Yoga Sutras of Patañjali

This book is nothing short of a miracle. If I may be allowed to beat an old, worn cliche to death a little more: the one book (if I could only bring one) that I'd bring to that fabled desert island: Yes, this one. Bryant is a brilliant scholar and an amazing communicator. When it comes to relaying intricate and sometimes conflicting views about esoteric angles of abstruse subjects, care (above all else) is called for, and Bryant cares, cares very deeply to get the point across as clearly and as vividly as possible; and he succeeds in this nearly impossible task. Yoga, of course, is so much more than stretching and sitting exercises to limber us up (as we in the west normally view the subject). Posture takes up less than one percent of Patanjali's Sutras, the rest is devoted to meditation and spiritual liberation. The East Indians have been at this for a long time, and there is a lot to learn and know about this subject. Patanjali, around 400 CE, sat down to summarize what he knew at that point (recalling all teachings from the Upanishads forward) about walking this path, and he did an amazing, if concise, job of it. Following Patanjali, several commentators did their best to clarify and illustrate Patanjali's often cryptic statement. Bryant uses not only Patanjali's Sutras, but also avails himself of the major commentators' clarifications as well, and so reconciles this stream of knowledge into a coherent whole that really, yes, really makes sense and is proving very helpful to me as a meditator, even though I'm mostly of the Theravada persuasion. I urge whoever will read this book to read it slowly and carefully. It all makes perfect sense, but does take some careful digesting. I actually read my Kindle version while I used the glossary in my paper version to keep reminding me of the various Sanskrit words used. It was worth the effort. As I said, this book is a miracle, nothing short of that, and I could not recommend it more. Ulf Wolf

Totally impressive! It's not easy to bridge the gap between academics and the general public, and this is a great attempt. I guess I have a couple of questions after reading the intro and some of rest. 1. I didn't really understand Bryant's statement that Patanjali's God, Ishvara, is probably Brahman, the monist God of the Upanishads. Scholars have pointed out a distinction between Patanjali's, or at least Sankhya’s, dualist system, and the monist view of Brahman. So this is a little perplexing. 2. Bryant makes the wonderful and I think accurate point that in the Samkhya/Yoga system it is Prakrti, not Purusa, that needs to be "enlightened", but sometimes the terminology gets confusing. For instance he later writes something like "consciousness can't see itself clearly when Prakrti is disturbed" It seems like he's talking about Purusa when he uses the word "consciousness," but it doesn't follow that Puruṣa will ever have a misperception. So, it would help to clarify this—idk, maybe I just need to look in the glossary, or read more carefully, but I wish the terminology was clearer. Bryant's assessment of Vedic culture is also a bit..well, unjustified. I mean, I just don't see how people singing songs praising water, the dawn, the earth, sky, and heavens, and so forth, can be called "consumerists" or "over-consumerists." They are basically asking for rain, children, long lives, and a good future life. There's nothing blameworthy in this. And the book misrepresents what some Upanisads actually say about the Vedic ritual. It's perhaps interesting to consider the social circumstances in which the Sutras and Samkhya developed, but a more likely source of dissatisfaction is to be found in the epics, especially the Mahabharata, which Bryant also discusses quite a bit. There, it's the battlefield that leads the heroes to seek out yoga. That aside, it is so great to see this book! I'm impressed with it and so glad he published it!

I am thoroughly enjoying this translation. I am currently also reading the classic Thibaut translation is the Vedanta Sutras with commentary by Shankara and I can say that without a doubt, this reads much easier. For those who found this commentary dry or impenetrable, I wonder if they read the great introduction that explains the Yoga sutras in context of the philosophical systems of ancient India or in other words, the greater historical culture of the Yoga sutras. There are also convenient chapter summaries that are collected at the end of the book that you can read to get into the mindset for reading a chapter. I particularly like how Bryant commits to the repeated uses of the Sanskrit terms and doesn’t depend on English words that fail to catch the subtle differences of meaning between the two languages. This encourages the reader to leave at the door their presuppositions and prejudices that they carry unknowingly being dependent on English. Another great thing is that Bryant explains not only the standard Vyasa commentary, but also connects it to many other commentators including the previously mentioned Shankara, who was a Vedantin and not a Yogin. Bryant will even connect the Sutras in similarity and contrast to Buddhism. Giving context to the different commentaries is essential because in the classic commentaries themselves there are a lot more esoteric and foreign references to scripture, mythology, and other thinkers that aren’t as explicitly explained. I think this book is most valuable for those who might not have been aware of the philosophical depth of the culture of Yoga. Bryant is oftentimes critical of the mass commercial culture that has appropriated Yoga and I think his translation and commentary is perfect for those who want to take the time and explore the ideas unique to Western thought and develop a deeper understanding of what goes into any action, practice, or lifestyle. For those who just want a feel good shallow explication of Yoga that satisfies the minimal threshold of what it is to be “cultural”, then reading any set of Sutras and their commentary is going to disappointing anyway. And for all their complaints about it being too academic, I think that based on a certain prejudice of what “academic” is to them. Because this does not read at all like a philological text or western philosophical treatise.

This is advanced! This translation uses lots of sanskrit terms throughout the book so make sure you're paying attention when they introduce a new one. I find it easiest to read with a notepad next to me so I can reference common words that they use. Nonetheless, it all started with Patanjali, so it's worth muscling through it. If you're ready to learn more about yoga and what's behind those classes you take at the gym every week, this will be eye opening. You might be surprised to learn that the physical poses (asanas) in yoga are only 1 of 8 (eight!) parts of practicing yoga. Expand your own practice and acquire some interesting factoids to share with your yogi friends.

I have read and studied several translations and commentaries of the Yoga Sutras over the last eighteen years and Doctor Bryant’s book is far and away the most thorough and scholarly. The book is extremely well researched and draws on many traditional translations of this work and associated philosophical material. In Bryant’s own words, at location 1098 on kindle (there is no page numbering on kindle for this book): “For this commentary, I read Vyasas commentary in the Sanskrit and used this as the springboard for my own commentary. For the other later commentaries…I availed myself of various English translations in determining which material to extract for this commentary, for which I then consulted the original Sanskrit.” For some of the sutras, Bryant’s commentaries extend for dozens of swipes of the screen. I am using this text as my primary teaching tool for an informal class I am giving on the Yoga Sutras at a local bookstore. This is not easy reading, but if you want to go deeply into the subject and have questions answered that you did not even realize that you had, then this is the book for you.

I am new to the Yoga Sutras and I almost got another version before I chose this one. It is a very dense book and I don't believe it is the best one for beginners. It is very academic in its treatment of the Sutras. There is a lot of original words that are used to explain concepts and you have to hunt down their meanings to comprehend what is being said. While I am sure this is a great book for a more advanced practitioner, for a beginner I would get a more easier to read treatment. I am going to have to order the original one I had looked at as I think it is better understood.

I had the pleasure of meeting the author and he lives by all the principles he speaks of in the book. This life practice has allowed Dr. B to write the best modern commentary that exists, and this is what Swami sarvapriyanada said. Trust me it’s the most legit ashtanga and rajya yoga book. It’s not easy but it’s all you need. It’s the one book that rules them all. All your answers are in here but the literature is not easy, requires a good amount of background knowledge or active research while reading. However all good books should do that.

Edwin Bryant is brilliant! Encyclopedic but not pedantic. I have read books on Indian philological texts by many Indian authors. But I have not come across such heady concoction of scholarship, spirituality, lucidity and structure. The idea of giving the chapter wise summaries and only the sutras and translations at the end, is very reader friendly.

I've read several translations of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, including Satchidananda's, but this version is the most complete, in-depth and applicable by far. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop, and, more importantly, my meditation practice experience has deepened to levels I had never reached in the 20 or so years that I have been meditating. I ordered the Kindle version, which is perfectly fine, but I'm referring to the text so frequently that I'm ordering a physical copy. Thanks Bryant!

Bryant's commentary of the Yoga Sutras Edwin Bryant's translation and commentary of the Yoga Sutras certainly the best I have encountered and possibly the best available. Any curious reader would just read the other reviews to receive a good idea of the merits of Bryant's work. It is simply brilliant. The most beneficial aspect of his commentary is that he demystifies the sutras to where they are intelligible to the modern reader. No prior philosophical or religious knowledge or special preparation is necessary; a reader having no experience with the YS will receive as much from the work as one who has read a shelf-full of commentaries trying to make sense of the sutras. And he does de-mystify the sutras. The commentary contains a clear exposition on the Samkhya philosophy and how it relates to the sutras. He explains that the sutras are intimately linked with Samkhya such that the purpose of the eight limbs of yoga is to achieve the final dissolution of mind (microcosm), after the evolution of the manifest world when purusa makes contact with prakrti (microcosm). Other commentators cannot see the forest for the trees, and are too much concerned with the minutia to mention this important aspect of the YS. This is a godsend. The translation is excellent and the commentary is illuminating. It is highly recommended.

