A Study of Yogsutra's Kriya Yoga in the Light of Gitanjali

This paper explores the profound convergence between Patañjali’s Kriya Yoga and Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali, demonstrating how the classical yogic disciplines of tapas (austerity), svādhyāya (self-study), and īśvara praṇidhāna (surrender to God) resonate deeply within Tagore’s devotional poetics. While Patañjali presents a systematic path to diminish the five kleshas (afflictions) and prepare the aspirant for samādhi, Tagore’s lyrical offerings embody these very processes through the language of bhakti, humility, and inner reflection. The study highlights how Gitanjali transforms yogic principles into lived, poetic experience: tapas appear as the inner fire of longing and endurance; svādhyāya unfolds through Tagore’s confessional introspection and self-examination; and īśvara praṇidhāna emerges in the poet’s constant surrender to divine will. Moreover, the poems illustrate the dissolution of ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion, and fear of death—the very obstacles Patañjali identifies—through acceptance, devotion, and divine recognition. By weaving yogic philosophy with poetic spirituality, the paper argues that Gitanjali is not merely devotional literature but a form of “poetic yoga,” embodying the same transformative trajectory outlined in the Yoga Sutras. This interdisciplinary dialogue enriches the understanding of both traditions, showing that spiritual discipline and artistic expression converge as parallel pathways toward self-realization and union with the Divine.