What do you think?
Rate this book
The Perfection of Yoga
In the Perfection of Yoga Srila Prabhupada cuts through the commercialism that now clouds the real meaning of yoga. He explains that beyond postures and exercises, beyond even meditation and breathing techniques, the ancient teachings of yoga aim at lasting, loving union with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna.
60 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
75 people are currently reading
647 people want to read
About the author
A.C. Bhaktivedanta
813 books716 followersHis Divine Grace Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (अभय चरणारविन्द भक्तिवेदान्त स्वामी प्रभुपाद)was born as Abhay Charan De on 1 September 1896 in Calcutta, India.
He first met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a prominent devotional scholar and the founder of sixty-four branches of Gaudiya Mathas (Vedic institutes), liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge in the Western world. Srila Prabhupada became his student, and eleven years later (1933) at Allahabad, he became his formally initiated disciple.
At their first meeting, in 1922, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura requested Srila Prabhupada to broadcast Vedic knowledge through the English language. In the years that followed, Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita and in 1944, without assistance, started an English fortnightly magazine.
In the last ten years of his life, in spite of his advanced age, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe twelve times on lecture tours that have took him to six continents. In spite of such a vigorous schedule, Srila Prabhupada continued to write prolifically. His writings constitute a veritable library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.
He first met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a prominent devotional scholar and the founder of sixty-four branches of Gaudiya Mathas (Vedic institutes), liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge in the Western world. Srila Prabhupada became his student, and eleven years later (1933) at Allahabad, he became his formally initiated disciple.
At their first meeting, in 1922, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura requested Srila Prabhupada to broadcast Vedic knowledge through the English language. In the years that followed, Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita and in 1944, without assistance, started an English fortnightly magazine.
In the last ten years of his life, in spite of his advanced age, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe twelve times on lecture tours that have took him to six continents. In spite of such a vigorous schedule, Srila Prabhupada continued to write prolifically. His writings constitute a veritable library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
November 19, 2017
To my surprise in many ways I don't like this book, and it took a long time for me to read the 56 small pages. I don't like it and give it 4 stars. Odd.
What I didn't like was that the feeling I got was didactic anger. The challenge with that is why this feeling. Is that what is in the words, or am I seeing my own unacknowledged anger? I haven't been able to fully answer that question and there may be elements of both. Evidence of the anger in the words, then. I may very well be misunderstanding the strident nature of Prabhupada's single note and admonitions as anger. That I will readily admit is possible. Also possible is that I am being overly sensitive to his repeated invocation that the only path to perfection is by chanting the Lord's name and Prabhupada's use of 'must', 'have to', and 'should' throughout.
So why 4 stars? Because it does contain wisdom. For an example of his pragmatic wisdom and invective:
Prabhupada uses 'must' and 'should' constantly throughout the book. And that usage creates in me a very strong push back, because it is the language of the bully. And so that is why I don't like his book: he is being a wise bully. And this is likely the source of my feeling that it is angry. And that feeling likely arises because of my having been raised within an anger filled family-dynamic and so, rightly or wrongly, I see bully behaviour as that emanating from a place of anger and in part why I see the book as being an angry one.
And I give it 4 stars because, despite that, I see that in the main he is correct. Especially when you relax from the literalness of his language and allow metaphor and subtle meaning to be read between the words, and allow the words of the Bhagavad-gita to speak for themselves.
What I didn't like was that the feeling I got was didactic anger. The challenge with that is why this feeling. Is that what is in the words, or am I seeing my own unacknowledged anger? I haven't been able to fully answer that question and there may be elements of both. Evidence of the anger in the words, then. I may very well be misunderstanding the strident nature of Prabhupada's single note and admonitions as anger. That I will readily admit is possible. Also possible is that I am being overly sensitive to his repeated invocation that the only path to perfection is by chanting the Lord's name and Prabhupada's use of 'must', 'have to', and 'should' throughout.
So why 4 stars? Because it does contain wisdom. For an example of his pragmatic wisdom and invective:
...Everything must be engaged in the service of the Lord. Whatever we do as an ordinary worker or a sannyasi or as a yogi or as a philosopher must be done in Krsna consciousness.(This reminds me of the Jungian psychologist Marie-Louise von Franz stating that for a man who has not grown up, the most important thing for him to do is find steady work.)
...
For those who are taking the first steps up the staircase of the yoga system, there is work. One should not think that simply because he is beginning yoga he should stop working. In Bhagavad-gita Krsna asks Arjuna to become a yogi but He never tells him to cease from fighting (8) [my emphasis].
