Yoga Darshana Upanishad: Ancient Insight into the System of Ashtanga Yoga

Yoga Darsana Upani¿ad is Volume 3 in the Yoga Upani¿ad series. Yoga Chudamani Upani¿ad and Yoga Tattwa Upani¿ad are Volumes 1 and 2 in the series.

 

Yoga Darsana Upani¿ad has ten sections which describe in detail the eightfold path of yoga. The topics of the ten sections are the ten ethical behaviours (yama), ten inner disciplines (niyama), the nine main physical and meditative postures, the subtle or energetic body, the breath and breathing practices, withdrawal of the senses (pratyahara), concentration (dhara¿a), meditation (dhyana) and transcendence (samadhi), the eighth limb of raja yoga. These teachings on pratyahara and dhara¿a are unique, and will not be found in other texts on yoga or meditation.

 

Included in the text are the original Sanskrit verses, transliteration, word meanings, translation by Ruth Perini and a comprehensive commentary by Swami Satyadharma Saraswati.