Introduction & Chapter 1

Raution Jaiswal, MBAOregon, USA & Kolkata, India

raution.jaiswal@gmail.com /1-503-383-4791

असतो मा सद्गमयतमसो मा ज्योतितर्ग मयमृत्योर् मा अमृतं र्गमयॐ शांतित शांतित शांतित- बृहदारण्यक उपति�षद ्1.3.28

From the unreal, lead us to the Real; from darkness, lead us unto Light; from death, lead us to Immortality. Om peace, peace, peace.”

Yoga is the control (nirodhah, regulation, channeling, mastery, integration, coordination, stilling, quieting, setting aside) of the modifications (gross and subtle thought patterns) of the mind field.

(Yogash chitta vritti nirodhah)

The Seer abides in Itself, resting in its own True Nature, which is called Self realization. At other times, when one is not in Self-realization, the Seer appears to take on the form of the modifications of the mind field, taking on the identity of those thought patterns. Those Gross and subtle thought patterns (vrittis) fall into five varieties, of which some are colored (klishta) and others are uncolored (aklishta).

(Vrittayah pancatayah klishta aklishta)

Pramana viparyaya vikalpa nidra smritayah)

Correct Knowledge (pramana) Incorrect knowing (viparyaya) Fantasy or imagination (vikalpa) The object of void-ness i.e. deep

sleep (nidra) Recollection or memory (smriti)

Can be gained by: Perception Inference Testimony or verbal communication

from others who have knowledge

(Pratyaksha anumana agamah pramanani)

Incorrect knowledge or illusion (viparyaya) is false knowledge formed by perceiving a thing as being other than what it really is.

(Viparyayah mithya jnanam atad rupa pratistham)

Fantasy or imagination (vikalpa) is a thought pattern that has verbal expression and knowledge, but for which there is no such object or reality in existence.

(Shabda jnana anupati vastu shunyah vikalpah)

Dreamless sleep (nidra) is the subtle thought pattern which has as its object an inertia, blankness, absence, or negation of the other though patterns (vrittis).

(Abhava pratyaya alambana vritti nidra)

Recollection or memory (smriti) is mental modification caused by the inner reproducing of a previous impression of an object, but without adding any other characteristics from other sources.

(Anubhuta vishaya asampramoshah smritih)

Gross (vitarka) Subtle (vichara) Bliss accompanied (ananda) With I-ness (asmita), and is called

samprajnata samadhi

(Vitarka vichara ananda asmita rupa anugamat samprajnatah)

(Shraddha virya smriti samadhi prajna purvakah itaresham)

Five-fold systematic path of to attain concentration:

Faithful certainty in the path Directing energy towards the practices Repeated remind & process of stilling the

mind Training in deep concentration Pursuit of real knowledge, by which the

higher samadhi (asamprajnata samadhi) is attained

o The sacred word designating this creative source is the sound OM, called pranava.

(tasya vachakah pranavah)o This sound is remembered with deep feeling for

the meaning of what it represents. (tat japah tat artha bhavanam)

o From that remembering comes the realization of the individual Self and the removal of obstacles.

(tatah pratyak chetana adhigamah api antaraya abhavash cha)

Distractions that are obstacles naturally encountered on the path

Physical illness Tendency of the mind to not work efficiently Doubt or indecision Lack of attention to pursuing the means of samadhi Laziness in mind and body Failure to regulate the desire for worldly objects Incorrect assumptions or thinking Failing to attain stages of the practice Instability in maintaining a level of practice once

attained

(vyadhi styana samshaya pramada alasya avirati bhranti-darshana alabdhabhumikatva

anavasthitatva chitta vikshepa te antarayah)

To prevent or deal with these nine obstacles, the recommendation is to make the mind one-pointed, training it how to focus on a single principle or object.

(Tat pratisedha artham eka tattva abhyasah)

The mind becomes purified by cultivating feelings of

Friendliness towards those who are happy compassion for those who are suffering Goodwill towards those who are virtuous indifference or neutrality towards those we

perceive as wicked or evil(Maitri karuna mudita upekshanam sukha duhka

punya apunya vishayanam bhavanatah chitta prasadanam)

Sources: Patanjali Yoga Sutra Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Interpretive Translation

by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

Thank you