Verse 2.45
समाधि सिद्धिःईश्वरप्रणिधानात् ॥४५॥
samādhi siddhiḥ-īśvarapraṇidhānāt ॥45॥
Surrender to God brings perfection in samadhi
Verse 2.46
स्थिरसुखमासनम् ॥४६॥
sthira-sukham-āsanam ॥46॥
Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence and benevolence of spirit.
Samadhi is attained through clarity of intelligence and intensity in thought to surrender to God. The power of samadhi comes to him who takes refuge in God.
Surrender to God releases the sadhaka from the bondage of earthly desires, leads to the renunciation of sensuous desires and finally attains Moksha.
Sutras 2 .46-48 define asana and the effects of its practice.
The definition of asana is given as follows: whatever asana is performed, it should be done with a feeling of firmness, steadiness and endurance in
the body; goodwill in the intelligence of the head, and awareness and delight in the intelligence of the heart.
This sutra defines the perfected asana. From the very first sutra Patanjali demands the highest quality of attention to perfection. This discipline and attention must be applied to the practice of each asana, to penetrate to its very depths in the remotest parts of the body.
Even the meditational asana has to be cultivated by the fibres, cells, joints and muscles in cooperation with the mind. If asanas are not performed in this way they become stale and the performer becomes diseased (a rogi) rather than a yogi.
Nor does asana refer exclusively to the sitting poses used for meditation.
Some divide asanas into those which cultivate the body and those which are used in meditation. But in any asana the body has to be toned and the mind tuned so that one can stay longer with a firm body and a serene mind.
Asanas should be performed without creating aggressiveness in the muscle
spindles or the skin cells. Space must be created between muscle and skin
so that the skin receives the actions of the muscles, joints and ligaments.
In addition the practice of a variety of asanas clears the nervous system, causes the energy to flow in the system without obstruction and ensures an even distribution of that energy during pranayama.
Usually the mind is closer to the body and to the organs of action and perception than to the soul. As asanas are refined they automatically become
meditative as the intelligence is made to penetrate towards the core of being.
Each aasana has five functions to perform. These are conative, cognitive, mental, intellectual and spiritual. Conative action is the exertion of the organs of action. Cognitive action is the perception of the results of that
action. When the two are fused together the discriminative faculty of the mind acts to guide the organs of action and perception to perform the asanas more correctly; the rhythmic flow of energy and awareness is experienced.
A pure state of joy is felt in the cells and the mind. The body, mind and soul are one. This is the manifestation of dharana and Dhyana in the practice of an asana.
PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS
