A presente dissertação de mestrado consiste numa tradução comentada, do sânscrito para o português, daquele que é considerado pelos estudiosos e pela tradição cultural da Índia como o mais antigo e mais importante tratado de Yoga preservado até o presente: o Yogasutra. O texto, composto por volta do século II a.C., reflete certamente práticas culturais bem mais antigas e, de acordo com a tradição sânscrita, seus 194 enunciados concisos ou sutra reúnem todos os principais aspectos do sistema do Yoga, tal como conhecido pelos nomes de Rajayoga ou Yogadarçana. Além do mais, o sistema do Yoga codificado por Patañjali está indissociavelmente ligado a outro sistema conhecido como Samkhyadarçana, com o qual mantém um diálogo constante através de referências intertextuais e no qual encontra seus fundamentos teóricos. A primeira parte de nosso trabalho consiste numa revisão dos principais aspectos do universo cultural do texto (a Índia antiga) e destes sistemas em análise. A tradução que segue é dividida em quatro capítulos principais, exatamente como exposto por Patañjali, mas os enunciados sânscritos de cada capítulo foram por nós divididos em grupos temáticos aos quais foram atribuídos títulos, bem como extensos comentários. Além de nossa tradução, as interpretações que oferecemos a estes enunciados sânscritos baseiam-se não apenas no tradicional comentário sânscrito de Vyasa, o YogabhaLya, mas também nos tratados do Samkhya, sobretudo o Samkhyakarika e o khyapravacanasutra. Neste sentido, nosso objetivo foi trazer à superfície de nossa exposição a unidade teórica subjacente a estas duas escolas tradicionalmente “gêmeas" do Samkhyayogadarçana, tal como concebida pela cultura da Índia. Também com este propósito organizamos e expusemos, no decorrer de nossos comentários, mais de uma centena de enunciados originais (sutra) e comentários destes tratados do Samkhya. Elaboramos, ainda, um glossário com todo o vocabulário do Yogasutra, que elenca as raízes sânscritas dos termos, as nossas propostas de tradução para o português e o número dos enunciados nos quais os termos pertinentes são referidos nos tratados sânscritos. Esta foi nossa tentativa de transformar os principais aspectos culturais e contextuais do Yogasutra num “todo" significativo e coeso, com o auxílio metodológico das atuais teorias da lingüística, sobretudo a análise do discurso e a semiótica aplicada aos estudos culturais. / The present work, entitled “The Yogasutra, of Patañjali – translation and analysis of the text, based on its contextual, intertextual and linguistic aspects", consists of a commented translation, from sanskrit to portuguese, of a text which is considered by scholars and also by India’s cultural tradition as the oldest and the most important treatise on the subject of Yoga that has been preserved up to the present: the Yogasutra. The text, which was composed probably around the 2nd century b.C., certainly reflects much older cultural practices, and according to sanskrit tradition its 194 concise sentences or sutra fully comprehend the main aspects of the system of Yoga as known by the names of Rajayoga or Yogadarçana. Moreover, the system of Yoga as codified by Patañjali has an unbreakable connection with another system known as Samkhyadarçana, with which it maintains a constant dialogue by means of intertextual references, and in which it finds its theoretical foundations. The first part of our work consists of a review of the main aspects of this text’s cultural background (ancient India) and the systems in analysis. The translation that follows is divided in four main chapters, exactly as exposed by Patañjali, but the sanskrit sentences within each chapter have also been divided by us in thematic groups to which titles have been given, as well as extensive commentaries. Besides the translation itself, the interpretations we offer to these sanskrit sentences are based not only on Vyasa’s traditional sanskrit commentary, the YogabhaLya, but also on the Samkhya treatises, mainly the Samkhyakarika and the Samkhyapravacanasutra. In this sense, our objective has been bringing to the surface of our exposition the underlying theoretical unity of these traditionally “twin" schools of Samkhyayogadarçana, as conceived by Indian culture, and for this purpose we have also organized and exposed, throughout our commentaries, more than a hundred original sentences (sutra) and commentaries of these Samkhya treatises. A glossary of the whole vocabulary of the Yogasutra, together with their sanskrit roots, our portuguese translations and the numbers of the sentences where the words are referred to in sanskrit treatises, has also been prepared. This has been our attempt to turn into a meaningful and cohesive “whole" the main cultural and contextual aspects of the Yogasutra with the help of modern linguistic theories such as intertextuality, as well as discourse analysis and semiotics applied to cultural studies.

