Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as interpreted by Mukunda Stiles
A concise and poetic rendering that conveys the essence and depth of this perennial classic of yoga.
“This beautiful, poetic rendition of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras was gathered from Mukunda’s lifetime of abiding in the good company of the saints and sages of the Great Tradition. We can rely upon the fact that these words come from his own authentic experience of love and life and of Yoga. Please enjoy this gift of poetry from Mukunda and embrace the beauty of your life every day.”
Mark Whitwell, author of Yoga of Heart: The Healing Power of Intimate Connection
"Those who cannot understand the Sanskrit Yogic aphorisms can understand and grasp the essence of them through your book." -Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar, author of Light on Yoga
"This is the most readable and enjoyable interpretation of the Yoga Sutras I have ever seen." -Gabriel Cousens, MD, author of Conscious Eating
A devotional approach to the definitive text on Classical Yoga, rendered in poetic phrases.
"A sustained reading of the Sutras, integrated with the practices described in the text, can thus yield a roadmap to your Self." -- Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Mukunda spent 30 years contemplating the sutras before publishing his personal "bhakti" rendition of this text. The rendition leaves space for the reader to contemplate and to allow personal insights to arise.
Mukunda received a personal blessing of Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar for his rendition of the Sutras.
Excerpt of the Introduction of the book: The word sutra derives from its two component parts. Su means, literally "thread or string," implying the weaving together of various views from a fundamental thought. Tra means "to transcend." Sutra thus implies the weaving of thoughts into a sequence that produces transcendental insights in your personal practice.
Patanjali is to yoga what the Buddha is to Buddhism. His yoga sutras―literally “the path to transcendence”―are a means to profound self-realization and are considered the spiritual and philosophical root of the yoga tradition in its various forms. This concise, poetic rendering of the classic Yoga Sutra text conveys both the essence and depth of the yoga tradition. Mukunda Stiles had a lifelong devotion to the spiritual practice of yoga. Here, he shares Patanjali's essential work with precision and insight. He also includes a succinct line-for-line commentary, as well as word-by-word Sanskrit-to-English translation.