तदा सर्वावरणमलापेतस्य ज्ञानस्यानन्त्याज्ज्ञेयम् अल्पम् ।। ३१।।तदा - from this, सर्व - all, आवरण - covering, मल - dirt, अपेतस्य - been removed, ज्ञानस्य - of ज्ञान, अनन्त्यात् - because of being endless, ज्ञेयम् - that which is to be known, अल्पम् - littleAt this point, because of the unlimited nature of knowledge when all impurities … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra IV (कैवल्य पाद) – 31 to 34

चित्तान्तरदृश्ये बुद्धिबुद्धेरतिप्रसङ्गः स्मृतिसंकरश्च २१।।चित्त, अन्तर - other, दृश्ये - if it is seen, बुद्धि, बुद्धे: - of the बुद्धि, अतिप्रसङ्गः - excessive contact, unwarranted stretch, स्मृति, संकर: - confusion, mixing up of, च - andIf (the mind) were cognized by another mind, then there will be infinite regress of one's बुद्धि (being known) by another … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra IV (कैवल्य पाद) – 21 to 30

हेतुफलाश्रयालम्बनै: संगृहीतत्वाद् एषाम् अभावे तदभाव: ।।११।।हेतु - cause, फल - fruit, effect, motive, आश्रय - substratum, आलम्बनै: - support, संगृहीतत्वाद् - because of being held together, एषाम् - of them, अभावे -in the absence, तद् - those (the संस्कार) , अभाव - there is absence ofSince (संस्कार) are held together by immediate cause, motive, mind, … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra IV (कैवल्य पाद) – 11 to 20

जन्मौषधिमन्त्रतप: समाधिजा: सिद्धय: ।।१।।जन्म - birth, औषधि - medicine, मन्त्र, तप: - austerity, समाधि, जा: - born, सिद्धय - mystic powersThe various सिद्धि arise due to जन्म, औषधि, मंत्र, तप and समाधिThe various सिद्धि covered till now may arise in people on account of five reasons. First, they can be the results of कर्म done … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra IV (कैवल्य पाद) – 1 to 10

स्थान्युपनिमन्त्रणे सङ्गस्मयाकरणं पुनर् अनिष्टप्रसङ्गात् ।।५१।।स्थानि - celestial beings, उपनिमन्त्रणे - upon the invitation, सङ्ग - attachment, स्मय - smile/ conceit, आकरणं - not performing, पुनर् - again, अनिष्ट - undesirable ,प्रसङ्गात् - inclination, attachmentIf solicited by celestial beings, (the योगी) should not become smug, because the tendency towards undesirable consequences can once again manifest.श्रीरामायण, महाभारत … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra III (विभूति पाद): 51 to 55

श्रोत्राकाशयो: संबन्धसंयमाद् दिव्यं श्रोत्रम् ।। ४१।।श्रोत्र - ear, organ of hearing, आकाशयो: - space, संबन्ध - relationship, संयमाद् - by संयम, दिव्यं - divine, श्रोत्रम् - hearingBy संयम in the relationship between the organ of hearing and space, divine hearing is attainedआकाश is the substratum of sound, as per सांख्य metaphysics. Sound vibrations require a … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra III (विभूति पाद): 41 to 50

कूर्मनाद्याम् स्थैर्यम् ।। ३१।।कूर्म - tortoise, नाद्याम् - subtle channel, स्थैर्यम् - steadiness(By संयम) of the सूक्ष्म कूर्म-नाडी, स्थिरता is attainedBelow the pit of the कंठ, says व्यास, is a particular नाडी shaped like a कूर्म. As per तंत्र physiology, just as gross body is pervaded by innumerable blood vessels, there is a subtle network … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra III (विभूति पाद): 31 to 40

कायरूपसंयमात् तद्ग्राह्यशक्तिस्तम्भे चक्षु: प्रकाशासंप्रयोगेsन्तर्धानम् ।।२१।।काय - body, रूप - form, संयमात् - by performing संयम, तद् - that, ग्राह्य - to be grasped or known, शक्ति - power, स्तम्भे - on the obstruction, चक्षु: - eye, प्रकाश - light, असंप्रयोगे - on the absence of contact, अन्तर्धानम् - invisibilityBy performing संयम on the outer form … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra III (विभूति पाद): 21 to 30

सर्वार्थतैकाग्रतयो: क्षयोदयौ चित्तस्य समाधिपरिणाम: ।।११।।सर्वार्थत - (focussed on) all objects, एकाग्रतयो: - focussed on one object, क्षय - destruction, उदयौ - rise, चित्तस्य - of the चित्त, समाधि, परिणाम - transformationThe attainment of the समाधि state involves the elimination of all-pointedness (wandering) of the चित्त and the rise of one-pointedness (concentration)परिणाम means transformation. पतंजलि uses … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra III (विभूति पाद): 11 to 20

