The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali
A Biography
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Narrated by:
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Peter Ganim
About this listen
Consisting of fewer than 200 verses written in an obscure if not impenetrable language and style, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is today extolled by the yoga establishment as a perennial classic and guide to yoga practice. As David Gordon White demonstrates in this groundbreaking study, both of these assumptions are incorrect. Virtually forgotten in India for hundreds of years and maligned when it was first discovered in the West, the Yoga Sutra has been elevated to its present iconic status - and translated into more than 40 languages - only in the course of the past 40 years.
White retraces the strange and circuitous journey of this confounding work from its ancient origins down through its heyday in the seventh through eleventh centuries, its gradual fall into obscurity, and its modern resurgence since the nineteenth century. First introduced to the West by the British Orientalist Henry Thomas Colebrooke, the Yoga Sutra was revived largely in Europe and America, and predominantly in English. White brings to life the improbable cast of characters whose interpretations - and misappropriations - of the Yoga Sutra led to its revered place in popular culture today. Tracing the remarkable trajectory of this enigmatic work, White’s exhaustively researched book also demonstrates why the yoga of India’s past bears little resemblance to the yoga practiced today.
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Orientalism
- By: Edward Said
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 19 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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This landmark book, first published in 1978, remains one of the most influential books in the Social Sciences, particularly Ethnic Studies and Postcolonialism. Said is best known for describing and critiquing "Orientalism", which he perceived as a constellation of false assumptions underlying Western attitudes toward the East. In Orientalism Said claimed a "subtle and persistent Eurocentric prejudice against Arabo-Islamic peoples and their culture."
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We're lucky to have this on audio
- By Delano on 02-27-13
By: Edward Said
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God and the Evolving Universe
- The Next Step in Personal Evolution
- By: James Redfield, Michael Murphy, Sylvia Timbers
- Narrated by: Chris Ryan
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
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In God and the Evolving Universe, James Redfield and Michael Murphy present an important message of hope and a vision for the future. The authors contend that thousands of years of human striving have delivered us to this very moment, in which each act of self-development is creating a new stage in planetary evolution and the emergence of a human species possessed of vastly expanded spiritual experience.
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higher is better
- By Tommie on 04-20-07
By: James Redfield, and others
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Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory (The Samuel and Althea Stroum Lectures in Jewish Studies)
- By: Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi
- Narrated by: Aze Fellner
- Length: 4 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Winner of the National Jewish Book Award for History. This book discusses the troubling and possibly irreconcilable split between Jewish memory and Jewish historiography.
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Best book of history of Judaism written in centuries
- By Bicigodo on 07-19-15
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Forbidden Faith
- The Secret History of Gnosticism
- By: Richard Smoley
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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The success of books such as Elaine Pagels's Gnostic Gospels and Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code proves beyond a doubt that there is a tremendous thirst today for finding the hidden truths of Christianity - truths that may have been lost or buried by institutional religion over the last two millennia. In Forbidden Faith, Richard Smoley narrates a popular history of one such truth, the ancient esoteric religion of gnosticism, which flourished between the first and fourth centuries AD, but whose legacy remains even today, having survived secretly throughout the ages.
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An absolute must for understanding Gnosticism.
- By Patriot RN - Doc on 05-12-21
By: Richard Smoley
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The Case for God
- By: Karen Armstrong
- Narrated by: Karen Armstrong
- Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Moving from the Paleolithic age to the present, Karen Armstrong details the great lengths to which humankind has gone in order to experience a sacred reality that it called by many names, such as God, Brahman, Nirvana, Allah, or Dao. Focusing especially on Christianity but including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Chinese spiritualities, Armstrong examines the diminished impulse toward religion in our own time, when a significant number of people either want nothing to do with God or question the efficacy of faith. Why has God become unbelievable?
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Great recasting of how God should be interpreted
- By John Doyle on 02-18-11
By: Karen Armstrong
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The Shaolin Monastery
- History, Religion, and the Chinese Martial Arts
- By: Meir Shahar
- Narrated by: Kevin Young
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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The Shaolin Monastery charts for the first time in any language the history of the Shaolin Temple and the evolution of its world-renowned martial arts. In this meticulously researched and eminently readable study Meir Shahar considers the economic political and religious factors that led Shaolin monks to disregard the Buddhist prohibition against violence and instead create fighting techniques that by the 21st century have spread throughout the world.
