Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A New Edition, Translation, and Commentary

Written almost two millennia ago, Patanjali's work focuses on how to attain the direct experience and realization of the purusa: the innermost individual self, or soul. As the classical treatise on the Hindu understanding of mind and consciousness and on the technique of meditation, it has exerted immense influence over the religious practices of Hinduism in India and, more recently, in the West. Edwin F. Bryant's translation is clear, direct, and exact. Each sutra is presented as Sanskrit text, transliteration, and precise English translation, and is followed by Bryant's authoritative commentary, which is grounded in the classical understanding of yoga and conveys the meaning and depth of the sutras in a user-friendly manner for a Western readership without compromising scholarly rigor or traditional authenticity. In addition, Bryant presents insights drawn from the primary traditional commentaries on the sutras written over the last millennium and a half.

"A superb contribution to the secondary literature on "yoga." Critically grounded in the scholarship on "yoga" and the rich textual history of the tradition, Bryant nevertheless succeeds in transcending both the excessively technical approaches to "yoga" scholarship as well as much of the popular nonsense about "yoga" in the proliferating 'schools' in the New Age marketplace. Bryant impressively communicates the essentials of "yoga" philosophy and practice to the thoughtful but non-specialist general reader. His translations from the Sanskrit are precise and well-grounded, and his interpretations are provocative and persuasive. His book will surely be welcomed by both serious scholars and responsible practitioners." --Gerald James Larson, Rabindranath Tagore Professor Emeritus of Indian Cultures and Civilizations, Indiana University, Bloomington, and Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara""

"Dr. Bryant's translation of and commentary on Patanjali's "Yoga Sutras" reveal the rich tapestry of schools and viewpoints that form the background for the "yoga" tradition. Dr. Bryant teaches us to delight in the diversity of ideas and commentaries that come along with the equally diverse practices of "yoga." He helps us to look deeper into a universal pattern of all practices, taking us out of the fundamentalism and exclusivity of our own schools. Grounded in an unbiased sense of ancient history, he clears away any confusion about the meaning of and the connections between different "yoga" philosophies. His book is a well-rounded and inspiriting course on the real connections between ideas, practices, and direct experience. I enthusiastically recommend it." --Richard Freeman, author of "The Yoga Matrix"

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"Edwin Bryant has provided us with a sweeping, kaleidoscopic overview of this essential "yoga "text. His clear and engaging prose brings Patanjali's aphorisms to life, taking his reader on an amazing journey through the

Foreword		ix
B. K. S. Iyengar
Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide		xiii
The History of Yoga		xvii
Yoga Prior to Patanjali		xix
The Vedic Period		xix
Yoga in the Upanisads		xxi
Yoga in the Mahabharata		xxiii
Yoga and Sankhya		xxv
Patanjali's Yoga		xxxi
Patanjali and the Six Schools of Indian Philosophy		xxxi
The Yoga Sutras as a Text		xxxv
The Commentaries on the Yoga Sutras		xxxvii
The Subject Matter of the Yoga Sutras		xlv
The Dualism of Yoga		xlv
The Sankhya Metaphysics of the Text		xlvii
The Goals of Yoga		liii
The Eight Limbs of Yoga		lvii
The Present Translation and Commentary		lix
Meditative Absorption		3	(166)
Practice		169	(132)
Mystic Powers		301	(105)
Absolute Independence		406	(55)
Concluding Reflections		461	(14)
Chapter Summaries		475	(2)
Appendix: Devanagari, Transliteration, and Translation of Sutras		477	(30)
Notes		507	(48)
Bibliography		555	(8)
Glossary of Sanskrit Terms and Names		563	(16)
Word Index		579	(18)
Acknowledgments		597

EDWIN F. BRYANT received his PhD in Indology from Columbia University. He is a professor of Hindu religion and philosophy at Rutgers University, and also teaches workshops on the yoga su- tras and other Hindu texts in yoga communities around the world.