The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali: A Biography (Lives of Great Religious Books)

Consisting of fewer than two hundred verses written in an obscure if not impenetrable language and style, Patanjali's__Yoga Sutra__is today extolled by the yoga establishment as a perennial classic and guide to yoga practice. As David Gordon White demonstrates in this groundbreaking study, both of these assumptions are incorrect. Virtually forgotten in India for hundreds of years and maligned when it was first discovered in the West, the__Yoga Sutra__has been elevated to its present iconic status--and translated into more than forty languages--only in the course of the past forty years.White retraces the strange and circuitous journey of this confounding work from its ancient origins down through its heyday in the seventh through eleventh centuries, its gradual fall into obscurity, and its modern resurgence since the nineteenth century. First introduced to the West by the British Orientalist Henry Thomas Colebrooke, the__Yoga Sutra__was revived largely in Europe and America, and predominantly in English. White brings to life the improbable cast of characters whose interpretations--and misappropriations--of the__Yoga Sutra__led to its revered place in popular culture today. Tracing the remarkable trajectory of this enigmatic work, White's exhaustively researched book also demonstrates why the yoga of India's past bears little resemblance to the yoga practiced today. Consisting Of Fewer Than Two Hundred Verses Written In An Obscure If Not Impenetrable Language And Style, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra Is Today Extolled By The Yoga Establishment As A Perennial Classic And Guide To Yoga Practice. As David Gordon White Demonstrates In This Groundbreaking Study, Both Of These Assumptions Are Incorrect. Virtually Forgotten In India For Hundreds Of Years And Maligned When It Was First Discovered In The West, The Yoga Sutra Has Been Elevated To Its Present Iconic Status--and Translated Into More Than Forty Languages--only In The Course Of The Past Forty Years. White Retraces The Strange And Circuitous Journey Of This Confounding Work From Its Ancient Origins Down Through Its Heyday In The Seventh Through Eleventh Centuries, Its Gradual Fall Into Obscurity, And Its Modern Resurgence Since The Nineteenth Century. First Introduced To The West By The British Orientalist Henry Thomas Colebrooke, The Yoga Sutra Was Revived Largely In Europe And America, And Predominantly In English. White Brings To Life The Improbable Cast Of Characters Whose Interpretations--and Misappropriations--of The Yoga Sutra Led To Its Revered Place In Popular Culture Today. Tracing The Remarkable Trajectory Of This Enigmatic Work, White's Exhaustively Researched Book Also Demonstrates Why The Yoga Of India's Past Bears Little Resemblance To The Yoga Practiced Today-- David Gordon White. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 249-259) And Index. Mode Of Access: World Wide Web. The rise, fall, and modern resurgence of an enigmatic book revered by yoga enthusiasts around the world Consisting of fewer than two hundred verses written in an obscure if not impenetrable language and style, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra is today extolled by the yoga establishment as a perennial classic and guide to yoga practice. As David Gordon White demonstrates in this groundbreaking study, both of these assumptions are incorrect. Virtually forgotten in India for hundreds of years and maligned when it was first discovered in the West, the Yoga Sutra has been elevated to its present iconic status--and translated into more than forty languages--only in the course of the past forty years. White retraces the strange and circuitous journey of this confounding work from its ancient origins down through its heyday in the seventh through eleventh centuries, its gradual fall into obscurity, and its modern resurgence since the nineteenth century. First introduced to the West by the British Orientalist Henry Thomas Colebrooke, the Yoga Sutra was revived largely in Europe and America, and predominantly in English. White brings to life the improbable cast of characters whose interpretations--and misappropriations--of the Yoga Sutra led to its revered place in popular culture today. Tracing the remarkable trajectory of this enigmatic work, White's exhaustively researched book also demonstrates why the yoga of India's past bears little resemblance to the yoga practiced today. "Consisting of fewer than two hundred verses written in an obscure if not impenetrable language and style, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra is today extolled by the yoga establishment as a perennial classic and guide to yoga practice. As David Gordon White demonstrates in this groundbreaking study, both of these assumptions are incorrect. Virtually forgotten in India for hundreds