Maharshi Patañjali, 2009 - Stamp, First Day Cover and Brochure

       

प्रणमामि पतञ्जलिम्

Patañjali, the author of the amazing commentary -- Mahā-bhāṣya* -- on Pāṇini's grammatical treatise, the Aṣṭādhyāyī, is accredited with a few more excellent works. He is the propounder of the Yoga-sūtras**, one of the six systems*** (ṣat-darśana) of Indian philosophy and an Ayurvedic (medical) text called the Caraka-prati-saṃskṛtaḥ which is yet to be unearthed. Caraṇa-śṛṅga-rahita-naṭarāja-stōtram (Śambhu-naṭanam) of Patañjali is a famous prayer to Lord Naṭarāja of Chidambaram.

Patañjali is prostrated with palms folded together, wherever the mahā-bhāṣya-pāṭha commences, with a verse (śloka) in which he is praised as eminent among sages who removes the impurities of mind through yoga; of speech through pada (grammar - vyākaraṇa) and of the body through therapy (vaidya). 

योगेन चित्तस्य, पदेन वाचां, मलं शरीरस्य च वैद्यकेन ।

योऽपाकरोत् तं प्रवरं मुनीनां पतञ्जलिं प्राञ्जलिरानतोऽस्मि ॥

yogena cittasya padena vacāṃ malaṃ sarīrasya ca vaidyakena
yo'pākarot taṃ pravaraṃ munīnāṃ patañjaliṃ prāñjalir ānato'smi

The second part of the verse says:-

I bow down unto Patañjali, whose upper body has a human form, whose arms hold a śaṅkha (conch), cakra (disc) and a sword, who is crowned by bright thousand-heads.

आबाहुपुरुषाकारं शङ्खचक्रासि धारिणम् । 

सहस्रशीर्षं श्वेतं प्रणमामि पतञ्जलिम् ॥

ābahu-puruṣākaraṃ śaṅkha cakrāsi dhāriṇaṃ 

sahasra-śiraṣaṃ śvetaṃ praṇamāmi patañjaliṃ  

Legends say that Patañjali was an avatāra (incarnation) of Ādi-śeṣa (Anaṅta - the  mythical serpent). When his mother Goṇikā was longing and praying with arghya oblation to Lord Sun for a son, Ādi-śeṣa fell into her hands. The etymology of the word can be -- añjaleḥ āpatat.

India Post honored Maharṣi Patañjali by releasing a commemorative stamp on 04.08.2009. The brochure makes a good reading on the yoga-aspect alone.

                                                                                                                                 




In one place, Patañjali is mis-spelt as Patajali. It is most unfortunate that nothing is mentioned about his Mahā-bhāṣya, the grammatical work in the brochure.

 The Brochure-2

The Brochure-1

Courtesy: Kerill Yoga

Patañjali Muni is one of the 18 Saivite Siddhars of Tamilnadu. He is  worshipped as a deity in temples like Cidaṃbaraṃ, Tiruppidavūr (Tiruppadaiyūr, Tiruppaṭṭūr in Sirugannūr, Trichy), Tiru-kkānāttu-mullūr (Kānāṭṭaṃ-puliyūr near Chidambaram), Pazhaṅga-natthaṃ (Madurai) and so on. Some hold the view that the Ṛsi is from Tiru-kkoṇa-malai (Trincomalee - Tiruk-Koneśvaraṃ Temple - Sri Lanka). His icons or vigraha is depicted with a human face and body of a snake.

  The statue shown on the stamp (Hardvar?) is a modern art which has no scriptural sanction.
  In the northern parts of India it seems there are no separate sanctums dedicated to Patañjali, however, there is one Patañjali Jyotir-liṅga Temple in Himachal (near Paonta Sāhib - पांवटा साहिब) where Patañjali is said to have offered prayers.

Additional Notes

Tradition also gives his birthplace to be Gonarda in Ayodhya (UP).

He is also held as a master of dance; having seen the dance of Naṭarāja at Chidambaram (TN).

*There are many other bhāṣyas for scriptures with the name of the authors attached but Vyākaraṇa-bhāṣya of Patañjali alone is called "Mahā-bhāṣya" (the GREAT commentary).
 
**Yoga-darśana consist of 196 sūtras (aphorisms) divided into 4 Pādas (Chapters) -- Samādhi-pāda, Sādhana-pāda, Vibhūti-pāda and Kaivalya-pāda. There are commentaries on this sāstra by Vyāsa (called Yoga-bhāṣya), Bhoja (Vṛṭṭi called Rājamārtaṇḍa) and Sadāśiva-Braḥmendra (Vṛṭṭi called Yoga-sudhākara) and so on.
 
***the other five being Pūrva-Mīmāṁsā of Jaimini, Nyāya of Gotama or Gautama, Sāṅkhya of Kapila, Vaiśeṣika of Kaṇāda and Uttara-Mīmāṁsā of Bādarāyana or Vyāsa.