Page 250 - Adhiyoga Purana

Adhiyoga Purana: A Story of Blessings and Legacy
When Dr. Neel Kulkarni first began writing the Authentic Yoga Sutras, his closest friend and mentor, O.M. Patil, asked him a piercing question:
“Neel, what is the point in writing these sutras? Will they really help any common person?”
It was a question that lingered in Neel’s heart for years.
Back in 2012, during a program at Dnyaneshwar Hall, M.I.T., Pune, O.M. had been the very first and only person to purchase a copy of the Authentic Yoga Sutras. Though he could not read English, his faith in Neel’s work was unshaken. He handed the book to his friend, the astrologer Mr. Nagnoor, who declared that the knowledge it contained seemed to come not from ordinary study, but from a past life.
Encouraged, Neel expanded the work into Adhiyoga – The Authentic Yoga System of Neel Kulkarni. The book was honored with a Ph.D. and translated into several languages. Yet, O.M. remained unsatisfied. He felt it was still too distant for ordinary seekers. To reach them, Neel translated Adhiyoga into Marathi and dedicated it to O.M. Although O.M. blessed the effort, he still longed for something simpler, more accessible, and more alive.
Years later, Neel responded with Adhiyoga Upanishad, a book in a question-and-answer style, crafted to make the teachings clearer. Still, he felt there was another step to take. Now, with his teaching life well-established and his personal life nearing its final chapter, Neel resolved to fulfill O.M.’s vision. Thus, he began composing Adhiyoga Purana—a book in the style of stories, easy to understand, entertaining, and inspiring. “I am sure O.M. will be happy with this effort in his heavenly abode,” Neel reflected. O.M. had remained by his side, in friendship and encouragement, until his passing after twelve years of companionship.
The Adhiyoga Purana became not just a book of philosophy, but a tapestry of lived experiences. It wove together Neel’s own humble yogic journey, blessed by his father, and stories from his students around the world. Some were simple, others profound, but all were true. With more than 50,000 students taught and over 1,200 teacher trainees guided, Neel knew he could not include every story. Yet, he hoped those who read would recognize their own journeys reflected in its pages.
He carried gratitude like a lamp before him. Gratitude to O.M. Patil, who first planted the idea. Gratitude to his father, whose blessings had shaped every step. Gratitude to his students, who had given life to the teachings. Gratitude to his mother, who had filled his childhood with stories from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, sowing the seeds of yoga. And gratitude to his homeland, India, the very cradle of spirituality. “If this book is one day available in many Indian languages,” he often said, “I will feel I have repaid a little of my debt to my country.”
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