Patanjali's Yoga Sutras contains 196 aphorisms into 4 chapters (or books/pada) ; sutra - literally means a rope or thread that holds things together and aphorism - a concise statement of a principle, a terse formulation of a truth or sentiment and easily memorable
1. Samadhi Pada (51 sutras) Samadhi refers to a blissful state where the yogi is absorbed into Oneness. The author describes yoga and then the nature and the means to attaining samadhi. This chapter contains the famous verse: "Yoga chitta-vritti-nirodha" Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.
2. Sadhana Pada (55 sutras) Sadhana is the Sanskrit word for practice or discipline. Here the author outlines two forms of Yoga: Kriya Yoga (Action Yoga) and Ashtanga Yoga (Eightfold or Eight limbed Yoga). Kriya Yoga is also expounded in Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita, where Arjuna is encouraged by Krishna to act without attachment to the results or fruit of action and activity. Ashtanga Yoga describes the eight limbs that together constitute Raja Yoga.
3. Vibhuti Pada (56 sutras) Vibhuti is the Sanskrit word for power or manifestation which can manifest by the practice of yoga.
4. Kaivalya Pada (34 sutras) Kaivalya as used in the Sutras stands for emancipation, liberation and used interchangeably with moksha (liberation), which is the goal of Yoga. The Kaivalya Pada describes the nature of liberation and the reality of the transcendental self.
As prescribed in the second pada of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras are; Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. It is helpful to replace any hurtful or negative thoughts or behaviors that arrise with opposite ones.
Yama; Five peaceful behaviors or moral principles.
Ahimsa (non-violence) Harmlessness to others, nature and ourselves in thoughts, words and actions.
Satya (Truthfulness) Truth in word, thought and deed.
Asteya (non-stealing) To the extent that one should not even desire something that is not his own.
Brahmacharya (God centered behavior) Divinity.
Aparigraha (non-possessiveness) non-attachment
Niyama; Five holistic observances
Saucha (cleanliness) purity of body and mind.
Santosha (contentment) satisfaction with what one has.
Tapas (transformative practice) associated observances for body discipline and thereby mental control.
Svadhyaya (study or self inquiry) to know about God and the soul, which leads to introspection on a greater awakening to the soul and God within,
Ishvarapranidhana (surrender) to God.
Asana; Discipline of the body: rules and postures to keep it disease-free and for preserving vital energy. Correct postures are a physical aid to meditation, for they control the limbs and nervous system and prevent them from producing disturbances.
Pranayama; Life force/breath regulation/control. Prana is the life force or energy that exists everywhere and flows through each of us through the breath. The practice of pranayama purifies and removes distractions from the mind making it easier to concentrate and meditate.
Pratyahara; Withdrawal of senses from their external objects. Prathyahara is an Attempt to control our senses and develop spiritually. We have five senses.and our mind .Mind is known as sixth sense. We are slaves of all the sense.who is able to over come all the sense he is known as jitendriya. Ultimate aim of patyahara is to detach from the materialistic world and concentrate within for self realisation . It's one of the most important limb of the ashtanga yoga.
Dharana; Concentration/focus of the citta/mind upon an object, such as a mantra, flame of a lamp, the mid point of the eyebrows, or the image of divinity. It is said that Dharana means concentration for a short time and Dhyana means concentration for a long time. This is far from the truth. Maharishi Patanjali was an exponent of Science of Yoga and an Enlightened Soul. Hence, let us find the truth. Creating a shield around the boundary of the mental energy. After the withdrawal of senses from the external world with the help of Pratyahara, the fifth stage of Akhand Yoga, we should create a shield around the accumulated enhanced mental energy. The energy is required for the next stage of Dhyana.
Dhyana; Steadfast meditation. Undisturbed flow of thought around the object of meditation. The act of meditation and the object of meditation remain distinct and separate. The art of pin-pointed concentration on an object or a subject. As a result, the impressions created by the contemplative meditation get ingrained into the hundred billion neuron cells of the human brain and each neuron cell can form 20,000 memory synapses. Imagine the power of the human brain. It is phenomenal but unfortunately, we use only a limited part of the brain. The remaining parts of the brain go through the misuse and disuse atrophy.
Samadhi; Oneness. It means an even (Sam) state (Adhi) of the mind. After complete Dhyana and comprehending the complete wisdom of the subject or object, there is no need for further contemplative meditation. Wisdom becomes part of the living consciousness of the person. It leads to Para Vidya or Pragyan, absolute wisdom.
There is no distinction between act of meditation and the object of meditation. Samadhi is of two kinds: Samprajnata Samadhi conscious samadhi. The mind remains concentrated (ekagra) on the object of meditation, therefore the consciousness of the object of meditation persists. Mental modifications arise only in respect of this object of meditation. This state is of four kinds:
+ Savitarka: the Citta is concentrated upon a gross object of meditation such as a flame of a lamp, the tip of the nose, or the image of a deity.
