The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Commentary on the Raja Yoga Sutras by Sri Swami Satchidananda

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Review on Amazon.com by Mary J. Serafin
Swami Satchidananda's book on the Sutras is one of the best for digging into the background and foundations of the Sutras, and his commentary, unlike Iyengar's and most other eastern commentaries, is clear, simple and easy to understand. Yet I finished the book still feeling that I did not fully grasp it. Swami Satchidananda is clearly in touch with the truth that he is illuminating with this book, and it's also clear from the powerful tone of authority with which he writes that he has reached the state of awaking which is the end purpose of the Sutras, but it seems too immersed in the history and culture of Hinduism to be fully appreciated and grasped by a westerm mind conditioned by concepts, ideas and images that are vastly different from the eastern traditions. So the book does not have a deep and profound illuminating impact as has McAfee's book on the sutras - "Beyond the Siddhis". But it is rich in historical information and its tone is true to the purpose of the Sutras. I would recommend it for for all aspiring yogis.

Thirumandiram : A Classic of Yoga and Tantra (Three Vollume Set)

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Product Description
Get connected to the roots of yoga with the first English translation of Thirumoolar's classic masterpiece of yoga, tantra and Shaiva Siddhanta, the gospel of the Tamil Yoga Siddhas. It has inspired the daily life of millions in south India and helped to produce its greatest yogis and saints for the past 2,000 years. Written in 3,047 poetic gem-like verses which go far beyond Patanjali's "Yoga Sutras" in scope and depth, this international edition has been designed to facilitate the understanding of the reader with explanatory remarks in the special introductury sections, extensive footnotes, a detailed glossary, index and numerous illustrations. From the most mundane to the most sublime areas of life it provides illuminating guidance and inspiration for Self-Realization and Self-Transformation.

MyHinduPage.org Review. The Tirumantiram is a Tamil Scripture on yoga philosophy. It is considered the foundation of spiritual and religious practices of the Tamils especially of the Saivite Sect. Extolling God Shiva as Supreme Godhead, this scripture is complete in its description of the path to God and its varieties as well as on ethics. It leaves no stones unturned, even getting into sexual tantras of yogis. This scripture is however not a story book. The scripture contains 3,047 verses, with each one detailing the perspective of the author on different matters or yoga philosophical teachings, or details of yoga practices and their expected results. The Saivite Tamils have a legend that states that the author of Tirumantiram, the Tirumular took 3,000 years to complete the Tirumantiram. They say each verse contain the wisdom worth one year of meditation. The scripture is not an easy read though and authors may vary in their interpretations on some of the verses vastly. It is good to have some basic understanding of Yoga philosophy before studying this scripture.

Review on Amazon.com by Holisticess
For all true Yogis/Yoginis, this is a must have. Reading the scriptures and meditating upon them is an initiation into a true spiritual awakening, and a connection to the great immortal Siddhas. These Holy scriptures will allow you to experience an heigtened Divine guidance in your sleeping and waking state, (if you're opened and purified enough to allow it to do so). Tamil Siddha Yoga is the foundation of Yoga as we know of it today, reflecting the original practices of the pre-aryan, pre-vedic Indus Valley culture. The Yoga of Eternal Life

Periya Puranam: A Tamil Classic on the Great Saiva Saints of South India (English Translation)

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Product Description
Periya Puranam is one of the greatest Tamil epics.This is a classic on the Saiva Saints of South India and this great work has been rendered into English by G.Vanmikanathan in condensed form.The author is well known for his devotional works.

MyHinduPage.org Review. It is great to have this book available on Amazon.com. If you are interested in a very unique group of religious saints, the Tamil Saiva Nayanars and cannot understand archaic Tamil from a thousand years ago, this is one of the best English translation of the Periya Puranam available. The author of this book has done extensive research on the lives of these saints and filled a lot of gaps in their biographies with new information such as modern name of cities and also explaining practices of the prevailing time. The story telling manner of the writer also makes the book interesting and difficult to put down. I recommend this book for all those who want an intimate knowledge of the nayanars and also for those who are interested in the Tamils and their traditions.

Review by a customer on Amazon.com
This is the story of the 63 Saivite Nayanars of Tamil Nadu, translated from Tamil to English. This dwells extensively on their different natures and different relationships to Lord Shiva, though their underlying characteristic was love of God. I would recommend this book for all Tamil religious people, who can understand English, who are devotees of Lord Shiva.

The Song of Ribhu (Ribhu Gita)

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The ancient practices of yoga and Hindu philosophy, experiencing the summit of philosophical truths, that God and man are one, and one man's personal reflections of a spiritual journey form a unique perspective on Hindu spirituality in the book, The Song of Ribhu (759 pages, Society of Abidance in Truth publishers, United States, 2000). This scripture is profoundly metaphysical, yet poetic, in the style of the Tirumantiram. It boldly says that God and man are one. An exposition on Advaita set in the midst of the epic Sivarahasya, The Song of Ribhu is an articulate interpretation of Sanatana Dharma's deepest truths. The history of Sage Ribhu is obscure, but it is believed the teachings within this scripture date to Vedic times. "This makes it possible to say that Ribhu must have lived during very ancient times, but impossible to ascertain even an approximate date." Ribhu expounds: "The world and beings and others seen in Consciousness are not apart from Brahman, which is of the nature consciousness. I am not apart from that Brahman. Likewise, Brahman is not apart from me." --Hinduism Today, January-March, 2003

Review on Amazon.com by Grouper 52
My previous review of "The Heart of the Ribhu Gita" led me to track down a copy of this precious root text from which the "Heart" was taken. I'm very, very glad to have found it.

The Song of Ribhu is a well-written, highly readable translation of the Tamil version of the Sanskrit Ribhu Gita, the fourth through forty-seventh (of fifty) chapters of Part Six of the twelve-part epic Shiva Rahasya. (A translation of the Sanskrit Ribhu Gita version, which is a little different, is also published by the same Society of Abidance in Truth, titled simply Ribhu Gita).

Besides the text, there are good introductory sections and a large glossary for those who might benefit from some background info.

This book tells how the Sage Ribhu met Shiva at his abode on Mount Kailas, and asked for and received the supreme knowledge from him. Later some disciples, Nidagha and others, came to Ribhu, and asked him to teach them the Ultimate Truth as Shiva had taught it to him. This book is the teaching Ribhu gave in reply to their request.

Ribhu's teaching mostly employs the "not this, not this" method to point to the Ultimate Truth, since it can not be pointed at directly, but there are a number of direct hints as well. The "not this" approach used here also serves as a fine and exhaustive review of lesser, more dualistically-based Hindu approaches to the Truth as well, of course eliminating each one as "not this" until all conceptual, dualistic approaches have been refuted. Overall, the book resonates in this way with the best of the highest Buddhist teachings of the Prajnaparamita, Mahamudra and Dzogchen, as well as with the highest teachings of non-dual Vedanta, of which it is a supreme example.

The Ultimate Truth is beyond the conceptual mind, beyond words. And yet, what words can do to guide and encourage one towards its realization, beyond words, this book does.

Imagine the metaphor of a jewel, and the light reflected in that jewel. This book is a supremely beautiful jewel, gorgeously reflecting the light of the Ultimate Truth. How does it do this? How can something so mundane as this book bring out in such a jewel-like fashion something so brilliant, ineffable, and luminous?

The scripture, The Ribhu Gita, as it is presented here, is 700 pages long. Each line describes an aspect of the truth. The Gita essentially says the same thing, over and over again: Forty-four chapters, each with about 50 verses, each of eight lines, and each line is saying essentially the same thing! How can the book sustain your attention with this amount of repetition? Wouldn't a 700 page book with every line saying essentially the same thing grow boring? Not so. I think only the most spiritually poor mind would find this book boring. Why? Each line points to a different facet of the Truth. It is no different than gazing into the most exquisite jewel, turning it over endlessly to watch the supremely beautiful play of light reflected off the various facets. You could look at it forever and it would still be dazzling. It is utterly mesmerizing. This book is mesmerizing in a similar but even greater sense. You could easily get the message and put it down in several minutes, but I think you might instead be tempted to spend the rest of your life blissfully reading it over and over again. It is that good.

My highest recommendation.

The Vedic Experience: Mantramanjari (an Anthology of the Vedas for Modern Man...)

