Introduction to Yoga Sutra
YS of Patanjali is the Living source text of Yogic – Wisdom traditions and their practices. Since remote antiquity, this text has served as a guiding light for all those who walked on the path of yoga. It is attributed to Sage Patanjali, who is believed to have lived around 400 BC. The term “Sutra,” derived from Sanskrit meaning “thread,” metaphorically represents an ancient writing style known for its technical precision. This format of writing originated in ancient India around 900 BC, and has been utilized by masters of various traditions to articulate their teachings. A sutra is a concise and precise, error-free technical statement, characterized by clarity and depth.
In Sanskrit Vedic parlance, “Darshana” is the word for philosophy, which literally means a sight or vision (realization) that enables us to see clearly. The YS of Patanjali is the foundational text of Yoga Darshana. The purpose is what determines the pursuit. Hence, an attentive study of the Yoga Sutras is meant to give us a purpose, or bring perspective into our practices, enabling those practices to be more effective.
Chapter 1
Samadhi Pada
This chapter is primarily on Samadhi. Which is the pinnacle of all yogic practices. The popular translation for Samadhi in English is : Meditative – absorption; the finality of mediation where the sense of individuality gets completely absorbed into the object one was meditating on.
This chapter studies the human psyche and consciousness in great – detail. It speaks of the different grounds of mind-field, different functions, and operations of mind-field, the need of establishing the total control over those modifications, the twofold method in order to acquire the control, types of samadhis, types of practitioners, the concept of Ishvara – pranidhana, it speaks of the methods and importance of purifying and pacifying the mind – field, it points out the obstacles or the hurdles that one might face along the path, and also the means to overcome them, the concept of Samapatti or the coalescence, the range of subtle – objects, and the truth bearing wisdom.
Chapter 2
Sadhana Pada
This chapter is primarily on practice. It begins with threefold practice of Kriya – yoga, then in details speaks of the five fundamental causes of human suffering, the nature and purpose of the seen (the material principle), the nature of the essential nature of the seer, the ultimate state of discrimination, the sevenfold stages of a yogi’s wisdom, and then finally it completes itself by covering the first five pew Hereractices of the Ashtanga yoga.
Chapter 3
Vibhuti Pada
This chapter is primarily on the gains or the attainments of the yogic – practices, called siddhis or mistic – power. It begins by concluding the definition of the last three practices of Ashtanga yoga viz. Antarangas, then combines them into a single practice; samyama. This highly refined state of attention is then brought to probe deeply into aspects of creation to unfold the secrets of the universe and to awaken ‘power’ or siddhis’ Super normal/natural capacities or abilities). These powers are not the end point in yoga. However, they arise as the result of intense concentration/practice.
Chapter 4
Kaiwalya Pada
Kaivalya means the state of being absolute, alone; i.e., the state where the soul becomes solo. It is the state of realization of the true nature of self within final samadhi.
It begins by concluding the concept of siddhi, by presenting the various means of obtaining them, the cause of the transformation into another life, the concept of Nirmanachitta (created-minds) and what controls them, the concepts of karma and rebirth, guna – dharma, the nature of time, the vision of discernment or discriminatory wisdom, dharmamegha samadhi, aloneness (liberation).
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