तीव्र संवेगानाम् आसन्न: ।।२१।।

तीव्र – keen, संवेगानाम् – for those with intensity, आसन्न: – near, proximate

For those who apply themselves intensely, the progress is speedy.

वाचस्पति observes that while all योगी apply themselves on this path, all do not attain the goal. He considers these differences due to the strength (or weakness) of ingrained habits from previous lives. In other words, the disruptive संस्कार from past births exert their influence on various योगी in this life and these may interfere with their practices. But for those who are intensely committed, like in any other endeavour, success is speedy.

मृदुमध्याधिमात्रत्वात् ततोsपि विशेष: ।।२२।।

मृदु – mild, मध्य – middling, अधिमात्रत्वात् – because of intensity, तत: – from this, consequently, अपि – also, विशेष – distinction

Even among these seekers, there is a further differentiation (of this intensity into degrees of) mild, mediocre and extreme.

The detail with which the texts specify categories is interesting. Practitioners always needs categories and sub – categories to be able to measure themselves. पतंजलि has therefore specified that seekers can be of three kinds. आदिशंकर says the purpose of this सूत्र is to fortify the enthusiasm of a साधक. By learning that all योगी, whether they are of the mild, middling or extreme kind will eventually reach their goal, seekers who become disillusioned due to fatigue from excessive effort regain confidence. And आदिशंकर adds that just as in a race, one who runs the fastest wins, similarly in योग too, one who is the most intense seeker will be most successful.

Note: the three categories given above will not apply to me since I am not a योगी but prefer living the life of a भोगी which keeps me in a state of a रोगी throughout most of my life J

ईश्वरप्रणिधानात् वा ।।२३।।

ईश्वर, प्रणिधानात् – from भक्ति, dedication, वा – or

Or by devotion to ईश्वर

For the first time, पतंजलि brings ईश्वर in the सूत्र. प्रणिधान or भक्ति mean one and the same thing though a more specific meaning is to prostrate, place oneself down, submit, etc. But it is interesting to see that ईश्वर is given here as a means to a goal and not the goal itself. So what does “or” mean here? This has been a topic of debate but to put a reasonable view, it means that a योगी can attain to the highest by applying अभ्यास & वैराग्य viz working on himself alone OR a योगी can attain to the highest by applying अभ्यास & वैराग्य but also devoting himself to ईश्वर. Unlike use of words like कृष्ण, राम, etc, पतंजलि chooses to use technical word used in the वेद viz ईश्वर which comes from the root word, इश् signifying one who has extraordinary power & sovereignty.

व्यास asks rhetorically whether there is any other effective way to attain संप्रज्ञात समाधि without delay and indicates that ईश्वर प्रणिधान is such an option. In Gita too, श्रीकृष्ण tells अर्जुन that while focus on ultimate as formless ब्रह्म is a way, it is very difficult and long and a better and effective way is via भक्ति to HIM. पतंजलि makes the same point here too. हरिहरानन्द explains that when one engages in ईश्वर प्रणिधान, the feeling of existence of ईश्वर as the innermost core of the heart who does everything, one then loses interest in everything else, becomes free from अहंकार and mind becomes concentrated and calm.

आदिशंकर states that when one does भक्ति, भगवान reaches out to the योगी, comes face to face to him and bestows his कृपा upon him IN ACCORDANCE WITH HOW A योगी HAS MEDITATED UPON HIM. This कृपा facilitates a योगी to reach the goal in an effortless manner and is imparted by omnipotence of the भगवान्.

PA: Really something that i can relate to 👍👍👏🏻. Reaching the ultimate goal by devotional service with complete surrender and viswas that the behind everything it’s the One Power that is the cause of causes. Everything that one believes is one’s identity and everything which one has today

In terms of possessions is the false projection of I that causes us to believe that Doer or owner of it whereas in reality I am just and agent acting on Behalf of someone. As you had explained during the Gita lessons the concept of ownership and agent. Switching the perspective from ownership/ proprietorship to being a caretaker of agent.

क्लेशकर्मविपाकाशयैरपरामृष्ट: पुरुषविशेष ईश्वर: ।।२४।।

क्लेश – obstacle (to the practice of योग), कर्म – action, विपाक – fruition, अशयै: – by the receptacle, storage or deposit of संस्कार, अपरामृष्ट: – untouched, पुरुष, विशेष – special, ईश्वर:

ईश्वर is a special पुरुष, untouched by the obstacles (to the practice of योग), कर्म, the fructification of कर्म and the संस्कार predispositions.