of years and maligned when it was first discovered in the West, the Yoga Sutra has been elevated to its present iconic status--and translated into more than forty languages--only in the course of the past forty years. White retraces the strange and circuitous journey of this confounding work from its ancient origins down through its heyday in the seventh through eleventh centuries, its gradual fall into obscurity, and its modern resurgence since the nineteenth century. First introduced to the West by the British Orientalist Henry Thomas Colebrooke, the Yoga Sutra was revived largely in Europe and America, and predominantly in English. White brings to life the improbable cast of characters whose interpretations--and misappropriations--of the Yoga Sutra led to its revered place in popular culture today. Tracing the remarkable trajectory of this enigmatic work, White's exhaustively researched book also demonstrates why the yoga of India's past bears little resemblance to the yoga practiced today"-- Provided by publisher "Consisting of fewer than two hundred verses written in an obscure if not impenetrable language and style, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra is today extolled by the yoga establishment as a perennial classic and guide to yoga practice. As David Gordon White demonstrates in this groundbreaking study, both of these assumptions are incorrect. Virtually forgotten in India for hundreds of years and maligned when it was first discovered in the West, the Yoga Sutra has been elevated to its present iconic status ... and translated into more than forty languages ... only in the course of the past forty years. White retraces the strange and circuitous journey of this confounding work from its ancient origins down through its heyday in the seventh through eleventh centuries, its gradual fall into obscurity, and its modern resurgence since the nineteenth century. First introduced to the West by the British Orientalist Henry Thomas Colebrooke, the Yoga Sutra was revived largely in Europe and America, and predominantly in English. White brings to life the improbable cast of characters whose interpretations ... and misappropriations ... of the Yoga Sutra led to its revered place in popular culture today. Tracing the remarkable trajectory of this enigmatic work, White's exhaustively researched book also demonstrates why the yoga of India's past bears little resemblance to the yoga practiced today." "Consisting of fewer than two hundred verses written in an obscure if not impenetrable language and style, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra is today extolled by the yoga establishment as a perennial classic and guide to yoga practice. As David Gordon White demonstrates in this groundbreaking study, both of these assumptions are incorrect. Virtually forgotten in India for hundreds of years and maligned when it was first discovered in the West, the Yoga Sutra has been elevated to its present iconic status--and translated into more than forty languages--only in the course of the past forty years. White retraces the strange and circuitous journey of this confounding work from its ancient origins down through its heyday in the seventh through eleventh centuries, its gradual fall into obscurity, and its modern resurgence since the nineteenth century. First introduced to the West by the British Orientalist Henry Thomas Colebrooke, the Yoga Sutra was revived largely in Europe and America, and predominantly in English. White brings to life the improbable cast of characters whose interpretations--and misappropriations--of the Yoga Sutra led to its revered place in popular culture today. Tracing the remarkable trajectory of this enigmatic work, White's exhaustively researched book also demonstrates why the yoga of India's past bears little resemblance to the yoga practiced today"--Del editor Cover 1 Half Title 2 Lives of Great Religious Books 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Dramatis Personae 8 Preface 16 Chapter 1: Reading the Yoga Sutra in the Twenty-First Century: Modern Challenges, Ancient Strategies 22 Chapter 2: Patanjali, the Yoga Sutra, and Indian Philosophy 39 Chapter 3: Henry Thomas Colebrooke and the Western “Discovery” of theYoga Sut ra 74 Chapter 4: Yoga Sutra Agonistes: Hegel and the German Romantics 102 Chapter 5: Rajendralal Mitra: India’s Forgotten Pioneer of Yoga Sutra Scholarship 113 Chapter 6: The Yoga of the Magnetosphere: The Yoga Sutra and the Theosophical Society 124 Chapter 7: Swami Vivekananda and the Mainstreaming of the Yoga Sutra 137 Chapter 8: The Yoga Sutra in the Muslim World 164 Chapter 9: The Yoga Sutra Becomes a Classic 180 Chapter 10: Ishvara 193 Chapter 11: Journeys East, Journeys West:The Yoga Sutra in the Early Twentieth Century 203 Chapter 12: The Strange Case of T. M. Krishnamacharya 218 Chapter 13: Yoga Sutra 2.0 246 Notes 258 Suggestions for the Further reading 270 Index 282