Yogasutras of Patanjali: Ballantyne and Shastri

The Yogasutras of Patanjali is an original work as accepted by scholars and a matchless masterpiece with very profound meaning.  These sutras on which the Indian yoga philosophy is based were written by Patanjali and also served to develop Samkhya philosophy.  There are commentaries on these sutras, one Yoga-Vartika by Rajamartanda by Rama Ramga Malla.  The present book incorporates the yogasutras of Patanjali with Bhojavrtti called Rajamartanda being an English version.  The book is divided into four padas – samadhipada, sadhanapada, vibhutipada and kaivalyapada.  In the first pada the nature of yoga with its divisions, aim, mind and its actions have been delineated.  The second pada describes the advices of meditation, its cause and practices.  There are means of the accomplishment produced from the practice of yoga as is explained in the third pada.  In the last pada mention has been made of nirmanacitta for five types of accomplishment.  The present attempt is made even more useful as it contains a comprehensive introduction by Prof. Asoke Chatterjee, an appendix and an index.