Yoga is a significant phenomenon of Indian Cultural Heritage. Indian Heritage in recent times, has been influenced by the gradual Scientific developments in all the fields of life. And Yoga is no exception to this. Yoga, which was once upon a time, in ancient days, was pursued by handful seekers abiding in secluded places away from social life, has now a days, become an academic pursuit and is being accepted in the curriculum of schools, colleges and universities. Yoga is being pursued for better adaptability, increased intelligence, improved learning ability, enhanced orderliness in thinking, better job performance and satisfaction, the solace in the form of alternative therapy and above all universal brotherhood and harmony. Such an application of Yoga could be possible only through its subjection to rational and scientific research in modern times.

Way back in 1924, Swami Kuvalayanandaji, pioneer scientific researcher in Yoga, had visualized the Yogic potentialities and with a view to actualize them for the sake of application in day to day life, founded a Research Institute of Yoga at Lonavla. Like any other research, the research in yoga, either fundamental or applied, depends on source material. And Philosophico – Literary Research Department endeavors to provide such a source material. The Department in and through these years has at its credit the rendering of traditional Yogic lore in systematic and rational way so as to enable the modern man to apply yoga in identifying and actualizing one's own potentialities towards healthy, harmonious and peaceful life. In doing so, the Department in its own way has evolved the necessary Methodology – as per the guidelines set forth by Swami Kuvalyanandaji suitable to theory -practice - experience - continuum of Yoga.

For the sake of convenience the Yoga Research can be divided into two classes: Quantitative and Qualitative .The former, that is related to the Psycho- physiological aspects in yoga, is well taken care of by Samiti`s Scientific Research Department. The P.L.R.D. is concerned with Qualitative aspects of Yoga which has following dimensions:-Ethical, Social, Philosophical and Spiritual Swami Kuvalayanandaji has rightly pointed out:-

" Yoga has a complete message for humanity, it has a message for human body , it has a message for human mind and it has also a message for human spirit……".