Myth and Mystery: Exploring the untold stories of Patanjali

Most of what we know about Sage Patanjali - the compiler of the Yoga Sutras - is enveloped in layers of mystery, mythology, and spiritual symbolism. Like many revered figures in Indian tradition, his life story is less about biographical precision and more about deep metaphysical allegory.

The untold stories of Patanjali

These “untold stories of Patanjali” don’t just highlight his divinity but also the philosophical and cultural richness that gave birth to Yoga.

Story I: Patanjali – A Divine Manifestation of the Trinity

According to one popular tradition, Sage Patanjali was born to the great sage Atri and his wife Anasuya, placing his origins at the very dawn of creation itself. Anasuya, renowned for her unwavering chastity, was once tested by the Trimurti - Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), and Shiva (the Destroyer)—who arrived at her hermitage in the form of wandering monks (Bhikshus), seeking alms.

With a pure heart and clarity of mind, Anasuya accepted them as her own children and fed them with maternal devotion. Pleased by her virtue, the Trimurti blessed her with three sons - manifestations of their divine forms: Dattatreya (Vishnu), Durvasa (Shiva), and Soma Skanda or Patanjali (Brahma). In this version, Patanjali is not merely a sage but a cosmic expression of supreme knowledge and balance.

Story II: Patanjali the Grammarian – Master of Sound and Silence

In another tale, we meet Patanjali not just as a yogi but as a master scholar of Sanskrit grammar. As per legend, he once desired to have darshan of Lord Shiva as Nataraja - the cosmic dancer at the temple of Chidambaram. However, Nandi, the gatekeeper and devoted vehicle of Shiva, barred his entry.

In response, Patanjali spontaneously composed a hymn in pure Sanskrit - crafted without using any extended syllables (dirgha swaras), and poetically designed without “limbs” (no long compounds or ‘charana’ and ‘shringa’ - symbolically legs and horns). The hymn was clever, rhythmical, and reverential.

Pleased by the linguistic devotion, Shiva appeared and performed his cosmic dance to the beat of Patanjali’s composition - merging language, sound, and movement in divine harmony.

Story III: The Etymology – Why the Name “Patanjali”?

In this symbolic origin story, Lord Vishnu was once watching Lord Shiva perform his awe-inspiring cosmic dance. Vishnu, mesmerized, began to sway with the rhythm. This unexpected movement made Adi Shesha - the thousand-headed serpent upon whom Vishnu reclines - feel an immense shift in weight.

Curious, Adi Shesha wished to understand and learn this divine dance. Vishnu blessed him, prophesying that he would be reborn as a human and learn the art from Lord Shiva himself.

At the same time, a devoted yogini named Gonika was praying for a worthy disciple to whom she could pass her spiritual knowledge. Just as she offered her prayers with cupped palms (Anjali Mudra), a tiny snake (Adi Shesha reborn) descended into her hands from the heavens.

Thus, the sage who fell (pat) into the anjali of a yogini came to be called Patanjali - symbolizing the divine descent of sacred knowledge, an offering from the heavens into the human realm.

Story IV: Patanjali’s Penance at Chidambaram

The temple town of Chidambaram, one of India’s most sacred Shiva shrines, holds another legend of Patanjali’s life. In this story, Adi Shesha incarnated as Patanjali to witness the divine Ananda Tandava - the Blissful Dance of Shiva.

In the same forest lived Vyaghrapada, a sage who prayed for tiger’s claws and bee’s eyes so he could collect untasted flowers for his worship of Shiva. His prayers were granted, and thus his name came—Vyaghra (tiger) Pada (feet).

Patanjali and Vyaghrapada established their hermitages and began their intense penance. When the time came for Shiva’s divine dance, the goddess Kali challenged him to a dance duel. In a moment of transcendental artistry, Shiva performed the Urdhva Tandava, a movement so subtle and profound that only the truly devoted could comprehend it. He then performed the Ananda Tandava before Patanjali and Vyaghrapada, granting them the vision they had longed for.

Story V: The Hidden Form of Patanjali

Ancient accounts also suggest that during his discourses and teachings, Patanjali often revealed his semi-divine nature. While he taught in human form, he would occasionally shift into his half-human, half-serpent state. This transformation would occur behind a curtain - symbolizing the esoteric nature of his teachings and the veiled wisdom of yoga that only the truly prepared could witness.

This image of a serpentine sage radiating divine knowledge from behind the veil - remains a metaphor for the hidden, inner journey of yogic realization.

Historical Echoes of Patanjali

Though these stories live in the mythic realm, some historical references anchor Patanjali in time. The Tirumandiram, a seminal Tamil Shaivite text by the mystic Tirumular, describes Patanjali as having hailed from Kailasam (modern-day Koneshwaram Temple in Sri Lanka).

He is also traditionally believed to have visited the sacred Thillai Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram, where he composed the Charana Shrungarahita Stotram, a hymn to Nataraja.

Additionally, in Sanskrit grammatical traditions, Patanjali is referred to as “the man from Gonarda,” believed by some scholars to be a region corresponding to modern-day Trincomalee in Sri Lanka.

In Closing: Patanjali as More than a Person

In the end, whether we view Patanjali as a historical sage, a serpent incarnate, or a symbol of divine knowledge descending into the mortal world, his legacy remains profound.

Through the Yoga Sutras, he offered a timeless guide to the inner workings of the human mind. Through mythology, he continues to inspire generations to see yoga not merely as a practice but as a path to sacred knowledge, revealed slowly, behind the veil of our ordinary understanding.