Yoga Sutras Overview & Structure
The Yoga Sutras are a philosophy of yoga. The text is also called Yoga Darshana, translated as “Philosophy of Yoga.” Yoga Darshana has a deeper meaning: “to see the invisible” or “to see with spiritual insight.” In other words, it refers to seeing beyond sensory input and the conditioned mind. “The scripture is regarded as the most precise and scientific text ever written on yoga.” (Swami Satyananda Saraswati) What Do They Impart?
The Yoga Sutras describe human consciousness, how suffering happens, and how to cultivate inner happiness. They describe how to remove the “veil of darkness” and to be free. The Yoga Sutras were codified (arranged in a systematic collection) by Patanjali, said to have been a revered yogi and scholar of many subjects.
See more about Patanjali and the sutra style: Historical Context. A METHOD OF HIGHER PERCEPTION The scripture is also called Yoga Darshana, which is widely translated as “Philosophy of Yoga,” but actually the word darsha has a much deeper meaning.
Key Takeaways
- The Yoga Sutras are a philosophy of yoga.
- The text is also called Yoga Darshana, translated as “Philosophy of Yoga.” Yoga Darshana has a deeper meaning: “to see the invisible” or “to see with spiritual insight.” In other words, it refers to seeing beyond sensory input and the conditioned mind.
- The Yoga Sutras describe human consciousness, how suffering happens, and how to cultivate inner happiness.
- They describe how to remove the “veil of darkness” and to be free.
