Pataῆjali's Yogasūtra is considered as the basic text of the Yoga school of thought. But several other Indian texts have written about various tenets of yoga such as breathing, control of the sense organs, exercises, meditation, the concentration of mind, salvation, and union with the Supreme Brahman. This volume explores the philosophy of yoga in nine Purāṇas, such as, Śrīmadbhāgavata Purāṇa, Agni Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, Garuḍa Purāṇa, Padma Purāṇa, Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa, Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, Brahma Purāṇa. Other texts of Yoga such as Yoga Upaniṣads and Yogasūtra Bhāṣya by Vedavyāsa and Vedānta texts such as Brahmasūtra and Bhagavadgīta are also referred for comparative study. The main sources of references are taken from the original various Sanskrit source works of the Purāṇas. English translations of the Purāṇas are taken from the other authentic sources. The Yoga Dictionary developed by the Samskriti Foundation, Mysore has been referred to obtain definitions for specific yogic terms. In this manner, a comparative study of the Yoga in the Purāṇas has been completed.
