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Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
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Shed your own Light....
One of the Best translations of the Vedic Scriptures!!!!
even if you have never been to a yoga class ...
excellent, but only for professionals
The theory behind the practice

Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
B.K.S. Iyengar
Manufacturer: Thorsons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0007145160

Book Description

This book provided readers with a fresh and accessible translation of this ancient text.

Customer Reviews:

Shed your own Light...........2007-05-10

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are a simple, clear series of aphorisms designed to help a person realize that the human mind is controllable. This authors' ruminations and personal opinions prove that, given enough pages to write on, an author can muddy even the clearest water.
As Patanjali himself said, "There is knowledge of everything through intuition".
My recommendation is this: Save your money. Find a copy of Patanjali's Sutras,
without editorial comment.Listen to his words.Feel your own intuition. You will be amazed at what you find.

One of the Best translations of the Vedic Scriptures!!!!.......2006-10-25

This Translation of the Yoga sutras...is Superb!!! The only translation of this or any other vedic scripture that is on the same level is Swami Satchitandas yoga sutras, both are the jewels of all modern translations of the Vedas! I have been studying and practising the vedic religion since 1996 and both B.K.S Iyengar and Swami Satchitanandas translations are the most comprehensive, in-depth, intuitive, scholarly and truly Spiritual and Vedic. I believe that the reason that both men have written such Great translations...is because they are generational Caste Brahmanas....period. That is why they have such an in-depth understanding of the Vedic sriptures and principles. Iyengars translation...to me, is Mind blowing!!! I could only read one or two pages at a time, just to really ingest and digest the information on an intuitive and intellectual levels. With this translation and Swami Satchitanandas translations....ALL OTHER TRANSLATIONS OF THE VEDAS PALE IN COMPARISION!...and are the scribblings of philosopical neophytes....period.

even if you have never been to a yoga class ..........2005-12-30

... this book will still be of great interest and value to you if you are spiritually inclined.

the top reviewers assertion that the yoga sutras represents the theory behind the practice of hatha yoga is not really correct.

hatha yoga (which is what 'yoga' normally stands for in the west) is actually only a minor part of the yoga sutras - i think it occurs in no more than a single verse in the text! one can infact say that to be a yogi as per patanjali one needn't even practice hatha yoga!

historically the most ancient philosophical school in india was the saamkya as taught by the sage kapila (even for the historical buddha circa 500 bc, kaplia was 'ancient'). patanjala yoga is traditionally considered the sister system of the saamkya. while saamkya taught metaphysics and the theory of enlightenment - about the eternal purusha (one's true self/soul), the transient praakriti (primal matter which includes the body and mind as well as the objects we experience), how the purusha is seduced by the 'dance' of praakriti and thus bound to a limited existence and how the seperation of the two effects enlightenment - yoga provided a practical path as to how such enlightenment can be effected. thus one of the traditional meanings of the sanskrit words 'saamkya' and 'yoga' itself is 'theory' and 'practice'.

the heart of the yoga sutra lies in the verse 'chitta vritti nirodah' - the cessation of mental modifications. ie when the mind is controlled and brought to stillness, you will know the true nature of your own self - enlightenment.

hatha yoga can be used as an aid to achieve this goal - that is what it was created for - but that doesn't make it indispensable. there're even more serious philosophical/spiritual/ethical/discipinary issues involved which is what this text mostly covers apart from the philosophy.

so this book is more for those who're looking for greater spiritual/philosophical depth behind/beyond the science of hatha yoga. or for anybody who is looking for greater depth and meaning and spirituality in life even if they have never been to a yoga class. this is a seriously deep spiritual text.

btw saamkya had no place for 'God' in its philosophy. even for patanjali, yoga does not mean union with god (as per the popular interpretation) - rather the seperation of purusha from praakriti, where god *can* help.

excellent, but only for professionals.......2005-07-31

This beautiful book from the world teacher Iyengar was difficult to read, and I am teaching yoga already for 25 years. So, for me it was marvellous, but not recommended for beginners.

