196 aphorisms compiled by Patanjali (c. 200 BCE-200 CE) - the foundational text of Yoga-darshana, one of the 6 orthodox darshanas of Sanatana Dharma. The shortest + most-quoted treatise on yoga in existence. Each sutra is a sutra (literally "thread") - a compressed seed-formula meant to be unfolded through study + bhashya (commentary) + sadhana (practice).
51 sutras · Theory
What yoga IS. The definition (1.2), 5 vrittis, abhyasa + vairagya, Ishvara, OM, samprajnata + asamprajnata samadhi.
55 sutras · Practice
HOW to practice. Kriya-yoga, 5 kleshas, the 8 limbs (ashtanga) introduced, 5 yamas + 5 niyamas, asana, pranayama, pratyahara.
56 sutras · Powers
The 3 inner limbs (dharana, dhyana, samadhi) collapse into samyama. ~30 samyama-recipes yielding siddhis - plus the warning that siddhis distract.
34 sutras · Liberation
The GOAL - kaivalya (absolute aloneness). Karma-types, purusha as witness, dharma-megha samadhi, and the final sutra-formula of liberation.
The architecture of the full yogic path (Sutra 2.29). 4 outer limbs (bahiranga - yama, niyama, asana, pranayama) prepare the body + ethical-life. Pratyahara is the hinge. 3 inner limbs (antaranga - dharana, dhyana, samadhi) constitute samyama (3.4) - the tool of meditative absorption.
5 universal moral disciplines. Foundation of all yogic practice. Without yama, asana + meditation produce no fruit.
Sub-elements: Ahimsa (non-violence) · Satya (truth) · Asteya (non-stealing) · Brahmacharya (continence) · Aparigraha (non-possessiveness).
5 self-purificatory observances. The complement to yama - yama purifies outward conduct, niyama purifies inner life.
Sub-elements: Shaucha (cleanliness) · Santosha (contentment) · Tapas (austerity) · Svadhyaya (self-study + scripture-study) · Ishvara-pranidhana (surrender to Ishvara).
Sthira-sukham asanam (2.46) - a steady + comfortable seat. Originally meant the meditation-seat; only later expanded to include the full Hatha-yoga asana-system.
After asana is mastered, regulate the breath. 3 phases - inhalation (puraka), retention (kumbhaka), exhalation (rechaka). Bridges body + mind.
Sub-elements: 3 vrittis: bahya (external) · abhyantara (internal) · stambha (suspended). Plus a 4th - kevala kumbhaka (spontaneous).
The senses follow the mind inward. The hinge between the 4 outer limbs (bahiranga - yama through pranayama) + the 3 inner limbs (antaranga).
Desha-bandhah chittasya dharana (3.1). Holding the chitta on a single object - a mantra, a deity-image, the breath, a chakra. Many gaps.
Tatra pratyayaika-tanata dhyanam (3.2). When dharana becomes continuous like oil poured from one vessel - no gaps - it ripens into dhyana.
Tad eva artha-matra-nirbhasam svarupa-shunyam iva samadhih (3.3). The meditator + object + meditation collapse into one. The goal of the 8-limbed path.
The 5 root-afflictions named in Sutras 2.3-2.9. Avidya is the field - the other 4 grow from it. All yogic practice aims at their attenuation (klesha-tanu-karana - 2.2) + ultimate elimination at kaivalya.
The ROOT klesha - mistaking the impermanent for permanent, the impure for pure, suffering for happiness, the non-self for the Self. All other kleshas grow from this. Sutra 2.5.
Identifying the seer (purusha) with the instrument-of-seeing (buddhi). The conflation "I am this body-mind". Sutra 2.6.
Sukha-anushayi ragah (2.7) - attachment that pursues pleasure. The pull-toward.
Duhkha-anushayi dveshah (2.8) - aversion born of past suffering. The push-away.
Sva-rasa-vahi vidushah api tatha rudhah (2.9) - the will-to-live flows even in the wise. The deepest klesha - survival-instinct. Persists until kaivalya.
Pada 1 · 51 sutras · Theory of yoga + Ishvara + samadhi-types
अथ योगानुशासनम्॥
atha yoga-anushasanam
- Now, the teaching of yoga (begins).
Atha = a sacred opening - implies the student is ready (has prepared via yama-niyama). Anushasanam = systematic exposition.
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः॥
yogah chitta-vritti-nirodhah
- Yoga is the cessation of the modifications of the chitta (mind-stuff).
The single most important sutra. Chitta = the totality of buddhi + ahamkara + manas. Vritti = wave / modification. Nirodhah = stilling. When the mind-waves stop, yoga happens.
तदा द्रष्टुः स्वरूपेऽवस्थानम्॥
tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam
- Then the Seer abides in its own form.
When vrittis cease, purusha (the Seer) shines as itself - no longer mistaken for the mind-waves. This is the goal.
वृत्तिसारूप्यमितरत्र॥
vritti-sarupyam itaratra
- At other times (when not in nirodha), the Seer takes the form of the vrittis.
We mistake ourselves for our thoughts - 'I am angry', 'I am sad'. The Seer is none of these.
वृत्तयः पञ्चतय्यः क्लिष्टाक्लिष्टाः॥
vrittayah panchatayyah klishta-aklishtah
- Vrittis are of 5 kinds - painful and non-painful.
Sutras 1.6-1.11 list them: pramana (right knowledge), viparyaya (wrong knowledge), vikalpa (imagination), nidra (sleep), smriti (memory).
अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः॥
abhyasa-vairagyabhyam tan-nirodhah
- By practice (abhyasa) and dispassion (vairagya), nirodha is achieved.
The two wings of yoga. Abhyasa = sustained effort over long time, uninterrupted, with reverence (1.14). Vairagya = non-attachment to seen + heard objects (1.15).
स तु दीर्घकालनैरन्तर्यसत्कारासेवितो दृढभूमिः॥
sa tu dirgha-kala-nairantarya-satkara-asevitah dridha-bhumih
- Practice becomes firmly grounded when done for a long time, without break, with devotion.
3 requirements: dirgha-kala (long-time) + nairantarya (uninterrupted) + satkara (reverent). Skip any one - and the foundation crumbles.
वितर्कविचारानन्दास्मितारूपानुगमात्संप्रज्ञातः॥
vitarka-vichara-ananda-asmita-rupa-anugamat samprajnatah
- Samprajnata (cognitive) samadhi accompanies forms of reasoning, reflection, bliss, and I-am-ness.
4 grades of samadhi-with-seed. Each successive stage drops one support - vitarka (gross-object) → vichara (subtle-object) → ananda (bliss) → asmita (pure I-am-ness).
विरामप्रत्ययाभ्यासपूर्वः संस्कारशेषोऽन्यः॥
virama-pratyaya-abhyasa-purvah samskara-sheshah anyah
- The other (asamprajnata samadhi) is preceded by practice of cessation - only samskaras remain.
Beyond samprajnata is the seedless (nirbija) samadhi - all content of mind dissolved, only the latent residue of past actions remains. The doorway to kaivalya.
श्रद्धावीर्यस्मृतिसमाधिप्रज्ञापूर्वक इतरेषाम्॥
shraddha-virya-smriti-samadhi-prajna-purvakah itaresham
- For others (not videhas + prakriti-layas), it is preceded by faith, energy, memory, samadhi, and discriminative-wisdom.
5 prerequisites in the seeker: shraddha (faith) → virya (vigor) → smriti (mindfulness) → samadhi (absorption) → prajna (wisdom). Each enables the next.
ईश्वरप्रणिधानाद्वा॥
Ishvara-pranidhanad va
- Or, by surrender to Ishvara (samadhi is attained).
The 'va' (or) opens the bhakti-path. For those for whom abhyasa-vairagya is too austere - total surrender to Ishvara achieves the same goal.
क्लेशकर्मविपाकाशयैरपरामृष्टः पुरुषविशेष ईश्वरः॥
klesha-karma-vipaka-ashayaih aparamrishtah purusha-visheshah Ishvarah
- Ishvara is a special purusha - untouched by afflictions, actions, fruits, and latent impressions.
Patanjali's Ishvara - not a creator-god but a paradigmatic purusha (Self) free of all 5 kleshas + karma. The eternal Guru of even the first teachers (1.26).
तस्य वाचकः प्रणवः॥
tasya vachakah pranavah
- His designator (vachaka) is the pranava (OM).
OM = the sound-form of Ishvara. Sutra 1.28 prescribes: japa + bhavana (repetition + contemplation of meaning). The single most powerful single-syllable mantra.
व्याधिस्त्यानसंशयप्रमादालस्याविरतिभ्रान्तिदर्शनालब्धभूमिकत्वानवस्थितत्वानि चित्तविक्षेपास्तेऽन्तरायाः॥
vyadhi-styana-samshaya-pramada-alasya-avirati-bhranti-darshana-alabdha-bhumikatva-anavasthitatvani chitta-vikshepah te antarayah
- Disease, mental dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, failure to attain a stage, instability - these distractions are the obstacles.
9 antarayas. Sutra 1.32 prescribes the remedy - eka-tattva-abhyasa (practice on a single principle) - to overcome all 9.
मैत्रीकरुणामुदितोपेक्षाणां सुखदुःखपुण्यापुण्यविषयाणां भावनातश्चित्तप्रसादनम्॥
maitri-karuna-mudita-upekshanam sukha-duhkha-punya-apunya-vishayanam bhavanatah chitta-prasadanam
- By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion toward the suffering, joy toward the virtuous, and equanimity toward the non-virtuous, the chitta becomes clear.
The 4 brahma-viharas (also central in Buddhism). The single most-quoted ethical sutra. Without these 4, no meditation succeeds - because the mind remains agitated by social relations.
प्रच्छर्दनविधारणाभ्यां वा प्राणस्य॥
prachchhardana-vidharanabhyam va pranasya
- Or by exhalation and retention of prana.
Sutras 1.34-1.39 list multiple alternative anchors for the mind - pranayama, sense-perception, light-vision, dream-or-sleep-study, or any object dear to one. Patanjali is non-dogmatic about technique.
यथाभिमतध्यानाद्वा॥
yatha-abhimata-dhyanad va
- Or, by meditation on whatever is dear to oneself.
Use ANY object that brings the mind to stillness - a flower, a flame, a chosen deity. Pragmatic permission.
क्षीणवृत्तेरभिजातस्येव मणेर्ग्रहीतृग्रहणग्राह्येषु तत्स्थतदञ्जनता समापत्तिः॥
kshina-vritteh abhijatasya iva maneh grahitri-grahana-grahyeshu tat-stha tad-anjanata samapattih
- When the vrittis are diminished, the chitta - like a transparent crystal - takes on the color of whatever object stands near it. This is samapatti (engrossment).
The mind becomes so clear that it perfectly reflects whatever it contemplates - knower, knowing, known become one. The crystal-metaphor is one of the most beloved in the text.
श्रुतानुमानप्रज्ञाभ्यामन्यविषया विशेषार्थत्वात्॥
shruta-anumana-prajnabhyam anya-vishaya vishesha-arthatvat
- The wisdom of (nirvichara) samadhi differs from wisdom gained through testimony or inference - it knows the particular (vishesha).
Direct prajna of samadhi reaches the unique particularity of every object - beyond what scriptures or logic can ever convey.
तस्यापि निरोधे सर्वनिरोधान्निर्बीजः समाधिः॥
tasya api nirodhe sarva-nirodhat nirbijah samadhih
- When even that (samskara from samadhi) is suppressed, with all suppressed - there is seedless samadhi.
The closing sutra of Pada 1. Beyond even samprajnata is nirbija - no seed, no object, no support. The doorway to kaivalya in Pada 4.
Pada 2 · 55 sutras · Practice + the 8 limbs introduced
तपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोगः॥
tapah-svadhyaya-Ishvara-pranidhanani kriya-yogah
- Austerity, self-study, and surrender to Ishvara - these constitute kriya-yoga.
The opening of Pada 2 - Patanjali names a preliminary 'yoga of action' (kriya-yoga) before introducing the 8-limbed astanga path. Same 3 elements appear later as the last 3 of the 5 niyamas.
समाधिभावनार्थः क्लेशतनूकरणार्थश्च॥
samadhi-bhavana-arthah klesha-tanu-karana-arthah cha
- (Kriya yoga is) for the cultivation of samadhi and for the attenuation of kleshas.
Two simultaneous goals - strengthen samadhi-capacity AND weaken the 5 afflictions. The two must go together.
अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः क्लेशाः॥
avidya-asmita-raga-dvesha-abhinivesah kleshah
- Ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion, and clinging-to-life - these are the kleshas.
The 5 root afflictions. Sutras 2.4-2.9 elaborate each. Avidya is the field for the other 4 (2.4).
अनित्याशुचिदुःखानात्मसु नित्यशुचिसुखात्मख्यातिरविद्या॥
anitya-ashuchi-duhkha-anatmasu nitya-shuchi-sukha-atma-khyatih avidya
- Avidya is the mistaking of the impermanent for permanent, the impure for pure, suffering for happiness, the non-self for the Self.
The classical 4-fold misperception. Diagnosis must precede cure - and avidya is the diagnosis.
हेयं दुःखमनागतम्॥
heyam duhkham anagatam
- The suffering that has not yet come is to be avoided.
Past suffering is past. Present suffering must be endured. But FUTURE suffering - that is yoga's actual concern. Prevent the un-arisen.
द्रष्टृदृश्ययोः संयोगो हेयहेतुः॥
drashtri-drishyayoh samyogah heya-hetuh
- The cause of avoidable suffering is the conjunction of the seer (purusha) and the seen (prakriti).
Mistakenly identifying the witnessing-purusha with the seen-prakriti. Untangling this is liberation.
विवेकख्यातिरविप्लवा हानोपायः॥
viveka-khyatih aviplava hana-upayah
- Unfaltering discriminative-knowledge (viveka-khyati) is the means of liberation.
Viveka = discrimination between purusha (seer) and prakriti (seen). Sustained - not occasional. This is the operational cure.
योगाङ्गानुष्ठानादशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञानदीप्तिराविवेकख्यातेः॥
yoga-anga-anushthanat ashuddhi-kshaye jnana-diptih a-viveka-khyateh
- By practicing the limbs of yoga, impurity is destroyed and the light of knowledge dawns - leading to discriminative-knowledge.
The transition. The 8 limbs are not the goal but the means - they purify the chitta so that viveka can arise.
यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयोऽष्टावङ्गानि॥
yama-niyama-asana-pranayama-pratyahara-dharana-dhyana-samadhayah ashtau angani
- Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi - these are the 8 limbs.
The most-quoted sutra in modern yoga. The architecture of the whole path - 4 outer limbs (bahiranga) + 1 hinge + 3 inner limbs (antaranga).
अहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः॥
ahimsa-satya-asteya-brahmacharya-aparigrahah yamah
- Non-violence, truth, non-stealing, continence, non-possessiveness - these are the yamas.
The 5 yamas. Sutra 2.31 calls them maha-vrata - the GREAT vow, unconditional across all castes, places, times, circumstances.
शौचसन्तोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः॥
shaucha-santosha-tapah-svadhyaya-Ishvara-pranidhanani niyamah
- Cleanliness, contentment, austerity, self-study, surrender to Ishvara - these are the niyamas.
The 5 niyamas. Sutras 2.40-2.45 detail the fruits of each - e.g., santosha brings unsurpassed happiness (2.42), Ishvara-pranidhana brings samadhi-attainment (2.45).
वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम्॥
vitarka-badhane pratipaksha-bhavanam
- When negative thoughts disturb (yama-niyama), cultivate their opposites.
If anger arises - cultivate maitri. If greed arises - cultivate aparigraha. The classical CBT-prototype from 2nd-century India.
अहिंसाप्रतिष्ठायां तत्सन्निधौ वैरत्यागः॥
ahimsa-pratishthayam tat-sannidhau vaira-tyagah
- In the presence of one established in non-violence, all enmity ceases.
Even animals lose their natural enmity near such a one. The classical example - tigers + cattle drinking together near a Rishi's ashrama.
सत्यप्रतिष्ठायां क्रियाफलाश्रयत्वम्॥
satya-pratishthayam kriya-phala-ashrayatvam
- When established in truth, one's words become fruitful (actions yield results immediately).
Whatever such a one says comes to pass - the universe aligns. This is why Rishis' curses + blessings worked.
स्थिरसुखमासनम्॥
sthira-sukham asanam
- Asana is (a posture that is) steady and comfortable.
Only ONE sutra defines asana - and it does not name any specific pose. Patanjali's asana = the meditation-seat. Any seated posture meeting these two criteria (sthira + sukha) qualifies.
प्रयत्नशैथिल्यानन्तसमापत्तिभ्याम्॥
prayatna-shaithilya-ananta-samapatti-bhyam
- (Asana is mastered) by relaxation of effort and absorption in the infinite.
2 means - release of striving + meditation on the infinite (ananta - sometimes the cosmic serpent Ananta). Tension breeds asana-failure.
तस्मिन्सति श्वासप्रश्वासयोर्गतिविच्छेदः प्राणायामः॥
tasmin sati shvasa-prashvasayoh gati-vichchedah pranayamah
- When that (asana) is achieved, pranayama follows - the cessation/regulation of inhalation and exhalation.
Pranayama PRESUPPOSES asana-mastery. Doing pranayama in an unsteady posture causes harm. The classical sequence is non-negotiable.
बाह्याभ्यन्तरस्तम्भवृत्तिर्देशकालसङ्ख्याभिः परिदृष्टो दीर्घसूक्ष्मः॥
bahya-abhyantara-stambha-vrittih desha-kala-sankhyabhih paridrishto dirgha-sukshmah
- Pranayama has 3 movements - external (exhale), internal (inhale), suspended (kumbhaka) - regulated by place, time, and count; long and subtle.
Sutra 2.51 names the 4th - kevala kumbhaka - spontaneous breath-suspension beyond the conscious 3. The advanced pranayama.
ततः क्षीयते प्रकाशावरणम्॥
tatah kshiyate prakasha-avaranam
- Then (by pranayama) the veil over the inner light is dissolved.
Pranayama's fruit - the mind's natural luminosity (prakasha - a sattvic quality of buddhi) becomes uncovered. Mind becomes fit for dharana (2.53).
स्वविषयासंप्रयोगे चित्तस्य स्वरूपानुकार इवेन्द्रियाणां प्रत्याहारः॥
sva-vishaya-asamprayoge chittasya svarupa-anukarah iva indriyanam pratyaharah
- Pratyahara is the withdrawal of senses from their objects - as if the senses imitate the form of the chitta.
The senses, instead of going outward, follow the chitta inward. The hinge between bahiranga + antaranga limbs.
ततः परमा वश्यतेन्द्रियाणाम्॥
tatah parama vashyata indriyanam
- Then comes supreme mastery over the senses.
The closing sutra of Pada 2. Pratyahara succeeds - and senses no longer drag the mind outward. The mind is now ready for dharana (Pada 3).
Pada 3 · 56 sutras · Samyama-recipes yielding siddhis
देशबन्धश्चित्तस्य धारणा॥
desha-bandhah chittasya dharana
- Dharana is the binding of the chitta to one place.
The 6th limb. Desha = a single locus - a chakra, a deity-image, the breath at the nostrils. The chitta returns again + again to this one spot.
तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम्॥
tatra pratyaya-eka-tanata dhyanam
- Dhyana is the uninterrupted flow of cognition toward that (one place).
The 7th limb. When dharana flows without gaps - like oil poured from one vessel to another - it ripens into dhyana.
तदेवार्थमात्रनिर्भासं स्वरूपशून्यमिव समाधिः॥
tad eva artha-matra-nirbhasam svarupa-shunyam iva samadhih
- Samadhi is when only the object shines - the meditator's own form (svarupa) seemingly empty.
The 8th limb. Knower + knowing + known collapse into one. Subject-object distinction vanishes. The crown of astanga.
त्रयमेकत्र संयमः॥
trayam ekatra samyamah
- The 3 (dharana + dhyana + samadhi) together on one object - that is samyama.
Patanjali's coined term. Samyama is the core technology of Pada 3 - the tool that unlocks all the siddhis. Apply samyama to X → and the knowledge/power of X dawns.
तज्जयात्प्रज्ञालोकः॥
tat-jayat prajna-alokah
- Through mastery of samyama, the light of wisdom (prajna) dawns.
Samyama is the universal-key. Sutras 3.16-3.50 list dozens of applications - and the siddhi each yields.
परिणामत्रयसंयमादतीतानागतज्ञानम्॥
parinama-traya-samyamat atita-anagata-jnanam
- By samyama on the three-fold change (of property, characteristic, condition), knowledge of past and future arises.
The first famous siddhi-recipe. Time is structured by 3 parinamas (transformations) - samyama on these reveals the whole timeline.
शब्दार्थप्रत्ययानामितरेतराध्यासात्संकरस्तत्प्रविभागसंयमात्सर्वभूतरुतज्ञानम्॥
shabda-artha-pratyayanam itaretara-adhyasat sankarah tat-pravibhaga-samyamat sarva-bhuta-ruta-jnanam
- Word, meaning, and idea are confused with one another - by samyama on their distinction, knowledge of the speech of all beings arises.
The Doolittle-siddhi. Understanding animals + birds + all creatures' communications.
संस्कारसाक्षात्करणात्पूर्वजातिज्ञानम्॥
samskara-sakshat-karanat purva-jati-jnanam
- By direct perception of samskaras (through samyama), knowledge of previous births arises.
Past-life recall - by reading the karmic-residues stored in the chitta.
प्रत्ययस्य परचित्तज्ञानम्॥
pratyayasya para-chitta-jnanam
- (By samyama on) cognition, knowledge of others' minds arises.
Telepathy - direct knowledge of another's mind-content.
कायरूपसंयमात्तद्ग्राह्यशक्तिस्तम्भे चक्षुःप्रकाशासम्प्रयोगेऽन्तर्धानम्॥
kaya-rupa-samyamat tad-grahya-shakti-stambhe chakshuh-prakasha-asamprayoge antardhanam
- By samyama on the form of the body, when its perceptibility is suspended and the connection with the observer's eye is broken - invisibility arises.
Antardhana. The body remains, but the wave-form of light no longer reaches another's eye.
सोपक्रमं निरुपक्रमं च कर्म तत्संयमादपरान्तज्ञानमरिष्टेभ्यो वा॥
sa-upakramam nirupakramam cha karma tat-samyamat aparanta-jnanam arishtebhyo va
- Karma is either active or dormant - by samyama on it, or by reading the death-omens (arishta), knowledge of one's own death-time arises.
Foreknowledge of one's exit-moment. Useful for the yogi to time intensive sadhana + final samadhi.
मैत्र्यादिषु बलानि॥
maitri-adishu balani
- By samyama on friendliness (and the other 4 brahma-viharas from 1.33), strengths-thereof arise.
Direct cultivation of maitri-karuna-mudita-upeksha through samyama - magnifies these qualities to superhuman intensity.
बलेषु हस्तिबलादीनि॥
baleshu hasti-bala-adini
- By samyama on (any) strength - the strength of an elephant, etc. - that very strength arises.
The classical 'lift X by meditating on Y' formula. Samyama on hasti-bala (elephant-strength) → that strength manifests in the yogi.
प्रवृत्त्यालोकन्यासात्सूक्ष्मव्यवहितविप्रकृष्टज्ञानम्॥
pravritti-aloka-nyasat sukshma-vyavahita-viprakrishta-jnanam
- By projecting the inner light of pravritti, knowledge of the subtle, the concealed, and the distant arises.
Microscope + radar + clairvoyance. The yogi sees subatomic, hidden-behind-walls, and far-away as if present.
भुवनज्ञानं सूर्ये संयमात्॥
bhuvana-jnanam surye samyamat
- By samyama on the sun, knowledge of the bhuvanas (cosmic realms) arises.
The sun is the gateway to the bhuvana-cosmology - 14 lokas, the path of Brahma-nadi, etc.
चन्द्रे ताराव्यूहज्ञानम्॥
chandre tara-vyuha-jnanam
- By samyama on the moon, knowledge of the arrangement of stars arises.
Jyotisha-knowledge - direct perception of the stellar configurations.
ध्रुवे तद्गतिज्ञानम्॥
dhruve tad-gati-jnanam
- By samyama on the pole-star (Dhruva), knowledge of (stars') motion arises.
Dhruva is the fixed reference-point - samyama on it reveals all stellar movement.
मूर्धज्योतिषि सिद्धदर्शनम्॥
murdha-jyotishi siddha-darshanam
- By samyama on the light at the crown of the head, vision of the siddhas (perfected ones) arises.
Sahasrara contact. Direct vision of the lineage of liberated masters.
प्रातिभाद्वा सर्वम्॥
pratibhad va sarvam
- Or, by pratibha (spontaneous intuitive flash), everything (is known).
Sometimes - without method - pratibha just dawns. A grace-moment.
सत्त्वपुरुषयोरत्यन्तासंकीर्णयोः प्रत्ययाविशेषो भोगः परार्थत्वात्स्वार्थसंयमात्पुरुषज्ञानम्॥
sattva-purushayoh atyanta-asankirnayoh pratyaya-avisheshah bhogah para-arthatvat sva-artha-samyamat purusha-jnanam
- The conflation of pure-buddhi-sattva and purusha as one is bhoga (experience). By samyama on the self-purpose (distinct from para-purpose), knowledge of purusha arises.
The MOST IMPORTANT samyama. All other siddhis are by-products. Samyama on purusha itself = the doorway to kaivalya.
ते समाधावुपसर्गा व्युत्थाने सिद्धयः॥
te samadhau upasarga vyutthane siddhayah
- These (siddhis) are obstacles to samadhi - though they are 'attainments' (siddhis) in the externalized state.
★ The cautionary sutra. Siddhis are seductive - they pull the yogi back into vyutthana (the outward-state) and away from kaivalya. Patanjali's clear warning: pursue siddhis, lose the goal.
बन्धकारणशैथिल्यात्प्रचारसंवेदनाच्च चित्तस्य परशरीरावेशः॥
bandha-karana-shaithilyat prachara-samvedanat cha chittasya para-sharira-aveshah
- By relaxation of the cause of bondage and by knowledge of the chitta's flow - the chitta can enter another body.
Para-kaya-pravesha. Adi Shankara is said to have entered the body of King Amaruka via this technique.
उदानजयाज्जलपङ्ककण्टकादिष्वसङ्ग उत्क्रान्तिश्च॥
udana-jayat jala-panka-kantakadishu asangah utkrantih cha
- By mastery over udana (the upward-prana), there is non-contact with water, mud, thorns - and (ability for) upward-departure.
Levitation + walking-on-water - by harnessing the upward-rising udana-vayu.
श्रोत्राकाशयोः सम्बन्धसंयमाद्दिव्यं श्रोत्रम्॥
shrotra-akashayoh sambandha-samyamat divyam shrotram
- By samyama on the relation between the ear and akasha, divine hearing arises.
Divya-shrotra - hearing across vast distances + hearing celestial sounds.
सत्त्वपुरुषान्यताख्यातिमात्रस्य सर्वभावाधिष्ठातृत्वं सर्वज्ञातृत्वं च॥
sattva-purusha-anyata-khyati-matrasya sarva-bhava-adhishthatritvam sarvajnatritvam cha
- To one with discriminative-knowledge of the distinction between sattva and purusha - comes lordship over all states of being and omniscience.
The HIGHEST siddhi - para-vairagya. The yogi knows + masters all without effort.
तद्वैराग्यादपि दोषबीजक्षये कैवल्यम्॥
tat-vairagyat api dosha-bija-kshaye kaivalyam
- By non-attachment even to this (omniscience), the seed-of-defect is destroyed - and kaivalya arises.
The closing motion of Pada 3 toward Pada 4. Even sarvajna-siddhi must be renounced for final liberation.
Pada 4 · 34 sutras · The path to kaivalya (absolute aloneness)
जन्मौषधिमन्त्रतपःसमाधिजाः सिद्धयः॥
janma-aushadhi-mantra-tapah-samadhi-jah siddhayah
- Siddhis arise from birth, herbs, mantras, austerity, or samadhi.
The 5 sources. Some are born with siddhis (janma - like Kapila). Some via herbs (aushadhi - soma, certain plants). Some via mantra. Some via tapas. Highest - via samadhi.
निमित्तमप्रयोजकं प्रकृतीनां वरणभेदस्तु ततः क्षेत्रिकवत्॥
nimittam aprayojakam prakritinam varana-bhedah tu tatah kshetrikavat
- The instrumental cause does not push nature - it only removes the barriers, like a farmer (who removes the dyke to let water flow).
Famous farmer-metaphor. The yogi doesn't FORCE nature - he just removes obstacles, and nature flows of its own.
कर्माशुक्लाकृष्णं योगिनस्त्रिविधमितरेषाम्॥
karma-ashukla-akrishnam yoginah trividham itaresham
- Karma is neither-white-nor-black for the yogi; for others, it is of 3 kinds (white, black, mixed).
4 karma-types: shukla (white - virtuous), krishna (black - sinful), shukla-krishna (mixed), ashukla-akrishna (neither - only for the yogi who acts without ego-claim). The yogi's karma leaves no samskara.
तासामनादित्वं चाशिषो नित्यत्वात्॥
tasam anaditvam cha ashishah nityatvat
- And they (samskaras) are beginning-less, because the will-to-live (ashish) is eternal.
The samsara-engine. As long as ashish (will-to-be) exists, samskaras compound. Beginning-less but not endless - kaivalya ends them.
न चैकचित्ततन्त्रं वस्तु तदप्रमाणकं तदा किं स्यात्॥
na cha eka-chitta-tantram vastu tat apramanakam tada kim syat
- An object is not dependent on a single mind - for if it were unverified by one mind, what would it be?
Patanjali's refutation of vijnanavada (Buddhist idealism). The world is real - not mind-only. Samkhya-Yoga is realist about prakriti.
सदा ज्ञाताश्चित्तवृत्तयस्तत्प्रभोः पुरुषस्यापरिणामित्वात्॥
sada jnatah chitta-vrittayah tat-prabhoh purushasya aparinamitvat
- Chitta-vrittis are always known to their master (the purusha), because the purusha is unchanging.
Purusha = pure witness, never modified. Always aware of every chitta-vritti, but never affected. The unchanging seer.
चितेरप्रतिसंक्रमायास्तदाकारापत्तौ स्वबुद्धिसंवेदनम्॥
chiteh apratisankramayah tad-akara-apattau sva-buddhi-samvedanam
- When consciousness (chiti) - which does not transmigrate - takes the form (of buddhi), self-cognition arises.
Consciousness reflects into buddhi (intellect). Buddhi mistakes its own light for its own - this is the source of 'I-thought'. Kaivalya is the dis-identification.
प्रसंख्यानेऽप्यकुसीदस्य सर्वथा विवेकख्यातेर्धर्ममेघः समाधिः॥
prasankhyane api akusidasya sarvatha viveka-khyateh dharma-meghah samadhih
- When (the yogi is) un-attached even to perfect-discrimination, dharma-megha samadhi arises.
The 'cloud-of-dharma' samadhi - Patanjali's most poetic name. The final stage before kaivalya. Even discrimination itself is renounced.
ततः क्लेशकर्मनिवृत्तिः॥
tatah klesha-karma-nivrittih
- From that (dharma-megha samadhi), the cessation of kleshas and karmas.
The 5 kleshas + all karma-residue end. The samsara-fuel exhausted.
पुरुषार्थशून्यानां गुणानां प्रतिप्रसवः कैवल्यं स्वरूपप्रतिष्ठा वा चितिशक्तिरिति॥
purusha-artha-shunyanam gunanam pratiprasavah kaivalyam svarupa-pratishtha va chiti-shaktih iti
- Kaivalya is the reverse-evolution (pratiprasava) of the gunas - once empty of purusha's purpose - or, the abiding of the power-of-consciousness in its own nature.
★ The final sutra of all 196. Two equivalent definitions: (a) the 3 gunas resolve back into avyakta-prakriti, having nothing left to do for purusha; (b) purusha rests in its own form as pure chiti-shakti. THIS is kaivalya - absolute aloneness, the goal of the entire text.
The Yoga Sutras have been transmitted alongside a tradition of bhashya (commentary). 4 classical commentators stand out - and any serious study of the text engages all four. The sutras are too compressed to read without bhashya.
Yoga-Bhashya (Yoga-Sutra-Bhashya)
The FOUNDATIONAL commentary. So inseparable from the sutras that the text is often called Patanjala-Yoga-Sutram-with-Vyasa-Bhashya. All subsequent commentary works build on Vyasa.
Tattva-Vaisharadi (sub-commentary on Vyasa)
The most-philosophically rigorous Yoga commentary. Vachaspati was a polymath who also wrote on Nyaya, Mimamsa, Samkhya, Vedanta. His Yoga commentary integrates the full darshana-network.
Raja-Martanda (Bhoja-Vritti)
King Bhoja of Dhara - composed an independent commentary, not following Vyasa. Concise + accessible. Often called the easiest entry-point to the text.
Yogasara-Sangraha + Yoga-Varttika
A Vedantin who read Yoga through a Vedantic-Samkhya lens. Important for bridging Yoga + Vedanta - claimed both ultimately point to the same Brahman.
