Patanjanli's Yoga Sutra

A contemporary interpretation of the foundational text for the practice of yoga. Patañjali’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 practiced the world over. Patañjali 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 Patañjali 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 Patañjali’s text and situates Patanjali’s philosophy within the history of scholastic Indian philosophy. About the Author Patanjali is the compiler of the Yoga Sutras which date from around 200 BC.Shyam Ranganathan has an MA in South Asian Studies and an MA in philosophy from the University of Toronto and wrote a PhD dissertation at York University in analytic philosophy on the topic of translating philosophical texts across languages. His areas of research include Indian philosophy theoretical ethics and the philosophy of language. He is the author of Ethics and the History of Indian Philosophy.Shyam Ranganathan has an MA in South Asian Studies and an MA in philosophy from the University of Toronto and wrote a PhD dissertation at York University in analytic philosophy on the topic of translating philosophical texts across languages. His areas of research include Indian philosophy theoretical ethics and the philosophy of language. He is the author of Ethics and the History of Indian Philosophy.