Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in Slavic Folklore

Unlike ancient Hindu mythology, Slavic folklore has no written date when it started. Up until the 9th century AD, when the Cyrillic writing system was developed, all religious beliefs and traditions between people were passing orally.

From generation to generation traditional songs, texts, and legends were delivering stories about heroes, who by their kindness and harmless behaviour to everything and everyone around, achieved bliss in their hearts and wholeness in life.

What lessons can the folklore that has no day of its beginning teach us? I can say it will be the same lessons and more, as the famous Yoga Sutra and other traditional ancient Indian texts teach their readers.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are 196 Indian sutras or, in other words, aphorisms, that outline important principles of life. The text's highlight is the eight limbs of yoga, a guideline toward a meaningful and purposeful life. Each limb of yoga points on such qualities as morality, patience, purity in mind and body, persistence, study of self and contemplation. According to the author of the Yoga Sutra by practising all eight limbs the practitioner will achieve a higher level of state, leading from suffering to enlightenment.

After long study of the Yoga Sutras and texts from Slavic folklore I found that both cultures have the same message about harmless and harmonious life that everyone should seek.

Lada (image on the left) is a Slavic deity of harmony, merriment, youth, love and beauty. She is a symbol of femininity. Without the feminine energy nothing on this planet can be born, therefore she is the creation of everything. She is all the potentials of the cosmic energy which each of us is connected.

Lada is a keeper of harmony and well - being. On September 8th (according to the old calendar) families ask Lada to protect peace and harmony in a household. She is also asked for happy marriage by those who enter the family union. At the beginning of spring and autumn Lada is asked to bring good harvest and rain.

Several words in Slavic language take their roots from the name of this goddess. These words represent deep meaning and interpret the qualities that Lada has.

Lada is one of the many Gods and Goddesses in Slavic Folklore which, as in Indian tradition, embody wisdom, energy and wellness.

Slavic folklore is full of heroes and mythical creatures. All characters in them have qualities that teach us to be kinder, be more patient and appreciate what we have. For example, in a famous Russian fairy tale "Morozko" a chanting character named "Starichok - Borovichok" teaches the handsome man, Ivan, important moral and ethical lessons that are similar to Yamas and Niyamas in Yoga Sutras.

Ivan realizes that by practising kindness, compassion, observance, and other fundamental qualities of life he will succeed in finding what he was aiming for sooner. "Morozko" also teaches to connect with nature and nature will help in return. It teaches to love unconditionally everything that is around us!

In Yoga Sutras it says when one develops compassion, reverence and love, he/she begins to recognize sameness everywhere and feel as one with all creation. Do you see the similarity in "Morozko"?

A philosophical point behind any world's tradition is to make us, people, better human beings. We all are coming from different historical backgrounds, but what is in common in all of us, is the desire for liberation. We learn our ways toward the inner freedom through different resources, and sometimes we forget to look a little bit deeper into something that we have known already. The answer can be found in every quote, text, fairy tale, ballade, aphorism, and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is just one among many other powerful texts and folklores.