Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

The study and practice of yoga are not complete without Patanjali and the Yoga Sutras. Durham NC is indebted to Bryan Carey, teacher/owner of Patanjali’s Yoga Studio Durham for leading many of us to the study of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. 

The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are 196 Indian sutras (aphorisms). The Yoga Sutras were compiled around 400 CE by Sage Patanjali, taking materials about yoga from older traditions. Together with his commentary they form the Pātañjalayogaśāstra.

The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali was the most translated ancient Indian text in the medieval era, having been translated into about forty Indian languages and two non-Indian languages: Old Javanese and Arabic. The text fell into obscurity for nearly 700 years from the 12th to 19th century, and made a comeback in late 19th century due to the efforts of Swami Vivekananda. It gained prominence again as a comeback classic in the 20th century.

Before the 20th century, history indicates the Indian yoga scene was dominated by the Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Vasistha, texts attributed to Yajnavalkya and Hiranyagarbha, as well as literature on hatha yoga, tantric yoga and pashupata yoga rather than the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. In the 20th century, the corporate Yoga subculture elevated the Yoga Sutras to a status it never knew previously.

Scholars consider the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali formulations as one of the foundations of classical Yoga philosophy of Hinduism.


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Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Ashtanga | Sanskrit Invocation & Selected Sutras

 

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A great learning tool especially for Yoga teacher training schools, but really for anyone looking to familiarise themselves with the Sutras of Patanjali in the original Sanskrit (full text is below) If you enjoyed this, donate to Gaiea Sanskrit so she can make more Sanskrit songs and videos https://www.paypal.me/GabriellaBurnel All Gaiea Sanskrit songs available on iTunes https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/gai…

Part 1. Invocations Part 2. Selected Sutras from Ch 1 & 2 including 8 limbs Part 3. Song to help learn the 8 limbs, the 5 yamas, and the 5 niyamas Part 4. Live looping of a mantra honouring Ananta, the support of Vishnu, the support, the endless protector vande guruṇāṃ caraṇāravinde saṃdarśitasvātmasukhāvabodhe niḥśreyase jāṅgalikāyamāne saṃsārahālāhalamohaśāntyai I worship the Guru’s lotus feet Awakening happiness of my Self revealed Beyond compassion like a jungle physicians to pacify delusion from poison of existence yogana cittasya padena vācāṃ malaṃ śarīrasya ca vaidyakena yo’pākarottaṃ pravaraṃ munīnāṃ patañjaliṃ prāñjalirānato’smi ābāhu puruṣākāraṃ śaṅkhacakrāsi dhāriṇaṃ sahasraśirasaṃ śvetaṃ praṇamāmi patañjalim I salute with folded hands, the greatest among seers, Patañjali, who removed the impurities of the mind, speech and body by composing texts on yoga, grammar and medicine respectively To the one who is human in form til shoulders, who holds in his hands a conch, discus and sword, who is thousand headed and white in hue, I offer my salutations atha yogānuśāsanam 1.1 yogaḥ cittavṛttinirodhaḥ 1.2 tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe avasthānam 1.3 yama niyama āsana prāṇāyāma pratyāhāra dhāraṇā dhyāna samādhayaḥ aṣṭau aṅgāni 2.29 ahiṃsā satya asteya brahmacarya aparigrahāḥ yamāḥ 2.30 jāti deśa kāla samaya anavacchinnāḥ sārvabhaumāḥ mahāvratam 2.31 śauca santoṣa tapaḥ svādhyāya īśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ 2.32 Now the exposition of Yoga is being made The restraint of the modifications of the mind stuff is Yoga Then the seer abides in its own nature (By practice of the lmbs of Yoga the impurities dwindle away and there dawns the light of wisdom leading to discriminative discernment 2.28) regulation, observances, meditative posture, breath control. Withdrawal of senses, concentration, meditation, contemplation, these are the 8 limbs 2.29 Yama consists of non violence, truthfulness, non stealing, continence and non greed 2.30 These great vows are universal not limited by class, place time or circumstance 2.31 Niyama consists of Purity, contentment, austerities, study of Self, surrender to the divine 2.32 वन्दे गुरुणां चरणारविन्दे संदर्शितस्वात्मसुखावबोधे निःश्रेयसे जाङ्गलिकायमाने संसारहालाहलमोहशान्त्यै योगन चित्तस्य पदेन वाचां मलं शरीरस्य च वैद्यकेन योऽपाकरोत्तं प्रवरं मुनीनां पतञ्जलिं प्राञ्जलिरानतोऽस्मि आबाहु पुरुषाकारं शङ्खचक्रासि धारिणं सहस्रशिरसं श्वेतं प्रणमामि पतञ्जलिम् अथ योगानुशासनम् योगः चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः तदा द्रष्टुः स्वरूपे अवस्थानम् यम नियम आसन प्राणायाम प्रत्याहार धारणा ध्यान समाधयः अष्टौ अङ्गानि अहिंसा सत्य अस्तेय ब्रह्मचर्य अपरिग्रहाः यमाः जाति देश काल समय अनवच्छिन्नाः सार्वभौमाः महाव्रतम् शौच सन्तोष तपः स्वाध्याय ईश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः Śrīmate anantāya nāgarājāya namo namaḥ Salutations to Ananta (endless one) the king of serpents Translations taken from T Krishnamacharya & Sri Swami Satchidananda Composed by Gaiea Produced by Auburn Jam Music

Patañjali Chapter 1 | Samādhi | Sanskrit Music for Meditation and Yoga

 

The first step of the Sanskrit Sūtra, Samādhi, composed by the great sage Patañjali
through devotion, dedication, application and experience of Yoga

 

In commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Abhedananda, Prof. Edwin Bryant speaks on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. His book on this topic is available at: http://a.co/d/eJM56Cd

Bhagavad Gita lectures from Swami Sarvapriyanda are now available through the above Soundcloud, iTunes, and Google Podcast links.

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