Prabhupada uses 'must' and 'should' constantly throughout the book. And that usage creates in me a very strong push back, because it is the language of the bully. And so that is why I don't like his book: he is being a wise bully. And this is likely the source of my feeling that it is angry. And that feeling likely arises because of my having been raised within an anger filled family-dynamic and so, rightly or wrongly, I see bully behaviour as that emanating from a place of anger and in part why I see the book as being an angry one.
And I give it 4 stars because, despite that, I see that in the main he is correct. Especially when you relax from the literalness of his language and allow metaphor and subtle meaning to be read between the words, and allow the words of the Bhagavad-gita to speak for themselves.
March 6, 2013
Powerful. Dummies like me who pick up this pretty book expecting to learn about postures are reminded that meditative, devotional yoga is a spiritual practice. This tiny volume packs quite a punch:
"The actual perfection of human life lies in being always Krsna conscious and always being aware of Krsna while performing all types of activities."
"The profits of one's labor in the material world is to gratify one's senses. But a real yogi does not desire such fruits. He has no desire other than Krsna, and Krsna is already there."
We can labor for material rewards but where does that get us? We die and our possessions and other sensual rewards are left behind, and without ever knowing true happiness. But for the person whose mind is on God and whose actions are devotions to Him, this person takes his spiritual progress into the next life. So the purpose of yoga is to take us down a spiritual path whereby we grow ever closer to Krsna.
The author reminds us that we are not master of our own life and relationships, but servant. By our own actions, we are not even fathers and mothers. "Merely by sexual intercourse a living thing cannot be begotten. The living thing must be *placed* in the emulsification of secretions." God is everywhere.
Believe these things or not, but the little book is a lovely reminder that yoga is born of serious spiritual searching by men who devoted their lives to finding God. Something to kept in mind while breathing through our downward dogs.
"The actual perfection of human life lies in being always Krsna conscious and always being aware of Krsna while performing all types of activities."
"The profits of one's labor in the material world is to gratify one's senses. But a real yogi does not desire such fruits. He has no desire other than Krsna, and Krsna is already there."
We can labor for material rewards but where does that get us? We die and our possessions and other sensual rewards are left behind, and without ever knowing true happiness. But for the person whose mind is on God and whose actions are devotions to Him, this person takes his spiritual progress into the next life. So the purpose of yoga is to take us down a spiritual path whereby we grow ever closer to Krsna.
The author reminds us that we are not master of our own life and relationships, but servant. By our own actions, we are not even fathers and mothers. "Merely by sexual intercourse a living thing cannot be begotten. The living thing must be *placed* in the emulsification of secretions." God is everywhere.
Believe these things or not, but the little book is a lovely reminder that yoga is born of serious spiritual searching by men who devoted their lives to finding God. Something to kept in mind while breathing through our downward dogs.
February 8, 2016
A friend of mine gave me this book on a day in which I had been meditating very deeply. He said that day hare krishna missionaries had been handing out books, and they gave him this one. Having no interest he gave it to me. I considered this to be a very auspicious way to receive a spiritual book. I have been very slowly reading this tiny 70-page book ever since he gave it to me.
Spiritual books are worth eight hundred times there weight in gold, because if we read them with the right attitude our mind's attention is taken out of the material sphere and into the spiritual sphere, which is where our true happiness lies.
Prabhupada's approach to spirituality is devotional as opposed to meditational which is more along the lines of what I am used to. I didn't agree with his claim that genuine meditation is impossible in the modern era, but I do agree with the claim that Bhakti is a beautiful emotion that we should all cultivate and with his methods to do it.
Overall, a great book for those seeking spiritual food. Approach with an open mind. I would greatly enjoy reading more books by this author - my interest has been piqued.
Spiritual books are worth eight hundred times there weight in gold, because if we read them with the right attitude our mind's attention is taken out of the material sphere and into the spiritual sphere, which is where our true happiness lies.
Prabhupada's approach to spirituality is devotional as opposed to meditational which is more along the lines of what I am used to. I didn't agree with his claim that genuine meditation is impossible in the modern era, but I do agree with the claim that Bhakti is a beautiful emotion that we should all cultivate and with his methods to do it.
Overall, a great book for those seeking spiritual food. Approach with an open mind. I would greatly enjoy reading more books by this author - my interest has been piqued.
