Master Class on Introduction to Yogasūtras by Nrithya Jagannathan

INDICA & CENTRAL SANSKRIT UNIVERSITY

present

MASTER CLASS ON INTRODUCTION TO YOGASUTRAS

A two-day immersion into the teachings of the Yogasūtras

INDICA, in collaboration with Central Sanskrit University, announces a two day in person Master Class on Introduction to Yogasūtras with Nrithya Jagannathan.

This offering continues the academic collaboration between INDICA and Central Sanskrit University that has brought together a series of intensive Master Classes exploring different dimensions of Indian Knowledge Systems. Earlier programs in this series examined the Mahābhārata as a civilisational text with Prof Vishwa Adluri, introduced the classical methodology of śāstric reasoning through Tantrayukti with Prof M. Jayaraman, explored the Indian understanding of the mind through Bhāratīya Mānas Śāstra with Prof Mala Kapadia, and examined the Agamic foundations of temple institutions through Temple Management in the Āgamas with Dr Deepa Duraiswamy.

The present Master Class turns toward one of the most concentrated articulations of the science of the inner life that the Bhāratīya tradition has given us: the Yogasūtras of Maharṣi Patañjali.

Across four pādas and 195 sūtras, the Yogasūtras lays out, with extraordinary economy, a complete map of the human condition, the nature of the mind, and the path from saṁyoga and avidyā to kaivalya. It situates Yoga firmly within the darśanic landscape of Bhārata, drawing on the metaphysics of Sāṁkhya while charting its own distinctive path of disciplined practice and inner clarity.

In contemporary discourse, Yoga is often encountered through a narrow lens, reduced to posture or technique. Yet the Yogasūtras presents Yoga as an integral darśana: a structured vision of reality, a methodology of inquiry into the nature of consciousness, and a graded path of sādhana. The sūtra form itself, terse and densely packed, opens up only in the company of a teacher who has lived within the tradition and can guide the student through its commentarial layers.

This Master Class introduces participants to the Yogasūtras in its own terms: its darśanic context, its metaphysical foundations, the framing of duḥkha and its resolution, the disciplines of Kriyā Yoga and Aṣṭāṅga Yoga, the unfolding of samādhi in its sabīja and nirbīja states, and the realisation of viveka khyāti and Dharmamegha Samādhi.

Across two intensive days, participants will engage closely with selected sūtras under the guidance of a senior teacher in the Krishnamacharya tradition, moving from textual structure to contemplative integration. The program is intended for serious students of the tradition (practitioners, teachers, scholars, and seekers) who wish to engage with the text in its own terms, with the rigour of the sūtra format and the support of the commentarial tradition.

Suggested Readings

Two titles by the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram are recommended companions to this Master Class:

• The Heart of Yoga
• Pūrṇameva: A Return to Completeness

Both titles are available for order through publications@kym.org (Please mention that the books are required for INDICA Master Class “Introduction to Yogasūtras by Nrithya Jagannathan” and request a discount on the MRP).

Gratitude-Based Participation

At INDICA, learning is anchored in gratitude, not transaction. This Master Class is offered in reverence to the knowledge we have inherited and to those who choose to engage with it sincerely. We follow a Gratitude Model of participation, which invites engagement rooted in intention, not obligation.

There is no fixed upfront fee for participation. Each program, however, involves significant intellectual, organisational, and financial commitment. The approximate cost per participant for this two-day Master Class is ₹3500.

At the conclusion of the Master Class, participants who feel enriched by the experience may choose to offer Guru Dakṣiṇā as an expression of gratitude for the learning received and in support of INDICA’s efforts to continue curating such initiatives in Indian Knowledge Systems. Participants are invited to offer Guru Dakṣiṇā in a manner that reflects the value they derive from the experience and their appreciation for the space being created. Details regarding the same will be shared with all participants after the Master Class.

Gratitude may also be expressed through action. Carrying forward what is received through writing, mentoring, dialogue, or other forms of service is equally valued.

Travel & Stay

Participants are requested to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements. INDICA does not provide or coordinate these. During the Master Class, tea will be served twice daily and lunch will be provided on all two days.

Certificate of Participation

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who complete the Master Class in its entirety. This includes attending all sessions across all two days in full and on time, and fulfilling all completion requirements of the program, including submission of feedback and any additional components such as a reflective essay or other assigned work, where applicable.

Schedule

DAY 01 | Foundations, Metaphysics and the Path

Session 1 | 10:00 to 11:15
Atha Yogānuśāsanam: Context and the Core Lens
(Yogasūtra: 1.1–1.4)

• Yoga as a darśana in the Bhāratīya tradition
• Purpose of Yoga
• Maharṣi Patañjali and the commentarial tradition
• The sūtra format and structure of the text
• Saṅkalpa, Lakṣaṇa, Svarūpa and Sārūpya

Tea Break | 11:15 to 11:30

Session 2 | 11:30 to 1:00
Metaphysical Foundations: Sāṁkhya through the Yogasūtra
(Yogasūtra: 2.18–2.23; 3.9–3.15; 4.12–4.24)

• Puruṣa and Prakṛti
• Triguṇa
• Jīva, Jagat and Īśvara
• Nature and transformation of the mind
• Vyāsa’s understanding of citta

Lunch Break | 1:00 to 2:00

Session 3 | 2:00 to 3:15
Caturvyūha: Understanding Duḥkha and Its Resolution
(Yogasūtra: 2.15–2.27)

• Nature and causes of duḥkha
• Avidyā and Saṁyoga
• The possibility of freedom
• Viveka Khyāti and Kaivalya
• The fourfold structure of diagnosis and resolution

Tea Break | 3:15 to 3:30

Session 4 | 3:30 to 5:00
The Path of Yoga: From Kriyā Yoga to Aṣṭāṅga Yoga
(Yogasūtra: 2.1–2.2; 2.28–3.6)

• Kriyā Yoga
• Aśuddhi Kṣaya and Jñāna Dīpti
• The eight limbs of Yoga
• From ethical discipline to meditative absorption
• Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna and Samādhi

DAY 02 | Practice, Samādhi and Kaivalya

Session 5 | 10:00 to 11:15
Abhyāsa, Vairāgya and Īśvara Praṇidhāna
(Yogasūtra: 1.12–1.16; 1.23–1.29)

• Discipline and dispassion
• The progressive refinement of Vairāgya
• Īśvara and Īśvara Praṇidhāna
• Stabilising and transforming the mind

Tea Break | 11:15 to 11:30

Session 6 | 11:30 to 1:00
The Spectrum of Samādhi
(Yogasūtra: 1.17–1.19; 1.40–1.51; 3.7–3.8)

• Saṁprajñāta and Asaṁprajñāta Samādhi
• The stages of Sabīja Samādhi
• Ṛtambharā Prajñā
• Nirbīja Samādhi
• Development of clarity and Viveka

Lunch Break | 1:00 to 2:00

Session 7 | 2:00 to 3:15
Sādhana, Siddhi and Vivekaja Jñāna
(Yogasūtra: 3.16–3.55; 4.25–4.28)

• Siddhis as outcomes of Saṁyama
• Their scope and limitations
• Siddhis as possible obstacles
• Reiterative Vairāgya
• Transformation of cognition
• Emergence of Vivekaja Jñāna

Tea Break | 3:15 to 3:30

Session 8 | 3:30 to 5:00
Dharmamegha Samādhi, Kaivalya and Synthesis
(Yogasūtra: 4.29–4.34)

• Dharmamegha Samādhi
• Cessation of Kleśa and Karma
• Guṇas and the culmination of their purpose
• Kaivalya
• Integration across the four pādas
• Concluding dialogue and Q&A