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Volume II, No. 1, Spring 2003 |
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Book reviews
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A Review of
Svatmarama's by N. Ree Wells In the fifteenth
century C.E., an Indian yogi, Svatmarama, wrote the Hatha
Yoga Pradipika, an explanation of Hatha Yoga.
Akers' translation of Swami Svatmarama s classic work takes the
reader on a journey back to medieval India, complete with social
references relevant to teaching and learning yoga at that time and
place. Akers presents each Sanskrit verse of the original, immediately following each verse with his English translation. This arrangement, however, proves problematic in the first chapter, where fifteen full-page black and white photographs of a model, each demonstrating an asana or position, are alternated with seventeen full-text pages of Sanskrit verses and their English translations. The result is that each verse introducing a particular asana is far removed from its photographic depiction. For example, verse 1:25 on the asana Dhanurasana is located on page 10, while its corresponding photo is located on page 15. Yet, the inclusion of photographs is one of the best features of this edition for contemporary readers. The model, Jill Alera Butson, is a graceful, accomplished yogi. Further, the photographer, Michael L. Rixson, captures her strength and agility in each pose, and his work illustrates the intrinsic beauty of each of the asanas. Although I cannot judge the accuracy of Akers literal translation, since I am not fluent in Sanskrit, I have no reason to challenge either Akers assertion that the translation is complete, clear, and correct (xii) or any other reviews of this work located on the author s website (YogaVidya.com). In fact, the translation seems elegant. However, I have doubts concerning a couple of Akers assertions, including that this translation is accessible (x). He notes that due to the ever increasing knowledge of the reading public (xi), he has left more words untranslated than would have been a quarter century ago. This assumption, although honoring some readers, will leave many others in the dark. Although not a novice to the discipline of yoga, I could not readily grasp many critical concepts Akers does not gloss. Virtually all of the Sanskrit yoga terms, while pleasant to see and sound out, were introduced without definition; yama, niyama, nadi, prama, unmani, and laya are examples (18-19). Clearly, Akers made a conscious decision to present the original Sanskrit text and highlight his translation, as well as not to include any commentary with the verses. In doing so, he has missed an opportunity to engage his potential audiences more fully. If this text is, in fact, a practical manual and Akers wants to reach the contemporary student of yoga, why not simply define such potentially unfamiliar terms as kumbhakas, mudras and nada as they are introduced? To be fair, Akers provided a warning: You may want a dictionary of Yoga handy (xi). However, Akers is such a short book that there is both room and reason to provide more of the information required for understanding his translation in this volume. Overall, I was disappointed in the lack of a basic yoga dictionary that would have been easy to include, either as footnotes or as a glossary, and the too brief introduction. Although I found Akers translation fascinating, the lack of commentary led me to seek other translations of Svatmarama s work. The German to English translation by Elsy Becherer (1972, rpt. 1992), although one step removed (relative to Akers direct translation from Sanskrit), offers readers a viable text for comparison and contrast because it includes a forward by B.K.S. Iyengar and has extensive commentary by Hans-Ulrich Rieker. For my first contrast, I offer an excerpt from B.K.S. lyengar s
(1992) introduction to The Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
In two paragraphs,
this world-renowned yoga master introduced, defined, explained more key
terms and provided more information about the Light on Hatha Yoga
than Akers does in his entire four-page introduction:
The Pradipika is divided into four parts. The first explains yamas (restraints on behaviour), niyamas (observances), asanas (posture) and food. The second describes pranayama (control or restraint of energy), and the shatkarmas (internal cleansing practices). The third deals with mudras (seals), bandhas (locks), the nadis (channels of energy through which prana flows) and the kundalini power. The fourth expounds pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (absorption). In all, the text contains 390 verses (floras). Out of these, about forty deal with asanas, approximately one hundred and ten with pranayama, one hundred and fifty with mudras, bandhas and shatkarmas and the rest with pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. I concur with Becherer s (1992:1) Interpreter s note that the slokas (verses) of this ancient classical text are presented in an extremely terse and often highly symbolic language, which makes them practically unintelligible without commentary. Extended commentary of Svatmarama s text is warranted for today s audiences. I am not convinced by Akers assertion on the book s cover that Svatmarama wrote this book for you, contemporary students and practitioners of yoga. The Swami, like all authors, was bound, in large part, by the constraints of his social milieu and cultural context(s). For example, there are repeated verses about secrecy, exemplified best in verse 1:11 (4): The science of Hatha Yoga should be kept top secret by the yogi desirous of success. How does Akers translation, which advertises its accessibility, conform to that directive? Again, over time and across cultures, social values have changed, and in order to make parts of this ancient Indian text relevant to contemporary audiences, commentary with qualifications would be desirable. Although Akers contends that his particular translation is gender neutral where appropriate (xi), I found that his was neither as gender neutral nor as gender inclusive as is Becherer s (1992) translation. With regard to gender inclusiveness, we can contrast Akers rendering of verse 1:1 (1)-- Salutations to Shiva, who taught the science of Hatha Yoga. It is the aspirant s stairway to the heights of Raja Yoga --with Becherer s: Reverence to Siva, the Lord of Yoga, who taught Parvati hatha wisdom as the first step to the pinnacle of raja yoga. Akers does not even mention Parvati, Shiva s consort. With regard to gender neutrality, we can contrast Akers rendering of verse 1:48 (22) - Thus a man reaches unequaled knowledge from the power of shakti - with Becherer s: Thus with the aid of kundalini we achieve highest Knowledge (my emphasis). Only the latter example is gender neutral. Akers may in these gender aspects be the more accurate translation, but the accuracy works against the inclusiveness he seem to want to promote. I am left with a question about Akers intended audience(s). This is an important consideration, given that recent estimates suggest about 18 million Americans now practice yoga, and the average practitioner s yearly expenditures on all things yoga instruction, mats, props, clothing, weekend workshops, books, CDs, videos could be conservatively estimated at a ballpark $1,500 (Wild 2002:108). Clearly, Akers literal translation of this ancient text is not intended for those new to yoga, as he warns readers to learn Hatha Yoga under the guidance on an experienced teacher (ix). This is excellent advice that reinforces Svatmarama s notion that one is taught yoga by a guru, and that one learns yoga through practice, not by reading a book. Given the obscure (and potentially hazardous) directives by Svatmarama about ritual cleansing, Akers further warns readers that Some practices in this book I don t recommend at all (xi). Further, Akers lack of commentary precludes many applications, so if you are looking for a practical guide to contemporary yoga, this book is simply not for you. On the other hand, the growing body of Western students of Sanskrit may welcome the immediacy of Akers literal translation. Many advanced students of yoga who wish to explore some of the earliest written accounts of yogic philosophy will also benefit by this text. I trust that my analysis of its shortcomings does not belie the fact that most of Akers English translation is accessible, albeit with a yoga dictionary. Further, Svatmarama s ancient text, even without the benefit of considered commentary, has relevance to contemporary practitioners. Today s yoga students should be moved by the timeless, sage advice, such as that in verse 1:66 (32): Success is achieved neither by wearing the right clothes nor by talking about it. Practice alone brings success. N. Ree Wells is Associate Professor of Sociology at Missouri Southern State College, Joplin. She is also a member of the board of editors of Project South Asia, a digital library of teaching resources for colleges and universities. Copyright 2003 Teaching South Asia (ISSN 1529-8558) and N. Ree Wells. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted in any form without written permission from Teaching South Asia or N. Ree Wells.
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