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"Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is the bible of yoga!" Godfrey Devereux "BKS Iyengar is renowned throughout the world! his inspired commentary on the ageless treatise by the ancient sage speaks to the soul of every dedicated yogi." Phil Catalfo, Yoga Journal
Review
“Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is the bible of yoga…”
Godfrey Devereux
“BKS Iyengar is renowned throughout the world… his inspired commentary on the ageless treatise by the ancient sage speaks to the soul of every dedicated yogi."
Phil Catalfo, Yoga Journal
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41 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Your first obstacle will be to find a faithful translation of his Yoga Sutras.
The Yoga Sutras were written in an extremely terse form so that the words do not even form complete sentances, and they can be interpreted in numerous ways. Consequently numerous translations have arisen which fail to convey the original meaning of the work.
For instance, when describing the siddhis (supernatural powers which can be attained through certain meditative states), some translations interpret these as being simply metaphors. The translators may be learned scholars and doing their absolute best to offer their books in a spirit of devotion, but they simply do not understand the reality of what Patanjali was saying.
BKS Iyengar has spent his life studying and teaching yoga.
He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject and this shines through in every page of his work.
This book is a masterpiece!
The Yoga Sutras were written in an extremely terse form so that the words do not even form complete sentances, and they can be interpreted in numerous ways. Consequently numerous translations have arisen which fail to convey the original meaning of the work.
For instance, when describing the siddhis (supernatural powers which can be attained through certain meditative states), some translations interpret these as being simply metaphors. The translators may be learned scholars and doing their absolute best to offer their books in a spirit of devotion, but they simply do not understand the reality of what Patanjali was saying.
BKS Iyengar has spent his life studying and teaching yoga.
He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject and this shines through in every page of his work.
This book is a masterpiece!
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As the first reviewer states the yoga sutras are extremely terse, giving the appearance of notes taken by a student attending a lecture. Consequently most of them can be and are, perfectly legitimately, interpreted differently by different people. Sometimes translations can be so variant that it is difficult to believe that they are translating the same text. Check two or three online translations to see what I mean.
Naturally, each translator will bring their own frame of reference to their translation given the amount of scope they have. However, I'm afraid Mr Iyengar has not just done this but actually added his own material to the translation. The first sutra is a good example. The Sanskrit is clear and means "Now follows instruction in yoga." Mr Iyengar translates this as " With prayers for divine blessings, now begins an exposition of the sacred art of yoga." Other sutras, too, are 50% Iyengar and 50% Patanjali, as well as many sutras with a lesser degree of interpolation.
This may be fine for Mr Iyengar's followers but those seeking to know exactly what Patanjali was saying should exercise caution. This book's saving grace is that it does provide a word by word breakdown of the Sanskrit, so you can spot the interpolations if you are inclined to go through the breakdown.
Naturally, each translator will bring their own frame of reference to their translation given the amount of scope they have. However, I'm afraid Mr Iyengar has not just done this but actually added his own material to the translation. The first sutra is a good example. The Sanskrit is clear and means "Now follows instruction in yoga." Mr Iyengar translates this as " With prayers for divine blessings, now begins an exposition of the sacred art of yoga." Other sutras, too, are 50% Iyengar and 50% Patanjali, as well as many sutras with a lesser degree of interpolation.
This may be fine for Mr Iyengar's followers but those seeking to know exactly what Patanjali was saying should exercise caution. This book's saving grace is that it does provide a word by word breakdown of the Sanskrit, so you can spot the interpolations if you are inclined to go through the breakdown.
Format:Paperback
Sooner or later every serious yoga practioner finds their way to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. They are a mind blowing collection of aphorisms written thousands of years ago. What is special about Iyengar's commentary for modern yoga students is that he ties in the modern yoga practise of asana and pranayama to the sutras, which is something that as far as I know has not been done before. This is a very special book that needs to be read slowly and absorbed over time.
Christos Christophy Yoga.
Christos Christophy Yoga.
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Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
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The book itself is written in very small type. Read more
The book itself is written in very small type. Read more
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