There are only 6 out of 195 सूत्र where पतंजलि refers to ईश्वर. And he does not elaborate on the role and nature of ईश्वर vis a vis the world. The information provided here is only to the extent it is necessary for the purpose of attainment of the goal of योग. Equally, he may be assuming that people already know enough about ईश्वर and there may be no need for a further elaboration. But this सूत्र makes good points that are helpful for a योगी. Unlike a योगी (whether raw or an advanced one) who may be seen as one carrying latent संस्कार within, ईश्वर does not possess any such latent संस्कार. And while owing to क्लेश (or obstacles to योग) present within all of us (including an advanced योगी), acts done us are called as कर्म for which we get कर्मफल (or विपाक), acts of ईश्वर are not referred to as कर्म. Instead, acts of ईश्वर are expressed as लीला. Therefore, ईश्वर will also not experience कर्मफल.

A योगी may question – why should I have a भक्ति towards ईश्वर? If ईश्वर is just another योगी who may have attained in पुरुष status in the past, maybe I too can do so without the need for भक्ति towards ईश्वर. To remove such a misunderstanding, पतंजलि makes it clear that ईश्वर is a special पुरुष and who never was or can ever become a receptacle of संस्कार since ईश्वर never performs any कर्म at all. ईश्वर is not to be seen as an advanced योगी of the past – He is eternally free. And since ईश्वर is a special पुरुष, a योगी can devote himself or herself to ईश्वर to gain success in योग.

तत्र निरतिशायं सर्वज्ञबीजम् ।।२५।।

तत्र – in Him, निरतिशायं – unsurpassed, limitless, सर्वज्ञ – one who knows everything, बीजम् – seed

In Him (or Her or It), the seeds of सर्वज्ञता are unsurpassed.

हरिहरानन्द shares an interesting commentary – all created brings, whether a worm or a human, have some degree of ज्ञान, whether greater or lesser. This ज्ञान of all individual beings, continually grows (since संस्कार is implanted every second on the चित्त). Since there are unlimited beings whose ज्ञान is continually growing, the collective ज्ञान is limitless. The being who has attained the maximum attainable level of this expanding collection of ज्ञान is omniscient or सर्वज्ञ – such a special one is ईश्वर. A योगी and an ईश्वर are different since there was a time when योगी was not सर्वज्ञ while ईश्वर is a सर्वज्ञ at all times.

आदिशंकर gives useful comments here. ईश्वर body is of pure सत्व and thus free from limitations of senses of conventional bodies. Thus, ईश्वर awareness can be in simultaneous contact with everything while awareness of embodied beings like us is limited by तमस् element on the senses of our particular bodies. And given the omniscience of ईश्वर, whenever someone seeks out or reaches out to Him/ Her, He/She knows this immediately. And given that Her nature is such that She is controlled by Her devotees, out of motherly love for all beings, She will remove obstacles that are bothering a योगी and lighten up the journey towards attaining पुरुष.

PA: Really profound about Iswar facilitating the journey of His / her Bhagat towards attaining Purusha

पूर्वेषाम् अपि गुरु: कालेनानवच्छेदात् ।।२६।।

पूर्वेषाम् – of the ancients, अपि – also, गुरु: कालेन – by time, अनवच्छेदात् – because of not being limited or conditioned by

ईश्वर was also the teacher of the ancients, because He is not limited by time.

What is the purpose of the above सूत्र? It reiterates the point that unlike regular created beings who get created at a certain point of time, ईश्वर is not a created being; It is beyond the realm of time. Even other गुरू of the past like आदिशंकर, Lao Tze, Buddha, etc., are limited by time and not accessible to us. Assistance in pursuit of योगज्ञान can thus come to us only from someone who is not Himself bound by time. ईश्वर can break through history & future and impart teachings to anyone who needs such teachings.

As a साधक, our goal is to regain our पुरुष status. पुरुष is a सनातन वस्तु, it is changeless. Ancient ज्ञान on this domain may be suspect owing to probable adulteration. New ज्ञान is also suspect since it is either not sufficiently tested or that it may get coloured by historical baggage. ज्ञान on पुरुष is of the सनातन kind – it was true, it is true and is true even in future. And the only one who is competent to convey सनातन ज्ञान is one who is Himself not subject to time and has a सनातन स्वरूप. ईश्वर is not subject to time making Him most competent to convey this ज्ञान to us. This is why श्रीकृष्ण starts Ch4 by telling अर्जुन that it was He who taught सनातन ज्ञान to विवास्वान and later to many others and the same ज्ञान was being conveyed to अर्जुन. पतंजलि is also thus pointing the competency of ईश्वर to us in this सूत्र.

