Description
Chapter 1. Introduction
The Yoga Sûtra of Patañjali 1
Chapter 2. The Spiritual Self
Of the non-conscious mind 7
Chapter 3. Interpreting the Yoga Sûtra
Sanskrit to English 11
Chapter 4. The Yoga Sûtra Translated
A practical interpretation 21
Chapter 5. The Yoga Sûtra in Concise Form 113
Chapter 6. A Commentary on the Yoga Sûtra 145
Recommended Reading 167
Examples from Chapter 4
Book 1
–ºŸ⁄∞¥ŸÅ
Samâdhi-pâda
1.1 Now is the auspicious moment as you begin the instructions of the process for having union with (the inner self )—(yoga).
Ǩ 柉íŸ≤‹ÀŸ–≤ºÍ
atha yoga-anusâsanam
This auspicious moment of inception—now, the instructions for the process of having union.
atha = an auspicious and inceptive particle (moment), now, then, how else? 17
yoga = the act or process of having union with, the act of: yoking, joining, or harnessing
(from yuj: ‘to join’) 856
anusâsanam = instructions, direction, command (from anu + sâs: ‘to teach’) 39
1.2 The process of having union with the inner self gives mastery over the continuation of agitating thoughts and emotions.
柉í⁄Ã˚¸%∆‡⁄%⁄≤¿Ÿ‰∞Å
yogas-citta-vritti-nirodhah • •
The process of having union with (self) subdues the continuous course of agitating thoughts and emotions.
yoga = the act or process of having union with, the act or process of: yoking, joining, or harnessing
(from yuj: ‘to join’) 856
citta = consciousness, thinking, observing fixing the mind upon, perceiving memories
(from cit: ‘to perceive’) 395
vritti = agitating, rolling, course of action, character, mood (from vrit: ‘to turn’) 1010 •[citta-vritti = continuous course of active thoughts and emotions, active state of mind, agitation] 396 •
nirodhah = subdue, confinement, enclosing, limit, reconstruct, obstruct in its effect, moderate, master •
(from: ni + rudh: ‘to restrain’) 554
1.3 When there is union, the inner expression of self exists as its own true nature.
™ÆŸ Æ˙œ¢‹Å —∆¬¥‰É∆—¨Ÿ≤ºÍ
tadâ drastuh svarûpe avasthânam • • •
During this time, the one who sees, exists as its own true nature.
tadâ = at that time, then, in that case 434
drastuh = the one who sees, one who realises, of the soul (from dris: ‘to look at’) 501 • • •
svarûpe = own true nature, own form, own self, own reality (from sva + rûp: ‘exhibit by gesture’) 1276
avasthânam = existing as, abiding as, appearance, situation as (from ava + sthâ: ‘to stand’) 106
1.4 When not in union, the inner self engages in mental activity.
∆‡⁄^Ÿ–Ÿ¬µæ⁄º™¿&
vritti-sârûpyam-itaratra •
In the other manner, it conforms with a mode of agitation.
vritti = mode of agitation, rolling, course of action, character, mood, condition, mode of activity •(from vrit: ‘to turn’) 1010
sârûpyam = conforms with, identity of appearance, resemblance (from sâ + rûpa) 1209
itaratra = in the other manner, elsewhere, in another manner, on the other hand, otherwise 164
Book 2
–Ÿ∞≤¥ŸÆÅ
Sâdhana-pâda
2.1 Rigorous self discipline, refinement of spiritual understanding and directing respectful awareness to the Lord, constitute the activities of maintaining the experience of union with self (yoga).
™¥Å —∆Ÿ±æŸæ‰Ã¸¿¥˘⁄®∞Ÿ≤Ÿ⁄≤ ⁄é˚æŸæŸ‰íÅ
tapah svâdhyâya-îsvara-pranidhânâni kriyâ-yogah • • •
Rigorous self discipline, refinement of spiritual understanding and giving respectful awareness to the Lord, are the activities of the process creating union with (yoga).
tapah = rigorous self discipline, consuming by heat, religious austerity, to suffer pain, to torment oneself, to •undergo penance, great anxiety (from tap: ‘to give out heat’) 436
svâdhyâya = refinement of spiritual understanding, repetition of the reciting of the Veda, repetition of perusal
of sacred texts (from sva: ‘one’s own’ + adhi + a + i: ‘to go’) 1277
îsvara = the Lord, able to do, capable of, liable, master, prince (from îs: ‘to belong to’) 171
pranidhânâni = respectful conduct, directing attention to (from pra + ni + dhâ: ‘to fix the mind on’) 660 •
[îsvara-pranidhânâni = giving respectful awareness to the Lord, devotion to God] 171 •
kriyâ = activity, doing, performing, action, occupation with, business (from kri: ‘to perform’) 320
yogah = the act or process of yoking, joining, having union with, or harnessing (from yuj: ‘to join’) 856 •
2.2 The aim of the activities of yoga is to form in the mind, harmony with self (samâdhi) with a goal to minimise suffering.
