Patanjali Yoga Sutras - Samadhi Pada 02

ॐ  ॐ  ॐ.. 

The second sutra of the Samadhi pada Patanjali Yoga Darshana, Patanjali Yoga Sutras is the definition of Yoga. What Yoga means? (How Maharishi Patanjali defined Yoga? And it's a very wonderful, popular, well-known sutra known to all the Yoga enthusiasts and the Yoga sadhakas. And the sutra goes like this, 

योगश्चित्तवृत्ति॑निरो॒धः ॥ १.२॥
yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ ॥ 1.2 ॥ 

There are four words in this. Yoga, Chitta, Vritti, Nirodhaha - What Yoga is defined in this? As we saw in the first sutra, Yoga is samādhau, samadhi. And what is that? And when defined, what is Yoga? It is citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ. We should be very clear in understanding these three words. What is citta? What is vṛtti? And what is Nirodhaha? Once we understand these three words, then we will be clear what is the meaning of Yoga. And we should also remember that Yoga is not only the goal, it is also the path. Yoga methods for the Yoga state.To attain the state of Yoga, practicing Yoga methods. This is a very important dimension. The methods also are called as Yoga. And by the methods, what the result will come is also called as Yoga. And that is why we should be clear in understanding this particular sutra. The definition of Yoga.

The first one is the citta. Citta is all the functions of the mind.All the activities of the mind. All the various dimensions, expressions of the mind. Swami Vivekananda translates this word citta in English as mind stuff. The base of the mind. The root of the mind. The substratum of the mind. In English, of course, there is no correct translation for the word citta. So we will use, or we have to use the word mind. When we say the mind, commonly understood, normally we know that there are three states of the mind. The conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the unconscious mind. Conscious mind means you are conscious of everything. We are aware of so many things. Subconscious mind. Without our external effort, extra effort, subconsciously things are done. The process of digestion is there. The movement of the eyelids are there. Then deeper layers also, subconscious activities are there within the mind. Similarly, unconsciously. There are many things that happen unconsciously. Even while we are sleeping, things are happening. Citta is all these functions and activities, expressions happening in citta. So it is something which is common to all these three things. Which is the base of all these three things. Which is the foundation of all these three things. And that is how citta is to be understood. And traditionally it is said that this citta gets disturbed, gets activated, gets into functional mode because of its nature. When we say the nature of the citta, then what will be the nature? It is said that, and we should know that, the nature is of three types. As all of us are convergent, the three types of the nature, the qualities, the three qualities, which is sattva, rajas and the tamas. Sattva guna, rajo guna and the tamo guna. The citta has all these three gunas. So its functions, its expressions, which are called as vrittis. So there will be vrittis. The cause of the vrittis is because of the nature of the citta. And for clarity, the nature of the citta is made of three qualities.

So we may have a conclusion, a clarity that the vrittis also have qualitatively three qualities. So then what is vritti? Vrittis are modifications, functionalities. To be more clear, functional modifications, that is vritti, means the citta, when it is disturbed or it takes the functional modification, which is called as vritti.

Just to be clear, to understand a little bit more clearly, just visualize, for example, a sheet of water, very quiet, calm, serene, and in that sheet of water a small dust particle will fall or just a wave of breeze comes. What will happen? We find ripples. And these ripples are concentric and also circular, concentric circles. These concentric circles, which were not there earlier, but which are expressed now, which are seen now, which are felt now, which are visible now, are because of a touch. But the water took the shape of the vrittis. That means citta took the form of the vrittis.

In fact, it is said that, and we will know that, we experience that, the citta takes the form of experiences. Citta takes or becomes the functional modification. Citta becomes a vritti.

Though vritti forms in citta, but citta takes the form of the vritti. It means, though vritti forms in citta, citta becomes vritti. It is a very, very important understanding we must have as yoga sadhaks, as yoga practitioners, as a yoga enthusiasts. Cittavritti , earlier- vritti was not there in a calm, serene citta, but citta takes the form of vritti. And this clarity makes a lot of difference in understanding the definition of yoga. And once these modifications or the functional modifications expressed, visible, formed, experienced in citta, or as they rose in that, then what is yoga? Yoga means nirodha.

That expressions of the citta or that functional modifications in the citta are to be stopped, are to be blocked, or to be restrained, or to be suspended, or in fact, are to be eliminated. This elimination, restraining, suspension, stopping, blocking, we must be wondering, whether so many meanings are there for nirodha? Though nirodha says restraining, but all these meanings can be attributed, will be attributed, based on the various layers, based on the various status, based on the various intensity of the vrittis. But finally, it is restraining.

Nirodha is also a wonderful word. There are two words. One is rudha(रुध्) and rodha(रोध). Rudha(रुध्) means to stop. Rodha means ankur, germinating. Rudha of nirodha, it is not playing with the words, but both the meanings are applicable for this. If you take from the meaning of rudha, it is stopping. Stopping of what? Rodha it is, the germinating.Means the vritti is about to rise in the citta, and that about to rise is stopped.

