The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali are universally acknowledged as the fundamental text on yoga and meditation in the Indian classical tradition. This English translation of Yoga Philosophy of Patañjali is widely regarded as the most authoritative and authentic that has been available in recent times. It is a serious and clear presentation of Patañjali's sutras and Vyāsa's Bhāsya, providing these basic texts both in the original Sanskrit and in readable and accurate English. These classical works are augmented by the commentary of Swami Hariharananda Aranya, a scholar and yogi of great repute, who, in his lifetime, was the foremost exponent in India of the Sāṃkhya Yoga system of which the Yoga Aphorisms of Patañjali are the principal work.

The Volume one of the Commentary on the Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali (samadhi-pada) was published in 1984 and is available from the HImalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, Route I, Box 400, Honesdale, PA 18431, USA. It was highly acclaimed as a work of rare authenticity, based on thirteen Sanskrit commentaries, synthesized and studied in the light of the oral tradition and direct personal experience in the master-disciple lineage of the yogis. The author is of the opinion that without such personal experience much of the terminology of the Yoga-sutras would remain obscure and any explanation of purely scholastic grounds would be incomplete. The value of the present volume on the Sadhana-pada is further enhanced by adding the study of even more published Sanskrit commentaries as well as unpublished manuscripts. Seven lengthy appendices add to the value of the work as the material presented in these appendices can be further researched and enhanced to form into independent theses. The author makes certain that the works of the previous commentators be examined in the light of how the Sutras are taught in the Himalayan caves among those who practice the various methods and are initiated into them.

Spontaneous talks given by the author in Chang Tzu auditorium, Pune, India.

Note that due to the limitations of some ereading devices not all diacritical marks can be shown. BKS Iyengar’s translation and commentary on these ancient yoga sutras has been described as the “bible” of yoga. This edition contains an introduction by BKS Iyengar, as well as a foreword by Godfrey Devereux, author of Dynamic Yoga.

The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali is a classic Sanskrit treatise consisting of 195 “threads,” or aphorisms, describing the process of liberation through yoga. Although little is known about Patanjali (most scholars estimate that he lived in India circa 200–300 B.C.), his writings have long been recognized as a vital contribution to the philosophy and practice of yoga. This new, expert translation of the original Sanskrit text of Patanjali’s best-known work presents his seminal ideas and methods in accessible, plain-language English. Patanjali organized the sutra into four parts: Samadhi (absorption), Sadhana (practice), Vibhuti (supernatural powers), and Kaivalya (liberation). Each represents a step in breaking free of our limited definition of consciousness and training the mind to achieve oneness with the universe. Geshe Michael Roach, one of the most respected teachers of Tibetan Buddhism in America and a renowned scholar of Sanskrit, provides authoritative commentary on each of the sutras. His notes and clarification are straightforward and highly readable, untainted by obscure, academic terminology or New Age jargon. The first edition of the Yoga Sutra to present a Buddhist perspective, this paperback original will be welcomed by students and spiritual seekers alike.