Herman Gielen. Holland.

The theory behind the practice.......2003-10-20

There was yoga before the time of Patanjali but it was not written down, or at least no text survives. We find elements of the practice in the Upanishads and of course in the Bhagavad Gita. But before Patanjali's codification there was no systematic text to guide the aspirant. Since then Patanjali's sutras have been translated into many languages along with commentary to elucidate the concise text, with Vyasa's commentary from the ninth century--upon which Iyengar makes some reliance--being the most important.

With the publication of this book a decade ago, B.K.S. Iyengar laid his claim to being one of the world's foremost experts not only on the practice of yoga--which he certainly is--but on its theory as well. Mark well that the bulk of what we call yoga stems from these pithy aphorisms first written down by the Indian sage Patanjali some eighteen hundred years ago.* One can see in this authoritative, comprehensive--indeed, nearly exhaustive--translation and commentary that Iyengar aspires to take his place among the great yogis of history.

For each of the 196 aphorisms (most texts have 195 omitting number 3.22 as superfluous, which Iyengar includes), Iyengar gives first the Sanskrit, then the Sanskrit in transliteration. Then he breaks down the expression into its individual words and gives an English translation of each word. Indeed he often gives several possible English equivalents for each Sanskrit word. Then he gives his English translation of the aphorism. In this way the reader can judge the fidelity of Iyengar's expression. Better yet, the reader can have reference to another translation (I have Ernest Wood's, Alistair Shearer's and Barbara Stoler Miller's in front of me, but there are many others) and compare the results, and in doing so, come to a fuller appreciation of Patanjali's sometimes enigmatic words.

Finally there are Iyengar's commentaries on each of the aphorisms, some of which cover several pages. Occasionally Iyengar gives tables for further clarification; indeed there are 18 tables and diagrams spread throughout the text. The sutras and commentary are framed with an Introduction, an Epilogue and four Appendices. There is a Glossary and an Index.

To be candid, there is more in this book than can be assimilated by most persons interested in yoga. Even the most sincere practitioners will find the information and interpretation given by Iyengar daunting. Some may also object to Iyengar's non-secular presentation. While he stops short of calling yoga a religion, it is only the word "religion" that is left out! Iyengar makes his position clear from the opening sutra which he translates as "With prayers for divine blessings, now begins an exposition of the sacred art of yoga." Usually this opening statement is rendered simply as, "Now, instruction in yoga." In the Sanskrit there are only three words. Iyengar even identifies Patanjali as "an evolved soul incarnated of his own will to help humanity" who has "assumed human form, experienced our sorrow and joys, and learned to transcend them." (p. 1)

Clearly Iyengar is taking a more spiritual position in this book than he took in his famous treatise on hatha yoga, Light on Yoga, first published in 1965, although even there he calls yoga "the true union of our will with the will of God."

Personally, I have no problem with this. Properly understood, yoga is a religion if one so desires; and properly understood yoga is not a religion if that is what is appropriate. Most authorities believe that yoga works best as an adjunct to religion so that one can practice yoga and remain devout in one's own faith; in fact this is the usual practice. Furthermore, the emphasis here, as in all of Iyengar's work, is on the practical and the non-sectarian so that Iyengar's yoga is accessible and appropriate for persons of all faiths, and is in negation of none.

I should add that from the spiritual yogi's point of view the idea of God is not personal. Although Patanjali refers to Isvara as our Lord and as God, many authorities believe that this is an inexplicit augmentation of his text that one may take or leave as one sees fit. Indeed most yogis who embrace God embrace a God similar to the God of the Vedas; that is a God that is Ineffable about which nothing can be said, a God beyond any human comprehension, a God without any attributes that we could name.

By the way, Patanjali's yoga is often referred to as astanga yoga (astanga meaning "eight-limbed") because there are eight limbs or steps leading to liberation. It is also called raja yoga, the so-called king's yoga that comes after one has mastered the preliminaries of hatha yoga. More correctly however, hatha yoga and raja yoga are both integral parts of Patanjali's program with the purely physical aspects including asana and pranayama being mentioned but without any exposition. It wasn't until the middle ages and such works as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Svatmarama that hatha yoga gained prominence as something separate.

