Author: T K V Desikachar
T Krishnamacharya/
Translator(s): T K V Desikachar
Publisher: Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram
Year: 2015
Language: multilingual
Pages: 226
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8187847085
Description
One of the oldest texts on Yoga, the Yogayajnavalikya Samhita is a dialogue between the great sage Yajnavalkya and his learned wife Gargi. Considered as one of the most learned women of all times, Gargi poses questions to her husband, on how to reach the highest. Yajnavalkya shows her the way patiently and systematically, through the twelve chapters of this work.
The form of a dialogue between the two presents a rich teaching in a very engaging manner. The work presents a lot of unique ideas that can be found in no other text, as well as certain ideas that are different from the more popular yoga texts.
This is the first time this composition is being translated into English. There was no complete manuscript available for a long time, and only two versions were available that were nearly complete. Thanks to the efforts of Sri T Krishnamacharya, the greatest yogi of the last century, this translation has been possible. As there was no manuscript that was both complete and accurate, he wrote the entire manuscript by hand and taught his son and student TKV Desikachar. He even corrected and filled up the gaps of the manuscripts that were available those days.
This English translation by TKV Desikachar, is based on his father's notes. The text is in poem form and hence the translation is not word to word. In places where a group of sloka-s-s have to be combined to have the complete meaning, it has been done so. Similarly in places where the sloka-s need to be divided, and grouped with the previous or the following ones, it has been done so. This has contributed towards the easy understanding of the text.
Contents
Publisher's Note
The Yogi Yajnavalkya
Translator's Introduction
T Krishnamacharya's Summary of Yogayajnavalkya Samhita
Yogayajnavalkya Samhita Chapter One to Chapter Twelve
Glossary