This book is nothing short of a miracle. If I may be allowed to beat an old, worn cliche to death a little more: the one book (if I could only bring one) that I'd bring to that fabled desert island: Yes, this one. Bryant is a brilliant scholar and an amazing communicator. When it comes to relaying intricate and sometimes conflicting views about esoteric angles of abstruse subjects, care (above all else) is called for, and Bryant cares, cares very deeply to get the point across as clearly and as vividly as possible; and he succeeds in this nearly impossible task. Yoga, of course, is so much more than stretching and sitting exercises to limber us up (as we in the west normally view the subject). Posture takes up less than one percent of Patanjali's Sutras, the rest is devoted to meditation and spiritual liberation. The East Indians have been at this for a long time, and there is a lot to learn and know about this subject. Patanjali, around 400 CE, sat down to summarize what he knew at that point (recalling all teachings from the Upanishads forward) about walking this path, and he did an amazing, if concise, job of it. Following Patanjali, several commentators did their best to clarify and illustrate Patanjali's often cryptic statement. Bryant uses not only Patanjali's Sutras, but also avails himself of the major commentators' clarifications as well, and so reconciles this stream of knowledge into a coherent whole that really, yes, really makes sense and is proving very helpful to me as a meditator, even though I'm mostly of the Theravada persuasion. I urge whoever will read this book to read it slowly and carefully. It all makes perfect sense, but does take some careful digesting. I actually read my Kindle version while I used the glossary in my paper version to keep reminding me of the various Sanskrit words used. It was worth the effort. As I said, this book is a miracle, nothing short of that, and I could not recommend it more. Ulf Wolf

Totally impressive! It's not easy to bridge the gap between academics and the general public, and this is a great attempt. I guess I have a couple of questions after reading the intro and some of rest. 1. I didn't really understand Bryant's statement that Patanjali's God, Ishvara, is probably Brahman, the monist God of the Upanishads. Scholars have pointed out a distinction between Patanjali's, or at least Sankhya’s, dualist system, and the monist view of Brahman. So this is a little perplexing. 2. Bryant makes the wonderful and I think accurate point that in the Samkhya/Yoga system it is Prakrti, not Purusa, that needs to be "enlightened", but sometimes the terminology gets confusing. For instance he later writes something like "consciousness can't see itself clearly when Prakrti is disturbed" It seems like he's talking about Purusa when he uses the word "consciousness," but it doesn't follow that Puruṣa will ever have a misperception. So, it would help to clarify this—idk, maybe I just need to look in the glossary, or read more carefully, but I wish the terminology was clearer. Bryant's assessment of Vedic culture is also a bit..well, unjustified. I mean, I just don't see how people singing songs praising water, the dawn, the earth, sky, and heavens, and so forth, can be called "consumerists" or "over-consumerists." They are basically asking for rain, children, long lives, and a good future life. There's nothing blameworthy in this. And the book misrepresents what some Upanisads actually say about the Vedic ritual. It's perhaps interesting to consider the social circumstances in which the Sutras and Samkhya developed, but a more likely source of dissatisfaction is to be found in the epics, especially the Mahabharata, which Bryant also discusses quite a bit. There, it's the battlefield that leads the heroes to seek out yoga. That aside, it is so great to see this book! I'm impressed with it and so glad he published it!

I am thoroughly enjoying this translation. I am currently also reading the classic Thibaut translation is the Vedanta Sutras with commentary by Shankara and I can say that without a doubt, this reads much easier. For those who found this commentary dry or impenetrable, I wonder if they read the great introduction that explains the Yoga sutras in context of the philosophical systems of ancient India or in other words, the greater historical culture of the Yoga sutras. There are also convenient chapter summaries that are collected at the end of the book that you can read to get into the mindset for reading a chapter. I particularly like how Bryant commits to the repeated uses of the Sanskrit terms and doesn’t depend on English words that fail to catch the subtle differences of meaning between the two languages. This encourages the reader to leave at the door their presuppositions and prejudices that they carry unknowingly being dependent on English. Another great thing is that Bryant explains not only the standard Vyasa commentary, but also connects it to many other commentators including the previously mentioned Shankara, who was a Vedantin and not a Yogin. Bryant will even connect the Sutras in similarity and contrast to Buddhism. Giving context to the different commentaries is essential because in the classic commentaries themselves there are a lot more esoteric and foreign references to scripture, mythology, and other thinkers that aren’t as explicitly explained. I think this book is most valuable for those who might not have been aware of the philosophical depth of the culture of Yoga. Bryant is oftentimes critical of the mass commercial culture that has appropriated Yoga and I think his translation and commentary is perfect for those who want to take the time and explore the ideas unique to Western thought and develop a deeper understanding of what goes into any action, practice, or lifestyle. For those who just want a feel good shallow explication of Yoga that satisfies the minimal threshold of what it is to be “cultural”, then reading any set of Sutras and their commentary is going to disappointing anyway. And for all their complaints about it being too academic, I think that based on a certain prejudice of what “academic” is to them. Because this does not read at all like a philological text or western philosophical treatise.

This is advanced! This translation uses lots of sanskrit terms throughout the book so make sure you're paying attention when they introduce a new one. I find it easiest to read with a notepad next to me so I can reference common words that they use. Nonetheless, it all started with Patanjali, so it's worth muscling through it. If you're ready to learn more about yoga and what's behind those classes you take at the gym every week, this will be eye opening. You might be surprised to learn that the physical poses (asanas) in yoga are only 1 of 8 (eight!) parts of practicing yoga. Expand your own practice and acquire some interesting factoids to share with your yogi friends.

I have read and studied several translations and commentaries of the Yoga Sutras over the last eighteen years and Doctor Bryant’s book is far and away the most thorough and scholarly. The book is extremely well researched and draws on many traditional translations of this work and associated philosophical material. In Bryant’s own words, at location 1098 on kindle (there is no page numbering on kindle for this book): “For this commentary, I read Vyasas commentary in the Sanskrit and used this as the springboard for my own commentary. For the other later commentaries…I availed myself of various English translations in determining which material to extract for this commentary, for which I then consulted the original Sanskrit.” For some of the sutras, Bryant’s commentaries extend for dozens of swipes of the screen. I am using this text as my primary teaching tool for an informal class I am giving on the Yoga Sutras at a local bookstore. This is not easy reading, but if you want to go deeply into the subject and have questions answered that you did not even realize that you had, then this is the book for you.

I am new to the Yoga Sutras and I almost got another version before I chose this one. It is a very dense book and I don't believe it is the best one for beginners. It is very academic in its treatment of the Sutras. There is a lot of original words that are used to explain concepts and you have to hunt down their meanings to comprehend what is being said. While I am sure this is a great book for a more advanced practitioner, for a beginner I would get a more easier to read treatment. I am going to have to order the original one I had looked at as I think it is better understood.

I had the pleasure of meeting the author and he lives by all the principles he speaks of in the book. This life practice has allowed Dr. B to write the best modern commentary that exists, and this is what Swami sarvapriyanada said. Trust me it’s the most legit ashtanga and rajya yoga book. It’s not easy but it’s all you need. It’s the one book that rules them all. All your answers are in here but the literature is not easy, requires a good amount of background knowledge or active research while reading. However all good books should do that.

Edwin Bryant is brilliant! Encyclopedic but not pedantic. I have read books on Indian philological texts by many Indian authors. But I have not come across such heady concoction of scholarship, spirituality, lucidity and structure. The idea of giving the chapter wise summaries and only the sutras and translations at the end, is very reader friendly.

I've read several translations of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, including Satchidananda's, but this version is the most complete, in-depth and applicable by far. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop, and, more importantly, my meditation practice experience has deepened to levels I had never reached in the 20 or so years that I have been meditating. I ordered the Kindle version, which is perfectly fine, but I'm referring to the text so frequently that I'm ordering a physical copy. Thanks Bryant!

Bryant's commentary of the Yoga Sutras Edwin Bryant's translation and commentary of the Yoga Sutras certainly the best I have encountered and possibly the best available. Any curious reader would just read the other reviews to receive a good idea of the merits of Bryant's work. It is simply brilliant. The most beneficial aspect of his commentary is that he demystifies the sutras to where they are intelligible to the modern reader. No prior philosophical or religious knowledge or special preparation is necessary; a reader having no experience with the YS will receive as much from the work as one who has read a shelf-full of commentaries trying to make sense of the sutras. And he does de-mystify the sutras. The commentary contains a clear exposition on the Samkhya philosophy and how it relates to the sutras. He explains that the sutras are intimately linked with Samkhya such that the purpose of the eight limbs of yoga is to achieve the final dissolution of mind (microcosm), after the evolution of the manifest world when purusa makes contact with prakrti (microcosm). Other commentators cannot see the forest for the trees, and are too much concerned with the minutia to mention this important aspect of the YS. This is a godsend. The translation is excellent and the commentary is illuminating. It is highly recommended.

I read this entire book in a class on the history of yoga. One thing I suggest is to flip to the back and read each of the padas as a whole FIRST and then read them with the commentaries. I learned a lot but it would have been difficult to interpret a lot of it without the class.

I have it in both print and Kindle edition for the lookups on the road. It's easy enough for the novice and is full of commentary and history for those who want to dive in. I fluctuate between both of those on any given day. I keep going back to it and I probably will for the rest of my life. Thank you for making this so accessible. I can't thank you enough. On my bucket list is to take a Yoga Sutra course with Edwin Bryant! But a long one so we can actually dive and digest.