There are four other yogas that have come down to us from ancient times that should not be confused with Patanjali's yoga. They are bhakti yoga, the yoga of faith and devotion; karma yoga, the yoga of selfless work; jnana yoga, the yoga of knowledge; and tantric yoga, the mystical yoga of self-indulgence. All but the latter are mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita.

*Iyengar identifies Patanjali with the grammarian who lived some four hundred years earlier, but this is more of a traditional understanding than it is historical; most scholars including Georg Feuerstein and Mircea Eliade believe that Patanjali the grammarian and Patanjali the author of the Yoga Sutras are different persons who lived at different times.

Bottom line: this is as close to an essential work on Patanjali as I have read. Any serious aspirant should have this book and study it.

The Light of the Soul, Its Science and Effects: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with Commentary by Alice A. Bailey

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Looks like a consistent framework for finding your Self
The Light of the Soul: Truly
Clearly Theosophy Garbage
The Science of the Path
The Light of the Soul

The Light of the Soul, Its Science and Effects: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with Commentary by Alice A. Bailey
Alice A. Bailey
Manufacturer: Lucis Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Looks like a consistent framework for finding your Self.......2006-04-26

My first commented version on The Yoga Sutras.
I enjoyed it very much. It gives a very structured overview of the process of "Union with the Soul". Your Soul.

Yes, I guess it is from a western point of view only using some Hindu terms. Yes, I guess it is from a "Theosophy" source.
But frankly, up till now I am not worried by that.

For one, Ms. Bailey gives quotes from several other (probably old) commented translations mentioned in her bibliography. This paints a picture consistent with my earlier experiences: "who the hell are we to say which one is the right one"? Among Hindu you also have numerous "sects" with very subtle differences of opinion. Can you tell? I can't. By all means: read multiple versions if you want to get in and pick the one that gives you the best feeling.

I am not worried by the Theosophy part.
Yes, it's in there, but I don't think it is substantial.
I can read and I am not stupid. Several statements refer to Theosophy internal history (or when reference is made to "Christian Science") and I am sorry to say I just skip these as "irrelevant". There are statements in there about "Atlantis" and the like, but again I am not worried yet. My "Inconsistent!" bells have not started ringing yet, so I take these as "a statement" and I go on. But again, this is not substantial.

There is plenty of value in the Sutras, but don't expect a checklist with steps numbered 1 - 51. Work has to be done.
This is the only thing that counts: work done by you.

Respect for Patanjali.
And for Alice Bailey and D.K.

The Light of the Soul: Truly.......2004-09-02

Brilliant and enlightening.

This version of translation and commentary of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is by far the most profound, contradicting none of the other commentaries but is further clarifying the timeless teaching of this extraordinary scripture.

Both the paraphrasing and commentary is geared toward a form of presentation of the teaching's inherent meaning that is clearly understandable to western minds, as much in terms of abstract knowledge as in pointing out its practical usefulness in everyday living.

The book presupposes some basic understanding of the eightfold path of yoga along with some esoteric insight or at least serious interest but even without the former it can be deeply enlightening to the earnest student as it can supply ample food for thought to those who are as yet at the stage of genuine curiosity.

Raja yoga is both the science and the path of the higher mind, leading one progressively onward and inward toward a deeper realization of one's self, a better understanding of reality, toward peace, contentment and a more harmonious relationship with other members of the human family.

This book is a deep study and reference material for advanced students but it can also inform the beginner and enlighten the seeker of truth at any stage in between.

Clearly Theosophy Garbage.......2004-03-11

It was SHOCKING to me when I saw the rating of this book at Amazon. This is the worst book I have come across concerning the Yogasutras of Pantanjali so far. The writer (Alice) puts it in a Theosophy framework and as such, the end result is full of garbage. Consider...