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MyHinduPage.org Review. There are many people who are interested in reading the Vedas. Though most are not aware that the Vedas consists of four books and each of these four are actually a compendium of a few hundred books. If you wanted to study the entire Vedas it could take a lifetime. Many Hindus also like to have the Vedas as part of their scriptural library, like how Christians keep the Bible and Muslims keep the Quran. For all those who wish to study, or simply keep the Vedas at home, I highly recommend this book by Professor Raimundo Panikkar. I got to know this book as part of my study of Hinduism under my guru. His anthology which is are very beautifully crafted collection of verses from the various Vedic books reflect the essence of the teachings of the Vedas, their poetry and feel. This book is entirely in English, and does not have the original sanskrit verses or direct translations of words. However the verses are extensively referenced for those who wish to know the origins of their selected verse. This book makes the study of the Vedas friendly and captures the ancient wisdom of the Vedas in all its profundity.

Review by Tepi on Amazon.com
We have all heard of the Vedas. We know that the Vedic Canon comprises a huge body of literature handed down orally in India since ancient times. Many of us have heard that it is made up of four collections - the Rigveda, Atharva Veda, Yajurveda, and Samaveda - along with adjacent treatises such as the Brahmanas and Aranyakas. These books undoubtedly exist, written in an inaccessible language, published in large and expensive scholarly editions, and tucked away in obscure libraries. Although we may have run into a translated excerpt or two, for many of us the whole subject has a musty and forbidding air, and we probably concluded long ago that it's something best left to scholars as quite irrelevant to to we moderns. But a few minutes spent with Dr Panikkar's superb anthology will show us how wrong we are.

Dr Panikkar is a remarkable man, not only for his incredible scholarship - he is a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, with many significant publications to his credit - but remarkable also for his honesty. He points out that modern man is a diminished man. Despite the superficial excitements of our high-tech world, life for most has become a flat, stale, and joyless thing. It is joyless because we have forgotten what life is supposed to be, and Dr Panikkar hopes by means of this book to shift our perception of things to a different register, to put us back in touch with realities by reawakening in us something of the joy and wonder in life which was felt by those early and vigorous peoples who sang the Vedas.

The Vedic songs represent the most amazing celebration of life that has ever been created. And although Dr Panikkar's book is certainly scholarly, it was not written primarily for scholars, or even for persons with a special interest in things Indian. It was written for all of us. Its only requirement is that you be human.

The book wasn't even written to be read, for each of the beautifully translated texts Dr Panikkar has given us is a Mantra or meditation. We are supposed to soak in them, assimilate them, and preferably even recite them aloud along with others in a group. They are a means whereby all of us, no matter of what race or persuasion, can come together and join again in a joyous celebration of life and our shared humanity, and of the glorious universe we live in. And I think you will find that they do work. Here is an example of their fine quality as captured in the translator's wonderfully lucid English:

"Now Dawn with her earliest light shines forth,
beloved of the Sky,
Fresh from her toilet, conscious of her beauty,
she emerges visible for all to see.
Dawn, Daughter of Heaven, lends us her lustre,
dispersing all shadows of malignity,
Arousing from deep slumber all that lives,
stirring to motion man and beast and bird,
This maiden infringes not the Eternal Law,
day after day coming to the place appointed" (pages 164-65).

The book represents an enormous labor of love. Dr Panikkar tells us that he spent over ten years combing through the vast Vedic corpus in order to select, translate, and arrange the very best texts it had to offer, texts that we moderns are very much in need of, whether we realize it or not. Each of the more than five hundred texts he has selected is preceded by very full introductory comment and is also usefully annotated. The texts have been organized into seven parts:

Part I - Dawn and Birth (Waters, Earth, Wind, Dawn, Human Birth, etc.).

Part II - Germination and Growth (Divine Gifts, Food, Knowing the Earth, Human Work, The Happy Life, etc.).

Part III - Blossoming and Fullness (Radiance and Cosmic Refulgence, Sacrifice, Breaking the Boundaries, etc.).

Part IV - Fall and Decay (Sorrow and Suffering, Sin and Mercy, etc.).

Part V - Death and Dissolution (The Mystery of the Beyond, The Blessings for the Journey, Liturgy for the Dead, Cosmic Disintegration, Hell, Heaven).

Part VI - New Life and Freedom (Transcendental Consciousness, The Discovery of the Ground, The Fulfillment of the Person, etc.).

Part VII - Twilight (At Sunrise, Spring Summer, Rainy Season, Autumn, Winter, Frosty Season, etc.).

The texts, most of them quite short, are contained in a book of almost 1000 pages which is cloth-bound, stitched, and well-printed on good paper. Even the most jaded could open it up at any page and immediately become enthralled. There is a freshness and purity to these texts that is irresistible. It is like coming across a blossom-filled meadow in spring.

These vigorous and life-affirmative songs give us what men and women once were, and what we may yet become once again, for it is what deep down we still are though we have forgotten. Life, despite its many hardships, is supposed to be joyous, something to be celebrated. And one is intensely grateful to Dr Panikkar for having rescued these songs from scholarly oblivion and provided us with the means of again entering into that celebration.

Readers may care to know that an abridged edition of the present book recently appeared as: INITIATION TO THE VEDAS : AN ABRIDGED EDITION OF THE VEDIC EXPERIENCE - MANTRAMANJARI by Raimon Pannikar. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2006. 102 pp. Color Plates. ISBN: 8120829549. Binding: Soft Cover.

Mahabharata by C. Rajagopalachari

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Originally published in the year 1951,the huge popularity of the book ,has resulted in the book being re-printed several times.Centuries ago, it was proclaimed of the Mahabharata: "What is not in it, is nowhere." But even now, we can use the same words about it. He who knows it not, knows not the heights and depths of the soul; he misses the trials and tragedy and the beauty and grandeur of life. More details: The Mahabharata is not a mere epic; it is a romance, telling the tale of heroic men and women, and of some who were divine; it is a whole literature in itself, containing a code of life, a philosophy of social and ethical relations, and speculative thought on human problems that is hard to rival; but, above all, it has for its core the Gita,which is, as the world is beginning to find out, the noblest of scriptures and the grandest of sagas in which the climax is reached in the wondrous apocalypse in the Eleventh Canto. The book's popularity is such that it has run into forty two reprints.

MyHinduPage Review. This book is a classic translation of the Mahabharata. It is a common sight in Hindu households and libraries. It is probably one of the first ever translation of the Mahabharata in English by a Hindu that is formatted as a novel. It is an easy read especially for Hindus or those who have some understanding of Hinduism and Hindu culture. This book is a good one to introduce the Mahabharata to students and can easily be used as for Hinduism study assignments or project papers. It has a terse glossary, mainly explaining the names of deities and characters in Mahabharata.

The Mahabharata by J. D. Smith (Penguin Classics)

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The Mahabharata
Originally composed in Sanskrit sometime between 400 BC and 400 AD, The Mahabharata-with one hundred thousand stanzas of verse-is one of the longest poems in existence. At the heart of the saga is a conflict between two branches of a royal family whose feud culminates in a titanic eighteen-day battle. Exploring such timeless subjects as dharma (duty), artha (purpose), and kama (pleasure) and moksha (liberation) in a mythic world of warfare, magic, and beauty, this is a magnificent and legendary Hindu text of immense importance to the culture of the Indian subcontinent.

Review by MyHinduPage.org. This book published by Penguin is written by an English Sanskrit scholar. He thus takes care to keep the reading friendly for those uninitiated into sanskrit scriptures or Hinduism, without drowning the original feel of the scripture with too much interpretation. It is an easy read and recommended for those who wish to read the Mahabharata as close to the original text without being mired in sanskrit cross translations and debates on word interpretation that is common among many local Indian presentations. This book reads more like a story book and the translations are excellent. The only thing I would criticize about the book is the cover art, which is reflective of mughal style. The Mahabharata was written way before the Mughal style ever appeared in Indian history and the painting has no representation whatsoever of any characters of the Mahabharata. It is a small issue but I hope Penguin books will rectify it in another print.

Review by CarrierofLadders on Amazon.com
This version of the Mahabharata is mostly a paraphrase in English. I have not been able to find more than that without great expense, however it is very good for someone who wants the narrative with the details of the story but also wants to get the feeling of the text. The paraphrase is interspersed with fairly lengthy sections of text. All the things you might get in an English retelling are reproduced in really beautiful prose. The battle scenes are harrowing. Anyone who might be sqeamish at the Illiad (I have not met such a person, but I am told they exist)would be wise to steer clear. I am not a scholar of Indian Literature and have only the most basic grasp of Hindu pantheon and tradition, but I found this accessible and really compelling. The characters are really unforgetable. The enduring message of the work about faith and dharma has not lost any beauty and relevance today. It would be wise to get a good version of the Bhagavad Gita and read that in its entirety when you arrive at the relevant passages, for that really would complete the experience. For the price of a penguin book you could not get better.