That about to rise is restrained. That ankur, about to germinate, just about to start, that stopped. That is how yoga citta vritti nirodha is to be understood.

A very simple translation of that is, as I said, it is the definition of the yoga, definition of the yoga practices, but we should be very clear, the simple meaning is, it is the complete cessation, complete elimination, complete stop of the, all the functional modifications of the citta. Means restraining the modifications of the mind. That is the meaning and definition of yoga.

And the third sutra is furthermore very interesting and very elaborate to understand this particular sutra, the continuity of this second sutra. Let us see that.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः||

To Be Continued..

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These are transcription of session delivered by Vice-President of Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra, Sri M. Hanumantha Rao Ji.
Audio Link - https://youtu.be/edYyzg_W1fg?si=CIJJvlCqPqLqQYdZ

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कथा : विवेकानन्द केन्द्र { Katha : Vivekananda Kendra }

Katha Blog : http://katha.vkendra.org

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मुक्तसंग्ङोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित:।
सिद्ध‌‌यसिद्धयोर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥१८.२६॥

Freed from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with courage and enthusiasm and unperturbed by success or failure, the worker is known as a pure (Sattvika) one. Four outstanding and essential qualities of a worker. - Bhagwad Gita : XVIII-26

Patanjali Yoga Sutras Samadhi Pada 01

 

The first sutra of the Yoga Darshana, that is Patanjali Yoga Sutras, is a declaration, is an announcement about the beginning of the knowledge of Yoga. That is how the first sutra begins. In the first chapter, Samadhipada, and the first sutra goes like this, 

अ॒थ योगानु॑शास॒नम् ॥ १.१॥

Atha yoga anushasanam - There is a lot of descriptions, commentaries on the first word, the Atha itself.

There are various dimensions and meanings given for the word Yoga. And similarly, lot of description and explanations and expositions were available for Anushasanam. But Maharshi Patanjali, as we know, that he packs entire meaning completely in a simple but powerful sentences called as sutras, and the first word is the Athaha. Number of sutra literatures, many of them begin with this word Atha. So it is traditionally taken that beginning a text, beginning a description, beginning a discipline of knowledge with the word Atha is very auspicious. Mangalakara. That's why the word Atha is used. But apart from it, Atha literally means now. Means now, let us begin. That is how the word Atha goes. And when Patanjali uses the word Atha, it means the knowledge and the science of Yoga and the entire discipline of Yoga is there, was there earlier. That means the knowledge of Yoga, the practice of Yoga is available prior to Maharshi Patanjali.

It was available as we know that the word Yoga is found in the Rig Veda. The Shvetashvatara Upanishad deals elaborately with the practices of Yoga. Bhagavad Gita is there.Ramayana is there. And number of texts were available with the word Yoga. Maharshi Patanjali, when he says the word Atha, it means the tradition, the flow of the knowledge of Yoga and the continuity of the knowledge of the Yoga. Taking that into consideration, he says NOW. Now signifies that prior to it, there are various disciplines, various dimensions, various expositions of Yoga. 

Atha also means that it is fresh. The teaching of the Yoga is fresh in the sense Atha conveys, signifies it is a revised exposition, a revised teaching, a revised edition which encompasses whatever was available at the time. That is how the word Atha is taken. Though as I repeat again, the word literally means now.

Then the second word is Yoga. Normally, commonly it is expounded, it is explained that Yoga is joining. And the word joining is taken from the root of the word Yoga, which is Yuj (युज्). But surprisingly this word Yuj has four different dimensions. Normally the word युज्यते अनेन इति योगः (yujyate anena iti yogaḥ), that word yujyate is taken from युजिँर् dhatu. But we should be very clear, it will be surprising to many of us that Maharishi Patanjali uses this word Yoga not from युजिँर् dhatu but युज समाधौ (yuja samādhau). Yuj means samādhau, samadhi. As I just said that out of the four dimensions, one dimension is the samadhi. So in Patanjali Yoga Sutra, first sutra, when we say Yoga it is the samadhi.

The famous or the original, the first commentator on the Patanjali Yoga Sutra, Vyasa and a vivarna, an explanation on Vyasa's commentary by none other than Adi Shankaracharya repeats this, conveys that in Atha Yoga Anushasanam, Yoga is not yujyate but Yoga is samādhau, samadhi, which is quite right because the entire knowledge of Yoga, when Maharishi Patanjali handles it in the future sutras he presents samadhi as samprajnata and asamprajnata and the various dimensions, various depths and layers which also shows that samadhi is not the end of it. So let us be clear though it is surprising that yujyate anena iti is not the correct meaning conveyed by Patanjali but Patanjali conveys the meaning by using the word yoga as samadhi. So Atha Yoga means now samadhi, the knowledge of samadhi.

