Welcome to Paul Harvey’s Yoga Sūtra Freenotes

From my 121 Yoga Sūtra Studies over 25 years in India with TKV Desikachar

This Freenotes aspect of the Yoga Studies website now offers sūtra by sūtra translations, they will be further developed over time through added interpretations and commentaries from my in-depth word by word studies of the Yoga Sūtra with the two longest serving students of the eminent T Krishnamacharya, especially my root Yoga teacher TKV Desikachar. With gratitude for what this learning has helped lead me towards.

Here you will find a verse by verse translation of each Sūtra, from Saṃskṛta into English, based on my many personal Yoga lessons with my Sūtra teachers TKV Desikachar (1979-2003) and S Ramaswami (1979-1985).

In the spirit of Patañjali these translations will now form the basis for expansion with commentaries, notes, cross references, and an online Saṃskṛta glossary with meaning and all word cross references. Though this next stage will will take time to get going as firstly the Saṃskṛta database has to be codified manually word by word, once this is completed then the commentaries can be added to help to unpack each sūtra from its essence.

The aim is to present the Sūtra using ‘proper’ देवनागरि or Devanāgarī script and Romanised Saṃskṛtā as part of the web interface. I feel strongly that we need to be able to appreciate how the vitality and poetry of Yoga concepts is an inherent aspect of correct pronouncing. In this instance I feel it to be more vital to correctly sound vibrationally terms relating to states of Heart such as Duḥkha, rather than states of Body such as Uttānāsana.

“The target of Yoga is ‘svatantra’ 
which means to discover our own technique.
‘Sva’ means itself and ‘tantra’ means technique.
The techniques are in oneself and we must discover them;
if not we will depend on others. I am sick and I go to the doctor;
but finally I must become my own therapist. This is ‘svatantra’.”
TKV Desikachar

A Sūtra study workbook with a verse by verse translation and word by word index for various chapters are included as part of the Course Manuals for all students participating in cYs Foundation Sūtra Study Courses or cYs Practitioner Training Programmes or cYs Postgraduate Training Programmes.

A Recent Posts Menu will keep you up to date with the latest input. Updates will also be posted on my Facebook and Twitter pages.

Thank you for your interest and patience, and my gratitude to my good friend and web mentor Ronen Hirsch for his painstaking work in building the Saṃskṛta database and coding the verses so they are a live resource.

Paul January 19th 2013

The mastery of Yoga must not be measured simply by the ability to master the techniques of Yoga like asana and pranayama, but how it influences our day to day living, how it ehances our relationships and how it promotes clarity and peace of mind.” TKV Desikachar

•