Weaver's Wisdom - The Tirukkural in English

Weaver's Wisdom: Ancient Precepts for a Perfect Life

MyHinduPage.org Review. The Tirukkural is a classic Tamil scripture reflective of Hindu culture. While the author Tiruvalluvar, said to have written this book some two thousand years ago never mentioned God by any sectarian Hindu names, he refers to God in Universal terms. This book has some of the best and most concise translations of the kurals (couplets) of wisdom with no commentary. The original Tamil of the verse is also provided. However this book does not provide translation of the entire Tirukkural. Of the 1330 verses in the Thirukkural, this book has 1080 verses. The remaining 250 verses that deal with romance is not included.

Review by jinwen on Amazon.com
"A smiling face is no sure sign of friendship. Friendship is found deep within a smiling heart" Kural 786

"Love, modesty, propriety, a kindly eye and truthfulness--these are the five pillars on which perfect goodness rests." Kural 983

"Eyes that remain unmoved by pity might as well be unmovable trees stumps bound in earth." Kural 576

This book is a wonderful addition to any spiritual library and is a great tool for mediation. On the cover of my book, is a sticker saying, "India's Fortune Cookies for the Soul" and rightly so. You apply apply most, if not all, of the 1080 Kurals (verses) from the first 2 chapters of the Tirukural to your daily life. There are Kurals from all sorts of subjects, and there are 10 Kurals per subject. Also, for each subject, there is a Kural illustrated on the left, with the Kural written in Tamil. Lastly, there is a glossary and index in the back to help you find and understand the Kurals.

The Tirukkural

Tirukkural Handbook of Tamil Culture and Heritage

MyHinduPage.org Review. I cannot vouch for the english translation of the Tirukkural in this book. It is probably in archaic Victorian English. But for those who want a classic version of the Tirukkural in Tamil, this is a great resource available on Amazon.com.

Editorial Review on Amazon.com
This book is bilingual in format. Every word of its content is in two languages, Tamil & English. The intent is to make familiar to you as a non-Tamil reader, Tamil's great past, its contribution to human thought and culture, its potential for a great future so that you can understand the Tamil diaspora comprising of 70 million Tamils in almost every part of the world. You are most welcome to explore the Tamil's great universal ethical masterpiece Tirukkural (Section 1) in its entirety and beauty, written by Thiruvalluvar before Christ. You can see why this Tamil scripture is truly unique in its appeal to the universal Man. You will see and experience why unlike any other scripture Tirukkural transcends national boundaries, historical time lines, society limitations, language barriers, and makes great sense and relevance even today and for all times to come. You can further explore in Section 2, the Handbook of Tamil Culture & Heritage, about the Tamil civilization that made Tirukkural possible in many perspectives. After that a quick overview of Tamil splendor in Section 3, the Guide to Tamils Future caps it by pointing the ways and means of how along with Tamils you can personally benefit and continue the journey to reach new heights.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

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MyHinduPage.org Review. Patanjali Yoga Sutras is a scripture par excellence written by one of the greatest sages who walked on earth. This exposition on yoga, though esoteric and terse in its original form reveals completely the mystical potentials that can be developed by aspirants on the path to Self-Knowledge. So farsighted was the ancient Sage Patanjali, who wrote this scripture around 2,300 years ago that there is no sectarian name of God from any of the traditions that was in India at that time. Always referred to with Universal qualities such as the Brilliant One, The Almighty or The Divine One, this ancient scripture is a must for all those who believe in the Universality and inclusiveness of the path to Spiritual Enlightenment. This book expresses much of the translation of this book that was originally done by Christopher Isherwood, but in much more contemporary English. Enjoy this wonderful scripture and inspire yourself on the path to Spiritual Enlightenment.

Review by Henry Traum on Amazon.com
This is an enlightening translation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
This book is easy to read and contemplate on. The English word choices are
thoughtful and consistent. Mr. Shearer also writes a wonderful introduction
to the translated text. I once attended a philosophy lecture on Yoga by a college professor who claimed mastery of Tantric Yoga and the Sanskrit language. During lecture, he commented that the Sutras of Patanjali were difficult and "certainly not bed time reading material." I couldn't have disagreed more with the Professor knowing that Mr. Shearer's translation is easy to read, assimilate, and makes wonderful reading anytime night or day, as I have done many, many times.
I recommend this translation to my Yoga students and I also give it as gifts. Enjoy!

