The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali The Book of the Spiritual Man eBook
Download As PDF : The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali The Book of the Spiritual Man eBook 
The ‘Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali’ are 196 Indian sūtras (aphorisms) that constitute the foundational text of Ashtanga Yoga, also called Raja Yoga. In medieval times, Ashtanga Yoga was cast as one of the six orthodox āstika schools of Hindu philosophy.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali The Book of the Spiritual Man eBook
Two gripes:First, it's important to be very careful when ordering, I searched for the Shearer translation The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Sacred Teachings) and commentary and it came up as a hardcover, but with options for a Kindle edition or a soft cover. The soft cover was very inexpensive so I clicked on that option and ordered. What I did not realize was that the soft cover is not the same book. It's not the Shearer but the Charles Johnston. I only realized this once it arrived. I guess I should have been more careful, but this should not be touted on the page for the Shearer edition as a soft-cover alternative. It was cheap enough that I'll keep it for comparison, but it's not the book I wanted and it's a warning to be careful when navigating around Amazon books.
Second, the Johnston edition itself is really quite irritating. Each individual sutra is followed by a paragraph of commentary so steeped in the Christian tradition with its doctrines of sin and perversity, salvation, and servility to divine lordship that the connection with Patanjali's own words becomes a total mystery. I probably won't be able to stomach getting through the whole thing.
Cheap though!
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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali The Book of the Spiritual Man eBook Reviews
I have read several translations of this and I LOVE THIS ONE FOR ITS SIMPLICITY. So many translate with such headie connections, but this one is just pure & simple and helped me reconnect with the heart of the practice again.
At times, it was difficult to separate the Sutras from the commentary from the audio version. Also, at times there was clearly mistranslated because the sentence just didn't make sense grammatically. I did get a lot from this audiobook; I just think it has a lot of room for improvement.
This book was a requirement for my 200-hr YTT. It brought together many of my past spiritual and psychological readings and learnings. I think it may be harder for someone to grasp if they haven't done some sort of extensive meditation and yoga practice but the reading displays the truth of mind and collective consciousness. I recommend it as a essential reading to any spiritual-reading library.
I don't like this particular translation/discussion of the Sutras. Somehow the translator managed to convolute short, direct sentences. They introduce foreign terms and seem to go on tangents. I've found myself just reading the direct translation and then googling several other sites which do a much better job of discussing the sentences further, without having to create their own phrasing or concepts. And since you can already find Patanjali's writing online, you're really buying the book for the discussion of the translation.
This is a classic, authoritative translation and commentary. It's free because it's in the public domain. I personally found it easier to understand than any other translation and commentary. I even prefer it over the version of my beloved hero Swami Vivekananda.
The audible version published by Om Shanti Audio is taken from this version. I wholeheartedly recommend that recording. You might prefer to read this kindle version before you buy the audible book. Either way, this will clear up many of your questions about Patanjali and yogic philosophy.
Borrowed this book from the library and liked it so much I bought a copy. For each sutra, the author gives Vyasa's commentary and then in the discussion section compares many commentaries on the sutras and gives broader explanation. Author includes charts and graphs that are extremly helpful in understanding the sutras. Each sutra is given in Devanagari/ Sanskrit and each word is individually translated into English. Do understand, this book only covers the first pada of the Yoga Sutras, but it is worth every penny.
From my perspective, there is a lot to like about this book. First off, the version is available for free, so there is no financial risk in checking it out. (Note even if you don’t have a reader, you can download free PC software from , and read it on your computer.) Secondly, because I have an affinity for Christian mysticism, I particularly vibe with Theosophist author Charles Johnston’s (1867-1931) Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941)- like commentary on the Yoga Sutras. In other words, just as Cliff Hartranft puts a pop-Buddhist spin on Patanjali (see my two-star review of his “The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali”), Johnston opts for a Christianized approach. And unlike Hartranft, he provides commentary in addition to his translation.
I initially read this book forty-plus years ago, but I didn’t appreciate it then, because I was into self-willed meditation rather than obedience to (or communion with) the Divine Will, which is what Johnston emphasizes.
As I re-read it, I copied down some of Johnston’s writing I found particularly to my liking. These samples from the book will make clear his orientation
“Union, here as always in the Scriptures of India, means union of the individual soul with the Oversoul; of the personal consciousness with the Divine Consciousness, whereby the mortal becomes immortal, and enters the Eternal. Therefore, salvation is, first, freedom from sin and the sorrow which comes from sin, and then a divine and eternal well-being, wherein the soul partakes of the being, the wisdom and glory of God.
“But the power to know and feel is immortal. What is needed is to raise it from psychical to spiritual.
“The right use of the will is the steady effort to stand in the spiritual Deity.”
“The sorrow and darkness of life come of the erring personal will which sets itself against the Will of the Soul, the one great Life. And sorrow and darkness are inevitable, until the path be found, and the personal will once more made one with the greater Will, wherein it finds rest and power without losing its freedom. In his Will is our peace. Soul-vision is perfected through obedience.
“It has been well said, that what we most need is the faculty of spiritual attention; and in the same direction of thought it has been eloquently declared that prayer does not consist in our catching God's attention, but rather in our allowing God to hold our attention.
“The reason is this The threefold power we have been considering, the triad of Attention, Contemplation, Meditation is, so far as we have yet considered it, the focussing of the beam of perceiving consciousness upon some form of manifesting being, with a view of understanding it completely. There is a higher stage, where the beam of consciousness is turned back upon itself, and the individual consciousness enters into, and knows, the All consciousness. This is a being, a being in immortality, rather than a knowing; it is free from mental analysis or mental forms. It is not an activity of the higher mind, even the mind of the spiritual man. It is an activity of the soul.”
I would like to give this book five stars, but in good conscience I can’t for a few reasons. First off, it’s not true to the original Yoga Sutras. For example, in the second Sutra, Patanjali clearly defines Yoga as “the stilling of the changing states of the mind.” (Edwin F. Bryant’s translation in his “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.”) But Johnston ignores this definition, and instead opts for, Yoga is “union of the individual soul with the divine Oversoul, of the personal consciousness with Divine Consciousness.” I much prefer Bryant’s definition, but it’s not Patanjali’s. The entire text displays Johnston’s “creative” translation and interpretation of Patanjali – and much of it deviates significantly from the original text.
Secondly, Johnston eschews Sankrit terms, which detracts from his translation and commentary. And thirdly, Johnston fails to adequately explain and consider all the various samadhis that Patanjali identifies. In short, the book is bereft of an esoteric dimension.
If this book were priced as heavily as Hartranft’s skimpy pop Buddhist translation, I’d give it three stars, but because it’s free and a read I vibe with, I give it four.
Two gripes
First, it's important to be very careful when ordering, I searched for the Shearer translation The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Sacred Teachings) and commentary and it came up as a hardcover, but with options for a edition or a soft cover. The soft cover was very inexpensive so I clicked on that option and ordered. What I did not realize was that the soft cover is not the same book. It's not the Shearer but the Charles Johnston. I only realized this once it arrived. I guess I should have been more careful, but this should not be touted on the page for the Shearer edition as a soft-cover alternative. It was cheap enough that I'll keep it for comparison, but it's not the book I wanted and it's a warning to be careful when navigating around books.
Second, the Johnston edition itself is really quite irritating. Each individual sutra is followed by a paragraph of commentary so steeped in the Christian tradition with its doctrines of sin and perversity, salvation, and servility to divine lordship that the connection with Patanjali's own words becomes a total mystery. I probably won't be able to stomach getting through the whole thing.
Cheap though!
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