Course Title: A Study of Patañjali Yogadarśana

Credit hours: 3

Course Code: P003
Duration: 12 Weeks

Medium of Instructions: English

Mode: Video lectures+ reading material

Prerequisites: None (A basic knowledge of Sanskrit language is preferred 

Certificate Awarded By: Vedic Science Virtual Vishva-Vidyapeeth , USA

Textbook: The Yoga  Darśana of Patañjali 

Course Description:

This course is an in-depth study of  Patañjali’s Yoga Darśana, based on the Vyāsa Bhāṣya and Bhoja Vṛtti.  This course unveils the Vedic foundation, metaphysical clarity, and scientific rigor of Yoga philosophy, disentangling it from modern misinterpretations and popular simplifications.

The course covers complete study of the Yogadarśana of Patañjali  for the first time. It offers a comprehensive understanding of the aim of Yoga, the eightfold (Aṣṭāṅga) path, the five mental modifications (vṛttis), the concept of Īśvara, the methods to control the mind, and the metaphysical basis of liberation (kaivalya). It is rooted in the Vedic tradition, highlighting the Yoga-Sāṅkhya synthesis and its relevance for self-realization and the transformation of human consciousness.

Learning Objectives:

• By the end of this course, students will be able to:
• Understand the Vedic origin and philosophical context of Yoga.
• Interpret the Yoga Sūtras based on Vyāsa and Bhoja commentaries.
• Analyze key Yogic concepts like citta, vṛtti, kleśa, samādhi, and kaivalya.
• Develop a foundational understanding of psycho-engineering as taught by Patañjali.
• Discern between classical Vedic Yoga and its modern distortions.
• Apply key meditative and introspective techniques in personal discipline.

Target Audience:

• Seeker of Indian philosophy and Vedic science
• Students of Yoga studies and Sanskrit
• Advanced practitioners of Yoga
• Philosophers and seekers interested in metaphysics and psychology
• Curriculum designers and educators in Indic studies

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, learners will be able to know

• Yoga in the context of the Ṣaḍ-Darśanas
• Relation of Yoga with Sāṅkhya: theory vs. practice
• What is psycho-engineering? Why Yoga is not mere posture or ritual
• Vedic purpose of Yoga: Mokṣa through Viveka-khyāti
• Overview of the four Pādas: Samādhi, Sādhana, Vibhūti, Kaivalya
• Concept of Yogaḥ citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ: Aims and philosophical implications
• Sanskrit and terminological study of yoga sūtras
• Five types of vṛttis: pramāṇa, viparyaya, vikalpa, nidrā, smṛti
• Chitta, manas, buddhi, ahaṅkāra: A Vedic psychological framework
• Role of saṁskāras and purging of memory
• Concept of pratyakṣa, anumāna, and āgama in cognition
• Five kleśas: avidyā, asmitā, rāga, dveṣa, abhiniveśa
• How kleśas distort perception and obstruct liberation
• Psychological engineering for their reduction (tanūkāraṇa)
• Abhyāsa (persistent effort) and vairāgya (detachment) explained
• Two types of Vairāgya: Vaśīkāra and Para
• Methods of cultivating a sāttvika mind: friendliness, compassion, joy, indifference
• Obstacles to Yoga and their remedies
• Īśvara as Puruṣa-viśeṣa, eternal teacher (ādi-guru)
• 'OM' as the vācaka of Īśvara
• Role of surrender in yoga; contrast with bhakti traditions
• Scientific significance of 'praṇava'

Three-fold path of Kriyā-Yoga: Preparatory Yoga: Tapas, Svādhyāya, Īśvara-praṇidhāna

• Austerity: Mental, verbal, and physical (as per Gītā)
• Importance of Svādhyāya (scriptural study)
• Significance of karma-yoga in Yogic path
•  Aṣṭāṅga Yoga: The Eightfold Path to Liberation 
• Yama and Niyama: Ethical foundations
• Āsana: Beyond postures, for dhāraṇā
• Prāṇāyāma: Breath and mind connection
• Pratyāhāra: Withdrawal of senses
• Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna and Samādhi: The inner journey

Vibhūtis – Yogic Powers and Their Control (Week 11)

• Saṁyama: The fusion of dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi
• Siddhis and their philosophical implications
• Warnings against attachment to powers
• The subtle body and suprasensory experiences
• Text Sections to Read:
• Vibhūti Pāda: Sūtras 1–55
  • "How a Yogi becomes invisible"

The Goal of Yoga 

• Definition of Kaivalya (complete liberation)
• Purusha–Prakṛti separation
• Final realization of self as sat–cit–ānanda
• Yoga as returning from embodiment: metaphysics of disembodiment
• Text Sections to Read:

Assessment:

Those who want require certificate, they shall have to undergo the following assessment process. Those who are doing the course to enhance their knowledge and need no certificate, they need not undergo the process of assessment.

• Quizzes (MCQ + Short Answer) – 30%
• Project (comparative study or diagram-based research) – 40%
• Participation (discussion forums & live Q&A) – 10%
• Final Essay/Presentation – 20%

Reading material 

Participants will be given access to video lectures and the reading material  

Course Fees: 

1. There is nominal Course Registration Fee ,  USD 69.  Participants from India, Nepal and Bhutan  can pay fee  in Indian Rs. 3000 at the donation  section here. The eligible Members  of VSVV  can access this course at no cost. 

Course Start Date: 28 Sept. 2025

Registration is Open

•  Those who want to participate in the course can visit for registration