Patanjali

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An influential figure in ancient Indian philosophy, known for compiling yoga sutras and promoting practices for spiritual development
2. A historical personality credited with the foundation of yoga philosophy through texts that guide meditation and ethics
3. A revered sage in Indian tradition recognized for his contributions to the understanding and practice of yoga and philosophy

Etymology: According to Indian tradition, the name means "one who has fallen into folded hands." Sanskrit commentators explain it through the legend of a child who fell from the sky into his mother's cupped palms as she offered water to the sun, and "pat," to fall, and "añjali," folded hands, make up the name. Scholars treat this as a story told about the name, not a historical account of its origin. The name is attached to several works, and scholars do not agree that one person wrote them all. The most famous is the Yoga Sutras, a set of short aphorisms that systematized yoga as a path of mental discipline toward liberation. Tradition also credits the same name with a major commentary on Sanskrit grammar. Because the texts are anonymous and were shaped over long periods, the figure called Patanjali is better understood as a name under which many ideas were gathered than as a single documented life.