The Academy of Yoga and Oriental Studies (AYOS) organised a lecture entitled “Hansa Gita: A Yogic Exposition” here on Sunday. The meeting was presided over by eminent Sanskrit scholar Dr NP Dash. AYOS director Dr Indulata Das was the speaker of the occasion. Senior journalist Sugyan Choudhury was guest of honour.
Dr Das said, “The Hansa Gita is a portion of the Eleventh Skandha of Bhagavata. Hansa Gita is so named because Lord Visnu imparted the knowledge of yoga to the four sons of Brahma by assuming the form of a swan. The Hansa Gita deals with three Gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Whereas Sattva is beneficial, the other two are destructive. One has to increase the Sattva Guna in order to be liberated from the bondages of birth and death. Liberation, according to Bhagavata, is going back to one’s own original nature. Ten factors are vital in increasing or decreasing a particular Guna in a man.
These are agama, food and water, people around, place time, action, birth, one’s area of concentration, type of consultation, one’s impression from previous birth.”
There was a question-answer session after the lecture in which many scholars like Dr Pradipta Barik, BS Pal and Sugyana Choudhury participated. Dr NP Dash in his presidential address said, “We have so many good things around, but we do not know them. The AYOS helps us acquire such knowledge through its programmes.”
AYOS member Satyananda Jena thanked the audience and the guests.