A quick introduction to the profound world of Yogasutras

Naturally, if I am talking about yoga, I have to understand the Yogasutras: what they are and how the practice evolved from them. I have been learning Sanskrit for two years now and have a modest grasp of this complex but beautiful language. 

Of course, the general understanding is that the philosophy of yoga was originally passed down through the guru-shishya parampara. At some point, we started recording history and capturing that knowledge on palm leaves or manuscripts. So, the logical question arises – 

When were the Yogasutras actually compiled?

As we know, the text is attributed to the sage Patanjali, who scholars believe lived between the 2nd century BCE and the 4th century CE. The tradition itself is much older than that. Some historians suggest the text was compiled around the 1st century CE. There is even a debate among modern Indologists, like Edwin Bryant, over whether the Patanjali of the Yogasutras is the same person who authored the Mahabhasya. 

This broad dating range relies heavily on the linguistic style of the Sanskrit and the text’s internal responses to competing philosophical movements of that era, such as early Buddhism and Jainism.

To be honest, within the Indian Knowledge System, we rarely view history through a purely material lens of dates, authors, or fixed events. The focus is always on the message. Take for example the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It’s pointless debating whether such events happened or not when the focus has always been on the core lessons that need to be passed on to ensure the future sustenance of humanity.

Oldest references to Yogasutras in the IKS 

Having said that, strictly for SEO purposes, here are a few of the oldest references to the Yogasutras within the Indian Knowledge System:

• Antiquity: Mentions can be found in Puranic texts like the Mahabharata and the Linga Purana.
• 11th Century CE: King Bhoja authored the Bhoja-Vritti, a commentary that popularized the text among royalty and scholars alike.

Where is the original text of Yogasutras kept and how were they found?

For centuries, the Yogasutras existed exclusively as an oral tradition. You can think of them as mnemonic devices that an interpreter needs to unpack. The guru did the unpacking. Based on the desh (geographical context) and kaal (era), they implemented the knowledge and passed it on to the next generation. Therefore, the original text was not written; it was spoken.

At some point, the verses were transcribed. The tradition of creating manuscripts in India dates back to the 5th century BCE. This was typically done on tala patra (palm leaves) in South India and bhurja patra (birch bark) in North India. Since these organic materials only survive for a few centuries, recopying them was a painstaking but necessary process.

Today, you can still find surviving manuscripts at the following institutions:

• Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI) in Pune, India
• Saraswathi Mahal Library in Thanjavur, India
• National Archives of Nepal in Kathmandu

About the Yogasutras 

It’s philosophical treatise that remains highly practical. It stands as the most influential text in the history of yoga. Although the verses are highly codified and seem deeply metaphysical, assuming they represent mere philosophy is incorrect. As the legendary B.K.S. Iyengar argued, you cannot bypass the body to reach the mind.

The word Yogah roughly translates to the unification of the real and the corporeal. Sutra literally translates to a “thread.” Together, they form a marga, or a clear pathway, to reach absolute truth.

There are 196 sutras in total. Some scholars argue the number is 195, but a debated extra sutra in chapter three is usually the source of that confusion. The text is neatly divided into four padas (chapters):

• Samadhi Pada (51 sutras): Focuses on the complete absorption of the mind in the body. It explores different states of consciousness and the psychology of the mind.
• Sadhana Pada (55 sutras): Concentrates on the actual practice. It introduces the yoga of action, specifically a triad of Tapas (discipline), Svadhyaya (self-study), and Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender). This chapter also formally introduces the Ashtanga framework.
• Vibhuti Pada (56 sutras): Discusses manifestation. It details the extraordinary state of stillness one achieves after rigorous practice and outlines what happens when a practitioner attains mastery over their body.
• Kaivalya Pada (34 sutras): Explores the state of absolute freedom. Built upon the Samkhya darshana, it discusses Kaivalya, which is the final state where pure consciousness rests independently, free from any afflictions. It explains how latent impressions (Samskaras) are stored, how they trigger desires across lifetimes, and how the mind is ultimately colored by the objects it perceives.

How did Yogasutras become popular in the modern day?

By the late 18th and 19th centuries, the Yogasutras had actually fallen into relative obscurity in India. So, how did they regain popularity?

• The Scholarly Recovery: European Orientalists, including Henry Thomas Colebrooke and later James Haughton Woods, sought out traditional pandits who preserved the manuscripts and understood the oral commentaries, such as the Vyasa Bhasya.
• The Global Boom: The text was brought back into the global spotlight largely through the efforts of Swami Vivekananda in the late 1890s. He utilized these scattered manuscripts to synthesize and write his influential book, Raja Yoga.

The eight limbs

The eight limbs of yoga, or Ashtanga, are introduced in the second chapter (Sadhana Pada), specifically in Sutra 2.29. A practical way to understand them is by categorizing their purpose based on how they interact with the external world versus the internal makeup of our mind.

Do the Yogasutras talk about God? 

It is something I actively need to investigate. Based on my current reading, yes, it does talk about God. Patanjali defines Ishvara as the supreme and pure consciousness. This Ishvara is the lord of the universe, his sound is “OM,” and within him, the seed of all knowledge reaches its maximum, unsurpassed limit.

So the short answer is yes, but the long answer is a resounding no. A lot of scholars believe Patanjali was actually an atheist, especially since classical Samkhya philosophy (the very foundation of yoga) is inherently atheistic. Clearly, there is a lot left for me to uncover in these 196 verses and exactly the reason why I began building this blog.