Last day of Manju's TT. After practice we were talking over coffee and a friend mentioned that we didn't get to ask so many questions this year, that she had wanted to ask Manju for any recommendations for yoga philosophy, from the Sankara side of things especially.
I remembered Ramaswami had a few pages of recommended yoga philosophy texts In his first book although Not necessarily related to Sankara) Yoga for the Three stages of life, of course he does, everything is in that book.
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| Excellent overview |
Below then are mostly his recommendations with my hyperlinks for either Amazon or free online pdf's. I've also added some of the texts from my free Download page that sits at the top of the blog and an old post of mine on Krishnamacharya' Bibliography from Yoga Makaranda.
I remember somebody getting over excited when they noticed Krishnamacharya didn't mention Yoga Korunta, in that bibliography, have no fear he mentions the text in his second book Yogasangalu that we've ( read Satya Murthey) translated on/for this blog.
"I did not attempt a detailed review of all ancient yoga treatises since it will make this book very long and perhaps cause boredom to the readers. Please forgive. This writing is mainly based on the following texts:
Patanjalayogasutra
Hathayogapradipika
Rajayogaratnakara
Yogakuranti
Upanishads related to yoga
Learning’s from my Guru and self-experience"
Krishnamacharya Yogasanagalu 1941
Actually it's interesting that he mentioned it for that book as according to Eddie Sterne in Yoga Mala Korunta, means 'groups' and in Yogasanagalu Krishnamacharya presents a table of asana divided into three groups, Primary, Middle and Proficient. The first two groups are very close to what we practice Today in Ashtanga Primary and Intermediate series. Are these perhaps the original groups from the mythical/legendary Korunta text complete with Vinyasa count and kumbhaka indications?
"Guruji has often spoken about a text called the Yoga Korunta, an ancient manuscript on ashtanga yoga, which had been the basis of the practical lessons on yoga taught to him by Krishnamacharya. Attributed to the sage Vamana, it was one of the many texts taught orally to Krishnamacharya, which he learned by heart during the seven and a half years he spent living with his teacher, Rama Mohan Brahmachari. Korunta means “groups,” and the text was said to contain lists of many different groupings of asanas, as well as highly original teachings on vinyasa, drishti, bandhas, mudras, and philosophy". Eddie Stern (forward to Pattabhi Jois' Yoga mall).
But to the reading List, in as good an order as any other.
First my other Desert Island choice, Aranya's Commentary on the Yoga Sutras. The man actually lived this rather than just writing about it having spent most of his life in meditation and or seclusion.
Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali: Containing His Yoga Aphorisms with Vyasa's Commentary in Sanskrit and a Translation with Annotations Including Many Suggestions for the Practice of Yoga
by Swami Hariharananda Aranya
A friend was asking about the Sankara (or possibly his students) Commentary
Sankara on the Yoga Sutras (A Full Translation of the Newly Discovered Text)
by Trevor Leggett
The Gita of course, I have a soft spot for the music of Mascaro version (slim volume too), he was a Jesuit priest I believe and it shows but there are many versions out there, several free online. check out my post on the Gita as it was (the argument goes that basically pretty much everything after the third chapter was added later)
The Gita Code, The Gita as it was
The Bhagavad Gita (Penguin Classics) Paperback
by Anonymous (Author), Juan Mascaro (Translator)
For a highly readable Sankara treatment of the Gita
Realization of the Supreme Self: The Bhagavad Gita Yoga-s Paperback – January 1, 2002
by Trevor Leggett
Svatmarama's Hathayogapradipka (HYP)
with Brahmananda commentary perhaps)
Some free pdf version's out there of HYP
Free download HERE
Siva Samhita (SS)
Free download Here
Geranda samhita (GS
Free Download here
Keep an eye out for the out of print
Theos Bernard's Hatha Yoga,worth getting hold of if you can find it for a good price
This was pretty much his PHD thesis I believe, working through his own practice of the hathayogapradipka with his teacher/guru. He includes substantial notes that compare large sections of HYP with GS and SS, nice mudra section.
Yoga Rahasya Nathamuni/Krishnamacharya
Yoga Yajnavalkya, AG Mohan's version
Yoga Vasistha
I like this one in two volumes, you can read a short section each day
The Supreme Yoga: A New Translation Of The Yoga Vasistha (2 volume)
Yoga Upanishads
Especially Isa, Svetasvatara, Chandogya, Sandilya.
Free Download of yoga Upanishads here
*See the old post I've added at the end of this post which has hype links to free pdf's of the Yoga Upanishads.
