mAhatyam.
Critical channel in transmission of yoga-paramparA (others being shivAnanda . .) from samnyAsI-s. As Yoga Journal described in an article entitled, “The Legacy of Krishnamacharya,” “You may never have heard of him but Tirumalai Krishnamacharya influenced or perhaps even invented your yoga. Whether you practice the dynamic series of Pattabhi Jois, the refined alignments of B.K.S. Iyengar, the classical postures of Indra Devi, or the customized vinyasa of Viniyoga, your practice stems from one source: a five-foot, two-inch Brahmin born more than one hundred years ago in a small South Indian village.”
He is widely considered as the architect of vinyasa,[6] in the sense of combining breathing with movement.
He also had extensive knowledge of orthodox Hindu rituals. His scholarship in various darshanas of orthodox Indian philosophy earned him titles such as Sāṃkhya-yoga-śikhāmaṇi, Mīmāṃsā-ratna, Mīmāṃsā-thīrtha, Nyāyācārya, Vedāntavāgīśa, Veda-kesari and Yogācārya.
6-darshaNajJNa. veda~Nga-jJNAnI. vaidyaH. [Takeaway: Good person to emulate.]
Heart ‘stopping’ for 2 min: three subjects used the Valsalva maneuver, consisting of strong abdominal contractions and breath arrest, to reduce venous return to the heart. “With little blood to pump the heart,” they wrote, “sounds are diminished . . . and the palpable radial pulse seems to disappear.
janma, paramparA, samskAraiH sthairyam
ईश्वरमुनिः → नाथमुनिः → ईश्वरमुनिः → यामुनाचार्यः, देवराजः → महापूर्णः पॆरियन्नम्बी “ताताचार्य”-प्रशस्त्या भूषितः → कुलशेखरः → तिरुमलै-श्रीनिवासाचार्यः → श्रीनिवास-ताताचार्यः → श्रीनिवास-ब्रह्मतन्त्र-परकालस्वामी (१७९०-१८६०) → अप्पय्य-दीक्षितः → शेष-दीक्षितः → श्रीनिवासताताचार्यः रङ्गनायकीपतिः, archaka at muchchukuNDapura-devasthAna in chitradurga district, KA → तिरुमलै-कृष्णमाचार्यः। Eldest of 6 children.
Strict tutelage of father (drip water in ears to wake at 2AM). upanayana at 6. amarakoSha, veda-pArAyaNa-shikShA. [Takeaway: family samskAra]
shikShA
Father’s death at 10. Move to Mysore. Chamaraj Sanskrit College: mImAmsa, debates. vyAkaraNa-vedAnta-tarka-shAstra; vidvat padavI.
Dream at 16: Ancestor nAthamuni’s yoga-rahasya. [Takeaway: family samskAra, and different frames of mind. Never claimed originality - everything from God through guru-s.]
kAshI-yAtrA (18 to 21 yrs). tarka, saMskRRita.
mysUru. vINA. 2nd kAshI-yAtrA at 26. 6-gRRiha-bhikShA. 6-darshaNa-shikShA. Dikkanghat rAja-sabhA - bihArI-lAla-parAjaya.
himAlaya-s in vacations. yoga-abhyAsa. Viceroy Lord Irwin’s diabetes treatment. 1919 - age 31. Permission to cross border - _two and a half months walking: _Ramamohana brahmachArI. yogasUtra, yoga-kuruntha-study. [Takeaway: Dedication, excellence.]
Lifelong student, experimenter, explorer. “In India, he’s still better known as a healer than as a yogi. He was also a gourmet cook, a horticulturist, and shrewd card player.“ Knew at least samskrita, kannaDa, tamiL, telugu, hindI, ba~NgAlI, urdu, probably gUrkhA/ pahAri [Takeaway: versatility.]
shikShanam
Age 37. guru-dakShiNA - gRRihastAshrama-pravesha. vidyA-shAlA in jaipur. Escape.
Poverty: Using wife’s saree’s piece as a kaupiNa.
Age 38. maisUru mahArAha kRRiShNa-rAja-vaDiyaru.
Popularization efforts: lifting heavy objects with teeth, stopping cars. Teaching women yoga!! Teaching westerners - indirA devI at mahArAja-’s insistence. 1935 Videos. Sending BKS Iyengar to pUNa. Teaching even the nizam of hyderabad’s family, speaking in urdu. [Takeaway: Spreading good ideas, service.]
vinyAsa/ flow.
End of mahArAja’s reign. Moulding lessons.
Teaching his atheist son TKV desikAchAr. The hugging western woman. Strict conditions to test. [Takeaway: Result of hindu-skeptics encounter with truly deep knowledge?]
veda-rakShanam. Teaching everyone seeing its gradual abandonment. [Takeaway: changing vyavasthA to suit changing times.]
vaidyaH
Snake bitten-boy’s story. Ayurveda + yoga + pathya.
References.
- Wikipedia, with link to videos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirumalai_Krishnamacharya
- Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4Iewghkixw&t=2s
- 1938 film (age 50):_ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd_eTupTCbI_
- Of his shiShya BKS Iyengar then demonstrating vinyAsa. A 1938 newsreel, part 2. Here is the old man practicing, as he still does, at the age of 90.
- At age 100: Part 1, 2, 3, 4. One may note his booming voice as he chants the Vedas and his blessings, and his excellent memory of the incantations.