---
type: Reference
title: "Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali"
description: "The 196 aphorisms by Patañjali that define classical Yoga as chitta-vṛtti-nirodha and lay out the eight limbs (aṣṭāṅga); the root text of the Yoga darśana."
darshana:
  - Pātañjala Yoga
tags:
  - primary-source
  - Yoga
  - sutra
timestamp: "2026-06-20"
okf_version: "0.2"
license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

# Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali

## What It Is

The 196 aphorisms by Patañjali that define classical Yoga as chitta-vṛtti-nirodha and lay out the eight limbs (aṣṭāṅga); the root text of the Yoga darśana.

## Why It Matters Here

The primary source for nearly every concept in this bundle.
