Summary of the Book
This is no ordinary book. It is a spiritual treasure. To read its message of hope to all truth seekers is to begin a great adventure.
Named one of the "Hundred Best Spiritual Books of the Century,"Autobiography of a Yogi has become recognized by followers of many religious traditions as a masterpiece of spiritual literature.
Only rarely does a sage of Paramhansa Yogananda's stature write a firsthand account of his life experiences. Describing in vivid detail his many years of spiritual training under his Christ-like master, Sri Yukteswar, Yoganandaji has here revealed, with scientific clarity, a fascinating and little-understood aspect of modern India: the subtle but definite laws by which yogis perform miracles and attain complete self-mastery.
This is a verbatim reprinting of the original edition published in 1946. Translated into more than nineteen languages, millions of edited versions have sold, but the few thousand original copies have long since disappeared into the hands of collectors. Now, with this reprint, the 1946 edition is again available with all its inherent power, just as the great master of yoga first presented it.
The 1946 edition is the only available version approved for publication during Yoganandaji's lifetime.
This original edition is the only one that does not contain thousands of posthumous changes to the text, unlike other publisher's editions. Many of these changes substantially alter the original meaning and intention of the author.
Many highly respected, independent experts such as Vamadeva Shastri prefer the original edition.
All the major testimonials and reviews for this book, including the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, etc. plus the preface by Evans-Wentz were made for the original edition, not other publisher's altered editions.
This original 1946 edition is available in English and Hindi.
The current, edited version is available in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Tamil, and Telugu.