Yogavataranam: The Translation of Yoga

Description

Sanskrit has been taught in two ways: the age-old Indian technique involves learning language through the central, sacred texts; the formal Western methodology teaches the alphabet, declensions, grammar, and vocabulary building. The burgeoning interest in Sanskrit among yoga practitioners and changes in the academic discipline indicate that a new approach is in order. Zoe Slatoff-Ponte's Yogavataranam integrates traditional and academic methods of learning and allows students to read texts as soon as possible. The first section of the book teaches reading and basic grammar. The second covers more extensive grammar, and by the third section the student begins to look at and understand more complex texts such as the Upanisads. Yogavataranam is appropriate to many levels of study, from those who are new to Sanskrit to students who already have some experience in reading devanagari script, pronunciation, meaning, and grammar.

Zoe Slatoff-Ponte has a master's degree in South Asian language and culture from Columbia University. Her thesis was a translation and exploration of a Sanskrit text on yoga and Ayurveda. She has practiced yoga since the age of fifteen; has traveled to Mysore almost annually to study at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, R. Sarath, and Saraswathi; and has been teaching for more than sixteen years. Her school, Ashtanga Yoga Upper West Side, is located in New York City.

"If only I had had Yogavataranam when I began my own study of Sanskrit! Acquiring a new language is a form of yoga; so is translation, and also the writing of a book. Zoe Slatoff-Ponte combines all these yogas to bring ancient wisdom into a modern context, clearly and carefully laying out all the essential but daunting conjugations, declensions, and sandhi rules of that beautifully crafted language. This is a book that can open up broad new vistas for any student of any of India's classical lores." --Robert Svoboda, Ayurvedacharya "Many students take up Sanskrit because of an interest in yoga, but until now no primers of the language reflected this. Yogavataranam does more than fill the gap: beautifully presented, perfectly paced, and innovative, most of its many examples are taken from an impressive range of Sanskrit texts on yoga. It is to be recommended both to teachers and to students wishing to learn the language on their own." --Dr. James Mallinson, Lecturer in Sanskrit and classical Indian studies at SOAS, University of London, and co-author of Roots of Yoga "Yogavataranam is a treasure house of Sanskrit for all level of students. Zoe Slatoff-Ponte brings her years of expertise together in a comprehensive volume that clearly elucidates the basics of grammar for the beginning Sanskrit student, as well as giving deeper levels of instruction for more experienced students. One of the striking aspects of her book is the inclusion of verses from ancient yoga texts. Yogavataranam gives us the necessary level of learning to read these verses in their original language. In this wonderful book, Slatoff-Ponte makes this attainable." --Eddie Stern, director of Ashtanga Yoga New York and co-author of Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students "Zoe Slatoff-Ponte and Ben Ponte have created a user-friendly Sanskrit grammar with the yoga student in mind. Unlike prior grammars which focus primarily on epic literature, this work aims to allow students to delve into Indian philosophical thought through immersive exercises that include readings from the Upanisads and the Bhagavad Gita, among other texts. The illustrations help guide the reader into the soundscape of Sanskrit through visual images. The typesetting and design of the book combine beautifully, helping to transform the project of learning Sanskrit into a joy rather than a task." --Christopher Key Chapple, Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology and Director, Master of Arts in Yoga Studies, Loyola Marymount University "Crafted with complete concentration and dedication, Yogavataranam brings into the written realm an alive, lyrical experience to learning the language of Sanskrit. Slatoff-Ponte masterfully interweaves into the lessons Hindu philosophy, mythology as well as etymology with clarity and a rare delicacy making it a must read for all yoga students. Ben Ponte's poetic and layered art work breathes added depth and soulfulness into the knowledge so generously brought forth by Yogavataranam." --Sharmila Desai, co-author of Yoga Sadhana for Mothers, author of Sristi, certified by KPJAYI