Other texts
Dhyanabindu Upanishad
Advayatarka Upanishad
Svetasvatara Upanishad
Garbha Upanishad
Yoga Kuran-tam
Vrddha Satapatam
Tejabindu Upanishad
Geranda Samahita
yoga Taravali
Yogasira Upanishad
Advitananda Upanishad
Trisikhibrahmana Upanishad
Siva Samhita
Brahmavidya Upanishad
Ygasikha Upanishad
Yogakundalini Upanishad
Nadabindu upanishad
Darsana Upanishad
Amrtabindu Upanishad
Yogacudamanya Upanishad
Yogatattva Upanishad
Sambhu Rahasya
Yoga Rahasya
Suta Samhita
Yoga Yajnavalkya
Yoga vashitha
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And from my free Download page at the top of the blog
Free Downloads
Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda
Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranada Part II
Krishnamacharya's Yogasanagalu pdf double page view Medium file
Below is a post I put up a while back on the bibliography in Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda
from Yogacarya Krishnamacharya - The Purnacarya. Edited by Mala Srivatsan
Unfortunately long out of print
NB: Italics in brackets are my explanatory notes
"Krishnamacharya went searching for the ashram of Rama Mohana Brahmacari. In a cave, a very tall hermit with a long beard, wearing wooden shoes stood at the entrance. It was evident to Krishnamacharya that this was his guru. He prostrated before him, gave his name and asked to be his disciple. Krishnamacharya was questioned in Hindi on the reason for his visit. After he expressed his desire to learn yoga he was called in. He met his guru's wife and three children. he was given fruits called Ankula to eat and the escorts who accompanied him were dismissed with a cup of tea.
Krishnamacharya's first instruction from his guru was, to take a bath and perform acamana. The first precept of pranayama was then taught. For eight days, the master said he would not teach him anything else and that Krishnamacharya should eat only fruits.
Thereafter Krishnamacharya became a part of the Rama Brahmacari's family who belonged to the Kasyapa gotta (family lineage). His daily food was chapathu (Indian bread), halwa ( a paste of vegetable or fruits sweetened along with ghee and tea). His period of gurukulam (stay with the guru ) in Tibet lasted for seven and a half years. Rama Mohana Brahmacari made him memorise the entire Yoga Kurantam in the Gurkha language. The various stages of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra were dealt with in that book. Various kinds of of yoga practises were also described with great clarity. Only with the help of Yoga Kurantam' could he understand the inner meanings and science of the Yoga Sutra. The first three years he was made to memorise the Yoga texts in the form of adhyayanam ( to memorise and recite correctly, with proper accents). His focus was in the study of the Yoga Sutra, Vyasa Bhasya and the Samkhya Darsana. In the next three years he practiced yogabhyasa and for the next one and a half years he studied the siksana krama (planning of practices based on the stage of life of an individual) and the cikitsa krama (therapeutic approach).
During his seven and a half year stay with his guru, Krishnamacharya learnt all aspects of yoga practice, therapy and philosophy. His capacity to learn, his previous education and his discipline made him an ideal student.
Having spent seven and a half years with his guru he would happily have spent the rest of his life learning and serving him but Rama Mohana Brahmacari then told him to go back to society, lead the life of a married man and spread the message of Yoga. Following his guru's words he returned from Tibet in 1922"
Yogacarya Krishnamacharya - The Purnacarya. Edited by Mala Srivatsan p26-28
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from Yoga Makaranda T. Krishnamacharya
"This text contains the essential concepts from many texts of antiquity listed below.
I have studied the texts listed below under the blessing of a great teacher and have explained the truths contained in them that I have personally experienced. I request that the Lord of the auspicious Karnataka throne, the great Lord and Emperor, the fourth Sri Krishna Rajendra, accept this work and allow my
humble self to fulfil my endeavor and bless me.
More than this, I have nothing to say in this preface.
Bibliography
1. Rajayoga Ratnakaram
2. Hathayoga Pradipika
3. Yoga Saravalli
4. Yoga Balaprathipikai
5. Ravana Nadi (Nadi Pariksa of Ravana) 6. Bhairava Kalpam
7. Sri Tattvanidhi
8. Yoga Ratnakarandam
9. Mano Narayaneeyam
10. Rudrayameelam (Rudrayamalam)
11. Brahmayameelam
12. Atharvana Rahasyam
13. Patanjala Yogadarshanam
14. Kapilasutram
15. Yogayajnavalkyam
16. Gheranda Samhita
17. Narada Pancharatra Samhita
18. Satvata Samhita
19. Siva Samhita
20. Dhyana Bindu Upanishad
21. Chandilya Upanishad
22. Yoga Shika Upanishad
23. Yoga Kundalya Upanishad
24. Ahir Buddhniya Samhita
25. Nada Bindu Upanishad
26. Amrita Bindu Upanishad
27. Garbha Upanishad
Thirty Minor Upanishads
tr. by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar
[1914]
--------------------------------
from Yogasanagaly T. Krishnamacharya
I did not attempt a detailed review of all ancient yoga treatises since it will make this book very long and perhaps cause boredom to the readers. Please forgive. This writing is mainly based on the following texts:
Patanjalayogasutra
Hathayogapradipika
Rajayogaratnakara
Yogakuranti
Upanishads related to yoga
Learning’s from my Guru and self-experience