+ Savichara: the Citta is concentrated upon a subtle object of meditation , such as the tanmatras
+ Sananda: the Citta is concentrated upon a still subtler object of meditation, like the senses.
+ Sasmita: the Citta is concentrated upon the ego-substance with which the self is generally identified.
Asamprajnata Samadhi supraconscious. The citta and the object of meditation are fused together. The consciousness of the object of meditation is transcended. All mental modifications are checked (niruddha), although latent impressions may continue. Combined simultaneous practice of Dharaṇa, Dhyana and Samadhi is referred to as Samyama and is considered a tool of achieving various perfections, or Siddhis.
Akhand Yoga (a) Chakral Yoga; The activation and integration of the ten major centers of consciousness of the body called Chakras. (b) Antra-Yoga; The internalization of the Soul consciousness within the central most part, the central canal within the spinal cord and the ventricles of the brain.
With Yoga, we can easily control senses, mind, consciousness, and be in tune with the Formless, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, and all-pervasive Universal Consciousness called Nirakar-Nirgun-Brahman (Paramatma-God-Nature). As a result, we can easily decode the hidden secrets of the ancient Indian stories of Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas.
The practice of yoga relaxation has been found to reduce tension and anxiety. The autonomic symptoms of high anxiety such as headache, giddiness, chest pain, palpitations, sweating, abdominal pain respond well. Yoga nidra or yogic sleep is a sleep-like state which yogis report to experience during their meditations. Yoga nidra refers to the conscious awareness of the deep sleep state (Alpha State of mind), referred to as prajna in Mandukya Upanishad.
There are references in ancient Vedic works of the Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita and Yogatattva Upanishad. Traditionally, it has been said that there are three ways to God:
1. The Bhakti Marga (Path of devotion) - Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion, emotion, love, compassion and service to God. All actions are done in the context of remembering the Divine. It involves singing the Lord’s glories, hearing them, talking about them, Japam etc.
2. The Karma Marga (Path of action) - Karma Yoga is the path of action where one does the action without being attached to the fruits of action. Therefore, at a practical level, it gets comprised of selfless actions, service to others, mindfulness, and remembering the levels of our being while fulfilling our actions or karma in the world. It involves engaging in serving the needy, helping the less-fortunate etc.
3. The Jnana Marga (Path of knowledge) - Jnana Yoga is the path of knowledge, wisdom, introspection and contemplation. It involves deep exploration of the nature of our being by systematically exploring and setting aside false identities.
The Vedas have been mainly concerned with the Pravritti Marga (the Path of Action). All the different branches of knowledge physics, chemistry, botany, economics, music, etc. are covered by the Vedas. These are concerned with the external world. Hence the Vedas have been considered dualistic. Only the Upanishads have taught the Nirvritti Marga (the Path of Knowledge) by going within oneself. This means that, of the four Purusharthas, the four main goals of man-Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha the Vedas have been concerned with only the first three.
Beyond the Yoga Sutras, commentaries on two other notable works are attributed to an author named Patanjali as well. One of them is the Mahabhashya, dating from about the second century BCE, which is a commentary on an authoritative Sanskrit grammar text written by the Indian grammarian, Panini. The other is the Carakavarttik, dating somewhere between the eighth and 10th centuries, which is a commentary on the Charak Samhita, a large treatise on Ayurved.
While modern scholars generally believe this timeline makes it impossible for it to have been the same Patanjali who compiled all three of these works, there are many who hold a more traditional view that a single Patanjali is indeed responsible for all three. The Vishnudharmottar Puran, a supplement to the Vishnu Puran, says the “image of Patanjali’s Yoga teaching should have the form of Anant.” Anant is described in Hindu history to be the divine God of Serpents who is said to hold all of the planets of the universe on his 1,000 cobra hoods.
As you can see, the Vishnudharmottar Puran, which dates to the sixth century, makes a connection between the “yoga’ Patanjali and the “Anant” Patanjali, as if they are one and the same. Taking note of this, King Bhoj (an 11th-century patron of arts, literature, and science) wrote in the introduction of his “Royal Sun” commentary of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras : “I bow with folded hands to Patanjali, the best of sages, who removed the impurities of the mind through yoga; the impurities of speech through grammar; and the impurities of the body through medicine.
To he whose upper body has a human form, who holds a conch and a wheel, who is white and has a thousand heads, to that Patanjali, I offer obeisance.” Of the three works, the Yoga Sutras have been especially influential on modern culture. “Yoga” is a Sanskrit word meaning to yoke or to unite. Just as a yoke is a mechanism of control and unity, yogic practice is a mechanism of controlling the body, breath, senses and mind to enable more effective meditation for the purpose of liberation.
Authored by Anadi Sahoo