Edwin F. Bryant’s translation of and extensive commentary on Patanjali’s “Yoga Sutras” is highly recommended for any Yoga practitioner or Eastern Thought enthusiast. Reading this complex book is a Commitment. This book helped me navigate the more esoteric realms of Yoga and Eastern Thought as well as changed me in the process.

This book text was printed with low resolution dot matrix which makes it very hard to read. This takes 1/2 the amount of ink that regular print takes. The publisher was trying to save $? Just Unacceptable and disappointing. I just received it and will return it due to this low print quality. Who even prints books like this anymore?!

It you want a highly intelligent and clear explanation of The Yoga Sutras without all of the academic dialogue and unhelpful commentary .....this is book s your best choice. I bought 3 copies of it to give to my friends who are ready to read it.

The Yoga Sutras is the pulsing core of the practice of Yoga - which is much more in-depth than the mere asana/postures that are so very popular in the West. Unfortunately, the original sutras are presented in an extremely simplistic fashion, meant to be "unpacked" by a long-time teacher, according to the traditional Indian system. Because of this, there are countless translations + commentaries of the The Yoga Sutras available in-print today (2 of which I've read + reviewed before). Edwin Bryant's interpretation of the Yoga Sutras is nothing short of remarkable. Along with his own intelligent perspective (backed by 30+ years of study), Bryant also includes insights from "traditional" commentators who "unpacked" the Yoga Sutras thousands of years ago. Perhaps even more important, he includes detailed information on the spiritual/religious lineage that Yoga developed from; a background in the metaphysics that underpin all Yogic concepts; + comparisons in how Yoga differs from other spiritual lineages that developed from the same root beliefs, including Buddhism. There is a lot on conflicting information about what Yoga really is, especially due to the rise of importance to asana over the past few decades. If you're looking to take your physical practice to a whole other level (it involves a lot less moving), this book will crack open your mind to all that Yoga has to offer, along with challenging your spiritual + scientific beliefs. If you have never read a translation of the Yoga Sutras, this book may be overwhelming, unless you really love diving deep right off the bat. This book is truly vital reading for Yoga teachers of all "types" of Yoga - it takes us back to "our roots" + reminds us why we practice (spoiler: it doesn't involved flat abs or tight buns).

This meticulous work includes word-for-word synonyms along with the translations. The commentary sections provide lucid explanations of concepts and present differing perspectives from various commentators through the ages. The footnotes provide leads in case you want to follow up on a particular view. An appendix includes all the sutras without commentary, for ease of recitation. The systematic exposition does everything possible to facilitate the smooth unfolding of knowledge in the reader, while still respectfully including a variety of possible interpretations. I recommend it for anyone who's considering deepening their practice of ashtanga yoga (the variety of yoga that is commonly seen today in yoga studios everywhere). I especially recommend this book to anyone interested in meditation. You get the wisdom of full-strength teachings here. The book empowers you to decide for yourself which teachings and interpretations are most helpful to integrate and apply in your own practice. You can come back to it again and again as you progress along your path and find different parts newly relevant.

I purchased this book a few years ago, and am just now reviewing it. It has been one that I have referred back to a number of times, and recommended. The author includes thought and commentary from many of the original commentators of the Yoga Sutras over the years, and assembles a lot of information in an extremely useful, and well-thought-out book. The only criticism I have is that the book is yellowing after only a few years, and I wish it were a larger book, hardcover even, as the print is small, and, because I have read and referenced it so much, it has worn out. But that's a compliment too!

The Yoga Sutras is the foundational text of the Vedic philosophy of yoga. It is hard to come by a translation of the Yoga Sutra that does justice to the depth and scope of the original work. Too often, nowadays, it seems that translators are more interested in promoting their interpretations of the text rather than representing the intentions of the original author. As a result, the translator often ends up obscuring the clarity of the original sutras with over-intellectualized or over-interpreted concepts. Enter Edwin Bryant, with his authoritative translation, complete with his own commentary as well as the most revered commentators of the Yoga Sutras, such as Vyasa and Hariharananda. Edwin Bryant is a consummate scholar with expertise in Sanskrit, vedic philosophy and Krishna devotion. Yet, he does not let his own commentary get in the way of the simple power of Patanjali's text. He provides the sutra in its original Sanskrit along with a romanized transliteration, and a word-by-word translation. His concise and simple translation remains close to the terseness of the original sutras, rather than flying off into poetic renditions as some modern translations would do. He then includes quite lengthy excerpts from a handful of major commentators from the tradition, ranging from the most ancient (Vyasa, whose Bhyasa is almost considered as canonical as the Sutra themselves) to the most recent (Swami Hariharananda). He also has a brilliant introduction which helps to provide context for the Yoga Sutras within Indian philosophy and history. Overall, I love this book. I have taken it on several international trips and the density of material, as well as the engaging writing style, continue to enrich my experience of the Yoga Sutras. As a yoga teacher, a studio owner, and a teacher trainer, I highly recommend Edwin Bryant's translation of the Yoga Sutras as the go-to version for the modern scholar-practitioner.

This is not my favorite translation of the Sutras, but it is the best commentary that I have ever encountered, and I probably have a dozen of them on my bookshelves at home. This is very detailed, carefully thought out, and includes translation of prior canonical commentaries so that you really get a sense of the context in which the sutras exist in hindu thought and yoga practice. I definitely recommend this book.

Bryant draws heavily from all of the historical commentators in his own commentary, which gives the reader the advantage of seeing how the concepts of yoga have developed over time. Well written and presented with excellent scholarship. A must-have text for serious students of yoga.

Bryant is a serious student of Indian Philosophy, and this is a serious, and highly comprehensive analysis of the Sutras. He draws not only on the seminal commentary of Vyasa, but several of the other important commentaries through the ages. The translations are generally quite good, and he briefly includes an important history of yoga, Sankhya philosophy and the treatment of the Sutras through time. The commentary can be long and involved, but for those dedicated to a more serious study of the text, it is clear, balanced and digestible.

This book will help me in my study of yoga. Even though it is used, the condition is very acceptable.

A lot to take in. A book to be read again and again

👍

This translation and commentary far exceeded my expectations. I am grateful for Edwin Bryant's accessible writing and clear explanation of concepts that were difficult for my mind to grasp without his wisdom.

This book was amazing, My professor criticized Bryant a lot because he appears to give biased commentary (being a follower of Lord Vishnu). I actually this and resonated with it a lot.

I have had please to learn about Hindu philosophy from this author as a teach in Rutgers University. After taking his class, I read this book and I just couldn't put it down. This book has views of different philosophers from ancient India about each yoga sutra. In addition, Dr.Bryant has added his interpretation to it and it makes it such a practical read. I try to live my life using this principles and it has helped me significantly.

This book is probably wonderful - I bought it based upon the whopping reviews and when it arrived I received a whopping book! It appears to be extremely thorough, academic, and undoubtedly profound... just make sure you are ready for a thick book of college level delving into the Yoga Sutras or you may, like me, buy more than you bargained for! It is my first copy so I have nothing to recommend in its place and am keeping it for the day it is right for me to explore; until then I hope to come across a copy that is more for a gentle introduction ... so this is my review please forgive me if I review it based upon my uneducated expectations of what was to come... and once again I am not speaking against this body of work which seems of the highest quality - just make sure you want that level of study. thank you!

As a student of Indian philosophical systems, I find this book really good. It contains the translations of various interpretations of Patanjali Sutra's along with the author's commentary. I have read more than a couple of books on yoga sutras , I was searching for another good commentary and I found this.

I actually wrote to Dr. Bryant some years ago after reading his YSoP in print and begged him to have his publisher make this jewel available on Kindle. Finally, I have a portable copy on my iPad. This is genius - a contemporary presentation on the ancient wisdom of yoga. Much needed in this day and age where the yoga of the masses is nothing more than commercialized stretching and exercise. As a yoga teacher of some years, with a deep understanding of yogic and Tantric philosophy, I find that Bryant brings to the curious a magnificent presentation of what yoga really is: meditation on the nature of the self, beyond the mundane of the mind, body and emotions. With so many capitalizing on the new-age bs of what has become a multi-billion dollar business, Bryant masterfully brings yoga back to its origin - a science and practice devoted to the realization of the Immortal Self.

As i expected :-)

Having read many commentaries of Patanjali over the past 40 years I am thrilled to have Bryant's scholarly yet accessible version. I enjoy it so much I have it both as a kindle version and book form. It is enhancing my understanding in new ways.

The size is daunting but the scholarship of the commentary seems impressive. As a layperson I found it NOT to be dry or boring, as you might expect, but engaging. The commentary illuminates Patanjali's aphorisms in a way that resonates and expands the original. The historical context provided helps me understand the background and intent of the yoga sutras as well. There are a lot of commentaries out there but I would recommend this to anyone interested in yoga, newbie or experienced.

Thoroughly enjoyable; written in plain and lucid language with lots of references for more readings

I am about 1/3 of the way into the book. The translation and depth of the commentary are excellent thus far. I would highly recommend this version to to both novice and scholar.

An incredibly incite full & transitional read. The author draws upon many prolific references other than the sutras and this is not an easy read but, do not skip to only the dominant sutras because many clarifications are within the others. I cannot think of any other books that have helped me to go deeper into Yoga, and to start to see the bigger picture.

