Mysore Yoga Parampara
Sri Lakshmithathacharya Swami
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Mysore Yoga Parampara
I would like to share some insights that I believe can help all of us appreciate and understand the Mysore Yoga Parampara better. This writing is about the Mysore Yoga Parampara from which Sri T. Krishnamacharya emerged. Mysore is a complex community with many great lineages, profound scholars, and yogis, all of whom have contributed significantly to the yoga culture of Mysore. Mysore has so much to offer to the international yoga community! What follows is just a small glimpse into a beautiful yoga tradition that has existed in Mysore for at least a thousand years.
To understand the background of yoga in Mysore, we can approach it in two distinct ways. One way is to trace the yoga postures and explore where they came from, how old they are, etc. This is the approach most people are familiar with because postures are of primary interest. We read stories about Sri Krishnamacharya studying postures in the Himalayas, examine his writings on postures, and attempt to trace their origins. There is also the mysterious Yoga Korunta text, along with numerous ideas and debates surrounding it. Plenty of studies have been conducted on this topic, and today, we know more than we did before. However, as we dive into the postural aspects, we often become absorbed in the trivia and debates about the history of the postures. While this is undoubtedly valid, if we view yoga as more than just a physical practice, it becomes clear that we cannot truly understand its background by focusing on postures alone.
There is another way to look at yoga: as a spiritual practice. If we trace the spirituality and philosophy behind it, we find a very different path, one that reveals the true depth of the Mysore Yoga Parampara, which goes back a very long time. Sri Krishnamacharya came from a particular spiritual lineage, and this is much easier to trace than the origins of asanas or the mysterious texts that have been lost over time. When you ask Sanskrit scholars in Mysore about the Mysore Yoga Parampara, they often speak about the spiritual lineage rather than just yoga postures. I believe this is a much more accurate way to understand the yoga culture of Mysore.
Sri Krishnamacharya was an Iyengar. His full name was Muchukunte Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, as his family hailed from near Tirupati in Tamil Nadu. My acharya, Sri U. Ve. Lakshmithathacharya Swami, also came from this same spiritual lineage, and here’s what I have learned about it so far.
This is a Sri Vaishnava lineage, sometimes referred to as the Nathamuni Sampradaya, but more often my teacher would simply refer to it as the Mysore Yoga Parampara. It starts with the god Narayana, whose primary symbol is the sun, and his consort Lakshmi. There are many saints or acharyas in this lineage. Each has contributed various texts, stories, and teachings that have enriched this tradition. Below is a broad outline of this ancient yoga tradition, though by no means is it an exhaustive account.
Nammalvar was the first important acharya. He was a mystic poet who remained speechless from birth until the age of 16. It is said that for the first 16 years of his life, he remained in a state of samadhi, sitting inside a large hollow tamarind tree. At 16, he began to speak and expressed himself in poetry. The poems of Nammalvar, written in Tamil, have contributed significantly to the philosophical and theological ideas of Vaishnavism. The exact period of Nammalvar's life is debated, but it is commonly placed as far back as 3059 BCE by some sources. Most Indologists, however, would place him later. Regardless of the exact dates, Nammalvar lived a very long time ago. My teacher always said that these saints are timeless, and what matters is their message, not the exact dates of their lives.
Nathamuni is the next significant acharya. He lived from 823 CE–951 CE, according to Wikipedia. Nathamuni famously heard people from the small village of Melkote (near Mysore) reciting some of Nammalvar’s poetry. They knew only 11 verses, as the rest had been lost over time. Nathamuni was so passionate about recovering the lost verses that he memorized the 11 poems he knew and traveled to the place where Nammalvar had lived. There, he recited them 12,000 times each, until he entered samadhi and learned the rest of the verses through visions. My acharya, Sri Lakshmithathacharya Swami, who lived in Melkote, would recite this very poetry every day and teach it to his students. Though the poetry is abstract and can be difficult for Western cultures to understand, the concept of receiving knowledge in samadhi is a recurring theme in the Mysore Yoga Parampara. Sri Krishnamacharya is said to have entered samadhi and received the vision that inspired his famous work, the Yoga Rahasya.
