Page 10 - Adhiyoga Purana

Foreword3: Dr. C. Naganna Chairman, Bharatiya Bhavan, Mysore
Formerly Professor of Comparative Literature, University of Mysore
At the outset, I must thank Dr. A.T. Bhashyam for bringing me in contact with Dr. Neel Kulkarni, an extraordinary exponent of ‘Adhiyoga’, a yoga system derived by Dr. Kulkarni. Coming face-to-face with Dr. Kulkarni was a revelation that I could see the radiance and effulgence on his face which exuded his simplicity which is bereft of all baggage. That seems to be the philosophy of his life: leaving all entanglements aside and clinging to the one that enables us to cross the ocean of life. Though an aerospace engineer by profession, Dr. Neel Kulkarni is an astute sadhaka, who knows when to adopt ‘escape velocity to go out of the clutches of the gravitational force’. His pious peregrinations have brought him to Mysore, the veritable Yoga Capital of the world. He likes the environs of Mysore and finds its geographical and intellectual moorings very similar to that of Pune, his native place.
When he tells me that he has been teaching yoga and allied subjects to the poor students and children in various areas of Mysore, I feel like saluting him again and again. The dollar-rich world of America has taught him to realize the ephemeral nature of money but at the same time he is aware that money is needed to keep the body and soul together. This, in a nutshell, is Dr. Neel Kulkarni’s vision of life: Never take a loan to publish your books; fall back on your own resources, for, ultimately, what matters is the dissemination of knowledge. With this lofty motto he has brought to light so many volumes so far, like: “Adhiyoga: Authentic Yoga System of Neel KulkarniI” (2014), “Authentic Yoga Sutras for Today” (2012), “Patanjali Code: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – Secret Revealed” (2017), “Adhiyoga Upanishad” (2020) and “Nilakanthavirachitani Ishwarapranidhanasutrani” (2024);.
Dr. Neel Kulkarni, born and raised in Pune, hails from a family deeply rooted in Yoga, Sanskrit and Philosophy. Dr. Kulkarni’s journey in yoga began at the tender age of 5 and he has dedicated over 60 years of his life to the study and practice of this ancient discipline. Dr. Kulkarni has developed his own yoga system called “Authentic Yoga” or “Adhiyoga”. This system draws from his extensive experience and deep understanding of traditional yogic practices. He has trained more than 50,000 students and produced over 1,200 high-quality yoga teachers.
“Adiyoga Purana” is a unique book which tells the story of an Aerospace Engineer who has turned into a yogi. Dr. Kulkarni has dedicated this work to his beloved father, St. Vinayak Rajaram Kulkarni (1906-1988), for blessing the author for fulfilling his desire in yoga study, and to Late O.M. Patil who pressed Neel to write this book. The picture of the author prostrating at the feet of his mother who passed away in 2000, records his deep filial piety. Dr. Neel revers his father constantly and counts all things in his life as his father’s blessings. Because he believes that his father was not an ordinary mortal but a mystic who could predict his son’s (Adhiyogi’s) future.
True to its name, the book reads like a ‘purana’, the quintessence of which is to decipher an inalienable connection between the quotidian and the cosmic. Thus, Adhiyogi’s birth, education and his entry into the professional life – all trace the path of predestination, in a way. But still, nothing is ready-made; everything is earned by the sweat of one’s eyebrow. The rigorous training he undergoes under various gurus is part of pre-destination, destined to bloom with one’s own effort. Thus, Adhiyogi seems to underline the importance of individual effort which, of course, will be blessed by the elders and the divinity as well.
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