Narendra Modi describes yoga as 'potent peace weapon'

He also unveiled the 112-foot-tall bust of Hindu god Lord Shiva at the Isha Foundation

Describing yoga as the "most potent peace weapon" in the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said it is also the passport for health assurance.

Unveiling the 112-foot-tall bust of Hindu god Lord Shiva or Adiyogi at the Isha Foundation here, Modi said the whole world today wants peace, peace of mind.

One of the strongest weapon to have peace is yoga, which fights stress, he stressed.

"The whole world wants peace, not only from wars and conflicts but also peace from stress. And we have yoga. If body is the temple of mind, then yoga creates a beautiful temple," Modi said explaining the benefits of the ancient art in his lucid extempore speech.

The Isha Foundation was founded by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.

A yoga practitioner himself, Modi said yoga is far beyond physical exercise and added that the world celebrates the International Yoga Day in a grand manner.

He said that Adiyogi will inspire many generations to take up yoga.

Modi further said yoga has come a long way and has different schools of thought and styles, but the essence of yoga has remained unchanged.

"This the beauty of yoga. It is ancient yet modern, it is constant but evolving," the Prime Minister said.

Modi said that rejecting an idea just because it is ancient is harmful and it has to be taken to the next generation in an understandable form.

According to him yoga is a catalytic agent that changes "jeeva" to Shiva or human to divinity, and practising it develops a spirit of oneness of mind and body.

"Yoga is a journey from me to we," Modi added.

Dwelling on India's diverse culture, he said diversity is the country's greatest strength and not a cause of conflict.

The Prime Minister said that Indians worship several goddesses and that the country is the land of many women saints as well.

The progress of humanity lies in women empowerment and it is time for women-led development, he said.

"Woman is a manifestation of divinity, whereas a man would attain divinity only through his good deeds," Modi said.