The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - by Sri Swami Satchidananda
2 CD set

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is the basis of Raja Yoga, the path of concentration and meditation. It is a complete manual for the study and practice of Yoga. This is a book you will read and refer to constantly as you tread the spiritual path. Used extensively in classes and study groups because of its clear translation, insightful commentaries and applications to daily life.

CD 1 (Book I)- Called the "Portion on Contemplation" or "Samadhi Pada", introduces the Yoga practices. This recording is supplementary to the book The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Recorded at the Barrytown Yoga Retreat in 1972

CD 2 (Book II)- Called the "Portion on Practice" or "Sadhana Pada", explains the first five basic steps of Raja Yoga. Recorded at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in 1974.

Reviews of the book The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali:

"If you don't read Sanskrit, this is the translation of the Yoga Sutras to use. Swami Satchidananda, founder of Yogaville in Virginia, has translated and provided commentary on one of the most basic texts of Raja Yoga. Each reading of each and every sutra invites the serious student to delve deep and deeper into him/herself and discover the truth. Highly recommend!" -Constance J. Hatt (Russellville, Arkansas)

"The simplicity of comentary given by Swami is surely due to his own direct experience with the Truth. The instances discussed are practical as they are simple and direct!!!" -Satyaraj Pantham (San Jose, CA)

"I gained much from this book. A great book for those who are gaining an interest in yoga as a whole. The author is a monk who has devoted his life to God and it shows through in his writing. Each sutra is written in Sanskrit, then proper pronunciation, then translated in English and then given commentary by Satchidananda. Sometimes he seems to go on tangents and forgets about the Sutra at hand, yet even in those tangents, much is learned. This book will take beginners to the next level of discipline and practice; an extremely useful reference for experienced practitoners. I highly recommend this book." -Anonymous

"This is one of several translations that I have read. I enjoyed it. His explanation is to the point and easy to understand. Some of the examples he gave I thought were long and (even for me) circuitous.

For every sutra he has the Sanskrit translation and then the English to Sanskrit. I liked these because they made the translation stand on it's own. For many of them a commentary wasn't even necessary. The index in the back to find sutras dealing with specific mental conditions, states of consciousness or emotions was very helpful.

I liked the commentaries on book three. So much mischief - for all intentions right now. Causing so many misunderstandings and misery. I wonder if even a fraction of what people are trying to accomplish is being accomplished. St. Teresa de Avila wrote a book called the "Interior Castle", in it she devoted a chapter to the powers. She emphasized the same point - that they were an ego trap. I would wonder, though if the children, adults and zealots of all ages that are having so much fun with them are concerned in the slightest about that aspect. Somehow I doubt it.

A good book I would recommend it for anyone. The cross referencing is very helpful and easy to navigate for people who have little knowledge of Sanskrit." -Pamela Kelso (El Paso, Texas)

"This is *the* book to refer to get a proper understanding of the philosophy of Yoga.

I have gone through other books ( B. K. S. Iyengar , Georg Feuerstein , Swami Prabhavananda ) and some audio cassetes on the Yoga Sutras. This is by far the best book on the subject. The sutras are beautifully explained in layman terms with ample annotations. The sutras in samadhi pada and sadhana pada are covered extensively.

Whenever there was a discrepency in the translation among different authors (such as sutras 18,19,33 of sadhana pada, which have been interpreted very differently) I found the translation and explanation in this book to be most logical, intuitive and complete." -Jaishankar Panchapakesan (Richmond, Va)

The Greatness of Raja Yoga by Sri Swami Satchidanandaa

The teachings of Raja Yoga are a golden key to unlock all health, happiness, peace, and joy. Everyone, everything, in the creation wants to be happy. If you put a plant in the shade, its leaves will turn toward the sun, because the plant wants to be happy. Place a worm in the sun, it will crawl into the shade for the same reason. Ask a thief, "Why are you robbing the bank?" and he will no doubt reply, "Because if I have more money, I'll be happy." And if you ask the policeman why he is pursuing the thief, he will tell you, "My duty is to catch the thief, and when I do my duty, I'm happy." So, everyone is seeking happiness. The problem is that not everyone knows where or how to find it.