AS: One of the key takeaways from reading our scriptures is the fact that we are divine or ‘The One’. We have forgotten it and there is a pathway to reclaiming it. Now we also say there is someone beyond Divine? There was a section in Gita also that talks about who is Ishvara and what are his/her qualities. where it was beautifully explained how Lord Krishna did not play by the same rules as the other people did. Therefore, his actions are bound by a different set of rules and should not be viewed with the same lens as how we view Arjuna or Pandava actions. I am trying to reconcile the 2 in my head. Truly I am so far down the totem pole that it does not practically matter but this purely intellectual curiosity.

UV: Response to your question will require a Zoom call of an hour 😂. Your question is most apt and the answer is not easy. Let me lay out a few basics first.

At a परमार्थ level, we are One. All of us have a पुरुष within us which is the same as any other person. At a व्यवहार level, we are not one. In संसार, we come with a body – mind complex and thus our स्वधर्म is influenced by our स्वभाव which in turn is driven by our संस्कार load attached to it. Thus, our actions and situations vary that is tuned to our संस्कार and not our स्वरूप (viz our पुरुष status).

Our शास्त्र frames rules in a way that whatever कर्म we do, the benefit of such a कर्म lightens up our संस्कार load and helps us retain पुरुष. Thus, the intent of शास्त्र is to regain our स्वरूप so that all of us realize our परमार्थ equality.

Income Tax Rules, Data Privacy Act, Constitution, Peace treaties between nations, etc are not शास्त्र – their focus is व्यवहार. While their intent may be noble, their end goal is some form of peace and justice at a व्यवहार level. They are not bothered about संस्कार or पुरुष status but their outcomes are प्राकृतिक, not पारामार्थिक. What should be obvious is that there can never be equality at a प्रकृति level since our संस्कार load is inherently varying.

Now, let me take up a crude example to understand अहिंसा. If my shirt catches fire on the left shoulder, my right hand will immediately hit the left shoulder so douse the fire. Though this act may seem as हिंसा to a casual observer, I know that there is no राग-द्वेष in the act of the right hand and it is doing its धर्म of protection itself. If however the left hand is damaged beyond a point, we may have to surgically remove it too. Now, if we see acts of श्रीकृष्ण, whether He embraces सुदामा or beheads शिशुपाल, given that the One within both of them is Him only, any act of कृष्ण cannot be seen as अहिंसा anyway. But because He is familiar with the संस्कार load of both of them, His actions will be tuned with what is most helpful for both of their प्राकृतिक अवस्था to enable them to gain their स्वरूप.

Given the above, we need to know that actions of श्रीराम and श्रीकृष्ण cannot be seen from प्राकृतिक lens at all. Certainly, if श्रीराम is decided not to pay Income Tax in a certain year 😂 or killed Ravana, our दृष्टि to assess them is from परमार्थ lens and not प्राकृतिक व्यवहार. There is no leeway that is available to these two – in fact, it is a higher burden of them and via their actions, we will need to figure out why they have done what they have done and gain ज्ञान. This is why रामायण is a पारायण ग्रंथ and not plays of Bhasa or Kalidasa. Our challenge is we apply व्यवहार दृष्टि on acts of these people but that problem thus becomes a problem with our दृष्टि but not their actions – that is how our Gurus explain their actions.

Other question you have raised has been a matter of intricate debate in India for centuries. I am conversant with the details of these debates myself at a very superficial level and the response will therefore be a limited one. So, the various propositions of the Divine is as follows:

1. अद्वैत proposition is that there is only One. And this One in सत्चिदानन्द state is named as ब्रह्म. This ब्रह्म then takes on the शरीर of माया and becomes ईश्वर. Thus, ईश्वर is ब्रह्म + माया while ब्रह्म is a state where there is no माया. But the difference in ईश्वर & जीव level is that in ईश्वर, माया is under ईश्वर control while in जीव, माया is the controller. But when जीव attains पुरुष status, it merges into ब्रह्म.

2. विशिष्ट अद्वैत position is that while परमात्मा is only One, Its relationship with us is like body & cells or fire & sparks. Thus, one जीव attains पुरुष status, it stays on fixed with परमात्मा since both have affinity to one another at an innate level.

3. पतंजलि has not referred to relationship between ईश्वर & जीव. He refers to ईश्वर as special पुरुष. Commentators suggest that पतंजलि has propositioned that there are crores of पुरुष, they will eternally remain in their पुरुष state once they attain मुक्ति.

And there are other दर्शन – सांख्य, मीमांस, etc. So which is true? Frankly, it does not matter. There is far more these different दर्शन agree on than they disagree. All agree that we are in a जीव mode where माया is overpowering us. All agree that we need to do योग to gain मुक्ति. All agree that in the मुक्ति state, we are blissful. Now, given that that state is inexplicable, we will know the nuances when we reach there. Till that time, we take the best of all दर्शन that appeals to us and move along. As a साधक, that is adequate for now.

तस्य वाचक: प्रणव: ।।२७।।

तस्य – His, वाचक: – designation or expression, प्रणव: – ॐ

The name designating Him (ईश्वर) is ॐ.

ॐ is considered as a sonal incantation of ईश्वर in Indic traditions. तैतिरीय उपनिषद् says – ब्रह्म is ॐ, this whole world is ॐ. मुंडक उपनिषद् describes ॐ as the bow, जीव as the arrow while target as ब्रह्म. श्वेताश्वर उपनिषद् states that through अभ्यास of doing ध्यान on ॐ, one can see ईश्वर. Gita also says the same thing. व्यास raises a question – is the relationship between the person ईश्वर and the वाचक ॐ conventional – a socially agreed usage, or is it inherent/eternal? So if the word elephant refers to a certain creature, we could have named the same creature as camel and may have been socially enforced. The word elephant has no inherent relationship with the actual elephant just as देवदत्त may just be a name given by a father to a son and he may have been named as विष्णुप्रिय also. An inherent relationship however is eternal and not dependent on social language.

व्यास says that relationship between a lamp and light is inherent and such is the relationship between ईश्वर & ॐ. वाचस्पति wonders why is this relationship inherent since ॐ is just another sound that merges back into प्रकृति just as any other sound and its power must also disappear at the end of creation – how can ॐ continue to have its power in the next creation? He then adds that this particular phenome is eternally invested by ईश्वर with His power and since ईश्वर is Himself not subject to time, He can invest His potency eternally into ॐ. Just as an iron ball within fire acquires the traits of fire as long as it is within the fire, even though ॐ may be seen as another प्राकृतिक sound, since ईश्वर has invested His presence in this sound, our चित्त comes into contact with ईश्वर by focusing on ॐ.

आदिशंकर gives a popular etymology of प्रणव with प्र standing for प्रकर्षेण meaning perfectly and णव is a derivative of the root word नू in its third person passive form of नूयते meaning ‘he is praised’. Thus, though जप of ॐ, ईश्वर is praised perfectly. Alternatively, he continues substituting the word व with ध, one can construe प्रणिध viz surrender to ईश्वर; प्रणव is thus a sound representation of ईश्वर through which one can meditate on Him in a भक्ति mode. Note: commentary on ॐ can go into pages. Suffice to add here that for any योगी, chanting ॐ is seen as a key ingredient and this cannot be replaced with any other प्राकृतिक word that some historical person may have invented.

PA: 👍👏🏻👏🏻. Japa (Repetition and consciousness focused on Om), with pure surrender is a form perfect praise snd powerful devotional practice.

तज्जपस्तदर्थभावनम् ।।२८।।

तज् – it’s, जप: – repetition, तत् – its (of ॐ) अर्थ – meaning, भावनम् -dwelling upon

Its repetition and contemplation of its meaning (should be performed)

कथा उपनिषद् says that ॐ is the best आलंबना (support) for the चित्त in ध्यान. Continuous chanting of ॐ as जप is recommended here. व्यास says that जप of ॐ and contemplating on its अर्थ, namely ईश्वर, makes a योगी one-pointed. He quotes a verse from विष्णु पुराण which says “From स्वाध्याय (which means reciting मंत्र), let योग be practiced and from योग, let reciting मंत्र be performed, by perfection in both, the Supreme आत्मा shines forth”. Chanting ॐ with a भक्ति mode, contemplating on ईश्वर, thoughts of the Lord will become the very substance of the चित्त just as when using the word “cow”, image of the cow flashes in the mind. आदिशंकर says that with जप (which can be mental or softly audible), the चित्त will become saturated with characteristics of ईश्वर which then results in feelings of bliss. वाचस्पति adds that ईश्वर then becomes gracious to such a devotee and awards him or her the समाधि experience.

One is reminded here of ध्यान done by ध्रुव on श्रीविष्णु as given in श्रीमद्भागवतम्. नारद gives a मंत्र to ध्रुव, namely, ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय and also describes a magnificent image of श्रीविष्णु and leaves him to chant the मंत्र while focussing on the image. ध्रुव then withdrew his mind (which is the support of senses & their objects) from all other objects and doing ध्यान on the form of श्रीविष्णु in his heart, he ceased to be aware of anything else. Then over time, he observed that form, which was as brilliant as a flash of lightning (that he had been perceiving internally) in the lotus of his heart on account of his insight honed by dedicated योग अभ्यास, suddenly disappear, and (opening his eyes), he beheld the same form standing externally (remember वितर्क समाधि discussed earlier). Key point here is that the idea of focus on a single idea is essential and ॐ is the most conducive आलंबना to meet the goal desired by a योगी.

तत: प्रत्यक्चेतनाधिगमोsप्यन्तरायाभावाश्च ।।२९।।

तत: – from this, प्रत्यक् – inner, चेतना – consciousness, अधिगम: – realization, अपि – also, अन्तराया – interruptions, अभाव: – absence, च – also, as well

From this (viz doing जप) comes the realization of the inner चेतना and also freedom from all disturbances

By doing जप of ॐ as stated in the previous सूत्र, as we perfect the technique, the various अन्तराया (disease, etc) do not manifest (viz the reason for modern-day love for योग) and योगी is able to regain पुरुष. The योगी gains physical health and freedom from all bodily and psychological disturbances of embodied life. आदिशंकर & विज्ञानभिक्षु state that by dedicated absorption in ईश्वर as manifest in ॐ, a योगी attains physical and psychological well-being in his प्राकृतिक् state, a direct अनुभव of his own पुरुष and a vision of ईश्वर in His form of pure सत्व.

व्यास states that just as ईश्वर is a पुरुष who is pure, peaceful, independent and free of change, so also is ordinary पुरुष (one is reminded of the महावाक्य “अहं ब्रह्मास्मि” here uttered by a योगी who attains पुरुष state). Elaborating on this, वाचस्पति defines “purity” as free from birth and death, “peaceful” as undisturbed by the obstacles (viz क्लेश which will be discussed later), “independent” as beyond virtue & vice and “free of change” as freedom from consequences of कर्म namely type of birth, duration and quality of life.

व्याधिस्त्यानसंशयप्रमादालस्याविरति भ्रान्तिदर्शनालब्धभूमिकत्वानवस्थितत्वानि चित्तविक्षेपास्तेsन्तराया: ।।३०।।

व्याधि – disease, स्त्यान – idleness, संशय – doubt, प्रमाद – carelessness, आलस्य – sloth, अविरति – lack of detachment, भ्रान्ति- confusion, error, दर्शन – perception, अलब्ध – not obtaining, भूमिकत्व – place, ground, not attaining a base, अनवस्थितत्वानि – instability, चित्त – mind, विक्षेप: – distractions ते – these अन्तराया: disturbances

These disturbances are disease, idleness, doubt, carelessness, sloth, lack of detachment, misapprehension, failure to obtain a base for doing ध्यान and instability. These are the distractions of the mind.

आदिशंकर says that अय stands for movement and अंतर stands for making a gap meaning that disturbances move about and create gap in one’s practice. व्यास says that these अन्तराया are impurities of योग, its enemies, produced by रजस् & तमस्. व्यास takes each item one by one.

1. व्याधि – disease arises from imbalance in bodily fluids or an imbalance of the दोष (वात, पित्त & कफ as per आयुर्वेद)

2. स्त्यान – idleness means disinclination of mind towards work or a sort of mental paralysis

3. संशय – doubt (is योगभ्यास doable or not?)

4. प्रमाद – carelessness means lacking the foundations to practice समाधि

5. आलस्य – sloth is lack of effort in body and mind due to heaviness

6. अविरति – lack of detachment or mental greed caused by mind contemplating on sensual objects

7. भ्रान्ति दर्शन – refers to mistaken knowledge or misconceptions about path of योग itself,

8. अलब्ध भूमिकत्व – failure to attain a base for doing ध्यान

9. अनवस्थितत्वानि – अस्थिरता or inability to maintain any state that one might attain.