"All the various Yogas have had their place in the unfoldment of the human being. In the first purely physical race, which is called the Lemurian, the Yoga at that time imposed upon infant humanity was Hatha Yoga, ....

etc. ...

In Atlantean days, the progress of the sons of men was procured through the imposition of two Yogas....

etc. ....

1. Belief. On his own plane the soul rehearses a condition analogous to the belief of the aspirant in the soul or Christ aspect, only in this case the objective is the realisation of that which the Christ or soul is seeking to reveal, the spirit or Father in Heaven. First the disciple arrives at a realisation of the angel of His Presence, the solar angel, ego or soul....

etc. ..."

and numerous references to the Christian Bible and also Theosophy ideas. Get the picture?

The Science of the Path.......2002-12-26

The Light of the Soul is a very able translation and commentary on the teachings of one of the greatest spiritual teachers the world has seen - Patanjali. The book will be of vital interest to those who have found the reality of the spiritual path within themselves.

The Light of the Soul consists of 4 books of sutras, each book being a continuation of the teaching of the last book. The teaching covers the greater part of that path, starting from when we first recognise its existence. The entire approach of the sutras is a mental and deeply spiritual one. It outlines the practical, though inner, steps that the spiritual seeker must take in order to move from one point to the next. Much of the text is about how to spiritualise the mind (and our entire self using the mind correctly) and prepare ourselves for this spiritual transformation.

That all this is in abbreviated form in one book is a test for those who would study it, as it takes a great sense of proportion, discipline and gentle patience to tread the path with care and a sense of direction and purpose at each point. It is too easy (and fruitless) to flit here to there, grasping some interesting ideas, and then moving on again.

The sutras are to be taken as objects for our deepest contemplation and by no means should the reader limit themselves to the commentary given. The commentary is there as a guide only, for those who find it helpful.

The Light of the Soul is an explanation of how to make this divine light a living, practical reality in our lives. No spiritual person, truly interested in treading the spiritual path, should be without this book.

The Light of the Soul.......2001-09-11

This book is a paraphrasing of the "Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali," as understood by Alice Bailey. The Sutras are the basis of Raja Yoga, which is the Science of the Soul, hence the title, "The Light of the Soul." The 51 Sutras are explained in Book I. Book II consists of a description of the steps that lead to Union, i.e., the means of attaining that state which has been traditionally called the "mystical union" in Christian faiths. The results of this Union are shared in Book III by explaining another 55 Sutras. The last Book, # IV, is by far the most difficult to understand since it treats of ILLUMINATION, a state unattainable by man. The 4 Books are bound into one: "The Light of the Soul."

A re-appraisal of Patanjali's Yoga-sutras in the light of the Buddha's teaching

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A re-appraisal of Patanjali's Yoga-sutras in the light of the Buddha's teaching
S. N Tandon
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The science of yoga;: A commentary on the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali in the light of modern thought, (A Quest book)

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The science of yoga;: A commentary on the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali in the light of modern thought, (A Quest book)
I. K Taimni
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Aphorisms on Spiritual Method: The "Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali" in the Light of Mystical Experience

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Aphorisms on Spiritual Method: The "Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali" in the Light of Mystical Experience
J. H. M. Whiteman
Manufacturer: Colin Smythe
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Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0861403541

The Light of the Soul : The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

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The Light of the Soul : The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Alice A Bailey
Manufacturer: Luce Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MNKEXI

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LIGHT ON THE YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI
B K S Iyengar
Manufacturer: Thorsons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8U5FS

The Science of Yoga: a Commentary on the Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali in the Light of Modern Thought

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The Science of Yoga: a Commentary on the Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali in the Light of Modern Thought
I.K. Taimni
Manufacturer: The Theosophical Publishing House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QX4XWC

Light of the Soul, The: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

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Light of the Soul, The: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Alice Bailey
Manufacturer: Lucis Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KY6CBM

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Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
B K S Iyengar
Manufacturer: THORSONS (HCOL)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1J1EA

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