Three Teachers, One Text: Reading the Samadhi Sutras

The Yoga Sutras are terse—196 brief verses that have generated libraries of commentary. How a teacher reads them reveals what they value. Today we look at three influential interpreters of the samadhi sutras.

📚 Vyāsa: The Classical Baseline

Vyāsa’s Yogabhāṣya (approximately 4th-5th century CE) is the oldest surviving commentary on the sutras. Every later interpreter responds to him, whether they know it or not.

His approach is technical and taxonomic. For Sutras 1.17–1.22, Vyāsa classifies the stages of samprajñāta samadhi, distinguishes the two types carefully, and explains causation through vāsanās and samskaras—the impressions from prior practice that create readiness.

He expands the terse sutras, drawing out implied subdivisions. The threefold mild/moderate/intense (Sutra 1.22) becomes nine gradations in his reading. Vyāsa treats the text as philosophy to be analyzed, mapped, cross-referenced.

🧘 B.K.S. Iyengar: The Practitioner’s Lens

Iyengar’s Light on the Yoga Sutras (1993) brings the eye of a lifelong practitioner. His question: What does this mean for someone on the mat?

For these sutras, Iyengar emphasizes the experiential progression—how mental activity actually refines from gross to subtle. He links the theoretical stages to concrete methods: technique, alignment, sustained abhyasa.

Where Vyāsa analyzes, Iyengar instructs. His commentary often reads as practice guidance wearing philosophical clothing. The sutras become a manual for disciplined progression.

🩺 T.K.V. Desikachar: The Teacher’s Lens

Desikachar, following his father Krishnamacharya, reads the sutras as a teacher considering each student’s needs. His Heart of Yoga (1995) and other writings emphasize individualization and therapeutic adaptation.

For Sutras 1.17–1.22, Desikachar treats the progression (vitarka → vicāra → ānanda → asmitā) as an experiential map that will unfold differently for each practitioner. He emphasizes breath, readiness, and the teacher-student relationship. The same sutra might mean different things for different students at different stages.

Where Vyāsa classifies and Iyengar disciplines, Desikachar adapts.

🔍 What They Share

All three agree on fundamentals: the distinction between seeded and seedless samadhi matters; prior preparation influences readiness; steady practice and non-attachment are essential.

The differences are in emphasis and application:

Vyāsa = textual precision, metaphysical framework
Iyengar = disciplined technique, practical method
Desikachar = individualized teaching, relational context

🧘 Why It Matters

Reading multiple commentaries isn’t about finding the “right” one. It’s about seeing the sutras from different angles—the way walking around a sculpture reveals facets you missed from one position.

Svadhyaya—self-study through sacred texts—isn’t passive reception. It’s active engagement with teachings that have been pondered for centuries.

The sutras wait. The commentators guide. We practice.

— MJH