras at the age of 18 and in one night studied the rare and secret aspects of Sanskrit grammar and the following day his teacher lost his speech. He then studied Tarka Shastra for another three years before returning to Mysore where he pursued his studies on the Vedanta and advanced Sanskrit grammar. He also started taking lessons in music on the veena. During the five years that he was in Mysore he attained titles such as 'Veda Kesari', 'Mimamsa Vidvan' and also continued learning the Upanishads and the Bhagvad Gita and Sribhasyam before his quest for knowledge made him go back to Banaras.

Krishnamacharya - The Yogacharya

The seeds of yoga were sown in young Krishnamacharya by his father. At the age of 16, Krishnamacharya had a dream in which Nathamuni directed him to go to Alvar Tirunagari. Krishnmacharya made this trip and entered the temple of Sri Vishnu and saw an old man seated under a tamarind tree. He asked him for directions to see Nathamuni and the old man moved his head to indicate a particular direction. Krishnamacharya fell into a trance on the way to the temple and found himself in the presence of three sages, one of whom recited the entire Yoga Rahasya for him. When Krishnamacharya regained consciousness, the sages had disappeared and he realised that Nathamuni himself instructed him on the Yoga Rahasya.

Once while he was practising asanas as taught by his father in Banaras, a saint saw him and advised him to study yoga under Shri Jha who had the title of Yogacharya. Yogacharya Jha advised Krishnamacharya that if he was seriously interested in Yoga, then he must travel beyond Nepal where Rama Mohana Brahmachari lived. There was also a book called Yoga Kurunta in the Gurkha language, which gave practical information on Yoga and health. It was not easy for Krishnamacharya to travel out of the country. He needed the Viceroy's consent for travel. The Viceroy was ill with diabetes and his military doctor was unable to control it. As fate would have it, the doctor was the son of Krishnamacharya's teacher at Banaras. The Viceroy invited Krishnamacharya and asked him how much yoga he knew. Krishnamacharya replied, "I may not know as much as India needs but enough to teach foreigners." The Viceroy commenced yoga classes under him and his health improved. The Viceroy was very pleased and made the necessary arrangements for Krishnamacharya to travel to Tibet. He not only provided him with leather garments to withstand the extremes of temperature but also sent two aides with him.

Krishnamacharya with his two companions reached Mansarovar after a trek of 22 days. There he searched for the cave of his Guru. In a cave, a very tall hermit with a long beard wearing wooden shoes stood at the entrance. Krishnamacharya prostrated before him and requested him to accept him as his disciple. The master gave him fruits called Ankula to eat and then introduced him to his wife and three children. Krishnamacharya became a part of Rama Mohana Brahmachari's family and lived there for seven and a half years. For the first three years he memorised the entire texts including the Yoga Kurunta. The following three years he practiced yogabhyasa and the next one and a half years he studied sikshana and chikitsa krama. His Guru then asked him to return to society, lead a married life and spread the message of yoga.

Krishnamacharya returned to India and pursued several degrees in Calcutta, Allahabad, Patna and Baroda. His reputation as a scholar and an authority on the shastras was spreading and he was invited by several kings and princes to give lectures and participate in debates. His knowledge and his mastery over the texts earned him several accolades and titles. The Maharaja of Mysore was highly impressed with the knowledge of Krishnamacharya and invited him to be a teacher for the Royal family.

Krishnamacharya accepted the offer and moved to Mysore. He then decided to devote his life to the spread and teaching of yoga as he felt that of all the scriptures and the knowledge that he gained yoga would best help him in practically serving mankind. In accordance with his Guru's wishes that he should live a life of a householder - he married Namagiriammal in 1925.

Yoga at the Royal Palace

He started teaching yoga in the Jaganmohan Palace of the Maharaja of Mysore. He was a very demanding teacher. There was a large hall where the teachers would instruct their respective students. Krishnamacharya would be examining patients in an adjacent room while the students including his children would be taught by his assistants. All the asanas were taught in the vinyasa krama - where one posture followed another in a logical sequence. Once a year the students appeared for the examinations where they were asked to demonstrate specific asanas.

He divided the practice of yoga into three stages: one to develop muscular power, power to concentrate and to perform difficult postures. This was called 'Shakti Krama'; the second was 'Adhyatmik Krama' - the type of practice where one goes beyond the physical to understand God or oneself. The third type of practice is 'Chikitsa Krama' - yoga for therapy. Breathing was given paramount importance. Every body movement was accompanied by an appropriate breath in, such a way that every asana practice included the union of the body, breath and mind. In his teaching, he would rely on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and he never advocated the practice of kriyas as it was not mentioned in the Yoga Sutras. The practice of pranayama could bring about the same effect without much difficulty.

He was also a master of Ayurveda. He combined Ayurveda, Nathamuni's teachings and Nadi Pariksa to diagnose any diseased condition. His advice would take into account the physical, mental and spiritual levels. His healing powers led to a large number of people visiting him at the palace in Mysore. His students included members of the Royal households, Indians and foreigners who would often be guests of the Maharaja. He also continued spreading yoga by visiting several parts of India where he would often send his students as emissaries of yoga. BKS Iyengar was sent to Pune to train students in yoga. Yoga teaching continued in Mysore and spread with the support of the Maharaja till India attained independence in 1947. The local government was trying to curtail expenses and felt that the Yogashala wasn't very important which ultimately led to its closure in 1950.

From Mysore to Madras

Krishnamacharya then visited Madras to treat a few persons. Although he initially planned to stay there only for a few days - he along with his family ultimately shifted to Madras. Krishnamacharya continued teaching yoga to all those who were interested in learning. At the age of 96, he slipped and fractured his hip. Refusing surgery, he treated himself and designed a course of practice that he could do in bed. He was up and walking within two months.

However, following this incidence he withdrew further into himself and moved into an outhouse of the main house.

Using his knowledge of Sanskrit grammar, he was able to correct the printing mistakes in some of the texts that are in print today like the Yoga Yagnavalkya, Yoga Rahasya, Yoga Taravalli and Gheranda Samhita. The Yogavalli dictated after the age of 90 has been meticulously corrected by him.

His centenary was celebrated in Madras in 1988. He was not too keen on these celebrations but his students convinced him and he blessed his shishyas on this auspicious occasion. He was moved when the chief official of the Kanchi Pitham carried the blessings of the Paramacharya and presented him two shawls and a medallion with the insignia of the three acharyas of the Math.

He died in 1989 but the Guru parampara (tradition) that had its auspicious beginnings in the 9th century still continues and will continue to do so.

Source: Yoga Rahasya, Volume B, pages 142-150.Two collected volumes of Yoga Rahasya are published by the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, distributed in Australia by iyogaprops.com.au. Copies may be obtained from Yarraville Yoga Centre.

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