The reading room.
The classical foundation, the commentaries, and the perspective of this journal.
Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali with Bhasvati
Swami Hariharananda Aranya. English translation by P. N. Mukerji. Fourth enlarged edition, University of Calcutta, 2000.
This volume brings together Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Vyasa’s commentary, and Hariharananda Aranya’s explanations. We also consult the Sanskrit texts and the Sankhya Karika of Isvarakrsna.
Reading the voices distinctly
The aphorisms, Vyasa’s commentary, and later explanations deserve to be read in their own context. A reference such as I.12 identifies chapter one, sutra twelve. References at the end of each essay offer a route into the relevant passages.
The journal draws on classical Sankhya Yoga and teachers working within that tradition. Commentators may differ. We will examine those differences as they become relevant. Advaita is outside the scope of this inquiry.
Experience and interpretation
The essays develop a personal inquiry through discussion and editorial assistance. Ordinary examples are illustrations. They are not quotations from the source texts.
We distinguish what a text teaches, what is directly observed, and what is concluded from an observation. Familiar language does not remove the need for careful reading, and an experience does not by itself settle every interpretation of it.
Where to begin
The opening sequence uses ordinary language and introduces one question at a time. More detailed textual study can follow from that foundation.
Follow the reading order ↗