With the growth of religious and philosophical ideas in the @Rg-Veda, we find that the religious austerities were generally very much valued.  Tapas (asceticism) and brahmacarya (the holy vow of celibacy and life-long study) were regarded as greatest virtues and considered as being productive of the highest power [Footnote ref 4].

As these ideas of asceticism and self-control grew the force of the flying passions was felt to be as uncontrollable as that of a spirited steed, and thus the word yoga which was originally applied to the control of steeds began to be applied to the control of the senses [Footnote ref 5].

In Pa@nini’s time the word yoga had attained its technical meaning, and he distinguished this root “yuj samadhau” (yuj in the sense of concentration) from “yujir yoge” (root yujir in the sense of connecting). Yuj in the first sense is seldom used as a verb.  It is more or less an imaginary root for the etymological derivation of the word yoga [Footnote ref 6].

_______________________________________________________

____________

[Footnote 1:  See my Study of Patanjali, p. 60 ff.]

[Footnote 2:  Compare R.V.I. 34. 9/VII. 67. 8/III. 27.  II/X. 30.  II/X. 114. 9/IV. 24. 4/I. 5. 3/I. 30. 7; S’atapatha Brahma@na 14. 7.  I. II.]

[Footnote 3:  It is probably an old word of the Aryan stock; compare German Joch, A.S. geoc. l atm jugum.]

[Footnote 4:  See Chandogya III. 17. 4; B@rh.  I. 2. 6; B@rh.  III. 8. 10; Taitt.  I. 9.  I/III. 2.  I/III. 3.  I; Taitt, Brah, II. 2. 3. 3; R.V.x. 129; S’atap.  Brah.  XI. 5. 8. 1.]

[Footnote 5:  Katha III. 4, indriya@ni hayanahu@h vi@sayate@sugocaran.  The senses are the horses and whatever they grasp are their objects.  Maitr. 2. 6. Karmendriya@nyasya haya@h the conative senses are its horses.]

[Footnote 6:  Yugya@h is used from the root of yujir yoge and not from yuja samadhau.  A consideration of Pa@nini’s rule “Tadasya brahmacaryam,” V.i. 94 shows that not only different kinds of asceticism and rigour which passed by the name of brahmacarya were prevalent in the country at the time (Pa@nini as Goldstucker has proved is pre-buddhistic), but associated with these had grown up a definite system of mental discipline which passed by the name of Yoga.]

227

In the Bhagavadgita, we find that the word yoga has been used not only in conformity with the root “yuj-samadhau” but also with “yujir yoge” This has been the source of some confusion to the readers of the Bhagavadgita. “Yogin” in the sense of a person who has lost himself in meditation is there regarded with extreme veneration.  One of the main features of the use of this word lies in this that the Bhagavadgita tried to mark out a middle path between the austere discipline of meditative abstraction on the one hand and the course of duties of sacrificial action of a Vedic worshipper in the life of a new type of Yogin (evidently from yujir yoge) on the other, who should combine in himself the best parts of the two paths, devote himself to his duties, and yet abstract himself from all selfish motives associated with desires.