Patanjalian wisdom personified: The Yogasutric reading of vari

This article examines vārī, the pilgrimage practice of the Vārkarī Saṁpradāya through the conceptual lens of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras. By linking Patañjali’s philosophy with the Vārkarī literature and fieldwork reflections, the paper argues that vārī is not only a devotional journey but also a structured yogic path, one that has pre­served and reinterpreted the discipline of Yoga within a bhakti framework.