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Dry and uninspired
- By Jonathan on 07-18-17
By: Meir Shahar
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Secular Buddhism
- Imagining the Dharma in an Uncertain World
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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As the practice of mindfulness permeates mainstream western culture, more and more people are engaging in a traditional form of Buddhist meditation. However, many of these people have little interest in the religious aspects of Buddhism, and the practice occurs within secular contexts such as hospitals, schools, and the workplace. Is it possible to recover from the Buddhist teachings a vision of human flourishing that is secular rather than religious without compromising the integrity of the tradition?
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Good, but repetition of old material
- By Ludwig on 02-25-18
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How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization
- By: Thomas E. Woods Jr.
- Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
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Western civilization has given us modern science, the wealth of free-market economics, the security of law, a sense of human rights and freedom, charity as a virtue, splendid art and music, philosophy grounded in reason, and innumerable other gifts we take for granted.
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Fascinating and informative
- By Michael Kellogg on 09-29-05
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When God Spoke Greek
- The Septuagint and the Making of the Christian Bible
- By: Timothy Michael Law
- Narrated by: Stephen McLaughlin
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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The Septuagint, the name given to the translation of the Hebrew scriptures between the third century BC and the second century AD, played a central role in the Bible's history. Many of the Hebrew scriptures were still evolving when they were translated into Greek, and these Greek translations, along with several new Greek writings, became Holy Scripture in the early Church. Yet gradually the Septuagint lost its place at the heart of Western Christianity.
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A popular & much-needed intro to the Septuagint
- By Jacobus on 06-14-14
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Lost Enlightenment
- Central Asia's Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane
- By: S. Frederick Starr
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 25 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Lost Enlightenment recounts how, between the years 800 and 1200, Central Asia led the world in trade and economic development, the size and sophistication of its cities, the refinement of its arts, and, above all, in the advancement of knowledge in many fields. Central Asians achieved signal breakthroughs in astronomy, mathematics, geology, medicine, chemistry, music, social science, philosophy, and theology, among other subjects.
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Subject worthwhile but repetative narrative
- By F-M on 04-10-14
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The House of Wisdom
- How Arabic Science Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance
- By: Jim Al-Khalili
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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The Arabic legacy of science and philosophy has long been hidden from the West. British-Iraqi physicist Jim Al-Khalili unveils that legacy to fascinating effect by returning to its roots in the hubs of Arab innovation that would advance science and jump-start the European Renaissance.
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Very interesting book, well-narrated for sure
- By Roderic Rinehart on 11-07-20
By: Jim Al-Khalili
What listeners say about The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Macaccus Rhesus
- 12-15-19
Excellent historical context of the Patanjali sutras
I should start with my estimation that I am a partisan of both yoga and serious history.
I have been practicing yoga for 10 years and read a fair amount of books about the history and philosophy behind the physical routines.
Some of the teachers I like enjoy venturing in lengthy dharma talks of various quality, new age style. They have an somewhat amusing somewhat worrisome attitude of deep knowledge of yoga history and philosophy that is full of inconsistencies and makes it sounds like sloganeering that cheapens the practice.
This book helps put the Patanjali sutras in its historical context and details it’s relationship with the yoga practiced in the West today.
Yoga it’s a fantastic practice beyond that most of its adepts understand and this book does not dispute this.
Not sure why many people got personally insulted by this straightening of the record.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Christopher Latkowski
- 02-20-18
Exceptional Scholarship
This is absolute required reading for anyone who has thought to apply Yoga Philosophy and Modern Yoga practice. Sane, rational, and highly discerning undertaking
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1 person found this helpful
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- John
- 04-26-18
Very poor - a total waste of money
This book is pure garbage. it might be of interest to history buffs, but has nothing to do with the Yoga Sutras as a practice.
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- Aaron Edvalson
- 06-03-17
Extremely in-depth analysis
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This book goes above and beyond to determine the history of the Yoga Sutra.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali?
No one in particular, but overall was very thought provoking.
What does Peter Ganim bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He pronounces names and words in sanskrit very well.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Kind of. It's rather long though, and my brain needed a break to digest the confounding info.
Any additional comments?
While this book left me without an answer, it was certainly an enjoyable ride, analyzing the history of the work.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Andrew Hanson
- 12-14-19
A compelling historical account of The Yoga Sutras
A very interesting look at how multitudes of cultures in different times and space reinterpret and reinvent textual and intellectual objects from the past to fit current needs and desires.
