Originals

English translations of important Buddhist & Hindu texts

The Ṛg Veda, Wendy Doniger

• Beautiful collection from the most ancient teachings of the Indian traditions.

The Upaniṣads, Juan Mascaro

• The culminating books of the Vedic collections, rich & complex. The deep roots of our practice.
  Start with the Kaṭha – the story of Naciketas & the Lord of Death.
  Patrick Olivelle’s version is also good (more literal), and Eknath Easwaran’s (poetic excerpts).

Teachings of the Buddha, Jack Kornfield

• Short teachings & excerpts spanning all the Buddhist traditions. A good intro collection.

In the Buddha’s Words, an Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon, Bhikkhu Bodhi

• Systematic collection of original Buddhist texts.
  Bodhi’s introduction describes the Theravāda Buddhist path beautifully.
  Wisdom Publications has elegant (extremely dense) volumes of almost the entire body of Pāli suttas. If you’re going there, start with the Majjhima Nikāya.

The Yoga-Sūtra of Patañjali, Chip Hartranft

• A warm & practical translation for practitioners. My favorite by far.
  Barbara Stoller Miller’s version is also good.
  David Gordon White’s historical “biography” of the text is fascinating & important if you teach the YS.

Bhagavad Gītā, Stephen Mitchell

• Mitchell’s translation is an accessible & beautiful poetic version without commentary.
  Read Georg Feuerstein’s for a more literal version and commentary.

Rāmāyana, Valmiki (Arshia Sattar, Penguin)

• The ancient epic of Rāma, Sītā, and the monkey god Hanuman.

Mahābhārata, Vyasa (abridged, John D. Smith, Penguin)

• The second of India’s two great epics, on the great war between the Pandavas and Kauravas.
  Source of the Bhagavad Gītā and many myths & sacred stories.

The Purāṇas

• The sources of the vast Indian and Hindu sacred myths.
  2 good versions: Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the Sanskrit Puranas, ed. Dimmitt & Buitenen
  and Hindu Myths: A Sourcebook Translated from the Sanskrit, Wendy Doniger

Yoga Vāsiṣṭha, Venkateṣānanda (published as “Vasistha’s Yoga”)

• One of the most important classical texts on Yoga, through the Vedānta lens.

Śiva Sutra, Swami Laksmanjoo

• Subtle and stunning root text for Śaiva Tantra traditions.
  The text is quite difficult, traditionally only understandable through a guru.
  Compare Mark Dyzkowski’s version for fuller study.
  Paul Muller-Ortega has been teaching on the ŚS & has amazing talks on it for purchase.

Pratyabhijña-hṛdayam [The Heart of Recognition], Ksemarāja

• Partial translation: The Splendor of Recognition, Shantananda, through Siddha Yoga.
  Or The Recognition Sūtras by Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis.
  This is a good Tantra text to begin study.

Vijñana-bhairava Tantra, Swami Lakshmanjoo

• Another root text of Śaiva Tantra. 112 tantric practices for Concentration (dhāraṇā) and liberation.
  Lorin Roche has released a poetic but non-literal version titled The Radiance Sutras, and Christopher Wallis teaches prominently on this text and is working on a new translation.

Yoga Yajñavalkya, A. G. Mohan

• Early Haṭha Yoga practice manual venerated by Śri T. Krishnamacharya.

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Brian Dana Akers

• The most well-known medieval Haṭha Yoga practice manual, from the 15th c.
  Śatkarma, āsana, prāṇāyāma & meditations to purify energetic channels & awaken kuṇḍalinī.

Gheranda Samhita, James Mallinson

• A late Haṭha Yoga manual, similar in content to the HYP, but with less tantric and sexual material.
  See also the Goraksha Paddhati/Samhita.