Epic Yoga

Abstract

The article "Epic Yoga" by John L. Brockington analyzes early notions of yoga as depicted in India’s great epics—the Mahābhārata and the Rāmāyaṇa—arguing that these foundational texts present a theologically rich and conceptually diverse understanding of yogic practice. Brockington explores how the Bhagavad Gītā, nestled within the Mahābhārata, redefines yoga not as isolated asceticism but as active engagement through karma, jñāna, and bhakti, all integrated into a theistic worldview. He contrasts this epic paradigm with the later systematized Aṣṭāṅga-yoga of Patañjali, showing how the epic literature prefigures devotional and duty-based spiritual paths. The essay ultimately asserts that “epic yoga” served as a transitional model, shaping the broader landscape of Indian religious thought by fusing discipline with devotion and renunciation with responsibility.