Patañjala Yoga Sūtras
with Dr. H.V. Nagaraj Rao · Traditional Sanskrit Scholar, MysoreA complete verse-by-verse journey through all four chapters of the Yoga Sūtras — taught from within the living Mysore tradition that gave modern yoga to the world.
The Yoga Sūtras are the philosophical backbone of everything you practice. Every breath linked to movement, every instruction to still the mind, every idea of what yoga is actually for — all of it traces back to this text. Yet most practitioners have never studied it directly, verse by verse, with a scholar who has spent a lifetime inside it.
Guided by Dr. H.V. Nagaraj Rao — a senior Sanskrit scholar from the heart of Mysore's yoga culture — you will experience a rare and exceptional education in this text. Dr. Rao constantly draws cross-references from allied traditional sources — Sāṅkhya Kārikā, the Upaniṣads, the Bhagavad Gītā — so you see how the Yoga Sūtras stand at the centre of a much larger conversation in Indian thought. At the same time, his explanations are clear, practical, and easy to relate to: real-life examples, psychological insights, and down-to-earth stories that show how yoga actually works in daily life.
About the Course
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.
Dr. Rao's interpretation of the text grows directly out of the same Mysore community that nurtured Śrī Kṛṣṇamācārya — giving you a rare, inside view of how the tradition understands itself. He weaves in Sāṅkhya, the Upaniṣads, the Bhagavad Gītā, and allied commentaries throughout, showing how the Sūtras actually work in the mind, in relationships, and in daily life.
His gift is making the subtle clear without making it simple.
What You Will Learn
- 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 organises yoga as a complete path — from the nature of the mind and its fluctuations to practice, ethics, meditation, and liberation.
- Recognise 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 have 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 Enrol
Every lesson comes in three formats — video, audio, and written notes — so you can learn in whatever way suits you best. Return to any lesson at any time. Your access never expires.
- Over 25 hours of video lessons
- Audio-only version of every lesson
- Written essay for each lesson
- Verse-by-verse through all four chapters
- Cross-references from Sāṅkhya, Upaniṣads, Bhagavad Gītā
- Clear written notes for each section
- Permanent, ongoing access
- Saṃskṛti Foundation certificate
- Yoga Alliance CEUs
- Study entirely at your own pace
Your Teacher
Vidvān H.V. Nagaraja Rao is a great scholar of Sanskrit grammar trained in both traditional and modern methods of education. His specialty is Vyākaraṇa and Alaṅkāra — Sanskrit grammar and poetics — which means he 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. He has lectured in Thailand, Hong Kong, the United States, Israel, and England; taught Sanskrit at the University of Chicago as a visiting professor; and was invited as a fellow to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He guided the World Sanskrit Conference in Edinburgh in 2006, delivering a speech in chaste Sanskrit, and was awarded honours for his translations by the Sahitya Academy — the highest literary body in India. He was subsequently chosen by the President of India as a noted Sanskrit scholar. He is honorary editor of Sudharma, the only Sanskrit daily newspaper in the world.
With his razor-sharp wit, at the age of eighty, Dr. Rao continues his lifelong passion for teaching — shedding new light on the Yoga Sūtras, Bhagavad Gītā, and the Upaniṣads with infectious humour, a passion for logic, and an extraordinary 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.
Questions first? Write to andrew@ashtangayogastudio.com
or WhatsApp +1 (405) 503-7779
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The Yoga Sūtras, Bhagavad Gītā, and Sāṅkhya Kārikā are the three texts that form the complete philosophical foundation of yoga — each taught verse by verse by scholars from within the living Mysore tradition. Studied together they become something rare: a complete philosophical education in the tradition that gave modern yoga to the world. All three courses include video, audio, and written notes with permanent access.
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