Consisting of fewer than two hundred 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 forty languages―only in the course of the past forty 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.
#983414 in Books Princeton University Press 2007-12-31Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.24 x 8.38 x 10.27l; #File Name: 0691127468415 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Helpful.By Alan GarrettGood solid information! It was helpful in building my knowledge of how women were treated in the ancient world.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. ExcellentBy lauriecacaoConnelly is clear and methodical in her presentation; and inspired and interesting as well! Picking up the torch from the previous generation of feminist scholars; this has no weaknesses in rigour. And it brings to light much that is new and necessary to hear.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Perfect PortraitBy ShelA splendid book painting the picture of life in ancient Greece for the priestess. Giving documentary and pictographic evidence of the history of priestesses it comprehensively describes the life and work of the priestesses. An excellent book for both the student and the casual reader
