Yoga

Yoga is a living tradition within Hinduism. Also written Pātañjala Yoga, Yoga darśana.

Origin

Founder named in the sources: Patañjali. No founding year is given below, because the sources read do not agree on one and a date has not been chosen for them. IEP: scholars generally date the Yoga Sūtras 'shortly after the turn of the common era, (c. 1st – c. 2nd century C.E.)', though earlier placement has been proposed and the text 'cannot be precisely dated'; IEP's Hindu Philosophy survey gives the 3rd century CE. Very little is known about Patañjali himself; the text is the primary source for him. No founding year given. [CORRECTION] The 9th-century/Śaṅkara claim was previously quoted as paraphrase and cited to iep.utm.edu/hindu-ph, where it does not appear. IEP's Yoga article actually reads: 'the first reference to Yoga itself as a distinct school seems to be in the writings of Śaṅkara in the 9th century C.E.' Citation moved to iep.utm.edu/yoga.