While celebrating International Day of Yoga on 21st June 2023, the theme for the Day this year is “Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”. The famous Upanishadic phrase, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, meaning “The World is One Family”, is quite popular, and has frequently been quoted by people while discussing the ill effects of man-made boundaries. However, the full verse that appeared in Maha Upanishad is “Ayam Nijah Paro Veti Ganana Laghucetasam. Udaracaritanam Tu Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (This is my own, and that a stranger – is the scheme of the narrow-minded people. For the magnanimous persons, however, the entire earth is but a family).
Yoga is a scientific, spiritual-cum-philosophical concept of living a holistic life; how do we then establish repudiation of “Aayam Nijah”, this is my own, this is mine – self-centric feelings and acts of humans? The real world is full of diversity, and plurality is the beauty to adore and live with. The bedrock of the entire world as one family consists of wisdom, like co-existence, tolerance, and mutual respect, etc. And, Yoga, as a way of blissful life, teaches us to live with these tenets of truth. Shrimadbhagvad Geeta viewed Yoga – as an art of working skillfully (“…yogaḥ karmasu kauśhalam”); abandoning attachment to success and failure, and living with equanimity (siddhya-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga uchyate). Geeta also teaches us how by following various forms and paths of Yoga, one could get rid of pain and misery, and attain peace in life. The famous aphorism of Yogasutra of sage Patanjali also says that Yoga is a practice of stilling fluctuations of the mind (chitta-vrutti-nirodhah). Therefore, equanimity, stillness, harmony, and wholeness are the synonymous connotations of Yoga, which are naturally required to comprehend “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”.
On 21st June, while celebrating Yoga Day, one might easily be swayed away by numerous lucrative talks on the physical or bodily benefits of the superficial practice of Yoga. However, Yoga, as a concept is much beyond the mental understanding related to physicality (sthul sharir), and it guides a practitioner to be in bliss and embrace Brahma by living a particular way of living. And, the desired way of living a holistic and peaceful life is normally easy as guided by true Yoga masters. Because they always advised people to leave many unwanted things and observe as neutral players. However, it becomes impractical for someone, if she gets trapped in the web of attachments and aversions. The material world (Prakriti) is otherwise attractively designed to be full of such extremes, but the actor has to be knowledgeable enough to be an observer to enjoy harmony. We attain true knowledge when we liberate ourselves from ignorance of self-centricity, hatred, mistrust, greed, violence, etc.
So, we may all wholeheartedly celebrate Yoga Day this year by being knowledgeable enough, and disprove “Ayam Nijah” to witness “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” in the true sense. For this, we need to honestly integrate and harmonize within, to see harmony outside. Furthermore, we always knew, celebrating any particular Day is basically celebrating each and every moment of life all the time.
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