Patanjali yoga sutras

Patanajali yoga sutras
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are 196 Indian sūtras (aphorisms) that constitute the foundational text of Yoga. In medieval times, Yoga was cast as one of the six orthodox āstika schools of Hindu philosophy. According to the late Yogatattva Upanishad, Yoga is is divided into four forms – Mantrayoga, Layayoga, Hathayoga and Rājayoga – the last of which is the highest (or royal) practice.

Although the Yoga Sutras have become the most important text of Yoga, the opinion of many scholars is that Patañjali was not the creator of Yoga, which existed well before him, but merely a great expounder.