May 20, 2013
Survey material with an obvious spin, but that is to be expected from something given to me for free on the street.
That being said, I learned an important thing about meditation from it: keep your eyes sort of open and always keep the tip of your nose in sight, that will make it easier to dive into meditation without falling asleep.
Other than that, it's a pretty decent survey on the average amount of hinduism a westerner is likely to know. One can pick out the base terms, although the book isn't very good at explaining them ... it's almost as if certain terms were left unexplained on purpose?
It's "join and pay money to the International Society of Krishna Consciousness" factor is actually pretty subtle, definitely included but with most focus of devotion not being to the founder or the society, but Krishna as interpreted by the founder.
Other than that, it has standard tropes of religious philosophy I am not a fan of ... a dualism where the body and physicality is declared terrible, a contemporary degraded age where previous ones were declared way better, an implicit assumption that the reader is male and that femininity is an inferior condition that mostly exists as sexual temptations, stuff like that. Enlightenment is this air fairy thing everyone ostensibly wants but rather than being about one's state of grace it's the reward for devoting one's self to Krishna at all times (renounce your worldly relationships, they are but bodily relationships, but Krishna is mother/father/son/husband (never wife.))
That being said, I learned an important thing about meditation from it: keep your eyes sort of open and always keep the tip of your nose in sight, that will make it easier to dive into meditation without falling asleep.
Other than that, it's a pretty decent survey on the average amount of hinduism a westerner is likely to know. One can pick out the base terms, although the book isn't very good at explaining them ... it's almost as if certain terms were left unexplained on purpose?
It's "join and pay money to the International Society of Krishna Consciousness" factor is actually pretty subtle, definitely included but with most focus of devotion not being to the founder or the society, but Krishna as interpreted by the founder.
Other than that, it has standard tropes of religious philosophy I am not a fan of ... a dualism where the body and physicality is declared terrible, a contemporary degraded age where previous ones were declared way better, an implicit assumption that the reader is male and that femininity is an inferior condition that mostly exists as sexual temptations, stuff like that. Enlightenment is this air fairy thing everyone ostensibly wants but rather than being about one's state of grace it's the reward for devoting one's self to Krishna at all times (renounce your worldly relationships, they are but bodily relationships, but Krishna is mother/father/son/husband (never wife.))
March 28, 2011
Not yoga as westerners think of it. Rather devotional yoga. But a nice into and something people interested in eastern spirituality should look at.
May 23, 2018
A beautiful book that reminds us of what is truly important. The answer to many of my own questions in life !
April 6, 2016
There are so many books on yoga, this is one to read and remember.
Boils it down the science of yoga and inner peace, via the Krishna consciousness system.
It will read as strange to most westerners; Hindus however will understand it completely the first read.
Yoga and higher states of consciousness take time to be revealed of course.
Samadhi can happen in an instant or Ina split second; nonetheless there is a process for this occurrence, which Prabhupada explains quite succinctly in his books.
Boils it down the science of yoga and inner peace, via the Krishna consciousness system.
It will read as strange to most westerners; Hindus however will understand it completely the first read.
Yoga and higher states of consciousness take time to be revealed of course.
Samadhi can happen in an instant or Ina split second; nonetheless there is a process for this occurrence, which Prabhupada explains quite succinctly in his books.
May 16, 2014
"The Perfection of Yoga" by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is about how to perfect the art of spiritually connecting to god through yoga. It tells us by how Arjuna learned the perfection of yoga, even when he was in war. Also tells us how we should devote everything towards Krishna, how to be devoted towards him, and what would happen if you succeed.
I find this book quite interesting, there's a lot of interesting information. It show that yoga is way different than how it is done here, it has more of a strong spiritual point to it. I would recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in spiritual religion or like to have simple understanding behind yoga.
I find this book quite interesting, there's a lot of interesting information. It show that yoga is way different than how it is done here, it has more of a strong spiritual point to it. I would recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in spiritual religion or like to have simple understanding behind yoga.
November 12, 2017
This little book was given to me by a traveling monk. I agree with some parts but not most. I think it's always interesting to learn more about other people's religion/spirituality (Hinduism, in this case). I like the idea of the Supersoul and that every living thing is connected. But I don't like the idea that renunciation of the material world is necessary for spiritual growth.
It's really interesting reading this at the same time as Other Minds, a book about octopuses and the evolution of consciousness, since this also talks a lot about consciousness but in a different way.
