The meaning of life, our existence, our experiences and the Universe are all topics that involve deep thought. Even today we are still questioning their meanings with the fact that we don’t fully know it. This opens up a tremendous possibility – the possibility of knowing. With this possibility, we can discover wonders! One of such wonders is Yoga. And it begins with Adiyogi…
DISCLAIMER – Contains Spoilers; continue if you wish!
Author Names – Sadhguru & Arundhathi Subramaniam
Genre – Spirituality & Philosophy
Rating – 4.9/5
Who is Adiyogi?
Adiyogi, which means the first yogi, is the originator of Yoga. In Yogic culture, Shiva is seen as 2 possibilities:
- Shi-va: which literally means ‘that which is not‘.
- Shiva as Adiyogi.
So the book is all about the Shiva who is Adiyogi.
What is the Book About?
The title tells most of it. It’s about Adiyogi and how he is the source of Yoga. Along with breath-taking lores, extraordinary descriptions and valuable meanings.
The book is split into 3 sections:
- Who is Adiyogi?
- Stories about Adiyogi.
- Seeking.
Throughout section 1 and 2, we get an insight into the magnificence of Adiyogi through:
- What he has done
- His approaches
- Yogic views about him
- Lores about him
- Significance of each element about him. For example, why is there a crescent moon on his head?
In section 3, there’s a conversational exchange between the guru and disciple on their journey to Kailash Mountains. The descriptions of the mountains took me right to the magnificent landscape.
About the Authors
Sadhguru is a “normal” person, as he likes to be referred. He is a man with a mission. He has a foundation called Isha which is a non-profit organization that promotes the Yogic culture and traditions. He has also funded the profits towards many projects including, schools in rural villages across India, “Calling for Cauvery” which is to save the Indian rivers, and many more which have raised awareness and have had incredible influence.
Whilst the emphasis of the book is on Adiyogi, you also learn a lot about Sadhguru. I will leave the details for you to discover.
The first 2 sections are written by Sadhguru, and they literally take the book to another level. It gets progressively intense and pulls you right into the experiences. He interweaves the lores with the teachings and decomposes every point carefully and beautifully. Sadhguru’s writing is not always straightforward. They may seem simple but require some thought. Throughout the book there were quite a few cryptic messages which were left to our intuition. Hence, I recommend you gently scroll through the book instead of speed-read. With a slow pace you can:
- Analyze meaning within every sentence.
- Decrypt the obscure messages.
Arundhathi is an author, poet and Sadhguru’s disciple. She has written a biography about Sadhguru called “Sadhguru: More than a life”. Her writing style is also cryptic as she documents her conversion from a believer to a seeker. Therefore, her part in the book was mostly a conversational exchange with Sadhguru to figure out meanings.
Highlights
It may seem repetitive but the first 2 sections were gems. Each sentence was invaluable. What got me flicking the pages were the lores of Shiva. The history was converted into meaning which appealed to me. A lot of historical stories that are still spoken of India are re-explained in this book but in a seamless way. Often my questions about stories revolving Shiva are not always answered through the stories, however, Adiyogi has better illustrated the stories.
For example, during the famous Vinayaka Chaturthi(when we celebrate the God Ganesh), at the end of the Pooja(prayer), we listen to a story. I was only convinced about the meanings of each stage through this book than the story. The decomposition of each stage is crafted neatly in this book.
Additionally, during the 3rd section, the authors travel to the Kailash Mountains and Arundhathi describes the mountains extraordinarily; it’s as if you can feel their presence. Particularly, nature was portrayed splendidly; I really felt like being there.
What I didn’t enjoy
The 3rd section felt a bit dragged and overly described in some parts by Arundhathi; I wasn’t as connected to it as the first 2 sections. It was perhaps intentional as Arundhathi was exploring herself and documenting the details of the conversion from a believer to a seeker. Maybe when I experience the conversion, I may be able to relate to her excessive descriptions!
Furthermore, occasionally, the stories seemed to have many nested references which seemed difficult to rival. For example, some chapters went into so much detail within individual aspects that it was challenging to keep track of.
Takeaways
While I can’t say the book has transformed me completely, I can confirm that I have been opened up to look inwards, discover myself, and question more.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Yoga, Shiva, Spirituality, History and Philosophy. In terms of age, some stories are not aimed at kids so may not be suitable for them; I recommend 13+.
Whether you enjoy fiction or non-fiction, Adiyogi leaves a space for you. The combination of the incredible lores of Adiyogi and the possiblities of yoga portrayed throughout the book connects you in an intense way that draws you into the magnificence.
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