Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

At a glance

History, context & interpretation

The text and its story

Short aphorisms on calming the mind, the eight limbs of yoga and liberation (kaivalya). Postures (asana) are only a small part.

Traditional attribution

Composed by the sage Patanjali.

Historical scholarship

Compiled around the 4th–5th century CE from older yoga teachings.

Context and curiosity

Sutra 1.2 defines yoga as 'the stilling of the movements of the mind'.

Chronology and transmission

This text belongs to Hinduism & Vedic India (India). The catalogue gives its approximate dating as c. 2nd–5th century CE and original language or script as Sanskrit. The dated manuscript witnesses and traditional claims may not refer to the same historical event.

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Sources and further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_Sutras_of_Patanjali

Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.