Asian Philosophy - Article Example

Yoga Sutra is regarded as one of the major classical works of Indian philosophy that is dated between the 2nd and 3rd century CE. Although little is known about Patanjali, its author, it is certain that Yoga is not the first text in Indian philosophy (Ranganathan 1). In my opinion, Yoga Sutra particularly stands out among other Indian philosophy texts by virtue of being the, most widely translated and read Indian text in the English world. However, there have been recent calls for a new translation because of two major drawbacks of the current translation.

The first major problem that generally applies to most Indian translations such as Yoga Sutra is the absence of moral significance particularly due to western domination. On the other hand, the second major problem with the current translation is specific to Yoga Sutra and is largely attributed to the failure to make clear distinctions between Yoga and another Indian school of philosophies such as Advaita Vedanta and Sankhya.

Ranganathan The new translation of Yoga Sutra not only elaborates the moral and philosophical insights of Patanjali’s philosophy but also lays bare its originality within the context of tradition (Ranganathan 26).  In my view this has been particularly achieved through increased sensitivity to translation theory as well as paying more attention to the theoretical nature of the moral of “Tharma” In my view, although Yoga primarily stands for meditation of the mind, the contemporary parlance has shifted its reference to include the philosophical aspects of the tradition. Some of Patanjali’s non-Yoga historical sources include Buddhism, Judaism, Sankhya, and Jainism. However, Patanjali is closely associated with the Sankhya tradition more than any other philosophy school. Lastly, the originality of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra philosophy is particularly evidenced by the way he has effectively blended and synthesized the various traditions he has drawn from.