Bahr al-Hayat

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Bahr al-Hayāt
asanas
Published1602

The Bahr al-Hayāt or Ocean of Life is an illustrated Persian book, published c. 1602 by Muhammad Ghawth, which covers topics including asanas used for meditation. It is probably the first illustrated textbook of yoga.[1] [2]

Book

Origins

A lost book named Amrtakunda, the Pool of Nectar, was written India, in either

Persian as Bahr al-Hayat.[3][4]

However, there are other theories. It is said that in the 16th century, the Indian

Muhammad Ghawth Gwaliyari translated the Arabic text into Persian, and expanded the text greatly (paralleling, Ernst observes, the change in title from Pool to Ocean). Among other extensions, the account of yoga increased from 5 to 21 asanas.[5]

Illustrated handbook of hatha yoga

The Bahr al-Hayāt is of interest as the first illustrated handbook of

Garbhasana, the embryo in the womb pose. It mentions also the seated asanas Padmasana and Siddhasana. Among other practices, it describes the khecarī mudrā, the elongation and folding back of the tongue so as to seal the seal the passage to the nose; and anahad, blocking the ears so as to hear the unstruck sound of the eternal.[b][6][7][8]

Parallels between yoga and Sufism

Ghawth presents yoga as in many ways equivalent to

Matsyendranath (his name meaning "Lord of Fishes" in Sanskrit) is equated to Jonah, who is swallowed by a great fish. More directly, Ghawth states that the personal mystic experiences of yogins and Sufis are alike.[5]

Notes

  1. ^ The account and illustration are of a different pose from the modern Kurmasana.
  2. ^ The purpose of khechari is to prevent the loss of the bindu fluid, and so to prolong life.

References

  1. ^ "Yoga and the Body". Asian Art Museum. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Yoga And Islamic Teachings". Lisette. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  3. ^ Abdul Karim (2012). "The Iranians". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  4. ^ Abdul Karim (2012). "Bahr-ul-Hayat". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  5. ^ a b Ernst 2016, pp. 121–129.
  6. ^ Mallinson, James (9 December 2011). "A Response to Mark Singleton's Yoga Body by James Mallinson". Retrieved 4 January 2019. revised from American Academy of Religions conference, San Francisco, 19 November 2011.
  7. ^ Mallinson & Singleton 2017, pp. 114–116, 252–253, 357–358.
  8. ^ Gwaliyari & Ernst 2013.

Sources

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