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Patañjali’s Yoga Sutra (second century CE) is the basic text of one of the nine canonical schools of Indian philosophy. In it the legendary author lays down the blueprint for success in yoga, now practised the world over. Patañjali draws upon many ideas of his time, and the result is a unique work of Indian moral philosophy that has been the foundational text for the practice of yoga since.
The Yoga Sutra sets out a sophisticated theory of moral psychology and perhaps the oldest theory of psychoanalysis. For Patañjali, present mental maladies are a function of subconscious tendencies formed in reaction to past experiences. He argues that people are not powerless against such forces and that they can radically alter their lives through yoga—a process of moral transformation and perfection, which brings the body and mind of a person in line with their true nature.
Accompanying this illuminating translation is an extended introduction that explains the challenges of accurately translating Indian philosophical texts, locates the historical antecedents of Patañjali’s text and situates Patanjali’s philosophy within the history of scholastic Indian philosophy.
About the Author
Patanjali is the compiler of the Yoga Sutras, which date from around 200 BC.
Shyam Ranganathan has an MA in South Asian Studies and an MA in philosophy from the University of Toronto, and wrote a PhD dissertation at York University in analytic philosophy on the topic of translating philosophical texts across languages. His areas of research include Indian philosophy, theoretical ethics and the philosophy of language. He is the author of Ethics and the History of Indian Philosophy.
Shyam Ranganathan has an MA in South Asian Studies and an MA in philosophy from the University of Toronto, and wrote a PhD dissertation at York University in analytic philosophy on the topic of translating philosophical texts across languages. His areas of research include Indian philosophy, theoretical ethics and the philosophy of language. He is the author of Ethics and the History of Indian Philosophy.
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Customer Reviews
Yoga is about mental discipline, mastering one's mind to live a more fulfilled /less stressful life in this world, as we find it. Any reader, irrespective of his faith, should benefit from this book, whether s/he believes in the Hindu idea of karma or not, and whether s/he tries to (or even ultimately manages to) attain kaivalya (isolation/liberation) or not.
In some quarters yoga has got itself a bad name (due for example to excessive emphasis on certain types of physical exercise, abuse of 'tricks' of yoga, or misuse of herbs/drugs to enhance physical powers) and as a result many people avoid finding out about yoga, thinking it is not for them. I too was such a cynic but after reading this book I feel Patanjali's ideas are of much wider application and perhaps even of universal benefit.
The book is written in modern, Western English and alludes to Western philosophical concepts where relevant. Readers in the West, and children of Indian origin raised in the West, should find it easy to read.
The author rightly puts ethics/dharma in the centre of Hindu philosophical thought, which is overdue in Indological writings, and deserves praise.
Read the book as a self-improvement book if nothing else, in the quiet of your home, and check out whether you agree with Patanjali who lived circa 2-3c A.D.!
Some thoughts for the 2nd edn:
(1) Should the Intro also have a short summary of the text, which a reader could use as a helpful guide? [Particularly so, as some of the sutra-s repeat or elaborate an earlier idea, a few sutra-s appear to be in the wrong sequence, and the commentary (mostly helpful, occasionally over-elaborate) make the text - excluding the Intro - quite long at nearly 240 pages.]
(2) Expand the Glossary to incorporate all specialist words relating to Yoga Sutra?
This book includes the sanskrit text and word for word translations. Sometimes the sutra will not be very clear and sometimes Patanjali will describe paranormal feats of the yogis, admonishing however that these may be detrimental to the true practice of yoga because of fostering a sense of pride in vain accomplishments.
Still, the book could have been better. There could have been an index, and the translator could have come up, on occasions, with better examples.
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