Yoga Darshan Paperback – December 1, 2002

DARSHAN is a sanscrit word with many translations.In this case, however, it stands for "Philosophical School".Thus, Yoga Darshan is the philosophical basis upon which all the branches (called Angas) of Yoga are based.The book is divided into two parts: the first one explains the Yoga Darshan in a very complete way. It mentions concepts which are difficult to find in other books, and it provides an overall explanation of Yoga which is very valuable for the begginer as well as the yoga teacher (in fact, any yoga teacher could use as a basis this book for theoretical classes, and he wpuld be teaching at a "tertiary level" at the least).The second part gives a summary of all he branches of yoga, their similarities and their differences, as well as practical explanations for anyone who wants to beging to practice directly from the book.If it is not too cumbresome, I would like to say that what we call Yoga is in fact a Set of different Yogas that are based upon the following sources:1) Vedanta Darshan, more specifically a group of 22 books called the "Yoga Upanishads".2) Samhkya Darshan.3) The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.4) TantraYoga itself is likely older than these sources, since evidence has been found in the excavations of the Indus Valley Civilization or figures resembling those of Shiva and Pravati practicing Yoga, in which case Yoga as per se predates even the Rig Veda. Some say that this primitive form of Yoga, belonging to Tantra, is called Prashupati Yoga.In any case, the Yoga Publications Trust has a book called "Yoga Chudamani Upanishad" which is one of the more important ones out of the Yoga Upanishadas, as well as a book on Prashupati Yoga, for all those who might be interested.This is the most complete collection of Yogic and Tantric book I have come across:Thumbs Up!

This is indeed a major book. The Yoga Tradition is alive and adapting to universal audience and modern science. In this very complete and generous book, the author present the Yoga science in a very well organised manner. If the book is not for the debutant it is absolutly accessible to the motivated reader and you should find it very stimulating and ..surprising! For me this book will be a companion and I know I will go back to it many times and with pleasure.

Fantastic inthe details and for me the best writing on Yoga in General.

This book provideds a truly panoramic view of the yoga traditions and consequently serves to clear up a great many questions that arise from reading the hugely-disjointed array of books on the subject, in the general marketplace. If, like me, you have struggled at times to place all the various elements of yogic tradition into a coherent theoretical structure, over and above the 8 Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga (not the popularised Mysore vinyasa style which misleadingly borrows the label 'Ashtanga', I mean Ashtanga in the genuine traditional sense), then 'Yoga Darshan' may just be the answer to your prayers! Actually, this book discusses elements of the yoga tradition that I had never heard of. I can honestly think of no greater general overview of the quite vast yoga tradition as a whole. Although it does contain some practical instruction on a variety of yogic techniques, it is primarily pitched as an easily-accessible foundational overview of the ancient tradition, encompassing more than most, and enabling the reader to use it as a springboard to achieve a grasp of topics which may subsequently be individually explored, in deeper detail, according to personal interest. The same publisher's catalogue of books offers many such detailed books, targeted at specific topics.Owing to its extraordinary breadth of coverage, this volume cannot go into exhaustive depth on every topic but it does a truly admirable (and enjoyable) job of covering significantly more than just the basics of each topic, and (perhaps more importantly) placing the multitudinous elements into reliable context.Seldom have I enjoyed reading a book on yoga so much, in the 'readable' sense. This title is a real pleasure to simply kick back and read, without needing to treat it formally, as a textbook. I should qualify this statement, though, by pointing out that I am deeply interested in true, traditional, classical, authentic yoga, not Westernised, diluted, physique-obsessed forms. If you are similarly inclined, then I highly recommend this book, it's a great read and superbly treads the fine line between dry, challenging textbook and overly-simplified paperback.Don't be fooled by its lack of extreme detail - this is only a RELATIVE observation. Indeed, this book contains infinitely more depth and real substance than 90% of the books available on yoga. It's authored by an AUTHENTIC yogi and this fact shines through on every page, such is the confidence and authority with which Niranjanananda writes, very much like his forebear, Satyananda.I suspect the paucity of reviews for this book is a reflection more of the somewhat-dry product description and title, rather than intentional indifference to the contents of the book itself. True followers of the yoga path would do well to heed this book as it is a very informative read, unprepossessing though it might appear.Yet another excellent member of the BSY/YPT library, then, and certainly one of the most enjoyable to read on a casual basis, whilst simultaneously being of sufficient calibre to qualify as a light reference source.I view BSY/YPT books with a degree of amusement, from the point of view that their lack of glossy pages and colour pictures makes them appear dry and bland to the casual browser. Indeed, it occurs to me that this may not be just a cost-of-production decision, on the part of YPT; perhaps it is also a deliberate ploy to separate the sincere seeker from the casual, style-conscious yoga practitioner, because if one is sincere enough to take the time to actually delve into a YPT/BSY book, one is rewarded with an absolute treasure of information, and from a source more authentic than probably 80% of the books on the market. I own more than 10 BSY/YPT books and while there is some (contextually-appropriate) overlap between each of the various titles, each one of them is a pleasure to read and, broadly-speaking, I can say with absolute confidence that I owe my understanding of yoga and its various principles more to YPT/BSY than to any other single publisher. So, although I am already a fan of this series of books, my purchase of 'Yoga Darshan' was nonetheless encouraged by François's review, above (thankyou) and having now read it, I can wholeheartedly agree with him - 'Yoga Darshan' really IS very complete, generous and well-organised. One to buy with confidence, if you're interested in real yoga.

