The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada (Commentaries on the Yoga Sutra by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait Book 1)

The Yoga Sutra is the living source wisdom of the yoga tradition, and is as relevant today as it was 2,200 years ago when it was codified by the sage Patanjali. Using this ancient yogic text as a guide, we can unlock the hidden power of yoga, and experience the promise of yoga in our lives. By applying its living wisdom in our practice, we can achieve the purpose of life: lasting fulfillment and ultimate freedom.

The Secret of the Yoga Sutra is the first practitioner-oriented commentary of The Yoga Sutra which is fully grounded in a living tradition. It shares the essence of Pandit Tigunait's rigorous scholarly understanding of the Yoga Sutra, through the filter of experiential knowledge gained through decades of advanced yogic practices, and enriched by the gift of living wisdom he received from the masters of the Himalayan Tradition.

The book's five comprehensive appendices encourage students to study Sanskrit methodically in the context of yoga practice and philosophy. One of the appendices is a primer on Sankhya philosophy, which answers questions such as:

Who are we? Where do we come from? What is the purpose of life? What is the cause of suffering? Where do we go when we die? Reviews for Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada “ The Secret of the Yoga Sutra underscores the living appeal of yoga study as a vehicle leading to meditative practice.”

– Edwin Bryant, author of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

“From the very first pages of The Secret of the Yoga Sutra, the reader can feel the hand of a master – a scholar, a practitioner, a devotee. This commentary is not just about yoga. It is yoga.”

– Stephen Cope, founder of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living

“Of the dozens of translations and explications of this text that exist in English alone, few possess the power and reliability of Pandit Rajmani Tigunait’s The Secret of the Yoga Sutra. ”

– Robert Svoboda, ayurvedic physician and author

In Tigunait's commentary on the first chapter (or pada) of the Yoga Sutra, he shares wisdom from the yoga tradition, practice-oriented commentary, and nuts-and-bolts instruction that can help readers take their practice to a new level.

– Australian Yoga Life Magazine

More on The Secret of the Yoga Sutra

The Yoga Sutra's message is simple and straightforward: Remove the veil of darkness and allow your intrinsic luminosity to illuminate both your inner and outer world. Be free here and now, and experience your everlasting self-luminous joy. The goal of yoga is nothing less than that. In this light, I present this commentary to you.

– Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
The Secret of the Yoga Sutra