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Samâdhi-bhâvana-arthah klesa-tanû-karana-arthas-ca • •
The aim is to form in the mind the creation of harmony with self, moreover, with a purpose to minimise suffering.
samâdhi = to create harmony with self, bringing into harmony, union (from sam + â + dhâ: ‘to fix the mind on’) 1159
bhâvana = forming in the mind, manifesting memories (from bhû: ‘to be’) 755
arthah = aim, desire to obtain, purpose, request, to strive to accomplish (from arth: ‘to desire’) 90 •
klesa = suffering, pain, affliction, distress, cause of distress (from klis: ‘to torment’) 324
tanû = thin, slender, emaciated, minute, delicate, weak (from tan: ‘to stretch out’) 435
karana = causing, making (from kri: ‘to perform’) 253 •
[tanû-karana = minimise, making thin] 435 •
arthas = with purpose, request, desire, aim, strive to obtain or accomplish (from arth: ‘to desire’) 90
ca = moreover, and, both, also, as well as 380
Book 3
⁄∆∫›⁄™¥ŸÆÅ
Vibhûti-pâda
3.1 The action of collecting and holding all of the mind together (dhâranâ) is the binding of concentrated focus to one situation of thought.
ƉÀ∏≥∞⁄Õò%—æ ∞Ÿ¿®Ÿ
desa-bandhah-cittasya dhâranâ •
The act of collecting the mind is the binding of thought to a place.
desa = place, country, spot, province, locale, situation (from dis: ‘to point out’) 496
bandhah = binding, bonding, custody, capture, arrest, connected with, combining (from bandh: ‘to bind’) 720
cittasya = of thought, of observing, of thinking, of imagining, of memory, of intelligence, of reasoning
(from cit: ‘to perceive’) 395
dhâranâ = the act of collecting the mind (from dhri: ‘to contain’) 515 •
3.2 While in dhâranâ, the transformation to harmonious beliefs is meditation (dhyâna). ’•
™& ¥˘´ææÊ陟≤™Ÿ ∞æŸ≤ºÎ
tatra pratyaya-ekatânatâ dhyânam
Therein, an harmonious tone to beliefs is meditation.
tatra = therein, in that place, there, that, will establish, under circumstances 433
pratyaya = belief, solution, notion, idea, explanation (from prati + i: ‘to go’) 673
eka = alone, solitary, single, the only one (from i: ‘to go’) 227
tânatâ = a tone, an object of sense (from tan + ta) 442
[ekatânatâ = harmonious tone, having the mind fixed on one object] 228
dhyânam = meditation, thought, reflection, recollect (from dhyai: ‘to meditate on’) 521
Book 4
éÊ∆≈楟ÆÅ
Kaivalya-pâda
4.1 Perfection grows from birth, by the use of medicinal herbs, prayer, self discipline for the creation of harmony with self (samâdhi).
ú≤ºŸÊŒ⁄∞º≥&™¥Å–ºŸ⁄∞úŸÅ ⁄–ØÛæÅ
janma-osadhi-mantra-tapah-samâdhi-jâh siddhayah • • •
Perfecting grows from birth through the use of medicinal herbs, prayer, rigorous self discipline, creating harmony with self.
janma = birth (from jan: ‘to be born’) 411
osadhi = any medicinal herb, plant 236
mantra = a prayer or song of praise, ‘instrument of thought’, sacred text or speech (from man: ‘to think’) 785
tapah = rigorous self discipline, consuming by heat, religious austerity, to suffer pain, to torment oneself, to •undergo penance, great anxiety (from tap: ‘to give out heat’) 436
samâdhi = to create harmony with self, putting together, bringing into harmony, union (from sam + â + dhâ:
‘to fix the mind on’) 1159
jâh = grows from, produced by, caused by, descended from, born from (from jan: ‘to be born’) 407 •
siddhayah = perfection, establishing, fulfilling, complete attainment (from sidh: ‘to succeed’) 1216 •
4.2 From birth, to perfect one’s natural tendencies, internal transformation is required.
úŸ´æ≥¥¿¥¤¿®ŸºÅ ¥˘é‚´æŸ¥›¿Ÿ™Í
jâty-antara-parinâmah prakrity-âpûrât
- • •
(From) birth, the internal transformation fulfils the primary nature.