A presente dissertação de mestrado consiste numa tradução comentada, do sânscrito para o português, daquele que é considerado pelos estudiosos e pela tradição cultural da Índia como o mais antigo e mais importante tratado de Yoga preservado até o presente: o Yogasutra. O texto, composto por volta do século II a.C., reflete certamente práticas culturais bem mais antigas e, de acordo com a tradição sânscrita, seus 194 enunciados concisos ou sutra reúnem todos os principais aspectos do sistema do Yoga, tal como conhecido pelos nomes de Rajayoga ou Yogadarçana. Além do mais, o sistema do Yoga codificado por Patañjali está indissociavelmente ligado a outro sistema conhecido como Samkhyadarçana, com o qual mantém um diálogo constante através de referências intertextuais e no qual encontra seus fundamentos teóricos. A primeira parte de nosso trabalho consiste numa revisão dos principais aspectos do universo cultural do texto (a Índia antiga) e destes sistemas em análise. A tradução que segue é dividida em quatro capítulos principais, exatamente como exposto por Patañjali, mas os enunciados sânscritos de cada capítulo foram por nós divididos em grupos temáticos aos quais foram atribuídos títulos, bem como extensos comentários. Além de nossa tradução, as interpretações que oferecemos a estes enunciados sânscritos baseiam-se não apenas no tradicional comentário sânscrito de Vyasa, o YogabhaLya, mas também nos tratados do Samkhya, sobretudo o Samkhyakarika e o khyapravacanasutra. Neste sentido, nosso objetivo foi trazer à superfície de nossa exposição a unidade teórica subjacente a estas duas escolas tradicionalmente “gêmeas” do Samkhyayogadarçana, tal como concebida pela cultura da Índia. Também com este propósito organizamos e expusemos, no decorrer de nossos comentários, mais de uma centena de enunciados originais (sutra) e comentários destes tratados do Samkhya. Elaboramos, ainda, um glossário com todo o vocabulário do Yogasutra, que elenca as raízes sânscritas dos termos, as nossas propostas de tradução para o português e o número dos enunciados nos quais os termos pertinentes são referidos nos tratados sânscritos. Esta foi nossa tentativa de transformar os principais aspectos culturais e contextuais do Yogasutra num “todo” significativo e coeso, com o auxílio metodológico das atuais teorias da lingüística, sobretudo a análise do discurso e a semiótica aplicada aos estudos culturais. / The present work, entitled “The Yogasutra, of Patañjali – translation and analysis of the text, based on its contextual, intertextual and linguistic aspects”, consists of a commented translation, from sanskrit to portuguese, of a text which is considered by scholars and also by India’s cultural tradition as the oldest and the most important treatise on the subject of Yoga that has been preserved up to the present: the Yogasutra. The text, which was composed probably around the 2nd century b.C., certainly reflects much older cultural practices, and according to sanskrit tradition its 194 concise sentences or sutra fully comprehend the main aspects of the system of Yoga as known by the names of Rajayoga or Yogadarçana. Moreover, the system of Yoga as codified by Patañjali has an unbreakable connection with another system known as Samkhyadarçana, with which it maintains a constant dialogue by means of intertextual references, and in which it finds its theoretical foundations. The first part of our work consists of a review of the main aspects of this text’s cultural background (ancient India) and the systems in analysis. The translation that follows is divided in four main chapters, exactly as exposed by Patañjali, but the sanskrit sentences within each chapter have also been divided by us in thematic groups to which titles have been given, as well as extensive commentaries. Besides the translation itself, the interpretations we offer to these sanskrit sentences are based not only on Vyasa’s traditional sanskrit commentary, the YogabhaLya, but also on the Samkhya treatises, mainly the Samkhyakarika and the Samkhyapravacanasutra. In this sense, our objective has been bringing to the surface of our exposition the underlying theoretical unity of these traditionally “twin” schools of Samkhyayogadarçana, as conceived by Indian culture, and for this purpose we have also organized and exposed, throughout our commentaries, more than a hundred original sentences (sutra) and commentaries of these Samkhya treatises. A glossary of the whole vocabulary of the Yogasutra, together with their sanskrit roots, our portuguese translations and the numbers of the sentences where the words are referred to in sanskrit treatises, has also been prepared. This has been our attempt to turn into a meaningful and cohesive “whole” the main cultural and contextual aspects of the Yogasutra with the help of modern linguistic theories such as intertextuality, as well as discourse analysis and semiotics applied to cultural studies.

No description available.

The mere presence of the term īśvara in Patañjali’s Yogasūtra has come to affect the meaning of both the path and the goal of Classical Yoga as well as the meaning of the term Yoga itself. The frequent translation of the term īśvara as God leads to the system of Classical Yoga to be labeled as theistic, particularly obscuring the interpretation of īśvarapraṇidhāna, a functional component of the system, as well as perpetuating a syncretic trend that has led to the popular understanding of Yoga as ‘union with the divine’. From identifying problematic hermeneutical trends and their underlying causes, as well as understanding the term within the constraints of the original text in its original Sanskrit, the term īśvara emerges as the archetype of an ultimate reality functioning as a practical and experiential tool providing the yogi with a direct glimpse of its true nature.

This paper discusses the realities and implications of the framework for siddhis as outlined in pādas III and IV of the Yogasūtra of Patañjali, and the impact of the Western Protestant hermeneutical lens on the dismissal or negative treatment of siddhis within many schools of Modern Yoga. Contending for the possibility of the supernatural or paranormal, this project will explore the transformative potential of yoga using that framework to discuss the need for new metaphors which contain space for the dance between form and formless present within Sāṃkhyan metaphysics. It will discuss the idea of embodied metaphors and how yoga and subtle body practices use embodied metaphors to install new image schemas in the conceptual system. This provides a basis for understanding why powers beyond ordinary awareness, such as the siddhis, may arise from the repetition and practice of embodied metaphors.

This thesis offers an expository examination of the intersection of yoga’s modern tapas (austerity) practice and the framework of storytelling, contrasting and comparing these two ideals, by exploring the evolution of the term tapas and uncovering how it is mirrored by the hero(ine)’s journey identified by Joseph Campbell and other scholars. For humanity to evolve into a higher state of self-awareness and create a world where peaceful co-existence is possible, individuals must embark on an inner journey. Through this journey, our inner world evolves, which in turn can lead to more enlightened behavior and contribute to a more harmonious global community. To address humanity’s broader issues, a possible construct to guide the individual journey is at the intersection between yoga’s modern tapas and the framework for storytelling, as I explore through developing a tapas experience framework, to offer a compelling transformational journey and path forward for the practitioner.