It's really interesting reading this at the same time as Other Minds, a book about octopuses and the evolution of consciousness, since this also talks a lot about consciousness but in a different way.
November 29, 2013
This is a little fine book used as an introduction with a purpose of raising our awareness of our connection to the ultimate power. I got this small booklet coupled with another great book--Bhagavad-gita from a monk on my first day in Krishna Consciousness Group Sydney. Personally, i dont regard KC as a religion that usually bonds its flock with mixture of love and fear, instead, I value it as an advanced philosophical system as well as a guidance to my self-realization.
March 1, 2014
It's a must-read for anyone seriously studying and practicing yoga. The swami insists on a transcendental approach to yoga, shunning all immersion in the material world. He does not see though that the material world is undeniable and can be employed to evolve consciousness and expand our sense of mind and body.
August 22, 2019
Less green juice, more green thought. Less mining for answers, more minding the Krishna.
In a consumerist world clamoring for marketplace solutions to our agitated mind, A.C. softly points in a different direction: your circus mind can only be quieted by transforming our material desires into a purifying sense of moderation. A hot cup of tea’s not a bad place to start.
In a consumerist world clamoring for marketplace solutions to our agitated mind, A.C. softly points in a different direction: your circus mind can only be quieted by transforming our material desires into a purifying sense of moderation. A hot cup of tea’s not a bad place to start.
May 4, 2013
One of my favorite books of Srila Prabhupada.
December 29, 2017
H.D.A.C. srila prabhupada's books are always amazing.just got to know the original meaning and form of yoga and how it is connected to sprituality
June 18, 2018
Amazing book!
Read
April 14, 2025I’m not leaving a star rating because the book ties in closely with religious beliefs, and I want to be respectful of that. That said, it really wasn’t for me. It felt very much written from a male perspective, and there wasn’t much acknowledgment of women in yoga at all. At one point it even says you shouldn’t be alone with your sister, mother, or daughter to resist sexual desire which honestly just felt weird and off-putting.
It also talks a lot about the caste system and karma in a way that suggests if someone has a hard life now, it’s because of something bad they did in a past life. That doesn’t sit right with me personally. I’m sure this book resonates with some people, especially from a specific spiritual background, but I didn’t connect with it. I will say I am pretty spiritual and still didn’t connect with it though and it does have some interesting points and talks about meditation a lot.
It also talks a lot about the caste system and karma in a way that suggests if someone has a hard life now, it’s because of something bad they did in a past life. That doesn’t sit right with me personally. I’m sure this book resonates with some people, especially from a specific spiritual background, but I didn’t connect with it. I will say I am pretty spiritual and still didn’t connect with it though and it does have some interesting points and talks about meditation a lot.
May 6, 2024
Good book, but confusing and hard to read at times. Interesting for sure!
June 9, 2018
მისი ღვთაებრივი მოწყალების ერთ-ერთი გენიალური წიგნი! დამწყებებს, ანუ მათ ვისაც ჯერ არც იოგა დაგიწყიათ და არც ბჰაკტივედანტას კითხვა გირჩევთ "ბჰაგავად-გიტას" წაკითხვას და შემდგომ "იოგას სრულქმნას" რათა ყველაფერი გასაგები იყოს თქვენთვის! თითოეული თავი გენიალურია, მაგრამ მე მაინც მიდა ჩემი ფავორიტები გამოვყო : უიღბლო იოგის ბედი, იოგა როგორც თავისუფლება ორმაგობებისა და დასახელებებისგან და იოგა, რომელიც არჯუნამ უარყო. ეს სამი თავი თვით იოგას საწყისებსა და გენიალურობის პირას იშვა! აუცილებლად წასაკითხი!
December 2, 2019
Great intro to Krishna consciousness. Keep in mind this is a particular sect and religion, like Baptist Christianity, and you should be ok, i.e. read it with an open mind but take it with a grain of salt. Only 60 pages makes it an easy read.
September 8, 2016
good introduction to Yoga
December 23, 2016
It's a very short read, expanding upon themes explored in "The Bhagavad Gita as it is". *Spoiler Alert* Yoga isn't all about bodily positions and enjoying sex life.
March 10, 2017
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
Interesting
Hi Reilly hi kenz :)
Interesting
Hi Reilly hi kenz :)
August 14, 2019
A Golden Classic!
I chose a high rating because this is a golden classic of Srila Prabhupada. It contains nuggets of Vedic wisdom.
I chose a high rating because this is a golden classic of Srila Prabhupada. It contains nuggets of Vedic wisdom.
