Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Book s name – Yoga sutras of patanjali
Translater s name – B. Ravikanth

The purpose of the yog sutras is to eliminate human misery by means of knowledge of the self and the universe. This goal of eliminating misery is shared by each of the six Indian spiritual science, called darshanas. The goal of eliminating misery is shared by each of the six Indian spiritual sciences, called darshanas. The yoga Sutras of patanjali is one of them, and is also known as “yogadershan. “In ancient India, Darshana is synonymous with science. The word derives from the root drs, which means to see. A darshan helps one see that which is not previously seen or recognized, much as a periscope or telescope lets one see things that are obstructed or far away.

In morden times, the six darsanas are more popularly known as “the six systems of Indian philosophy.” Six different rishis propounded these, and are their founding teachers. These teaching do not compete with one another, nor are they mutually exclusive – each addresses a separate topic, but there is overlap.

Misery is classified into three kinds –

– Adyatmika: suffering caused by one s own body and mind – for example, depression, trauma, and frustration.
– Adhibhautika: suffering caused by other beings, such as a bite from a snake or dog.
– Adhidaivika: suffering caused by natural calamities, such as earthquakes, floods, and tornadoes.
The highest goal of human qursuit is to completely eliminate these three kinds of misery. This goal and the effort to achieve it is called purusartha. The objective of all darshanas is to help us in achieving that goal. There are four purusarthas – right conduct, earning wealth, fulfilling physical and mental desires, and liberation from all misery. Liberation is one of the main topics of dershanas.

In this book –
– A concise guide for learning the yoga sutras.
– Essential concepts and terminology in easy-to-understand language.
– Innovative illustrated format to aid understanding.
– Overview of the science of yoga.
– explanation of sankhya philosophy underlying the yoga sutras.
– Text, translation, and complete vocabulary.
– Glossary and index of important Sanskrit words.

How to read this book –
To fully understand all the concepts present in this book, it might be necessary to read this book more than once. Due to the sheer number of concepts introduction in this book, It is very possible to ignore a few of them in the first reading.