Author and Title

Publisher, Date, ISBN

My Comments

Bernard Bouanchaud, The Essence of Yoga: reflections on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Rudra Press, 1997; ISBN 0 915801 69 8  Although the Rudra Press edition is now out of print and very expensive, it is obtainable in an Indian edition:

Sri Satguru (Delhi), 2001; ISBN 81-7030-687-6. You can get it through  http://www.abebooks.com/

This, I think, is the best introduction to the Yoga Sutras.  Bouanchaud is a student of Desikachar, and -- as I have come to expect from Desikachar and his students -- the commentary is clear and helpful, but also scholarly.  What more could you ask for!

Christopher Chapple and Yogi Anand Viraj, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Sri Satguru Publications, ISBN 81 7030 244 7

This edition is indispensible if you wish to have  a full grammatical ananlysis of the text, with an index of words used.  The devanagari is given, then split up word for word.  Each sutra is also translated.

T.K.V. Desikachar, The Heart of Yoga  

Rudra Press, 1995;
ISBN 0 89281 533 7

Essential reading for anyone interested in yoga in general and Viniyoga in particular.  For more information, see the page devoted to this book.

T.K.V. Desikachar, The Yoga of T. Krishnamacharya

Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (Madras, India), 1982

Quite a little book, but absolutely fascinating.  Written by Krishnamacharya's son, and informative about the man as well as his teachings.  For more information, see the page devoted to Krishnamacharya

T.K.V. Desikachar, In Search of Mind  

East West Books (Madras), 1998;
ISBN 81 86852 19 0

This is a fascinating little book.  It's based on tapes and transcripts of a seminar given by Desikachar in Paris in 1993.  He discusses some central concepts of yoga and meditation.  The chapter headings are "Knowing the Mind", "Refining the Mind", and "Directing the Mind".

Eknath Easwaran, The Bhagavad Gita

Penguin/Arkana, ISBN 0 14 019008 2

A translation of the BG with a helpful General Introduction; each chapter also has an Introduction and Notes.  The translation is sometimes a little free, but it’s very readable.

Georg Feuerstein, The Yoga Tradition  

Holm Press 1998;
ISBN 0 934252 83 1

As good as an encyclopaedia.  Its subtitle, "Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice" says it all!  It also includes translations of a number of yoga texts which are not otherwise readily available.   It is expensive, but seems to me worth the money.

Swami Hariharananda, Yoga Philosopy of Patanjali

State University of New York Press, 1983; ISBN 0 87395 729 6

This edition of the Yoga Sutras also contains Vyasa’s Yoga Bhasya, the first commentary on the text.

Chip Hartranft, The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali

Shambhala, 2003; ISBN 1 59030 023 8

Hartranft is another of Desikachar’s students.  His edition is also useful, clear, easy to understand, and useful because it approaches the Sutras from a Buddhist point of view.

Gary Kraftsow, Yoga for Wellness  

Penguin Arkana 0 14 019569 6

This is a textbook of viniyoga techniques. It is packed full of suggested sequences, posture modifications, programmes to alleviate various physical conditions... It has lost of illustrations, showing common faults as well as correct postures. Extremely useful, and well worth the ￡17 odd that I paid for it. It's a book that I will return to regularly for ideas and advice.

Barbara Powell, Windows into the Infinite

Jain Publishing Co, ISBN 0 87583 072 8

An excellent book - includes material on Bhagavd Gita and the Upanishads.   Well worth adding to your library.

S. Radhakrishnan, The Bhagavadgita

Harper Collins India, 1993;

IABN 81 7223 087 7

This is THE edition to use if you really want to get to grips with this text.  It has a lengthy & detailed introduction, then a verse-by-verse Sanskrit text (in Roman script) and translation with detailed notes.  Highly recommended.

S. Radhakrishnan, The Principal Upanishads  

Harper Collins India, 1994;
ISBN 81 7223 124 5

Apart from a massive introduction of considerable use for information about the background to yoga philosophy, this edition is the only one I could find with a translation of the Maitri Upanishad (it has 18 Upansihads altogether). It gives the Sanskrit text transliterated into the Roman alphabet, a translation and a detailed commentary.  I got my copy second hand from Powell's for $5!

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Charles A. Moore, A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy    

Princeton University Press, 1957;
ISBN 0 691 01958 4

(I got my copy second hand from Powell's.)

This book has English translations (no Sanskrit texts) of a wide range of material including selections from the principal Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita as well as Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.  What I found particularly useful was an inclusion of extracts from Vyasa's Yoga Bhasya (a commentary on the Yoga Sutras dating from 4th century CE), which at that time I couldn't find anywhere else.

Shyam Ranganathan, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra

Penguin Books, 2008; ISBN 978 0 14 310219 9

Text, meanings of individual words, translation and commentary.  The commentary is clear and scholarly,  with no  particular religious or philosophical axe to grind.

Swami Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali  

Integral Yoga Publications, 1990;
ISBN 0 932040 38 1

This edition gives the Sanskrit text in devanagari script and Roman alphabet; a translation of each Sanskrit word, and a commentary.  The commentary is clear and easy to follow.  I personally find the commentary a bit too rambling to be helpful at times, but the word by word translation is very handy.  It  should also be used with care as it is clearly a vedantist approach to a non-vedantist text.

I.K. Taimni, The Science of Yoga  

Theosophical Publishing House, 1961;
ISBN 0 8356 0023 8

Don't be misled by the rather ancient publication date - it's still in print.  It's yet another edition of Patanjali, with the text in devanagari and Roman, a word for word translation, and a commentary.  The commentary is pretty extensive, with lots of interesting ideas including some quite useful stuff on the stages of samadhi (not all of which I find convincing, I must admit).  I think that it it is in the tantric yoga tradition (but if you know different, please tell me), and you need to keep this in mind if you use it.

Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Seven Systems of Indian Philosophy

Himalayan Institute Press, ISBN 0 89389 076 6

An excellent, very readable introduction to what can be very demanding subject-matter.