Patanjali Sutras
Online Coure with Dr. H. V. Nagaraj Rao
The Patañjali Yoga Sūtras are the classical text that defines yoga. This text does far more than describe meditation techniques. It lays out the core educational framework for yoga itself—a complete world view and way of life that supports, clarifies, and gives purpose to the practice of āsanas. In this course, we don’t just touch a few famous lines; we enter the sūtras as a living map of the human psyche and follow them carefully, step by step.
Guided by Dr. H. V. Nagaraj Rao, a senior Sanskrit scholar from the heart of Mysore’s yoga culture, you’ll experience a rare and exceptional education in this powerful text. Dr. Rao constantly draws cross-references from other traditional sources—Sankhya Kārikā, the Upaniṣads, Bhagavad Gītā, and related works—so you see how the Yoga Sūtras stand at the center of a much larger conversation in Indian thought. At the same time, his explanations are simple, practical, and easy to relate to: real-life examples, clear psychological insights, and down-to-earth stories that show how yoga actually works in our lives today.
This is not just an academic tour of an old book. It is a chance to sit with a true paṇḍit of the Mysore tradition and discover how the original concepts of yoga can inform your practice, your relationships, and your inner life—so that what you do on the mat is grounded in a deep, coherent understanding of what yoga really is.
Goals of the curriculum:
Walk verse by verse through all four chapters of the Yoga Sūtras, so you learn about the whole text, not just a few famous lines.
Understand how Patañjali organizes yoga as a complete path—from the nature of the mind and its fluctuations to practice, ethics, meditation, and liberation.
Recognize the roots of suffering in your own life and see clearly how abhyāsa (steady practice), vairāgya (letting go), devotion, and meditation actually work to transform the mind.
Integrate the yamas, niyamas, the eight limbs, and Kriyā Yoga as practical tools you can apply in daily life, not just concepts you’ve heard in class.
See the Yoga Sūtras through the eyes of a Mysore Sanskrit scholar, in a way that is deeply connected to the roots of Ashtanga Yoga and the very community that gave this practice to the world.
When you enroll, you get:
Over 25 hours of Video lessons, Audio only versions of each lesson, a complete essay of each lesson to read before listening to help you understand the key points.
A complete verse-by-verse journey through the entire Yoga Sūtras with Dr. H. V. Nagaraj Rao, a senior Sanskrit scholar from the heart of Mysore’s yoga culture.
An interpretation of the text that grows directly out of the same Mysore community that nurtured Ashtanga Yoga, giving you a rare, inside view of how the tradition understands itself.
Clear written lesson notes for each section (from live study with Dr. Rao), so you can quickly review and revisit the main ideas any time.
Ongoing access to this course area, so you can return to the sūtras again and again as your practice and understanding deepen.
Enroll today and start learning immediately.
Your course never expires.
Questions first? Just send an email—I’m happy to help.
Warmly,
Andrew Eppler
Director | Mysore Yoga Traditions
andrew@ashtangayogastudio.com
WhatsApp +1 (405) 503 7779
Tuition: $108
Self Paced - Permanent Access - Video, Audio, and Text
A brief Bio of Dr. H. V. Nagaraj Rao
Vidwan H.V. Nagaraja Rao is a great scholar of Sanskrit grammar who has been trained in both traditional and modern methods of education. His specialty is Vyakarna and Alankara, or Sanskrit grammar and poetics. Dr. Rao can speak with authority about exactly what is meant by any Sanskrit text. In his early years, he was a researcher at the Oriental Research Institute in Mysore and has published many original Sanskrit works with English and Kannada translations. Dr. Rao has also lectured in many countries around the world, including Thailand, Hong Kong, the United States, Israel, and England. He has taught Sanskrit at the University of Chicago as a visiting professor and was invited as a fellow to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dr. Rao guided the World Sanskrit Conference in Edinburgh, England, in 2006, where he delivered a speech in chaste Sanskrit. Dr. Rao was awarded honors for his translations by the Sahitya Academy, the highest literary body in India, in 2006. Recently, he was chosen for honor by the President of India as a noted Sanskrit scholar. He is the honorary editor of Sudharma, the only Sanskrit daily newspaper in the world. With his razor-sharp wit, at the age of 80, Dr. Rao continues his lifelong passion for teaching and sharing ancient Indian knowledge systems with people from around the world.
Professor Rao has an uncanny ability to shed new light on texts such as the Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads with his infectious humor, passion for logic and philosophy and his excellent ability to communicate in English. Students leave his presentations with a feeling of liberation from the mundane and inspiration to strive for higher goals in life.