October 23, 2019
Another masterpiece by prabhupada!!! Hare Krishna
May 14, 2020
Short, sweet, to the point.
January 19, 2020
Brainless dogma. Starts with the false premise that being "agitated" is a bad state that one must escape; proceeds to say that it's ok if Krsna wants it. The brainless part is saying that nothing matters except blind devotion to an entity called Krsna, with no explanation of it.
I'm sure many people read this hoping to culturally appropriate yoga for fitness purposes or self-improvement, but no, you'd be wrong, because yoga isn't about having a better life; it's about having no life except what's commanded by Krsna, which presumably someone other than you knows what that is and can tell you. Your personal desires are a bad state of "agitation." Yoga and meditation are only for achieving a mindless state of communal with Krsna. Did you think it was something else? Everyone is doing it.
Also, you live in the worst time in history because people are further from Krsna than ever because they think that they're smart by pursuing their desires, but they're wrong and actually stupid, because this isn't what Krsna wants.
I feel sorry for whomever paid to have these books given out and put on everyone's tables at a convention, which is where I encountered it.
I'm sure many people read this hoping to culturally appropriate yoga for fitness purposes or self-improvement, but no, you'd be wrong, because yoga isn't about having a better life; it's about having no life except what's commanded by Krsna, which presumably someone other than you knows what that is and can tell you. Your personal desires are a bad state of "agitation." Yoga and meditation are only for achieving a mindless state of communal with Krsna. Did you think it was something else? Everyone is doing it.
Also, you live in the worst time in history because people are further from Krsna than ever because they think that they're smart by pursuing their desires, but they're wrong and actually stupid, because this isn't what Krsna wants.
I feel sorry for whomever paid to have these books given out and put on everyone's tables at a convention, which is where I encountered it.
November 20, 2020
I can't say I found this useful or enlightening.
The title really belies the content of the book. I thought it was going to be about yoga, but it's more about meditation - or maybe us modern folk have got out terminology really mixed up.
I always find it difficult to read Hindu books because it's never straight forward. This book is no exception. The yoga or the meditation presented here is always wrapped in religious rhetoric. It's like every book of this nature is designed to inculcate devotion to a deity as opposed to what you expected, which in this case is yoga.
The book is always talking about Krishna and his various names, and how this dude Arjuna figured out yoga in one hour on the battlefield. That's all great - but I really wanted to to learn about how to get flexible.
It's an interesting read because I learned a little more about Hindu mythology, but I don't like the bait-and-switch aspect of these books.
If you want to learn more about yoga, I suppose go over to your local yoga studio - I reckon you'll learn more.
The title really belies the content of the book. I thought it was going to be about yoga, but it's more about meditation - or maybe us modern folk have got out terminology really mixed up.
I always find it difficult to read Hindu books because it's never straight forward. This book is no exception. The yoga or the meditation presented here is always wrapped in religious rhetoric. It's like every book of this nature is designed to inculcate devotion to a deity as opposed to what you expected, which in this case is yoga.
The book is always talking about Krishna and his various names, and how this dude Arjuna figured out yoga in one hour on the battlefield. That's all great - but I really wanted to to learn about how to get flexible.
It's an interesting read because I learned a little more about Hindu mythology, but I don't like the bait-and-switch aspect of these books.
If you want to learn more about yoga, I suppose go over to your local yoga studio - I reckon you'll learn more.
May 2, 2017
An enjoyable, quick read discussing the conceptual goal of Yoga. Most of us probably think yoga is primarily about the stretching, posing, and strengthening of the body. This book, based on the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita, describes yogas as a process of attaining Krishna Consciousness. There seem to be many differnt types of yoga on this path, but one set described are karma-yoga(working without desiring fruitive results/renunciation), jnana-yoga(gaining knowledge of the texts), astanga-yoga(using physical processes to meditate on the Supersoul), and finally bhakti-yoga(directly serving/worshiping Krishna). While the book is a good starting place, it's limited scope left me desiring more details.
August 30, 2016
Mi primer libro de Bhaktivedanta Swami y ¡qué chulada! La filosofía del yoga explicada desde el Bhagavad Gita, que es un pinche alivio porque el Gita es un texto muy complejo. Una lectura totalmente dirigida a occidentales y 'modernizada' porque fue publicada en los 70's. Un librito corto pero bien nutrido sobre lo que hace a un buen 'yogui'. Recomendado sólo a los que ya practican.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews