Abstract: The Yogavāsiṣṭhasāra, a concise philosophical distillation of the Yoga Vasiṣṭha, occupies a unique position in the history of Indian yoga and Vedānta. Through its succinct verses and the interpretative commentary attributed to Mahīdhara, the text presents yoga not as a system of physical discipline or ritual practice, but as a profound path of self-knowledge, mental purification, and non-dual realization. This paper examines the concept of yoga as articulated in the Yogavāsiṣṭhasāra, with special attention to Mahīdhara’s exegetical lens. By analyzing key themes such as discrimination (viveka), dispassion (vairāgya), the nature of mind, and liberation through knowledge (jñāna), the study situates the text within the broader Advaita Vedānta tradition while distinguishing it from classical aṣṭāṅga and haṭha yoga models. The paper argues that yoga in the Yogavāsiṣṭhasāra represents a contemplative, epistemic discipline aimed at dissolving ignorance rather than cultivating altered states. In doing so, the text contributes significantly to philosophical yoga by redefining yoga as sustained insight into reality rather than technique-based practice.
Dr. Tapas Pal (2026) studied this question.