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<p>This article examines <i>vārī</i>, the pilgrimage practice of the <i>Vārkarī Saṁpradāya</i> through the conceptual lens of Patañjali’s <i>Yoga Sūtras</i>. By foregrounding categories such as <i>yama</i> (moral coherence), <i>niyama</i> (self-discipline), <i>pratyāhāra</i> (sensory withdrawal), <i>svādhyāya</i> (self-study), <i>iśvarapraṇidhāna</i> (surrender to God), the paper demonstrates how the demanding journey that represents ardent <i>bhakti</i> also displays multiple facets of Patañjali’s wisdom. Drawing on fieldwork observations, pilgrims’ testimonies, and select <i>abhaṅgas</i> of the <i>Vārkarī</i> saints, the paper shows how <i>Yogasūtric</i> principles are lived out in the daily practices during the pilgrimage. Wherever possible, <i>abhaṅgas</i> are used to illustrate the continuities between <i>Yoga Sūtra</i> concepts and the devotional-poetic expressions of the tradition. Furthermore, the philosophy of Sant Jñāneśvara is highlighted as an early and explicit site of <i>Yogasūtric</i> reflection within the <i>Saṁpradāya</i>. By linking Patañjali’s philosophy with the <i>Vārkarī</i> literature and fieldwork reflections, the paper argues that <i>vārī</i> is not only a devotional journey but also a structured yogic path, one that has preserved and reinterpreted the discipline of Yoga within a <i>bhakti</i> framework.</p>

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Patañjalian Wisdom Personified: The Yogasūtric Reading Of Vārī

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月15日

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  • Pornima Rajkarne,
  • Deepti Navaratna

摘要

This article examines vārī, the pilgrimage practice of the Vārkarī Saṁpradāya through the conceptual lens of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras. By foregrounding categories such as yama (moral coherence), niyama (self-discipline), pratyāhāra (sensory withdrawal), svādhyāya (self-study), iśvarapraṇidhāna (surrender to God), the paper demonstrates how the demanding journey that represents ardent bhakti also displays multiple facets of Patañjali’s wisdom. Drawing on fieldwork observations, pilgrims’ testimonies, and select abhaṅgas of the Vārkarī saints, the paper shows how Yogasūtric principles are lived out in the daily practices during the pilgrimage. Wherever possible, abhaṅgas are used to illustrate the continuities between Yoga Sūtra concepts and the devotional-poetic expressions of the tradition. Furthermore, the philosophy of Sant Jñāneśvara is highlighted as an early and explicit site of Yogasūtric reflection within the Saṁpradāya. By linking Patañjali’s philosophy with the Vārkarī literature and fieldwork reflections, the paper argues that vārī is not only a devotional journey but also a structured yogic path, one that has preserved and reinterpreted the discipline of Yoga within a bhakti framework.