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- Jose A. Contreras
- 08-10-17
A different take on Patanjali and Yoga
Thorough research of alternative theories on the origin and significance of Yoga Sutras, from earliest records until recent years.
Plenty of controversy as to the author of aphorysms and commentaries; excellent read for yoga practitioners interested in its philosophy.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Fuzzy Numbers
- 03-22-17
Essential study of Yoga without bias.
It is a shame that so many reviewers have dismissed this book because of the challenges it presents to their preconceived beliefs about the history of Yoga. And what an interesting history it has! Did you know that many Indian Yogis were armed ascetics and not quite the peaceful image portrayed in classic stories? Or that the Yoga Sutras fell out of favor for a couple of hundred years and that Tantric Yoga has very little relation to it? Fascinating stuff!
I can sympathize a bit with other listeners who find the tone to be condescending, but that is all the fault of Peter Ganim whose judgmental narration is matched only by his strange pronunciation of Sanskrit words (Bahgvaada Getaaa?).
If you can overlook this fault, you will learn everything about Yoga that is actually worth knowing.
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4 people found this helpful
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- justme
- 04-11-16
Very Thankful for this Work!
Would you listen to The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali again? Why?
Yes, I plan to listen to it several times. Many yogis use dates and facts that are not supported by the facts. Doesn't mean they are wrong, they just can't be supported. i.e. "Yoga as described in the Sutras goes back 5,000 years." Maybe, but probably not. I'm interested in what is really "known" about the sutras. Let's start with the truth, then build from there. If a yogi is afraid of the truth, I'm not sure that's a good foundation for their practice.
What did you like best about this story?
Historical context & accuracy.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Yoga Sutras Exposed: What We Really Know.
Any additional comments?
It's hard to find a fair, purely academic treatment of Yoga. I'm sorry to see the yoga practitioners who rate this work poorly. One person gave this 1 star because they meant to purchase a traditional commentary, so instead of taking responsibility for their mistake, they took it out on the work. Not a shining example of yogic Ahimsa. The next reviewer found it a hubristic, cynical, sarcastic, and racist diatribe that is "veiled" as academic. So much so that they didn't complete it. Hmmm. No examples provide to support their position, no attempt to illustrate how the work is academically incorrect. If there was ever a need to practice Satya (2nd limb, 2nd observance: truth in thought, word, and deed), this is it. If you feel the work is bad, then state it as a feeling, not as a fact. If you're going to state is a fact, then back it up with examples, so the reader can decide for themselves. While I'm neither a practioner nor an academic, I do find it sad how yogic practitioners can behave so badly when confronted with an academic treatment of the texts they hold dear. It's not a question of intelligence: many of them sound highly intelligent, as the reader above who found the work hubristic. But, instead of attacking back because we feel our beliefs were attacked, we need to meet the academics on their battlefield and engage. Not launch potshots from a safe distance.
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21 people found this helpful
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- v supervia
- 06-13-18
Great! But about the sutra in Indian philosophy
I saw where a few reviewers were pretty bitter when, after they bought the book, they found out that it was not a translation and commentary on the Sutra. (One reviewer pretty much called the author a “smarty pants scholar” 🤗) Please note the subtitle — “a biography.” Frankly, I was as surprised as any of those reviewers, so I think the book’s description could very much improved.
If you want to know about the history of yoga philosophy in all its forms, and how and where that philosophy came from, and where the “yoga sutra” fits in that tradition, this is the book for you. If you want a deep dive into how to study and understand a text as old as the “yoga sutra”, this is the book for you. And if you wondered how Indian philosophy fits in with the great Indian epics, this is the book for you. And if you like well-written and well-read books on subjects you never gave too much thought about, this is the book for you.
But, as the author notes early on, the “yoga sutra” means a lot to modern teachers of the discipline of yoga. If he is right about it being required reading for “certified” yoga instructors, and if you like the practice of yoga as it is done today, the author is very blunt or perhaps even insensitive when he makes it clear right from the beginning, that you have been misled about the contents of the “yoga sutra.” Or as one reviewer angrily put it, “it’s clear the writer does not practice yoga.” Yes, I’m afraid that seems to be true. But if you grit your teeth and press on reading the book with an open mind, and I think you’ll like it anyway.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Scientific Wrestling
- 12-03-17
Brilliant. DGW is in top form once again...
Any seeking to get the bearings straight with regards to philosophical and historical yoga would do well to listen to this audio book. kudos!
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2 people found this helpful