In Indian philosophy, the Yoga Shastra school of thought is traditionally attributed to which sage as its founder and systematiser?

Introduction / Context:
Indian philosophy is divided into several classical schools, and questions about their founders often appear in exams. The Yoga Shastra, or Yoga philosophy, is one of the six orthodox systems and is closely associated with the compilation of the Yoga Sutras. Competitive exams expect candidates to know that this system is traditionally attributed to the sage Patanjali, who is therefore treated as the founder and systematiser of Yoga Shastra.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question refers to Yoga Shastra as a school of Hindu philosophy.
• It asks about the sage regarded as its founder or systematiser.
• The options list Patanjali, Shankaracharya, Gautama, and Kapila.
• We assume standard textbook associations between sages and philosophical schools.

Concept / Approach:
Each classical school has a key name linked with it: Patanjali with Yoga, Kapila with Samkhya, Gautama with Nyaya, Kanada with Vaisheshika, Jaimini with Mimamsa, and Badarayana with Vedanta. The approach here is to recall that pattern and pick the sage corresponding to Yoga Shastra. Since Patanjali compiled the Yoga Sutras and is revered as the authority on Yoga philosophy, he is the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the term Yoga Shastra and connect it with the classical Yoga Sutras. Step 2: Recall that Patanjali is honoured as the compiler and teacher of the Yoga Sutras. Step 3: Look at the options and immediately identify Patanjali among them. Step 4: Recognise that Shankaracharya is linked mainly with Advaita Vedanta, not with Yoga as a separate school. Step 5: Note that Gautama is associated with Nyaya and Kapila with Samkhya. Step 6: Therefore, select Patanjali as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
As a quick verification, you can recall popular phrases like Patanjali Yoga Sutra which are used in both scholarly works and modern yoga literature. Introductory philosophy texts list the six darshanas and directly pair Yoga with Patanjali. When multiple independent sources reinforce the same pairing, it is safe to trust that memory in the exam. This cross checking also helps you distinguish Patanjali from Shankaracharya, who commented on Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Shankaracharya is incorrect because, although he was a great philosopher, he is mainly associated with Advaita Vedanta rather than Yoga Shastra as an independent system. Gautama is linked with the Nyaya school, which focuses on logic and epistemology. Kapila is regarded as the founder of the Samkhya system, which deals with enumeration of tattvas and dualistic metaphysics. None of these sages is primarily known as the originator of Yoga Shastra.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse Patanjali with Shankaracharya due to the prominence of both names in Hindu philosophical discussions. Another pitfall is to mix up the lists of founders of the six schools and attribute the wrong sage to the wrong system. To avoid such confusion, write a clear table pairing each school with its traditional founder and revise it regularly so that the associations become automatic.

Final Answer:
The Yoga Shastra school is traditionally attributed to the sage Patanjali.