| Bhagavad Gita
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| | Vedas and their commentaries, the
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| The Bhagavad Gita famously distinguishes
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| | Upanishads mention and describe god—hence
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| several types of "yoga", corresponding
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| | god exists.
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| to the duties of different nature of
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| | Continuity: people and things have
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| people. Capturing the essence and at the
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| | various degrees of differences among
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| same time going into detail about the
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| | themselves. Some people are foolish, some
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| various Yogas and their philosophies, it
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| | are wise. Hence there ought to be some
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| constantly refers to itself as such, the
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| | Being who has the highest level of
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| "Scripture of Yoga" (see the final verses
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| | knowledge among all—who is omniscient.
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| of each chapter). The book is thought to
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| | That being is god.
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| have been written some time between the
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| | Cosmic Evolution, leading to this
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| 5th and the 2nd century BC. In it,
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| | universe, occurs because of the contact
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| Krishna describes the following yogas:
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| | between Purusha (spirit) and Prakriti
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| (1) Karma yoga, the yoga of "action" in
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| | (Nature). Purusha is static, and Prakriti
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| the world.
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| | is unconscious. Hence there can be no
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| (2) Jnana yoga, the yoga of knowledge
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| | contact between these two things of
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| and intellectual endeavor.
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| | opposite characteristics, unless god—the
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| (3) Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion to
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| | omniscient being—brings about this
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| a deity (for example, to Krishna).
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| | contact.
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| Patanjali
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| | Meditation upon a deity is regarded as
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| Perhaps the classic description of yoga
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| | the best means of attaining liberation.
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| is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which
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| | If meditation on such a being helps in
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| form the basis not only of the darshana
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| | liberation, and all obstacles are
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| called "yoga"--one of six such "orthodox"
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| | removed, then the object of the
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| (i.e. Veda-accepting) schools of Hindu
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| | meditation must have a real existence.
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| philosophy--but also of the practice of
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| | Ishvara is regarded as a special
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| yoga in most ashrams (to the extent these
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| | Purusha, who is beyond sorrow and Karma
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| can be distinguished). The school
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| | laws. He is one, perfect, infinite,
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| (dharshana) of Indian philosophy known as
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| | omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and
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| "yoga" is primarily Upanishadic with
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| | eternal. He is beyond the three qualities
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| roots in Samkhya, and some scholars see
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| | of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. He is
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| some influence from Buddhism. The Yoga
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| | different from an ordinary liberated
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| philosophy fully believes in the
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| | spirit, because the latter were bound
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| epistemology of the Samkhya school, as
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| | once, whereas Ishvara was never bound. He
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| well as its concept of the individual
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| | is kind and merciful. He is the father
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| spirits (Purusha) and the Nature
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| | of the demigods (the various Devas) and
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| (Prakriti)—but differs from Samkhya's
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| | of the sages (rishis), as well as their
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| atheism.
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| | guru; He is the author of the Vedas.
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| Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras presents
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| | Yoga system is perhaps the first
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| the goal of yoga as 'the cessation of
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| | philosophy in the world to give arguments
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| mental fluctuations' (cittavrtti
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| | for monotheism. Yoga says that Ishvara
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| nirodha), an achievement which gives rise
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| | can be only one and unique. If many gods
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| to the possibility of stable meditation
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| | are assumed:
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| and thus deeper states of absorption
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| | Let's say if there are two gods. If god
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| (dhyana or samadhi). This requires
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| | #1 gives a certain quality (say white
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| considerable restraint (yama) and
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| | color) to a thing and god #2 gives
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| self-discipline (niyama; see below for
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| | another (say black color) to the same
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| Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga)).
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| | thing, this would be mutually
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| Patanjali's yoga is sometimes called Raja
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| | contradictory. On the other hand, if god
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| Yoga (Skt: "Royal yoga") or "Ashtanga
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| | #1's choice reigns supreme, god #2 would
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| Yoga" ("Eight-Limbed Yoga"), in order to
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| | fail to remain as god.
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| distinguish it from Hatha yoga. It is
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| | Let's say that the gods work in as a
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| held as authoritative by all schools.
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| | committee to do certain tasks one by one.
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| Patanjali is also known for writing
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| | Then while one god is doing his work,
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| commentaries (Mahabhashya) on the Sutras
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| | the existence of the other gods would be
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| of the great Sanskrit grammarian Panini.
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| | superfluous and unnecessary.
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| In fact, Panini, Patanjali and Katyayana
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| | Hatha yoga
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| are regarded are the highest authority
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| | Over the last century the term yoga has
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| not only in Sanskrit but also in the
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| | come to be especially associated with the
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| whole of Linguistics.
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| | postures (Sanskrit asanas) of hatha yoga
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| Patanjali's text sets forth eight
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| | ("Forced Yoga"). Hatha yoga has gained
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| "limbs" of yoga practice. Interestingly,
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| | wide popularity outside of India and
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| only one of them involves physical
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| | traditional yoga-practicing religions,
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| postures (and these mainly involve seated
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| | and the postures are sometimes presented
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| positions). The eight are:
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| | as entirely secular or non-spiritual in
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| (1) Yama (The five "abstentions"):
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| | nature.
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| violence, lying, theft, (illicit-) sex,
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| | Traditional Hatha Yoga is a complete
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| and possessions
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| | yogic path, including moral disciplines,
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| (2) Niyama (The five "observances"):
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| | physical exercises (e.g., postures and
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| purity, contentment, austerities, study,
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| | breath control), and meditation, and
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| and surrender to god
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| | encompasses far more than the yoga of
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| (3) Asana: This term literally means
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| | postures and exercises practiced in the
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| "seat," and originally referred mainly to
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| | West as physical culture. The seminal
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| seated positions. With the rise of Hatha
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| | work on Hatha Yoga is the Hatha Yoga
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| yoga, it came to be used of these yoga
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| | Pradipika, written by Swami Svatmarama.
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| "postures" as well.
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| | Hatha Yoga was invented to provide a
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| (4) Pranayama: Control of prana or vital
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| | form of physical purification and
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| breath
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| | training that would prepare aspirants for
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| (5) Pratyahara ("Abstraction"): "that by
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| | the higher training that is called Raja
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| which the senses do not come into
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| | Yoga (see above). This is still true
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| contact with their objects and, as it
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| | today. Despite this, many in the West
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| were, follow the nature of the mind." —
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| | practice 'Hatha yoga' solely for the
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| Vyasa
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| | perceived health benefits it provides,
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| (6) Dharana ("Concentration"): Fixing
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| | and not as a path to enlightenment.
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| the attention on a single object
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| | Natya yoga
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| (7) Dhyana ("Meditation")
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| | The guide to Natya (Dance) Yoga was
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| (8) Samadhi: Super-conscious state or
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| | written by Bharata Muni. Sage Narada
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| trance (state of liberation)
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| | along with Gandharvas were the first to
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| God in Yoga philosophy
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| | practise Natya Yoga, which comprise all
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| The philosophy of Yoga also presented
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| | the four main yoga's. Natya Yoga was
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| certain arguments for the existence of
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| | practised by the medieval devadasis, and
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| God (Ishvara, lit., the Supreme Lord):
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| | is currently taught in a few orthodox
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| The Vedas are regarded as evidence. The
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| | schools of Bharatanatyam and Odissi.
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