It has commentary

recommend it

Arrived in perfect condition; terrific new translation!

Serious yoga practitioners need seek no further than this fascinating and inspiring translation and commentary. While not the easiest version of the Yoga Sutras to read, its virtues more than compensate for the difficulty. Prof. Bryant's comprehensive knowledge of Indian philosophy, fidelity to the intent of the text (without the usual filtering to suit various Western prejudices and agendas) and passionate fondness for this material lift this version far above any others. The glossary and index of Sanskrit terms are themselves worth the price. Read this book in small chunks, take your time, and it will amply repay your efforts.

Great one to have I like having several copies but if I had a desert island sutra this would be it Classic interpretations with Mr Bryant's own very detailed commentaries

I thought I would write a few words just to state very succinctly my views on the fundamental philosophical content of the Yoga Sutras. I believe that, like every other ideological system in the world (well, except perhaps Nazism), Patanjali Yoga is a partial truth - part right, part wrong. Right in that true and lasting happiness can only be sought in the Beyond (by whatever name you prefer to call It); wrong in that one has to become completely disconnected from the world (or Prakriti, in Yogic parlance) in order to live in the Beyond. The Yoga Sutras may (I'm not sure on this point) also be correct in claiming that complete disassociation from the world is an indispensable preliminary step towards reaching the Beyond - but such utter disassociation cannot be the final goal of our existence. As a human being with sympathy in my heart towards other creatures, I simply have a very hard time accepting that. But all this is, of course, theoretical, and like Bryant indicates at various points in his book: the Yoga Sutras were originally meant as a manual for practitioners, not as food for discussion and dissection by pedantic philosophers (my words, not his), so maybe I should just shut my gob . . . (Oh, and by the way: Bryant's book is excellent: lucid, to-the-point and erudite for the sake of clarification, not mere gratuitous erudition. No ponderous and nebulous academic mumbo-jumbo here). Namaste!

Until the English language evolves to the point where Dr. Bryant's lucid, beautiful prose is badly dated, I am willing to venture that this will be the definitive English rendering of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. I was blessed to take a number of courses with Dr. Bryant as an undergraduate at Rutgers, and so I purchased this book immediately when it was first released, and it has been what I expected -- excellent scholarship, illuminating comparative and analytical perspective, beautifully written and always true to the essential meaning, without glossing nuance. It is rare a work improves in translation and also faithfully retains the original meaning, but that is what Dr. Bryant accomplishes here -- this edition takes me far beyond any other source and my view of the Patanjali's teaching is meaningfully deepened each time I consult it again. The only thing wrong with it is that it may take some years yet until there is a worthy translation of this work into other languages! Dr. Bryant -- a deeply heartfelt thank you.

Well written easy to understand compare to other translations of the YS. Highly recommend it.

The translations are clear, if tending toward the conservative. The analysis seems to be done by someone with little non-acedemic experience.

Loved the book but I ordered wrong Author

There's a growing selection of commentaries on the Yoga Sutras but this one stands out as a useful crossover between more scholarly texts and those aimed at more 'everyday' students. Edwin Bryant has chosen a selection of classical commentaries to reference in his own commentary, including Vyasa and Vijnanabhiksu, making this an invaluable 'one stop shop' for reference. In addition to the commentary on the Yoga Sutras, this book includes a useful history of yoga, placing it in context with the Vedic Period, Upanisads, Mahabharata and Sanhkya. Also included is an explanation of the subject matter of the Yoga Sutras and in the Appendix, a transliteration and translation of the Yoga Sutras. Apart from the overall quality of this text, what you get represents real value for money! Although I've only recently received my copy, I can see that this book is likely to become my 'go to' for the Yoga Sutras. However, it's less likely to become the copy that I take to the Yoga Sutra group I go to but only because the sometimes extensive commentary on individual sutras makes it too unwieldy for reference in the class situation. In my opinion, this is a book to savour when you have time to sit with it, absorb and contemplate the commentary properly. In summary, Edwin Bryant's commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali should be on the bookshelf of any serious yoga student.

For the serious student of yoga. A scholarly take.

The translation is not quite perfect. The commentary seems scholarly and useful. This presentation of Patañjali's yoga sūtras by Edwin Francis Bryant is pretty good, but I prefer the Iqbal Kishen Taimni translation, which I bought in around 1970 (for $1.95 from the Theosophical Society bookshop in Adelaide). About half of the Bryant translations of individual sutras seem to be not quite right, although I know little about Sanskrit. The translations don't even match his own word-by-word vocabulary notes. Here's a random sample, sutra 1.21. "Tīvra-samvegānām āsannah." [I've missed out a couple of accents which I can't type.] Here is the Bryant translation. "[This state of samprajñāta] is near for those who apply themselves intensely." Here is the Taimni translation. "It (Samādhi) is nearest to those whose desire (for Samādhi) is intensely strong." But Bryant writes that "tīvra" means "keen", and that "samvegānām" means "for those with intensity", while Taimni says that "Tīvra-samvegānām" means "of those whose wish is extremely strong". But Bryant has inserted the word "apply", which gives a rather different meaning. Intense application is not the same as intense desire. This would be a very minor matter if this was rare. But my comparison of the two translations suggests that the Bryant version has avoidable inaccuracies for roughly 50% of sutras. The word-for-word translations of both authors are very similar, but the Bryant whole-sentence translations do not match so well with his word-by-word translations. Let me give another example, probably the most important of the sutras, in my humble opinion, namely sutra 1.2. Bryant translation: "Yoga is the stilling of the changing states of the mind." Taimni translation: "Yoga is the inhibition of the modifications of the mind." The Taimni translation seems preferable and more accurate to me. It seems fairly clear that Bryant has done a bit of modernizing and personal interpretation in the translations. Of course, the commentary is whatever the commentator wants to say. But the translation should be accurate. My number one principle of translation is that the translator should try to give readers the same understanding that they would obtain if they were fluent in the source language. The Bryant commentary (as opposed to the translation) seems very good and useful to me. He refers to multiple interpretations by named authors, and makes cross-references to other Indian literature, which the Taimni commentary does not do very well at all. My personal suggestion would be that anyone who wants to make sense of Patañjali's yoga sūtras should read both translations and commentaries side by side. They are so different that by combining them, I think it should be possible to get much more meaning than with either one. The Taimni translation and commentary is currently available on Amazon as a

Great book.

Love it so far Am using it to rekindle my deep interest in the sutra to augment my practice Highly recommend it to all who follow the path.

This is the most serious, deepest, rendition of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. If you want to get serious about the Yoga Sutras, this book is for you.

By far the best edition of the Yoga Sutra out there!

I like this version of the Sutras. Easy to read and understand. Well written. Another study guide into the sutras.

I have another copy of the sutras and it isn't nearly as clear, or as easily understood. I love this one.

This is a beautifully written book which explain Patanjali's Yoga Sutras lucidly and also discusses subjects around it in a scholarly but interesting way. A must read for any one who has ever asked the question"What is Yoga?"

Thank you, perfect! I am so grateful for your kind help in getting me this book. Sincerely

Interesting and understandable. written in precise but not overly intellectual language

Great read!

Love it

Purchased as a gift for our son who was studying to be a yoga instructor. He said it helped a lot.

Very nice!

Dr. Bryant is one of the smartest and easy to understand individuals I have experienced. Worth every cent and then sum.

What's not to love!

As described ! Thanks

So thorough! I have studied these in a variety of ways, and this book is excellent. Highly recommend for serious students.

One of many useful commentaries on the esoteric sutras.

I have purchased three of these books and given them as gifts to special friends that read the Yoga Sutras. It is a must have.

Wonderful book!

The only version you should read.

Excellent, best interpretation of the Sutras I've seen........very comprehensive...... tons of background info......well done...

very well presented. Lots of interesting details on the roots / origins of yoga. Those of you who are interested in reading this book, should have a good understanding of the Bhagavad Gita. Very nice.Kudos to Edwin.

Good both for academic and practitioners. At the moment this is THE edition of the Yogasutras. Thoroughly researched and lucidly written. Highly recommended.

In depth commentary, perfect for people looking to explore the sutras in depth. Presented in a more academic manner but still accessible.

After reading many other books on the Yoga Sutra's, there is nothing that comes close to this book, it's the best there is!

A good guide to travel in Patanjali's forest! Usefull for students and experts. Sometime difficult to understand the differences between the commentaries.

This book is extremely well-written. The author is profoundly familiar with Sanskrit, the Vedas, the Bhagavad-gita and Puranas and he brings a wealth of knowledge to the sutras. Mostly, he connects the practicality of yoga and meditation to the deepest part of the sutras which is devotion to God. Patanjali didn't just write short threads of advice or how to go into samadhi by practicing halasana. He carefully organized and arranged his material with the observant eye of a practiced bhaktin or devotee. Here we have a very rich interpretation of what Patanjali wrote. It is filled with the rays of God shining on every page, and in time will become a classic.

I would recommend this edition to anyone interested in a deeper understanding of yoga. It includes plenty of great commentary.

Excellent introduction and translation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali based on the most important commentators.

After a lot of searching and reading books by several yoga experts, found this book to be the best to get a 360 degree view on patanjali's work. the book is tough to read, needs time and pondering. however, progressively one gets used to the flow. the translation, commentaries and explanations are just wonderful. will keep this book in my reach all the time.

This is a book that one studies, questions, discusses, and learns. For me, Bryant's writings illustrate the sutras in a manner that I can understand and use in a practical way.

Bryant's new translation and commentary provides the background and review of the most important classical commentaries, incl by Vyasa and Sankara. It's scholastic to be sure but so well constructed that a slow careful read yields a clear comprehension of the Sutras, as they are, beyond many modern reductionist or ideologically-directed interpretations that i've read.

Very intense reading. However, it is also informative and gives you a better understanding of life and how one should approach and respect everything if they wish to follow this lifestyle.

I only read the actual text, so i didnt read the commentaries. The text is great and easy to understand most of the time.

Jammed packed information and appendix's.

A beautiful book that will take me a lifetime of reviewing to even scratch the surface!

Wonderful text book.

Great christmas gift for my wife!

Perfect! So happy with this book goes into so much commentary explaining each sutra!

A much needed scholarly foray into the mushy world of mOdern "yoga"

Great resource!

The real deal

it's very wordy..big book, i like it.. im new to the yoga sutras..

good

Masterful and descriptive. Just started but can not put it down. Arrived fast and perfect.

Noce

A great resource with spiritual depth. I highly recommend this book to one and all who seek a deeper understanding of the yoga sutras.

This is an excellent book for those are interested in learning complete yoga. i have fully enjoyed the book that has increased my understanding and appreciation of patanjali's sutra. i highly recommend to must read this book.

Very reader-friendly!

I strongly recommend it. It is clear and consize.

Great book. Great presentation. Another favorite of mine.

Very satisfied

Priceless chest of knowledge

No disgrace intended, this is a very thorough presentation on all the facts available about, above, and around the sutras. I am looking for another source because, I am looking forward to ponder about it without the heavily commented material. I just feel by the time I get thru a couple of pages, I am drawn around to a investigative circle that is not necessary for me at this time. My heart wants to tell my mind this information, not my mind telling my heart. Perhaps when I have some ground work done, this will become more fascinating. I just need something less information packed. Thanks for letting me express my opinion. It is okay that this book has not fulfilled my wishes, I just wanted to share my point of view so others like me might choose a more suitable text for their purpose.

This commentary is not for the serious student of yoga meditation, this is an western academic commentary and the author really seems caught up in the mythology without understanding the meditation principles behind the stories. The sutras are meant to be a guidebook on the path of meditation, this is not what Bryant does with his commentary. Don't waste your money, if you are looking for a commentary that delves into the meditative lifestyle I would suggest yoga sutra commentary by Swami Satchitanada

Edwin Bryant's book the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is the clearest and most profound dissertation on the Yoga Sutras i came across. However as some wrote, the author's devotional and theistic approach can be overwhelming and not always in accord with Patanjali's text, yet it is in accord with most of the commentaries and the extremely theistic modern India. It seems clear to me that the text and mostly it's commentaries and therefore translations were corrupted by the overly rational and theistic needs of most humans, thus the true and extremely profound message of the text can be attained only by reading the text with a pinch of salt and translating it according to the very old Sanskrit meanings which can be found in the Sanskrit roots. Christopher Key Chapple's translation offer closest approach to this. I would recommend 1. yoga & the luminous by Christopher Key Chapple, 2. yoga sutras and 3. religious doctrine in the Mahabharata by Nicholas Sutton to complete Edwin Bryant's Yoga Sutras. Christopher Key Chapple's book has a refreshing, interesting approach; however the translation is a masterpiece which may enable one to decipher the mysteries of this abstruse text on his own, thanks to a word by word translation along with the Sanskrit roots unbiased by the commentaries. Edwin i consider you as a dear friend though we have never met. Many thanks for your books, videos and translations. Without them i would never be able to live the text only to read or understand it. Your work is an enormous benediction!

I've written so many annotations in it, that I'm afeard my copy of Edwin Bryant's Yoga Sutras will fall apart in a short time. If this book was in hardcover, I could rest assured that it will last a long time, long enough for me to pass it down to my children or some special student who will come along one day and read my annotations. Of all the books I've read on yoga or Patanjali, this book has helped the most, so far. If you've not had the privilege of receiving initiation from a guru, this is the best thing for you until that happens. It will most certainly prepare you for a life long commitment to the awakening to purusa. Thanks, Dr. Bryant.

The book's cover was not big enough for the pages and had many pages in it that seemed bent although it was supposed to be new. Very flimsy and low-quality cover and pages

Edwin F. Bryant presents the sometimes enigmatic aphorisms of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras in clean, clear, sparse, perfectly comprehensible English, and provides the reader with the key thoughts of the major commentators who offer context and interpretation to this seminal Yoga text. An important point to make is that while Bryant's impeccable scholarship satisfies the most demanding academic, these sutras, for the first time, I believe, come to life for the general reader with a sincere interest in Yoga. (The Isherwood-Prabhavananda edition, How to Know God, presents the sayings in lucid, poetic English, but there is none of the depth of commentary.) Bryant presents the individual sayings ("sutras" literally means "threads")in Sanskrit in both Devanagari script and the Latin alphabet, and translates each word precisely, then offers his own translation of the sutra in contemporary English. The individual sutras are followed by readable narratives which interpret each saying and various commentaries from ancient to modern times. As someone who has practiced Yoga since childhood and has written a master's thesis on the sutras, I recommend this book enthusiastically. Every student and teacher of Yoga, whether as a popular fitness program or the highest pathway to enlightenment, should own this book. Furthermore, individuals with no special interest in Yoga will find that it offers an excellent complement to other philosophical and religious reading, since the Sutras' teachings mirror the pathways of many world religions. I hope it becomes available in hardback and as a Kindle book because it is a work that should become part of one's permanent library and, in fact, part of one's very life.

I simply love this book. In many ways it is my true Bible. I find the sutras to be the ultimate Handbook to consciousness. My daily practice is to carefully copy the sutras and key phrases from commentaries. What I have noticed is that as the years go by my own commentaries have been inspired and I find the meaning to become ever more personal and effective. The authors supreme achievement is that he has pulled together from the various commentaries a beautiful mix that helps the reader discover their own personal understanding. Of course, I think it is helpful for any student to explore other commentaries, but the way this has been put together makes it a primary and core essential.

Anyone who wishes to go beyond, after their yoga studio postures/asnas, and wish to dive deep in ancient tradition, values of dharma must read. It's to experience God yourself instead of what gets sold at Sunday school of thought for control the masses.

Yoga Sutras' structure and the connections between the sutras and the logic is uniquely brilliant. Yoga Sutras is meant for the enlightenment of humanity and remains vital today. For more than a decade, I, as a seeker of truth, have been sincerely searching for an easily accessible Yoga Sutras translation which also faithfully retains the original message without any speculation/vagueness. After extensive comparative studies of numerous translations, I found out that this book is what I had been looking for because: - The original spirit of Yoga Sutras is vibrant throughout as it a modern presentation of the authorized translations and commentaries of Yoga tradition. - The presentation is brilliant, engaging and universal in its appeal - This is not from an arm-chair philosopher. The author is a practitioner, which means he's put his heart and soul into this work.