देशबन्धश्चित्तस्य धारणा ।।१।।देश - place, बन्ध: - bound, fixed, चित्तस्य - of the चित्त, धारणाधारणा is the fixing of the चित्त in one place(There first five अङ्ग are referred to as external अङ्ग and the last three are internal अङ्ग).From धारणा (6th अङ्ग), we get into a deeper engagement with ideas on what concentration as … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra III (विभूति पाद): 1 to 10

बाह्याभ्यन्तरविषयाक्षेपी चतुर्थ: ।।५१।।बाह्य - external, अभ्यन्तर - internal, विषय - the sphere, range, अक्षेपी - surpassing, चतुर्थ - the fourthThe fourth (type of प्राणायाम) surpasses the limits of external and internalWhile कुम्भक involves cessation of inhalation and exhalation, the fourth one referred here is called as केवल-कुम्भक by विज्ञानभिक्षु while बृहन्नारदीय पुराण refers to this … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra II (साधना पाद): 51 to 55

सत्वशुद्धिसौमनस्यैकाग्र्येन्द्रियजयात्मदर्शनयोग्यत्वानि च।। ४१।। सत्व,शुद्धि - purification, सौमनस्य - cheerfulness, एकाग्र्य - one pointedness, इन्द्रिय - senses, जय - control, आत्म - Self, दर्शन - direct seeing, योग्यत्वानि - qualification, fitness, च - and Upon purification of the mind, (one attains) cheerfulness, one-pointedness, sense control and fitness to perceive the Self. Previous सूत्र was focused on … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra II (साधना पाद): 41 to 50

HB: When you quote Vyas for ahimsa or brahmachrya.... which work are u referring to ? UB: व्यास is the name of the person who has written a commentary on the Sutra. In fact, no one reads the original Yogasutra without the commentary of व्यास जातिदेशकालसमयानवच्छिन्ना: सार्वभौम महाव्रतम् ।। ३१।। जाति - class, caste, occupation, … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra II (साधना पाद): 31 to 40

तदर्थ एव दृश्यस्यात्मा ।। २१।। तत् - his (the seer पुरुष), अर्थ - purpose, एव - only, दृश्यस्य - of the knowable, of that which is seen, आत्मा - essential nature, existence  The essential nature of that which is seen is exclusively for the sake of the Seer. That which is experienced, an object that … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra II (साधना पाद)- 21 to 30

ध्यानहेयास्तद्वृत्तय: ।।११।। ध्यान - meditation, हेया: eliminated, तद् - that, their (the क्लेश), वृत्तय - changing states of mind The वृत्ति produced by these क्लेश are eliminated by ध्यान. पतंजलि reconfirms here that the वृत्ति (referred to in Sec 1) are triggered or produced by the five क्लेश we discussed earlier. व्यास therefore states that … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra II (साधना पाद)- 11 to 20

तपः स्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोग: ।।१।। तपः - austerity, स्वाध्याय - self-study, ईश्वर प्रणिधान - submission to ईश्वर, क्रियायोग: तप, स्वाध्याय & ईश्वर प्रणिधान are (together referred to as) क्रियायोग In समाधि पाद, पतंजलि dwelt on समाधि and वृत्ति. In साधना पाद, He will dwell deeper into the functioning of the चित्त. अभ्यास & वैराग्य were conveyed … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra II (साधना पाद)- 1 to 10

I will be sending a rather long context-setting write-up tomorrow morning. Apologies in advance for the length but before we move on to the subsequent सूत्र, I felt that it may be useful to share perspective on the basic principles of thought applied by योग as it defines its journey towards मुक्ति. If we are … Continue reading Yogasutra I: Sutra 41 to 51

दु:खदौर्मनस्याङ्गमेजयत्वश्वासप्रश्वासा विक्षेपसहभुव: ।।३१।। दु:ख - pain, दौर्मनस्य - dejection, अङ्गमेजयत्व - trembling of limbs, श्वास - inhalation, प्रश्वास: - exhalation, विक्षेप - distraction, सहभुव: - occur with, accompany Suffering, dejection, trembling, inhalation and exhalation accompany (the distractions or अंतराया given in the previous सूत्र) दु:ख - pain. Tradition points to three sources of दुःख viz … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra I: 31/40

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 … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra I: 21 – 30

अनुभूतविषयासंप्रमोष: स्मृति: ।।११।। अनुभूत - experienced, विषय - sense objects, असंप्रमोष - not slipping away, retention, स्मृति - memory स्मृति is the retention of (images of) sense objects that have been experienced. व्यास states that स्मृति is dependent on other वृत्ति conveyed earlier. Therefore, वाचस्पति मिश्र suggests that स्मृति has been given as last of … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra I: 11 – 20

सदाशिव समारंभाम् शंकराचार्य मध्यमाम् ।। अस्मदाचार्य पर्यन्ताम् वन्दे गुरु परंपराम्।। Above श्लोक is chanted by गुरू's aligned to अद्वैत. Depending on the आश्रम परम्परा the गुरू is aligned to, सदाशिव may become नारायण or any other expression of ईश्वर. Key idea is that original विद्या started from ईश्वर Himself and another गुरू like आदिशंकराचार्य (or … Continue reading Patanjali Yogasutra I – 1 to 10