Some people want to be happy quickly, so they take short cuts and get temporary happiness. But borrowed joy comes and goes. The happiness that we seem to be getting by our daily efforts is fleeting and mixed with a lot of troubles, worries, and unhappiness. Happiness cannot come without unhappiness before and after. We keep trying to find that happiness and missing it. When we finally tire of searching for happiness outside, we sit quietly and wonder, "What is this? Why am I unhappy? Why do I lose the happiness that I have?" If we're sincere and analyze well, we find, ultimately, that happiness never comes from outside.

You never get happiness by doing something or achieving something. Even God cannot give you happiness. If He gives, He might take away. Anything that comes, will go. Happiness is not to be sought outside. It can never come from outside - or from inside. It can't come, because it simply is. It is always. Where? Everywhere.

You are Happiness personified. You are that Supreme Bliss. You are that Joy. You are the image of happiness. If you want to use the word God, who is God? What are His qualifications? Always being happy. So, as the image of God, how can you be unhappy?

You may wonder, "If that is so, why don't I always experience that happiness?" The reason is that you have forgotten it. That's why you are running after happiness. The basic ignorance is to forget your true nature and to look for happiness in external ways.

To understand your true nature, the mind must be quiet; otherwise it seems to distort the truth. This is easy to understand through an analogy. You are the Seer who wants to see itself. Just like in the case of your physical face, to see your Self, you need a mirror. The mind is the mirror. The Self is reflected on the mirror of the mind. If the mirror gets distorted or disturbed, you see a disturbed image. You identify with the image and feel that you are disturbed. So, even though the true you, the Self, is always the same, you appear to be distorted or mixed up with the mind. The aim of Raja Yoga is to make the mind clean and calm. When that is achieved, you feel that you have gone back, or you appear to have gone back, to your original state. You see a steady image and experience the Peace and Joy that is your true nature.

Raja Yoga is a practical guide for gaining control over the mind. The second sutra states, "Yogas chitta vritti nirodhah," or, "The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga." Every thought, feeling, perception, or memory you may have causes a modification, or ripple, in the mind. It distorts and colors the mental mirror. If you can restrain the mind from forming into modifications, there will be no distortion, and you will experience your true Self.

It requires great insight, patience, and skill to attain this goal. The mind is the most powerful force in all creation, and you are trying to understand and gain mastery over it. To accomplish this great task, Raja Yoga offers a very broad approach that takes into consideration all aspects of the individual - physical, emotional, mental, intellectual, and spiritual. In so doing, it presents the essence of all the other branches of Yoga (Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga). In this light, our own Integral Yoga, which is a synthesis of the various branches of Yoga aimed at perfecting all aspects of the individual and gaining mastery over the mind, is Raja Yoga.

The Yoga Sutras date somewhere between 5000 BC and 300 AD. The compiler of the sutras and Father of Yoga, Sri Patanjali Maharishi, presented the ancient teachings of Yoga in a systematic way that could be well utilized by his students. As he spoke, his students took notes, which later came to be called the sutras. Sutra means "thread," and the sutras are just combinations of words threaded together - sometimes not even complete sentences. Through the centuries, many great sages and scholars have added their commentaries to the sutras, and these can be studied today to deepen and enrich our understanding of them.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is the first and foremost scripture of Yoga. Within two hundred sutras, it gives the complete science of Yoga, including its aim, the practices, obstacles along the way, how to overcome them, and the results one could achieve. In just a handful of words, it presents the complete philosophy and psychology of Yoga in a very practical and systematic way. It's a recipe book, and to get the benefit, you have to follow the directions, cook well, and eat. Only then will your hunger be satisfied.

May the blessings of Sri Patanjali and all the great sages and saints guide you in your study and practice, so that you may realize the great benefits and share them with one and all.

Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi.