Which Version of the Yoga Sutras Should I Read?
Each copy of the Yoga Sutras you read will have an interpretation of what the Sutras mean.
Well-known interpretations of the Sutras include:
B.K.S. Iyengar – Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Swami Satchidananda – The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (a very accessible, practical translation)
Edwin F. Bryant – The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali (scholarly and comprehensive)
Chip Hartranft – The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali: A New Translation (clear and concise)
Georg Feuerstein – The Yoga-Sūtra of Patañjali (respected in academic and yoga circles)
T.K.V. Desikachar – The Heart of Yoga (includes interpretation within a broader teaching lineage)
Contemporary Teachers Engaging the Sutras:
Susanna Barkataki – Integrates the Sutras into conversations about cultural authenticity, equity, and decolonizing yoga.
Roopa Pai – The Yoga Sutra for Children (surprisingly sophisticated and clear even for adults), and widely appreciated for accessible explanations of Indian philosophy.
Nischala Joy Devi – The Secret Power of Yoga, a heart-centered, feminine-voiced reinterpretation of the Sutras.
Maya Breuer – Co-founder of Black Yoga Teachers Alliance; teaches from the Sutras through a lens of lived experience, inclusivity, and spiritual grounding.
Michelle Cassandra Johnson – While her work isn’t a direct translation, her books integrate the Sutras into social justice and collective healing frameworks in a widely respected way.
Dr. Shyam Ranganathan – Contemporary scholar offering fresh philosophical and ethical interpretations grounded in Indian thought.
Rev. Jaganath Carrera – Inside the Yoga Sutras; a modern, accessible commentary with deep respect for the lineage.
I have a soft spot for Satchidananda because that was the first version of the Sutras I was “ready” for. However, the more confident I feel in my own interpretation of the Sutras, the more I enjoy reading what others have to say. I think that the Sutras are particularly interesting when interpreted by and for contemporary practitioners through the eyes of women, people of color, and those with lived experience other than the typical male philosopher-sage.
If you have a preferred version of the Sutras, I’d love to know why you recommend that version!