Patanjali's Yoga Sutra

by Shyam Ranganathan

A contemporary interpretation of the foundational text for the practice of yoga. Patanjali'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. Patanjali 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 Patanjali; 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 Patanjali's text and situates Patanjali's philosophy within the history of scholastic Indian philosophy.

Genres: Philosophy

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2008

Reviews

[s · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid translation and critical commentary on an interesting text. the side-by-side sanskrit and english with word glosses is very useful in getting across just how dense and ambiguous the original sutra format is and the necessity of commentary or expansion. does a good job explaining how cornerstones of the system are borrowed from buddhist and jain texts as well as vedic ones, and developing the idea that meditation and 'yogic' practices are part of a more ancient subcontinental heritage that the various religious groups have interacted with in their own limiting ways.

the system itself is sophisticated and novel (to me), developed likely in the early centuries CE and revived by hindu nationalism and the western reception of 'eastern religion' in the 19th century. it's not quite like the vedanta metaphysics that is most frequently pushed as *the* philosophical basis of 'hinduism'. as mentioned it has a good deal in common with the 'renouncer' traditions of buddhism and especially jainism, without as much self-negation or abhorrence of the body. the observer is an active ethical participant, nature and the mind are not confusing illusions but a ~show put on to *aid* liberation...

god is almost optional, one of the possible useful objects of meditation and an exemplar of unconditioned being in contrast to us with our store of past impressions that rush into every new moment. the fact that god doesn't actually seem philosophically entailed in any way but makes vaunted appearances here and there stands as testament to the naturalism of the rest of it. the aims and techniques of practice makes me think psychoanalysis, the undoing of embodied tendencies to develop clarity of thought and perception... modern secular yoga focused on posture and bodily training seems to have been just one limb. i think mostly this was just something i read out of curiosity but i got a surprising amount out of it.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a text for liberation in this particular translation. The Yoga Sutras invite awareness of thinking patterns and stories anyway. Dr. Ranganathan's translation provides robust philosophical commentary that connects to traditions but also clarifies those for Western readers, while delving further into the ethics and practices of yoga.

[Sviatlana · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely interesting and fascinating book about Indian moral philosophy. Used this as a textbook for class and this was the first book I read on philosophy. Main ideas are about how the person that is capable of morally constraining their thoughts and using critical analysis should have a better life as they are capable of critically choosing the best path for themselves, without being influenced by extremities. Some chapters are quite curious, however the main ideas are extremely interesting and help us live as better human beings. The class was with the author of the book, so the ideas were elaborated and clarified, so might not be the same for those just reading the book.

[Alena Goldstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great and timely follow on to Sri Swami Satchidananda’s translation of Patanjali’s yoga sutras. S. Ranganathan brings the context of the time and all the influences from Vedic, Buddhist and Jain perspectives that help the reader better understand the sutras. What seemed a bit cryptic and abstract prior in S.S.S.’s translation now makes a lot more sense (to me). I also really appreciate how S.R. provides a plethora of examples and considerations for how the sutras can be applied in our modern times. He dispels many yogic myths and misconceptions, too. He ultimately makes the case that these sutras are activist-in nature and that we can be agents of change if we apply the yoga rules laid out in the sutras (which had not been clear to me prior). I will come back to this translation again and again.

[Sagar Acharya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yoga Sutras are hands down fantastic but the translation is somewhat poor. I love the format of the book where sutras are written in Sanskrit Devanagari, each word’s possible meanings are stated after sandhis are resolved and meaning of the statement is given as close as it can be. In some sutras, I think it doesn’t make sense and sometimes even the commentary on the sutra looks like that of Shyam rather than that mentioned just in sutras.

Yoga is awesome though!

[Chris Pritchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the best translation (or as the author would say explication) or the Sutra I’ve read. You can tell Ranagathan is coming from a place of wanting to know the meaning that Patanjali was aiming for rather than translating with the aim of finding validation for his already held beliefs. Highly recommend the authors other work which highlights the effects of colonialism on Eastern philosophy.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ranganathan gives the translation a careful attentiveness and sensitivity. I like this a lot since it feels like a genuine account of the true nature of Patanjali’s ideas.

I really recommend this book for anyone interested in the practice of yoga. The yoga philosophy is described with such tangible and empowering ideas yet with great depth and explanation that enables the reader to fully grasp the true essence of what yoga aims to achieve. The problem with most modern ‘yoga’ classes is that many nuances are misinterpreted.

[Ashwin Balaji · Rating 2 out of 5]

a lot of misrepresentation and errors in translating the text. patanjali's yoga sutra in itself is clear, but the author heavily leans towards Advaitavada and misinterprets and ruins the spirit of the book. if there is a disservice to Patanjali, this is the best representation of it.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5