This is a standard textbook that should be included next to APMB for any and all 200 hour TTC trainings. While APMB covers the practical aspects of Yoga this covers all of the theoretical aspects in an easy to digest manor without overwhelming you. That said it still has 10x more info than any of these "other" yoga books by western authors that are marketed by certain yoga magazines. If you're serious about Yoga then go to the source and get the real info and not some superficial, scratch the surface type book.

Bihar School at its best. Well written, deeper understanding of the Upanishads, Gita and Hatha Yoga Pradipika. To a serious student of yoga - a must.

A must yoga philosophy read!

This book is a great read for anyone who is into yoga! For beginners it is a "must read"! This book is clearly written and is divided into two sections...Theoretical Aspect and Practical Aspect. The Theoretical part takes you through Vedic tradition, the Sanatan culture and then goes into the six major paths....Karma, Hatha, Jnana, Raja, Mantra, and Laya yogas. The Raja Yoga chapters go pretty deep. The Practical section takes you through Asana, Pranayama, Bandhas and Granthis, Mudras and offers three chapters on advice and common sense towards practice. If you are serious about yoga and want to understand what it is all about then pick up this book!

Best book to start off on this path, though it may be a little difficult for complete beginners. But that, also helps pique the interest and keeps one going ahead. I know I will turn to it many many times in the future. 🙏🏻

Dann ist Yoga Darshan genau das richtige Buch für dich. Es ist in Deutschland nur in englischer Sprache erhältlich, aber in leicht verständlicher Sprache geschrieben. ( Mir liegt die Version aus 1993 vor, das abgebildete Buch ist eine neuere Auflage und kann in den Themen evtl. abweichen). Das Buch ist systematisch aufgebaut, es enthält einen theoretischen und einen praktischen Teil:Part one - Theoretical Aspect- Vedic Tradition of Yoga.- Sanatan Culture- Evolving Awareness- Yogic Key words- Aspects of Yogic Discipline- Karma Yoga- Ynana Yoga- Hatha Yoga- Raja Yoga / Vrittis / Bahiranga / Antaranga /- Mantra Yoga- Laya Yoga- Exoteric YogaPart two - Practical Aspekt- Asana- Pranayama- Bandhas & Granthis- Mudras- Wholistic Physiology- Causes of Imbalance and Disease according to Yoga- Yoga of Common SenseEs gibt auch Satyananda Bücher die in Deutscher Sprache: Surya Namaskara, Yoga Nidra, Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, Tantra und Yoga Panorama, Kundalini Tantra 1 uvm.Du siehst ich bin ein echter Fan, habe mit den Deutschen Büchern angefangen und bin dann zu den englischen übergegangen.Hari Om Tat SatRadhashakti