Yoga Sutra of Patanjali

Through melodious chant, these two CDs give voice to the sage Patanjali's Yoga Sutra.

By Richard Rosen

Yoga Sutra of Patanjali: Chanting with Manorama. Sanskrit Studies; sanskritstudies.com

Through melodious chant, these two CDs give voice to the sage Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. Traditionally chanting the sutras is a central practice in ashtanga's eight limbs to help students recall their teacher's instructions—a tactic that B.K.S. Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois both claim. Except for a few remarks at the start of each chapter on these discs, the Yoga Sutra is sung almost entirely in Sanskrit. Each sutra is repeated twice, presumably to encourage the listener to join in on the second go-round. And indeed, if you at all admire or have studied Sanskrit, it's difficult not to chime in. While not a practical instructional manual, this method of learning Patanjali's Yoga Sutra has an enormous historical significance for serious yoga students.