jâti = birth, rank, cast, family, race, lineage, generic properties, production (from jan: ‘to be born’) 418
antara = internal, being in the interior, contents, soul, heart, period, opportunity, other (from ant: ‘to bind’) 43
parinâmah = transformed, perfect, evolved, developed, result, matured (from pari + nam: ‘to bow to’) 594 • •
prakrity = primary nature, original nature, natural form, origin, character (from pra + kri: ‘to perform’) 654 •
âpûrât = fulfils, to fill up, satisfy oneself, protect, give aid, to be occupied (from â + prî: ‘to fill’) 143
Examples from Chapter 5. — The Yoga Sûtra in Concise Form
Book 1
Samâdhi-pâda
Towards harmony with Se
1.1 Now is the auspicious moment as you begin the instructions of the process for having union with (the in ner self)—(yoga).
Of yog
1.2 The process of having union with the inner self gives mastery over the continuation of agitating thoughts and emotions.
1.3 When there is union, the inner expression of self exists as its own true nature.
1.4 When not in union, the inner self engages in mental activity.
Of truth and pu
1.5 Mental activity expresses in five ways that either create torment or do not create torment.
1.6 (These initiate) a true perspective, or a mistaken perspective, form suppositions, effect the state of sleep and the recall of memories.
1.7 True perception occurs by arriving at conclusions through the use of direct experience. 1.8 Mistaken perspectives are incorrect notions that are not based on reality.
1.9 Forming suppositions follow from discussions about things that do not have their basis in real situations. 1.10 When solutions to troubles are not available, sleep is agitated.
1.11 When the agitated mind does not let go of past situations, this allows negative memories of these situa tions to continue to influence.
Of effort and resol
1.12 Consistent effort to confine this agitation, frees the consciousness from overwhelming worldly desires— this is nirodha.
1.13 A firm resolve in this generates an effort of will to remain in an unmodified condition of purity. 1.14 This is strengthened with a firm attitude to practice reverence towards the spiritual-self throughout life.
1.15 Reverence to the spiritual-self creates mastery over worldly objects and life—through the cultivation of indif ference and this is perceived as the traditional way to be free from worldly desires.
1.16 The chief objective of these teachings is to consciously identify with the primal part of man as the soul of the universe and not thirst for worldly things.
Examples from Chapter 6.
A Commentary on the Yoga Sûtra
The previous section is presented as a sentence by sentence translation into English of the Yoga Sûtra, emulat ing the same literary style of presentation as occurred in the original Sanskrit.
This style of presentation in the English, is sometimes difficult to follow for some students and may appear to lose the flow of consistency and theme that Patañjali may have been attempting to present. In order to help overcome this, the following section has been reworded into a ‘flowing commentary’ in essay form based on this Sanskrit to English translation.
Yoga is an experiential philosophy and this should be kept in mind as you read the following commentary.
Book 1
Samâdhi-pâda
Towards harmony with Se
Of yoga—truth and pu
Now is an auspicious moment as you begin the instructions for the processes to enable you to join with your inner spiritual self. Various techniques attributed to yoga allow every person who practices them to experi ence their own true nature—in every activity of their existence. The results of yoga build a peaceful mind and prevent the whirlpool of mental activity from dominating the consciousness. When the inner mind is not in harmony it engages in five types of outcomes—which may or may not create torment.
These are:
- Truth from correct sense perception.
- Mistaken observations from incorrect perception.
- Suppositions (conjectural concepts).
- Disruptions to peaceful sleep.
- The riotous occurrence of unwholesome memories acting as negative influences throughout life.
Like truth, one’s spiritual nature becomes uncovered through direct experience rather than through reading literature or listening to secondhand information of events. Accepting secondhand information as truth often creates unrealistic ideas about the situations of life and, when a person has lost reality and is having difficulty achieving their desires, their sleep is disrupted and their mind is not peaceful—being filled with images and thoughts associated with their established beliefs.
Of effort and resol
To dispel unrealistic notions about life, a person needs to take steps to slow their brain activity across the full spectrum of situations in their life. This is not easy to do without discipline and effort, but it will occur through practicing reverence and respect for their inner spiritual self—this is the traditional way.
Placing the inner self in this position relegates the thirsting for objects of the material world (such as money, possessions, power over people etc.) into a second or lesser place. The individual then devotes their ongoing experiences firstly to their spiritual self then secondly to things of the physical world.
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