Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Once again, Bryant knocks it out of the park. I've read this book before. Funnily enough, I gifted it to someone else and read their copy a little by little, and used it as a reference, and only bought my own copy yesterday! It has the original sanskrit in the Devanagari script, along with transliteration, then the translation, and then commentary. Apart from the simple, clear translations, the best part about this book is the respect he gives to attribution, tradition and past commentators. He doesn't push his own interpretation. His method is to present the arguments and interpretations of previous reputable and typically indigenous commentators after each line of translation. He then also adds his own thoughts, which are intelligent, thought-provoking and well-informed. This is very similar to the traditional Indian methods of commentary. Like his other book about the Indo-Aryan debate (See my review of his fantastic "Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture" here: https://www.amazon.in/gp/review/RYR6TF8MXO711/ref=pdp_new_read_full_review_link?ie=UTF8), his method and attitude is so fair-minded and refreshing that even where you disagree with him, as I did, it is not a deal-breaker, because he quotes and paraphrases other views just as fairly. This is evidence, to me, of a clear mind and a dedication to truthfulness. I'd say this is an essential book for those interested in Yoga, and perhaps especially for Sanskrit scholars and aspiring indologists.

This is a book to read and read again. Most books on yoga are written by those who are masters or at least devoted practitioners. While there is nothing wrong with that it is very useful to read a book written with the objectivity of a dispassionate scholar. Bryant does that and because of that the book is a compelling read for sceptics, beginners and practitioners of yoga. Bryant's scholarship is evident as he references the various commentaries on the yoga sutras through the centuries and explores the connections between various darsanas of Hindu philosophy. And while he is objective on the subject it is evident that Bryant is not a dry academic. He is an ardent admirer of Patanjali's brilliance and that comes through. This book is a must read for those who are interested in yoga at any level. It's a book to possess, read, reread and gift.

बारंबार पढ़ने योग्य पुस्तक

Brilliant book with an in-depth analysis of each sutra. If you're the completely new to Indian Philosophy or Yoga Sutras then this might be a bit overwhelming. But for those familiar with the literature this is a perfect second/third book to pick up and explore the sutras further.

People who are interested in seeking ancient knowledge it's must to read ...yoga and it's history and it's teaching to mankind ..totally it's a vast knowledge which is simplified but kept at it's original ..so guys go head and pick one.

After reading this book I'm feeling that we are so much backward The person who is mentally and spiritually balanced is the forward one ☝️

If you want a clear, balanced approach to the Yoga Sutras of Patangali then look no further. Great translations with commentary from a wide range of classical, as well as more contemporary sources. All blended together very nicely by Prof. Bryant.

A very insightful book. I'm impressed by the introduction chapters on history of yoga. The commentary on each sutra was just perfect-not too long or not too short. The appendix consists of the Devanagari, transliteration and translation of sutras which is very useful for quick glance.

This is a great work that allow us to have a good idea of the history of hinduism and of course the work of Patanjali in a simple and entertaining way. Piece of Art.

The printed copy I got of this book from Amazon was downright shocking: a coarse pixillated font that made small print almost unreadable and reading the normal font a pain. I complained and got a refund, thank you Amazon. I then eventually found a free downloadable pdf version of the entire book which I was able to print at 300 dpi and bind in A4 format for myself: and which has been my vade mecum for Patanjali ever since. Use your favourite search engine to find same. Bryant uses the many commentaries on the sutras to illuminating effect, to bring out the hidden meanings of the sometimes baffling, sometimes oh-so-obvious (not!) wordings. His excursions into the various streams of Hindu philosophy and culture are wonderful. But we have to remember that the Yoga sutras are here presented as a collection of aphorisms by Patanjali: "anusasanam": "anu", meaning a continuation of, and "sasanam", teachings. It is only later that commentary after commentary has interpreted each sutra and made it into dogma: sometimes of one voice and sometimes, as dogmas do, barking against each other. When one looks carefully at the words Patanjali uses, one sees that he is studiously neutral about many concepts that have acquired the status of holy writ in the centuries after: etymologies and vocabularies are suffused by retrospective glosses and the real meanings of the words Patanjali wrote are lost to view. Perhaps they were ambiguous in the first place, Patanjali realising that Yoga is composed of many strands. When a term is left ambiguous by a careful author, it means that the term should be interpreted ambiguously. The sutras do not use terms in an ordered precise manner (as many commentators have noted), and the meaning of many of the sutras as we are given them today is imposed on the words by a tradition of Yoga which came after Patanjali. Bryant, like every other translator, is doing the difficult job of relating the words of the sutras into English, but his perception of the meanings of the words is already imbued with sense given them by the "tradition" of Yoga. Patanjali, in my view, is using ambiguous words deliberately in order to convey the full range of the teachings he is summarising. I would have preferred a more literal rendition of the sutras without the gloss of meanings given in the current (prevailing) Yogic tradition. Of embarrassment to many translators, the various powers that the Yogin may achieve as described in Part 3 have to be glossed in some way to make them acceptable to 21st century readers. Can the Yogin really fly through the air etc (although the Yogin shouldn't as exercising these powers sets them back)? Bryant says we have to accept a dualistic strand in Hindu metaphysics - but the problem with 21st century dualism is that it still sees the spiritual in terms of the material. Thus the test, "can a Yogin fly?" has to be answered "no" in material terms even if you profess dualism! But if you approach the same question from a spiritual stance, the question can be answered in terms that do not include reference to materialist phenomena. This is the force of the Sankhya metaphysics, which is dualist (yes, as many modern European philosophers are), but which sees the universe from the point of view of the spiritual. David Chalmers and his ilk are dualists who persist in seeing the universe from a materialist point of view. Bryant, I fear, also tends to make the same mistake, although he is brave about it. Bryant's annotations and explanations are at the fullest for Part 1. As we go through the parts, the number of pages for each part decreases: perhaps because much has already been said. In all, this is a book well worth reading and re-reading till the philosophy of Yoga has become an essential element in your manner of life.

Beste Yogasutrā-Ausgabe. Klare Empfehlung. Derzeit unangefochtener akademischer Standard. Alle Kommentare von Vyāsa über Shankara, Vacaspati, Vijnanabhiksu, Bhoja Raja etc. zusammengefasst, die Unterschiede herausgearbeitet und zu einem neuen komparativen Kommentar vereint. Einen detaillierteren und multiperspektivischeren Einblick in die Samkhya-Yoga Lehre des Patanjali findet man in keinem anderen Buch! Außerdem beinhaltet es auf den ersten ca. fünfzig Seiten ausführliche Hintergrundinformationen, welche das richtige Verständnis der Sūtras überhaupt erst möglich machen. Klare Kaufempfehlung.

Big and Beuatyful

Ótimo, simplesmente perfeito. Definitivamente a melhor versão dos yoga sutras para estudiosos e praticantes. O livro é organizado de uma maneira que fica extremamente fácil encontrar cada Sutra e vem com uma introdução esplendorosa de toda história do Yoga (samkhya-yoga). Sem contar na explicação detalhada de cada um dos sutras. Ótimo!