The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A Study Guide for Book I Samadhi Pada [Paperback]

Baba Hari Dass (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 1999

This book is a Study Guide for the first of the four books of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. It contains the original Sanskrit text with transliteration, English translation, and a word by word breakdown of the translation. There is a thorough commentary on each sutra, which is based firmly in classical yoga, yet written with the Western student in mind. There is an introduction and a comprehensive glossary of the Sanskrit terms used in the text.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Author Baba Hari Dass has been a yogi all his life, and has practiced continual silence since 1952. Born in near Almora, India, he was initiated in the Vairagi Vaishnava order in 1942 by Baba Raghubar Dassji Maharaj. Encouraged by his yoga students, Baba Hari Dass moved to the U.S. in 1971, where he currently lives nine months a year. He spends the other three months at Shri Ram Ashram, an orphanage, school, and medical clinic he started near Haridwar, India.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Sri Rama Publishing; 1st edition (November 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0918100208
• ISBN-13: 978-0918100207
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,601,299 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Baba Hari Dass was initiated in the Vairagi Vaishnava order in 1942 by Baba Raghubar Dassji Maharaj, a renunciate and Sanskrit scholar. Baba Hari Dass has practiced continual silence since 1952, and has developed a deep understanding and compassion for the human condition. Born in a village near Almora, India, he was classically trained in the authentic traditions of yoga that have been passed from guru to disciple over thousands of years. Babaji teaches through writing and by example. Babaji and his teachings have inspired several yoga centers and children's schools. Baba Hari Dass receives no money from the sale of his books; his publications are dedicated instead to the needy and homeless children of India.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very useful guide to Classical Yoga theory and practice, November 30, 2000

By 

Walter Trant (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A Study Guide for Book I Samadhi Pada (Paperback)

It is a pleasure to recommend this remarkably lucid and accessible translation of Book One, the abstract and introduction to this famously difficult four-part work.

It is probably not accurate to describe the Sutras as a book, since they are not a collection of essays, or even complete sentences. They are rather a collection of mnemonics meant to provide meaning and order to the experience of Yoga practice under the direction of a qualified Teacher. Passed on verbally, listen and repeat, from Teacher to Student, the Sutras perhaps were never meant to stand alone as an exposition of Yoga.

This translation arises from Baba Hari Das' decades of teaching in just this manner to his many Western students and devotees. As might be expected from a man who has renounced speech and communicates primarily by writing on a small chalk board, his commentaries are concise and to the point. Yet, untranslatable Sanskrit technical terms are not avoided, but clearly explained in philosophical context. Of the several translations of this work that I have studied, Babaji's has proved the most rewarding.

For those of us who may never have the good fortune to work closely in relationship to a loving Guru in the traditional way, this book could be the next best thing. Buy it, study it, and join me in happy anticipation of the release of the remaining books in this series.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Textbook for removing suffering, June 15, 2009

By 

Richard Buzzini "Mahesa" (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A Study Guide for Book I Samadhi Pada (Paperback)

I first came across this book being used as a textbook for a class on yoga philosophy many years ago and was impressed with how I could feel better when I studied it. There is something about contact with truth that gives a sincere student this immediate gratification while also laying the foundation for long term benefit.

I am happy to say that it is still the preferred text for yoga study in both the communities I am involved with. The second book, Sadhana Pada has been recently published and the third book, Vibhuti Pada is in the final stages of edit and will be published soon. Babaji himself is still a presence of silent peace and compassion and thriving at 86 years of age. I am also pleased that all the proceeds from the sale of Babaji's books still goes to the orphanage and it continues to thrive.

I like this book's approach of making the traditional wisdom of yoga available to a western audience without sacrificing the tradition. The text follows the ancient method of teacher student relationship and gives the reader the feeling of having the aphorisims explained by a knowledgeable practitioner. It came about through years of traditional study by Babaji and his students.

The book also has an uplifting effect because of the beautiful artwork on the facing page of each sutra. It seems to call the reader to a higher and nobler interpretation of reality. These reminders of the possibility of an enlightened state of being give us the opportunity to be at peace in the moment, remember a way of life that has been lost to many, and inspire us to live out our days in union with the truth that is ever present yet potentially overlooked in modern life.

5.0 out of 5 stars Most Amazing book, December 30, 2010

By 

A. Hanumanth (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A Study Guide for Book I Samadhi Pada (Paperback)

One should be really blessed to read this book. The completely unreveals the purpose of life. A must read for all seekers. -Ashok