Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali (Swami Hariharananada Aranya)
A Superior Text on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
[My 5-star Amazon review (NDA) of “Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali” by Swami Hariharananda Aranya.]
(This is an edited 11/01/2015 version of my original review, and when I reread this book down the road, I'll edit it further.) I have read numerous versions of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, including -- "How to Know God" by Christopher Isherwood and Swami Prabhavananda (see my four-star review), "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" by Swami Satchidananda (see my three-star review), "The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali" by Cliff Hartranft (see my two-star review) and the "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" by Edwin F. Bryant (see my four-star review) -- and in my opinion, Aranya's "Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali," and Bryant's scholarly text are easily the best of the ten or so versions of Patanjali that I've now studied. This text by Aranya is a deep and engaging read for serious, intellectually inclined students of meditation. It is very esoteric and goes into great detail on the nature and functions of the mind, and the yogic processes of arresting and transcending the mind, culminating in Self-realization. This text perfectly complements Bryant's, which is more academic (and regularly refers to Aranya's commentary). Hence, serious students of the Yoga Sutras should study both of these texts.
I am a spiritual writer and teacher, and I recommend that my meditation students start their journey into Patanjali with "How to Know God," a basic book on the Sutras of Patanjali, then graduate to Aranya’s and Bryant's texts if they vibe with Patanjali.
[My 5-star Amazon review (NDA) of “Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali” by Swami Hariharananda Aranya.]
(This is an edited 11/01/2015 version of my original review, and when I reread this book down the road, I'll edit it further.) I have read numerous versions of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, including -- "How to Know God" by Christopher Isherwood and Swami Prabhavananda (see my four-star review), "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" by Swami Satchidananda (see my three-star review), "The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali" by Cliff Hartranft (see my two-star review) and the "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" by Edwin F. Bryant (see my four-star review) -- and in my opinion, Aranya's "Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali," and Bryant's scholarly text are easily the best of the ten or so versions of Patanjali that I've now studied. This text by Aranya is a deep and engaging read for serious, intellectually inclined students of meditation. It is very esoteric and goes into great detail on the nature and functions of the mind, and the yogic processes of arresting and transcending the mind, culminating in Self-realization. This text perfectly complements Bryant's, which is more academic (and regularly refers to Aranya's commentary). Hence, serious students of the Yoga Sutras should study both of these texts.
I am a spiritual writer and teacher, and I recommend that my meditation students start their journey into Patanjali with "How to Know God," a basic book on the Sutras of Patanjali, then graduate to Aranya’s and Bryant's texts if they vibe with Patanjali.