Bryant's commentary and explanation of the Yoga Sutras is excellent. He uses material from several traditional commentators, modern academic scholars and also provides the reader with a lot of his own observations and examples. Another very nice feature of this book is that he has lots of interesting and relevant quotes from many different texts, some of which we do not get to see very often elsewhere. In terms of his interpretations of the sutras, he largely follows the traditional commentators. However, on a few points, I feel that his academic background (and perhaps a Vaishnava bias?) misleads him into making the wrong conclusions on certain important topics. Let me discuss the major problems I saw (if you have not read the book yet, maybe its better if you read the rest of this review after having done so). 1. One of the points he repeatedly emphasises is that the Yoga Sutras are basically a theistic text. He notes that while Patanjali gives many options for the advanced meditator in the end of the first chapter, the one he devotes most space to is Ishvara (God). Furthermore, while any object of meditation will do, Ishvara alone removes obstacles to samadhi. Thus, while Ishvara may not be a compulsory object of meditation for the advanced seeker, He is the recommended object. When discussing kriya yoga (which is meant for seekers who have to weaken the kleshas before they are capable of meditating properly), worship of Ishvara is an essential ingredient. Worship of Ishvara is also an essential ingredient of ashtanga yoga (not to be confused with the modern day asana style) discussed later in the second chapter (it seems like ashtanga yoga is meant for intermediate seekers who are ready for meditation but require some systematic approach to it unlike the advanced seekers referred to at the end of the first chapter). All this is true but there is a crucial point that Bryant misses here and which thus leads him to overstate the theism in the sutras. In the yoga sutras, discriminative knowledge, which is essential for liberation, arises from asmita samadhi, absorption on the pure I-sense (which is the reflection of the purusha in the pure buddhi - Bryant explains this very well in the relevant sections). Thus, the means of getting discriminative knowledge is meditation on the Self (or more precisely, the Self reflected in the buddhi). There is no evidence that the Yoga Sutras or the commentators (except perhaps Vijnanabhikshu, who is not fully representative of the Yoga tradition) give any alternative to this. Thus, in the Yoga Sutras, the worship/meditation of Ishvara removes obstacles and purifies the mind but ultimately, this purified mind has to be turned to meditation on the Self. This is clearly not a position that can be described as fully "theistic." [In this sense, it is similar to Advaita Vedanta which regards meditation on Ishvara (Saguna Brahman) as a means for purifying the mind but not the direct means to liberation (which in Advaita Vedanta is jnana yoga).] 2. Bryant argues that Ishvara refers to a personal God throughout Hindu philosophy and so it is reasonable to assume that Patanjali is doing the same. Since a personal God in those times would either be identified with Vishnu or Shiva, Patanjali was most likely a Vaishnava or a Shaiva. I see many problems with this analysis. First, the term "personal God" does not have any clear cognate in Hindu philosophy. Bryant seems to identify this (at least once) with Saguna as opposed to Nirguna Brahman but this is a distinction between God with attributes and God without attributes that is primarily (maybe exclusively?) present in Advaita Vedanta. Even in Advaita Vedanta, this is not really personal vs. impersonal. Saguna Brahman (Ishvara) is just Nirguna Brahman together with maya shakti, basically just Brahman in relation to the world (nothing necessarily "personal" about this). Bryant also seems to map personal vs. impersonal to Arjuna's question at the start of the 12th chapter of the Gita. However, the distinction here is between God manifest in the form of the universe vs. unmanifest God. This doesn't really have to correspond to personal vs. impersonal. Depending on the context, Krishna identifies with both the manifest and the unmanifest aspects of God and its not clear that there is some great chasm between these two. More fundamentally, in the Yoga Sutras, the idea of a "person" is itself a product of ignorance, in reality everyone is of the nature of pure consciousness. Certainly, Ishvara who is eternally liberated, must regard Himself as pure consciousness and not a "person." So it is not clear from whose perspective this "personal" God would exist. I feel that this "personal God" is a term that may be popular academic circles (and also in some Yoga/Vedanta circles) but is not really well-defined and is largely meaningless. With this in mind, I think he continues down this slippery slope of identifying Ishvara as either Vishnu or Shiva. As he himself mentions, Vaishnavas and Shaivas usually use not the pure OM mantra (pure in the sense of just OM) as their object of meditation but rather, some mantra starting with OM (e.g. on namo narayanaya, om namah shivaya, etc.). The use of pure OM seems to mostly have been associated with those following the Vedanta tradition. In the Mahabharata, the followers of the Pancharatra (the main strand of Vaishnavas in existence, also the source of Ramanuja's tradition) are clearly considered different from the followers of the Vedaranyaka (Vedanta) tradition, and the Pancharatras are also considered a purvapaksha (an opposing side of the debate) in the Brahma Sutra. That being the case, it really seems like Patanjali's recommended method of meditating on Ishvara is basically like the method used by followers of the Vedanta tradition (who were different from the people that were explicitly regarded as Vaishnavas), except with a concept of Ishvara that was presumably different from a Vedantin's concept of Ishvara/Brahman. This also tallies well with the fact that Patanjali, like Advaita Vedanta tradition (which is the only non-Vaishnava Vedanta tradition whose commentaries we have and also the only one that uses the pure OM meditation as their main mantra), sees meditation on Ishvara as preparation for meditation on the Self (though the nature of meditation on the Self in Advaita Vedanta and Yoga Darshana is different). A third related point is that Bryant assumes that Ishvara would be regarded either as Vishnu or as Shiva or at least primarily as Vishnu or primarily as Shiva (he does briefly acknowledge an inclusiveness where Vaishnavas may regard Shiva as a form of Vishnu or vice-versa). However, it is not clear to me that this has been the dominant orientation of most Hindus (or that it is the dominant orientation today). For example, in Advaita Vedanta, which has been the dominant school of Vedanta (and also the dominant philosophy among educated Hindus) for at least a 1000 years or so, Vishnu and Shiva are both regarded equally as Ishvara. [This view is one that occurs often in scriptures, including in the Mahabharata and passages in the Puranas (this is not to deny that sectarian views also occur often - the point is that there is a non-negligible amount of Hindus and possibly a majority that would regard Shiva and Vishnu as equal)]. Given that Patanjali seems to be advocating a system of worship similar to Advaita Vedanta (both in its practice and in the purpose served by worship) and he does not explicitly mention Vishnu or Shiva as Ishvara (as a Vaishnava or a Shaiva would presumably do - I don't buy the unsubstantiated idea of Patanjali not mentioning his sectarian identification so as to not turn people away), we should probably assume that he would not have had problem identifying either with Ishvara and did not see only one as exclusively being Ishvara. (A side-note, Bryant quotes another scholar as saying that Shankara sees Ishvara as Vishnu, but a careful reading of his commentary on the third chapter of the Kena Upanishad will reveal that he has no problem identifying Shiva with Ishvara (parameshvara, he says) or Brahman.) Vachaspati Mishra (who is known for commenting on different schools according to their own viewpoints, as Bryant mentions) identifies both Shiva and Vishnu with Ishvara, suggesting that the Yoga tradition had no problem with this. (From Bryant's book, I noticed that even Vijnanabhikshu, who is a Vaishnava, doesn't mind identifying Shiva with Ishvara). Furthermore, the idea that Patanjali talks of an ishta devata (chosen deity) also seems to suggest that he allows a choice as to the form in which one worships Ishvara (thus, didn't regard any one form as exclusively Ishvara). I think the weight of the evidence is on the view that Patanjali was not a Vaishnava or a Shiva, but like many (most?) Hindus, saw Ishvara in a non-sectarian way. 3. Bryant also argues (though only in the concluding remarks section) that Patanjali thought that doership belongs to the purusha and that the commentators use of the Samkhya notion that doership belongs to buddhi is without justification. I will not go into this since it is only some brief arguments in the appendix, but I have to say that the argument here is very weak. There is no good reason given as to why this notion is simply incompatible with Yoga Darshana but is fine in Samkhya (the point that Patanjali encourages active effort is irrelevant since Samkhya also believes in putting efforts in connection with following dharma, etc.) Here, it seems like Bryant just does not like the Samkhya view and so decided to not ascribe it to Patanjali. It also seems like he has a certain bias towards interpreting Patanjali in a way consistent with later Vaishnavism and this might have been part of his motivation. Despite these problems, I would still rate it 5 stars because the book overall is well-written, quite provocative and extremely informative.

Any yogi interested in studying the limbs of yoga beyond asana and pranayama should own this book. Professor Bryant's presentation is unrivaled in explaining the meaning of The Yoga Sutra verses according to the commentarial lineage of Vyasa. This book also sheds light on Master Patanjali's time and how The Yoga Sutra is a mix of Buddhist philosophy, proto-samkhya philosophy, and the general Indic meditation culture. Any one who wants to seriously study The Yoga Sutras will benefit immensely from reading and re-reading this book. It's a master work that should come with every yoga mat. James Connor author of The Superyogi Scenario

I loved the book but, buy it on Kindle, the paper edition is smelly because of the cheap paper and terrible glue. So, 4 stars!

In the 200 hour teacher training I run we have a section in philosophy where we take a comparative approach to The Yoga Sutras, allowing each student to select three commentaries to work from. I always suggest looking into this book and almost all of my students have decided on purchasing it. Bryant offers clear insights and is thorough in his investigation of each Sutra. The Yoga Sutras can always be daunting to any yoga student but this new edition is thorough while still being accessible to students encountering The Sutras for the first time.

I have been looking forward to adding Edwin Bryant's translation and commentary on the yoga sutras to my collection, but I not expecting to be so blown away. He has created a very clear, deeply historical, profoundly personal, wonderfully moving translation and commentary on the yoga sutras. You should not be without this book.

I attended a seminar on the Sutras given by Edwin a couple of years ago and have been waiting for this book to be published ever since. He is truly one of the great minds of our time. Edwin "unpacks" the sutras, revealing their wisdom layer by layer in an understandable format. This rendition is every bit what I thought it would be and I would recommend it to yogis and yoginis everywhere. The commentary is in depth and explains even the most abstract (and sometimes seemingly contradictory) concepts of the Sutras well.

This is a superlative effort. For someone inclined towards Yog and would like to go beyond the Asanas to figure out the reason and meaning behind the Asanas, Yog Patanjali is one of the finest texts available that explains Yog comprehensively. However, Yog Patanjali must be commented only by an experienced practitioner. Equally though, how does one recognize one as experienced and how does one come across such a person? Keeping this in mind, Edwin has done a wonderful job by not giving his own commentary on the verses directly. Edwin has chosen the commentaries made by famous Yog practioners pre-British era who have always been popular and he has given an opinion on how to understand each Sutra with the help of this historical commentators. This approach is not only helpful but prevents us from getting into new interpretations which were never intended by the author. While my own first commentary was that done by Vivekananda and this is indeed a very useful guide, Edwin's book supplements this very well by making this accessible to all of us from this era in a much more simpler manner. I have heartily recommended this book to a lot of people after I have read this and therefore wholeheartedly put by recommendation in Amazon also. Finally, I would like to add that I found the commentary given by the(much maligned) Nithyandanda also very useful in understanding the Sutras very well. There is however no fun if the contents of this book remain an academic interest and do not lead to or contribute to personal benefit. I pray that readers benefit from Manana (introspection) after Sravana (reading or listening) this book and enter into Nidhidhyasa (meditation or experience) of the precepts in their own way and achieve Jivanmukta. All the best...............

Translators of ancient Indian texts have a particularly difficult task. Not only must they express ideas from one language - usually Sanskrit - into another, but they must also carry these ideas across thousands of years of time AND across quite different cultures. It is no wonder, then, that many - though not all - translations of Patanjali to date have seemed to lack something. Bryant's translation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, in contrast, succeeds brilliantly where many others have come up short. Moreover, Bryant's accompanying commentaries are simply the best that I have ever read for any Sanskrit text for helping Westerners understand both the content and the background of often extraordinarily abstract ideas. That is by no means to say that this is an easy book to read. If you are prepared to put the time in and to work hard, though, this is an excellent translation and commentary for English-speakers to begin to work with Patanjali's exposition of ALL eight branches of yoga as a single system. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * With apologies to readers who might find the following out of place, I also feel that I should mention something here that is not, strictly speaking, about Bryant's translation and commentary per se. Part of the book's strength is what it lacks. I hope that it goes without saying that there is no mention of "downward dog", etc., in this work (there are plenty of other good books of that sort). Furthermore, this is NOT one of the far too many books which purport to be about yoga, but turn out to be the sort of New-Age nonsense that essentializes and trivializes this complex tradition. Nor is this book of the hybrid spirituality/self-help genre, such as Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, and many of Oprah's guests. There's nothing especially bad or wrong with much of the spirituality/self-help genre, and I suppose that they've even helped some people through some tough times, it's just that they don't have a whole lot at all to do with formal yoga, as far as I can tell. If you're looking to read about REAL yoga and are prepared to put effort into it, this is the book to read. In the end, though, nothing can substitute for study with a legitimate teacher from an established lineage.

This is a brilliant piece of work and can only be written by someone with very deep knowledge of the subject. Thank you, Dr. Edwin Bryant.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the commentaries of Vyasa, Shankara, Vachaspati Mishra, Vijnanbhikshu, Bhoja Raja, Hariharananda Aranya and others and then the commentary and analysis of Edwin Bryant - it is a treasure to have all these commentaries together in one place. This book gives a clear picture and a better understanding of Yoga. Thanks, Prof. Bryant, for this wonderful book!

I have studied a number of translations and commentaries on the Yoga Sutras and Bryant's is now my go-to book for comparative study. It isn't complete, as there are modern commentaries that he doesn't include which I think are useful to know, but it's the most complete comparison available today.

Just an amazing work! There is so much information contained in this book that every practitioner should keep a copy on hand. Read it cover to cover, or use it as a reference, but always keep it close. I have read several translations, and translations of commentaries, of the sutras. But, after reading this one I feel as though I have a solid understanding of the subject matter. This translation is truly a gift for which I am very grateful!

Of the four books of yoga sutras,by far this is the best.It, itself is an experience to read this well written commentary.The effort taken by this author to produce a masterpiece like this is a testimony for his understanding and dedication to the sage Patanjali and his yoga sutra.For the first time I was able to have a better understanding of the sutras.I hope I will be able to attend Prof.Edwin Bryant's workshop on yogasutras.I highly recommend this book to every yoga practioners and students.

Best translation on my shelf. My go to resource.

My husband is reading the book. And all the time he tells me about interestings aspects of the culture of Yoga. He loves the form how the author has constructed his propose.

Good book for serious yogis.

The author has carefully reviewed the primary sources of yoga, including the major historical commentaries, in a painstaking attempt to provide a thorough intellectual background and analysis of Patanjali’s often-abstruse yoga sutras. He has done a remarkable job, but one that has fundamental shortcomings. A commendable point is the author’s own philosophical outlook, surfacing throughout the book in snippets of criticism of the consumerist conception of yoga in the West—which is indeed an utter distortion and travesty. But a book of academic significance must be held against higher standards of scholarship, and the author’s acknowledgment that it mostly targets the general reader is irrelevant when the flaws can be misleading and lead to an essential misinterpretation of the subject matter. One of the issues that plague this book is the author’s almost uncritical assessment of yoga as a theistic philosophy. Bryant acknowledges unequivocally that the avowed cornerstone of Patanjali’s yoga, the samkhya philosophy of Kapila, is non-theistic, if not outright atheistic. He fails to provide, however, an explanation as to how an atheistic interpretation of nature vis a vis samkhya has radically shifted into a theistic one vis a vis yoga, a philosophy that has organic links with samkhya, to the degree of often being considered as its offspring. The author indirectly and unconvincingly attributes this radical shift from “atheism” to “theism” to Patanjali’s eclecticism. But such an interpretation may well stem, at least partly, from his own superficial knowledge of Indian history. Another reason, minor yet crucial, is the misinterpretation of the term “isvara,” which occurs in the yoga sutras as “God” or rather a “personal God”—a rampant interpretation that precedes Bryant, if that can be an excuse. The author also defends the integrity of the Yoga sutras as they have reached us, discounting the work of highly reputable specialists in the last century who have questioned the integrity not only of the Yoga sutras, but the Samkhya-Karika, the Bhagavad Gita, and all major texts of Indian antiquity. While he does not delve into his reasons for rejecting them—if we assume he is thoroughly familiar with them—his own position is tenuous at best. That some of these disputed sections complement the core of Patanjali’s sutras (the second half of chapter 2, and chapter 3 only of a four-chapter book) is only as good a reason as stating that the interpolated first chapter of John, at a later date, which equates a historical person with God, beautifully complements the evangelist’s gospel, and the last 12 verses of Mark, also later interpolated by devious clerics to create the fictitious account of the Ascension, beautifully complements what precedes it. Such a posteriori apologetics have lived their age in Christianity, despite the fact that many ideologically motivated theologians still uphold the integrity of the Gospels, but apparently it is far from exhausting itself in Indology, whose original texts of reference are equally, if not even more, corrupted and interpolated than the Christian scriptures. Had the author been more familiar with Indian history, he would have been appalled by the degree of revision, corruption, and interpolation that has swiped all ancient Indian texts throughout the ages at the hands of the Brahmins, the agents of power, who have done so to institute their own ideology and theology, and would have had an altogether opposite starting point as to where the burden of proof should lie. This may entail rewriting the entire book—a work that may take a full lifetime—if, that is, Bryant, a promising scholar despite his shortcomings, proves capable of getting out of the hole he has dug for himself and does not yield to a whirlwind of self-justifications in defense of a heavily invested tower in the clouds. The foreword, by Iyengar, is worthless as it serves merely commercial purposes for this expensive paperback. The endorsement by Larson is disappointing, even if he qualifies the book as being geared for “the thoughtful but non-specialist general reader,” and seems to be but lip service to support a colleague in the field. To the best of my recollection (from over two decades ago), Larson is acutely aware of the interpolations which occur in the major ancient Indian texts, and has widely quoted or referenced Garbe, the German scholar and a pioneer in the field of Indian textual criticism.

Way too complicated for anyone that does not know Sanskrit. I was looking for basic info about Yoga not a disertation

It's clear the author has studied the Yoga Sutras and is an expert, perhaps, intellectually, but experientially i wonder. The best commentaries on the Yoga Sutras are by people who have experienced the sutras for themselves and understand that they are not an intellectual exercise, but a living philosophy and they communicate this experience to the reader. This book is more a discussion of the sutras, such as in a university course. It's a bit dry. I don't get the feeling that the author has really entered into the sutras, existentially.

Classic book of course. I set out with the intention of reading cover to cover, but it doesn't really work like that. It provides a very useful but lengthy introduction on the history of yoga and also gives a deep understanding of yoga as intended as opposed to how yoga has been modified in the West. The sutras are very thought provoking, so I found reading one a couple of times over and dwelling on it for a day or so before reading the next was the way to go. Of course once you've read the book, it then becomes something to constantly refer back to, to reconsider. If you're interested in the philosophy of yoga, this is a must buy. It's perhaps made me think more than anything I've read in decades.

This book was far, far greater than I had ever hoped! The author begins by taking the reader through the history of yoga and how it sat philosophically with the other traditions and thoughts of the day. I found that enormously helpful and invaluable. The sutras are broken down word for word as well as translated as an unbroken statement before being “unpacked” as the author puts it, through references to various commentators. The commentaries, which make up the meat of the book are not excessively academic, nor do they appear to lack grounding. On the contrary, the references to the various commentators are beautifully weaved together in a readible and concise form, without compromising or watering down the content. The various concepts are carefully built up over the course of the book (starting with the elaborate introductory chapters), never leaving the reader lost at any stage. I would highly recommend this book .

