The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation, and Commentary

By Edwin F. Bryant

Book Overview

A landmark new translation and edition Written almost two millennia ago, Pata jali's work focuses on how to attain the direct experience and realization of the purusa : the innermost individual self,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0865477361
• ISBN13: 9780865477360
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: North Point Press
• Length: 672 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.2" x 1.7" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Fantastic Translation and Commentary

This is the best version of the Yoga Sutras available in English. Edwin F. Bryant is a scholar, but also someone who clearly deeply respects and even perhaps lives what he studies. I first read this text in a college course in which we spent several weeks reading this text and discussing it in class. It was my introduction to Indian philosophy and spiritual practice, an event which changed my life significantly for the better. Bryant's translation seems to me (from my limited experience) to be quite literal and accurate to the text, which while maybe not a good thing for poetry or longer prose works, works great for the terse sutras. They are very technical and dense, and so require a technical and literal translation. It includes the original sanskrit, transliterated sanskrit into english letters, and a word by word translation. This edition also includes fantastic commentary which is based off of traditional commentators. You get the feeling reading this text that Bryant is not reading into the text his own interpretation, but merely presenting the original views of Patanjali and his commentators. He also compares to other systems of thought, such as Buddhism. The volume includes several articles that help contextualize and interpret the Sutras which was immensely helpful for me. Particularly useful was the glossary and the chart which visualizes the intricacies of the metaphysical system at play. Overall, if someone wants to get a greater grasp of Indian philosophy and Yoga in particular, this book is excellent