Yamunacharya is the next outstanding acharya and was the grandson of Nathamuni. Naturally, they lived during the same period. Yamunacharya was a great scholar who wrote many works, including a 32-verse summary of the Bhagavad Gita, known as the Gītārtha Saṅgraha. This text is considered the essence of the Nathamuni Sampradaya, as my acharya often said. It is a core text for Bhakti Yoga. Deep devotion and ecstatic love for the divine are hallmarks of this tradition. The yoga of the Bhagavad Gita is far more central to the Mysore Yoga Parampara than the yoga of Patanjali. I spent three and a half years studying the Gītārtha Saṅgraha with Sri Lakshmithathacharya Swami, learning the worldview and spiritual concepts of this tradition. Though he passed away before I could finish my studies, this education deeply impacted me and permanently changed my understanding of yoga.
Ramanujacharya, who lived from 1017–1137 CE, was the next key acharya. He founded the Vishishtadvaita philosophy, which is a unique form of nondualism. Ramanuja’s approach to philosophy diverged from that of his Guru, Adi Shankara, founder of Advaita (nondualism). Ramanuja’s philosophical views are rooted in the teachings of Tamil saints such as Nathamuni and Yamunacharya. His teachings emphasize the idea that there is a qualified nonduality between the individual soul and the Supreme. Ramanuja’s influence is deeply embedded in the Mysore Yoga Parampara.
Ramanuja appointed 74 acharyas to carry on his message, known as the “Simhaasanaadhipathis.” Most of these acharyas were grihastas (householders). All Iyengars trace their ancestry to one of these 74 acharyas appointed by Ramanuja. Among them was Ananthacharya, one of Ramanuja's closest disciples. Ananthacharya’s devotion to his Guru was so profound that he embarked on a dangerous journey to establish a temple in Tirupati, where he built a water reservoir by hand to create a garden for the temple’s rituals. This story of devotion became an important part of the tradition.
Ananthacharya was also known as Lakshmithathacharya, a title passed down to many of his descendants, including my own acharya, Sri U. Ve. Lakshmithathacharya Swami. This name is associated with a ritual in which Lakshmi was given in marriage to Lord Narayana. Ananthacharya was the "father of Lakshmi" in this ceremony, symbolizing the deep spiritual connection and devotion that defines this tradition.
The Mysore Yoga Parampara has been meticulously preserved, even in modern times, despite many sacrifices by the families involved to keep this tradition alive. This is by no means the only yoga parampara in Mysore—there are many other lineages, both Vaishnava and Shaiva, that contribute to the spiritual richness of this community.
Here is a short list of the notable acharyas in this tradition:
Supreme Lord Sriman Narayana and Goddess Lakshmi Piratti
Vishvaksena
Nammalvar
Nathamuni
Pundarikaksha
Srirama Mishra
Yamunacharya
Mahapurna
Ramanujacharya (Founder of Vishishtadvaita)
Ananthacharya
Chikka Govindaraj Wadevar
Periya Lakshmithathacharya Swami
Dasha Vidya Charavarthy Alvar Swami
Tarakateertha Lakshmithathacharya Swami
Pundita Raja U. Ve. Alvar Tirumalai Iyengar Swami
U. Ve. M A Lakshmithathacharya Swami
Sri Alwar Swami (our current teacher and organizer of Mysore Yoga Conference)
To explore more about the spiritual practices of this tradition, one can study the texts written by these acharyas. Some of them are relatively obscure, but many of their works have had a profound influence, including texts like the Brahma Sutras, Puranas, and Bhagavad Gita, which are central to the Nathamuni Sampradaya.
Resources for studying Mysore Yoga Parampara:
Mysore Yoga Traditions Conference (next one will be Jan. 19-28 2026)
200hr Mysore Yoga Traditions Ashtanga Immersion (comming up Jan 12 - Feb. 8 2026)
One may ask, what are the spiritual understandings and practices that have been passed down in this yoga tradition? How can people from different cultures and religious backgrounds incorporate these ideas into their approach to yoga? Can we sincerely belong to a yoga tradition that involves more than just postural practice? This is exactly the conversation that the Mysore Yoga Conference revolves around! By participating in high-quality education with the great scholars of Mysore, we gain an accurate view of the tradition, enriched by our personal interactions with the community.
About half of all postural practices around the world today can be traced back to Sri T. Krishnamacharya. By learning the philosophy and history of the Mysore Yoga Parampara, we can gain new insights into the yoga that has had a profoundly positive effect on millions of lives across the globe.