In my opinion, this is the best book in English on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. If you are a student of Yoga, you should definitely buy this book and thoroughly digest it. Bryant gives an academically rigorous, yet respectful view of the Yoga Sutras. He doesn't offer (too many) interpretations of his own, though it is clear that he is a practitioner of yoga himself (and especially drawn towards the Vaishnavaite viewpoint). Instead, he bases his work entirely on the classical commentaries of vyAsa, vAchaspati mishra, bhoja rAja, shankara, vijnAna bhikShu, and hariharAnanda. He even mentions al-Biruni's commentary on the Yoga Sutras in places. His presentation is very modern, so modern readers will find it easy to follow the language of the book. And yet, he uses the classical Sanskrit technical terms, which is a huge help as many of these terms don't have exact English translations. I often find that foreign authors shy away from classical Sanskrit terms for the fear of putting off their readers. This is usually a mistake, because, after all, Sanskrit terms are not foreign to the English language (e.g., karma, dharma, mokSha, nirvANa, etc.), and they are usually easy to pronounce. But more importantly, they convey the accurate sense of the intended concept. As Bryant says in his introduction, the author's aim was to write a book that gives an academically rigorous and yet readable book on the Yoga Sutras that will be of interest to both practitioners and scholars alike. In my oipnion he has succeeded in his goal splendidly. I would suggest that a serious student of yoga read a book such as this (i.e., a compilation of the viewpoints by classical commentators) along with the experiential account of a bona fide modern practitioner of yoga (such as BKS Iyengar, Satchidananda, or Vivekananda). These two types of books (i.e., the practitioner's and the scholar's views) give you the full picture of the true import of Patanjali's work. Of course, a complete understanding will take direct lessons from an accomplished guru in addition to your own practice. But books will have to suffice until we meet these two sources of knowledge. Bryant's book will be a great help to anyone in their yoga journey. Just go ahead and buy it. You won't regret doing so.

Reading this it soon becomes apparent that the sutras are so brief that any modern interpretation is probably worthless; in comparison the Samkhya Karika seems like a full explanation, So as the latter states, for right cognition one must look to 'valid testimony'. In this respect Vyasa, Vacaspati Misra and Vijnana Bhikshu are the top choices. Books by SURENDRANATH DASGUPTA: THE STUDY OF PATANJALI later revised as YOGA AS PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION based on these authorities are a better bet than Western academics and modern 'asana' Yoga authorities.

I was lucky to attend several lectures of the author at Jiva Institute, Vrindavan, India in October 2016. Having studies Yoga Sutras before on my own and the Sanskrit language at SOAS, London, I find this book the best exposition of the subject matter I ever came across. I am very much tempted to enroll for an MA in Hinduism at Rutgers University, where Dr Bryant teaches. Or ask him to adopt me. Hugely inspiring!

Lovely book and really fast delivery. Can't wait to read more, thank you

The best version of the sutras I have read.

A must read!

Probably the best commentary to Sutras!

Fabulous treatise!

Really handy edition!

Written by collating some of the best traditional Indian commentaries on the Yoga Sutras, this book is an absolute gem for a serious spiritual aspirant. It lays threadbare the entire workings of the mind, its connection with the soul, the mechanics of samsara, karma, rebirths, sufferings etc. Like a step-by-step journey into how to reach the ultimate goal. Very scientifically presented in a proper sequence, they are an essential read for all spiritual aspirants whether they be of the jnana/bhakti/karma paths. The bool also clears many deep terminologies like chitta, aham, asmita, klesha etc. A thorough grounding in these fundamentals will surely help any aspirant.

The vastness of the content of explanation of each sutra is encyclopedic.

What I like about Bryant is his overview of the commentaries, but I find I am constantly referring to other commentaries to gain clarity on some of his points, and I don't always agree with him (especially his Sanskrit translations). However, I think this would be a great introduction for someone wanting to get deeper into the philosophy of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras without having a background in Sanskrit. Personally, I still favour the 4 volume commentary by Baba Hari Dass, which I find to be the clearest explanation, but if you are in an academic environment, his lack of references to various commentators can be challenging. I bought this as part of a grad level course solely focused on the Yoga Sutras. The other 2 being Swami Hariharananda's commentary and Ian Whicher's Yoga Darshana. The 4 together have been fantastic.

This translation and commentary on the classic text joins 6 others I already have, so I wondered if I would be failing to practise aparigraha (non-covetousness) by buying it! But it was recommended to me by Rolf Sovik of the Himalayan Institute and I am glad I did. The author, or more accurately translator and commentator, Edwin F Bryant is professor of Hindu religion and philosophy at Rutgers University. It is a substantial volume, with a fairly lengthy and annotated commentary on each sutra, but nevertheless very readable. The comments include scholarly references to historical writers on the Sutras including Vyasa, Sankara and other commentators of the premodern period. There is a useful summary of the history of yoga and of the whole subject matter of the Sutras. The four chapters are translated as I Meditative Absorption; II Practice; III Mystic Powers; and IV Absolute Independence. A text for committed students of yoga, to cherish, read daily and ponder over.

I purchased "The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali" by Edwin Bryant when Swami Sarvapriyanada (a resident Swami at the Vedanta Society) made a reference to it, during one of his "ever thought provoking" talks. Thank you Swami-ji.🙏 For Raja Yoga (Ashtanga Yoga) sadhakas like myself, this book is an excellent reference material. In that, Edwin Bryant has done a great service to the readers by sharing relevant insights from traditional commentators like Ved Vyasa, Adi Shankara, Yogi Vacaspati Mishra, etc. to name a few. His easy to understand, his candid "no beating around the bush" style and his thought provoking approach is a treat to anyone who appreciates critical thinking approach instead of "doctrine based" or "blind to facts" based approach by other authors. As an example and I quote "...clearly the goals of yoga are in complete contrast to the lusty goals of the normative Vedic sacrificial cult...Therefore, disinterest in this type of realism, whether Vedic or other, is a prerequisite to yoga..." unquote (ref: commentary on verse 1:15, page 56 last paragraph). However, with his many years of scholastic study in the relevant field, I would have preferred to see "more of his own commentaries with deeper insights" apart from leaning heavily on relating the insights of other great commentators.🙂

If you want a extremely scholarly view at the yoga sutras, deep speculation of what different translators of the sutras might have meant, this is a good book. But I feel it misses the point of actually conveying the very deep but simple message of sutras. I recommend B.K.S Iyengar's "Light on Yoga Sutras" over this book.

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 ☝️

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.

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.

Really, it is a great book, recommended by a teacher (sri.Aravinda Rao IPS Rtd.). I never thought a foreigner can do so much research into my Culture and write a book. I thank both teacher and writer. Anyone who is interested in Yoga (beyond physical poses), the intention of the author Patanjali is great, has to read this book.

One of the best book on Yog Sutra of Patanjali. Actually it is consolidation of many commentators written on this subject. You are no more required to read any other book after reading this.

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.

The book has a good explanation of the sutras. It's more of an academic point of view. Commentaries of different school of thoughts in one book. Great work by the author.

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.

Excellent, comprehensive, and modern. Explores the deepest most expansive understanding and translation from the old sanksrit, to provide a securely thorough guide for serious practitioners and seekers of the ancient yogic tradition.

Ich hatte die Ausgabe, die von Amazon angeboten wird, bestellt und musste sie zurückschicken, da der Druck so schlecht war, dass man das Buch gar nicht lesen konnte. Die Schrift war "verpixelt" also eine echt schlechte Druckqualität! "Printed in Poland" stand auf der letzten Seite. Hat vielleicht jmd. eine bessere Ausgabe "erwischt" und wenn ja, über welchen Anbieter? Danke für die Tips vorab. Ich möchte das Buch nämlich wirklich gerne lesen.

Eccellente spiegazione. Profonda e con una prospettiva ampia. Testo fondamentale. Ottima anche tutta la parte introduttiva. Credo non sia disponibile in italiano

Great elaborated approach...but font size is very small ...overall very nice and deep presentation

Libro ben fatto e completo con i sutra scritti in sanscrito e la relativa spiegazione in inglese. Sicuramente un libro che ogni yogi dovrebbe avere nella propria collezione!

a very nice copy. have not started reading it yet though.

This book is amazing. It is very informative. The author has given comparisons from Gita, Upanishads, Buddhists and Jaina texts.

L'autore è molto competente e affronta l'argomento in modo chiaro e appassionante. Consigliato

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.

For every enthusiastic student of Yoga

This is thoughtful and comprehensive. It also avoids being too emotive. It is clear, critical, and the author explains his work

For an avid reader..it's too long for me but since it is very detailed it works.

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.

A great book with deep explanations.

Throughly researched good book.

Un libro davvero splendido, sia per gli addetti ai lavori che per chi si avvicina per la prima volta ad un argomento così complesso. Da avere!

Excelente libro. Fácil lectura y explicación. Recomendado ampliamente.

Excellent book with very accurate translations by various communities.

You would expect a better quality of paper in a book you are going to read in stages and going back and forth.

FABULOUS, FABULOUS, FABULOUS

Can't really review it. But if someone is remotely interested in Indian philosophy, then Edwin Bryant cannot be ignored. And, of course, Yoga Sutras are Yoga Sutras

Cheap printed copy by Amazon. The ink is lighter than the original.

A transformative work on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Great !!!

Excellent book on the subject matter.

Super to remove your unwanted thought

A great and complete commentary, very well written and understandable by the normal reader (not academic), but never "made easy".