The Upanishads by Eaknath Easwaran

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Review by Ashwini Aragam on Amazon.com
It is amazing that with all the technology modern man has invented, he is unable to answer some deep questions every human being comes across - what is life, why should there be death, etc. He has to go back about four-five thousand years to find out the answers. The answers are in the Upanishads - ancient religion-independent literature, that are recordings of experiential knowledge those wise sages knew. Unlike the Vedas, which are about religious rites and practices, the Upanishads discuss only fundamental questions. Questions such as - 'What is that if one knows, that he/she knows everything'. Amazingly, man found out the answer and had the vision and genorosity to share such findings in the Upanishads. Upanishads are such a fundamental required reading that in ancient India, children would dedicate a significant amount of their early life - 10-12 years - before they set up to establish themselves in the world. In essence, without knowing one's Self, you would be wading dark waters all the time as the Upanishads themselves say.

Eknath Eswaran's transalation makes the Upanishads simple to read. That alone is a great achievement given the voluminous nature of the texts and the language of expression - Sanskrit. We should remember that the text is thousands of years old and has a strong inclination towards flowery, verbose and at times redundant expresssions. But if repetition gets the message across, so does reading such texts! Throughout the translation, Eknath Eswaran's experience with spiritualism, his dedication to such a life, his knowledge and wisdom about English literature and world religions come across making the reading valuable.

As he states of professor William James, the great American psychologist, 'The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention over and over again is the very root of judgement, character and will. An education which should include this faculty would be education par excellence'. I wouldn't agree more with the author - reading the Upanishads is such education, essential for every one.

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The Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran

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Review by Dennis Littrell on Amazon.com
This an especially natural and graceful translation somewhere between poetry and prose by a man who really understands the message of the Gita. This can be seen from reading Eknath Easwaran's wise and penetrating Preface written especially for this, the Vintage Spiritual Classics Edition, edited by John F. Thornton and Susan B. Varenne for Vintage Books.
Easwaran shows that the differing paths to self-realization and liberation that the Gita presents are a comprehensive whole. "The thread through Krishna's teaching, the essence of the Gita, can be given in one word: renunciation. This is the common factor in the four yogas" (p. xxxviii). Easwaran goes on to explain that what is being renounced is not material, although on first blush it seems that way. What is renounced are the fruits of action. Renunciation is not only the essence of karma yoga, but the essence of the bhakti, jnana and raja yogas that Krishna presents as well. The key is an amazing spiritual and psychological insight into human nature: we are miserable when we are concerned with the results of what we do, but we are freed when we devote the fruits of our work to God. What is renounced is also the delusion of a material self that acts, the famous slayer and the slain. Unlike some other, rather foolish, translations that try to find some artificial substitute for the word "yoga," an endeavor entirely alien to the Gita, Easwaran embraces the understanding. He writes, "the Gita is Brahmavidyayam yogashastra, a textbook on the supreme science of yoga" (p. xxxvi)

It is also clear from what Easwaran writes in the Preface that he understands meditation and the path of moksha gained when one is beyond the pair of opposites that dominate our material existence. Easwaran knows because he himself is a long time practitioner of meditation, which is one of the ways of liberation (raja yoga). So many writers on spirituality and on the practice of yoga really do not know meditation, but Easwaran clearly does. Easwaran also understands that the insights of the Gita can be found in other mystical traditions, including those of Meister Eckhart, St. Catherine of Genoa, Ruysbroeck, St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi, and others.
Easwaran also makes the important point that the Gita is not the sole property of any one point of view. "The Gita does not present a system of philosophy. It offers something to every seeker after God, of whatever temperament, by whatever path" (p. xxxv).
Easwaran writes, "to understand the Gita, it is important to look beneath the surface of its injunctions and see the mental state involved. Philanthropic activity can benefit others and still carry a large measure of ego involvement. Such work is good, but it is not yoga. It may benefit others, but it will not necessarily benefit the doer" (p. xxxix). This represents a profound insight into the nature of karma yoga, an understanding that comes only after years of study and practice.
Finally Easwaran knows something others don't know (even though this is central to Krishna's teaching), that the Gita, through the practice of yoga, frees one from the fear of death. When one "realizes that he is not a physical creature but the Atman, the Self, and thus not separate from God...he knows that, although his body will die, he will not die...To such a person, the Gita says, death is no more traumatic than taking off an old coat." (pp. xxiv-xxv).
There are ten pages of notes that follow the translation in which the shades of meaning of various concepts like dharma, karma, yoga, sannyasa, etc., and some other ideas are discussed. There is a guide to pronunciation and a glossary of Sanskrit words. This quality paperback is handsomely designed from cover to font, and the translation is one of my favorites.

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