The Pericarp of Yoga: A Translation of the Yoga Karnika of Aghoranandanatha

The Pericarp of Yoga is translation for the first time from the original Sanskrit of the Yogakarnika of Aghoranandanatha. Although the date of composition is uncertain, from internal evidence it appears was that it was likely composed sometime between the 16th-18th centuries C.E. This classic,circulated for centuries among a small circle of yogis, is both an encyclopedia and practice manual of yoga. While topics covered range from Hatha to Kundalini Yoga, its underlying orientation is Tantric. The author Aghoranandanatha, a Siddha Yogi in the tradition of the renowned Mahasiddhas such as Gorakshanath, professed to have attained Nirvana upon the completion of the treatise. The presentation of the spectrum of yogas in the Yogakarnika is comprehensive of the entire field of yoga and is addressed to serious practitioners. The text impresses the reader throughout with the astonishing range of doctrines and practices expounded as well as the tone of confidence in the efficacy of the practices described. Practitioners and aficianados of yoga alike will both benefit from reading the Yogarnika. It is a significant addition to a sub-genre of yoga literature in the class of the Hathayogapradipika and Gheranda Samhita available in translation. The Yogakarnika is quintessentially a treatise of yoga for serious yoga practitioners and those who aspire to serious practice.