The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali cover art

The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali

A New Edition, Translation, and Commentary

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali

By: Edwin F. Bryant
Narrated by: Keval Shah
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £23.99

Buy Now for £23.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

A landmark new translation and edition

Written almost two millennia ago, Patañjali's work focuses on how to attain the direct experience and realization of the purusa: the innermost individual self, or soul. As the classical treatise on the Hindu understanding of mind and consciousness and on the technique of meditation, it has exerted immense influence over the religious practices of Hinduism in India and, more recently, in the West.

Edwin F. Bryant's translation is clear, direct, and exact. Each sutra is presented as Sanskrit text, transliteration, and precise English translation, and is followed by Bryant's authoritative commentary, which is grounded in the classical understanding of yoga and conveys the meaning and depth of the sutras in a user-friendly manner for Western listeners without compromising scholarly rigor or traditional authenticity. In addition, Bryant presents insights drawn from the primary traditional commentaries on the sutras written over the last millennium and a half.

©2009 Edwin F. Bryant (P)2023 Tantor Eastern Hinduism Philosophy Spirituality Yoga Physical Exercise Meditation

Listeners also enjoyed...

 A Garland of Views cover art
The Bhagavad Gita cover art
Essence of the Upanishads cover art
Autobiography of a Yogi cover art
The History and Practices of Hatha Yoga with Dr James Mallinson cover art
Opening the Eye of New Awareness cover art
Chants of a Lifetime cover art
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali cover art
Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna cover art
The Thirteen Principal Upanishads cover art
The Upanishads cover art
Introduction to Early Buddhism cover art
Yoga Sutras: An Essential Guide to Understanding the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali cover art
The Path of Tibetan Buddhism cover art
Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition cover art
Mindfulness cover art
All stars
Most relevant  
Not a bad effort by a Westerner - but flawed in parts. The author draws a false dichotomy between Patanjali and the Buddha - both Hindus who studied Yoga. He makes the mistake of embracing modern notions of Hindu nationslim - and projecting thus backwards into India's ancient history. His grasp of Buddhism is disrespectful and flippant - illogical even. Buddha makes it clear that matter is the primary substance from which an impermanant mind arises. Where the Buddha and Patanjali diverge - :is that after stilling the mind through meditation - the Buddha sees "emptiness" as the ultimate reality - whilst in this emptiness Patanjali believes he can see an atman (soul) that unites each individual with Ishvara (a personally realisable God-head). The author does not seem to understand that the material world includes the physical body and all its inner and outer functionally. The physical world is always there, but exists in a constant state l of suffering-inducing flux. Attachment to this flux - mistaking change for permanency - is the essence of human (habitual) suffering. The cultivation of Non-Attachment in the face of this flux - perceiving reality as it actually is - is the answer to human suffering.

A Mixed Bag With No Bottom

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
First the original verse, then a translation of each word, followed by a meaningful translation of the entire verse. This, followed by several long commentaries and explanations. It's simply hard to do better.

As for the performance, it is good and clear, but it is annoying when certain words get an idiosyncratic pronunciation. Like "differ", which he pronounced the way "defer" should be pronounced.

Very thorough version

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.