Anushasanam is the word used Anushasanam is literally taken as a text, a text book, a grantha, a adhikarana means the book of yoga it is or book on yoga or a book on the knowledge of yoga, adhikarana it is and Anushasanam it is Anu is the word always used as following which implies next Shasanam is another beautiful word in Sanskrit which means that it lays down and Anushasanam is following which also signifies that there was a continuous flow of the knowledge of yoga and now it follows that, it is a continuation continuity of the knowledge of yoga, continuity of the discipline of yoga but generally we understand it is translated, presented or popularized that Anushasanam is a discipline disciplining the mind, disciplining the body a physical and a mental discipline that is called as text yoga but let us be clear that is not the meaning Patanjali conveys here, the Anushasanam means text, content and that is how and it is a revised content which also means that it is eliminating all the unnecessary ideas prevalent earlier and it is a value added comprehensive containing knowledge so Anushasanam signifies that and surprisingly this word Anushasanam and Atha both conveys that Maharshi Patanjali hinting that he is not the originator of yoga, he is not the beginner of yoga, he is not the author of yoga which all of us feel that Patanjali is the author of yoga beginner of yoga, he is the originator of yoga discoverer of yoga by this first sutra Athayoga Anushasanam, all such concepts, all such ideas have been kept aside and Athayoga Anushasanam signifies, conveys the meaning of the first sutra of Athayoga Anushasanam is simply that now begins revised exposition that is the meaning of Athayoga Anushasanam and we shall conclude by saying that Atha is now, yoga is samādhau and Anushasanam is the text's exposition and that is how we should understand the meaning of the word Athayoga, meaning of the sutra Atha Yoga Anushasanam and the second sutra is the definition of what is yoga and that is the second sutra which we shall take up again.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः||

To Be Continued..

----------------------------------------

These are transcription of session delivered by Vice-President of Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra, Sri M. Hanumantha Rao Ji.
Audio Link - https://youtu.be/9En5ENefwjI?si=er4x1mHrD0v7v7ek

--

कथा : विवेकानन्द केन्द्र { Katha : Vivekananda Kendra }

Katha Blog : http://katha.vkendra.org

Katha Google Group : https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!forum/daily-katha

Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra : http://www.vivekanandakendra.org
Read n Get Articles, Magazines, Books @ http://prakashan.vivekanandakendra.org

Let's work on "Swamiji's Vision - Eknathji's Mission"

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मुक्तसंग्ङोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित:।
सिद्ध‌‌यसिद्धयोर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥१८.२६॥

Freed from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with courage and enthusiasm and unperturbed by success or failure, the worker is known as a pure (Sattvika) one. Four outstanding and essential qualities of a worker. - Bhagwad Gita : XVIII-26

Patanjali Yoga Sutras - Introduction - 1

ॐ ॐ ॐ

ॐ सहनाववतु । सह नौ भुनक्तु ।

सहवीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om saha nāvavatu | saha nau bhunaktu |

saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai | tejasvināvadhītam astu mā vidviṣāvahai ||

Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||

Welcome to the continuous sessions on Patanjali Yoga Sutras which is also called as Patanjal Yoga Darshanam. Yoga Darshanam, the word Darshanam means having a vision, having a vision of our true self, what we are, what is our real nature and that vision through Yoga, Yoga Darshanam, Yoga shows our real nature. As you all know, Patanjal Yoga Darshanam or Patanjal Yoga Sutras are authored by the great Maharshi Patanjali.

Patanjali is considered to be an avatar, an incarnation of Adishesha. He is also known to be a master in Ayurveda, grammar, apart from Yoga. The very famous traditional shloka in praise of Maharshi Patanjali,it goes like this, 

योगेन चित्तस्य पदेन वाचां मलं शरीरस्य च वैद्यकेन ।

योऽपाकरोत्तं प्रवरं मुनीनां पतञ्जलिं प्राञ्जलिरानतोऽस्मि ॥

yogena cittasya padena vācāṃ malaṃ śarīrasya ca vaidyakena |

yo'pākarot taṃ pravaraṃ munīnāṃ patañjaliṃ prāñjalir ānato'smi ||

I offer my salutations to the great Patanjali who purified or removed the impurities of the body through Ayurveda, impurities of speech through grammar and impurities of the mind by Yoga.This shloka also symbolises, signifies that Maharshi Patanjali is a master of Ayurveda, Sanskrit grammar and of course the Yoga. The very famous text on grammar, Ashtadhyayi which is also authored (Mahabhashya) by Maharshi Patanjali. 

There are various versions about Maharshi. Traditionally it is said that he was born in Kashmir and we find his Samadhi in the great Rameshwaram temple where there is a Rudraksha Mandapam. It is said that he gave up his body there. Patanjal Yoga Sutra transforms our lives. It changes our vision of life. It changes our view of life. And Patanjali Yoga Sutra also gives a correct version a real true picture of what Yoga is.

Maharshi Patanjali distributes 195 Sutras in 4 Padas. The first one is called as Samadhi Pada which has 51 Sutras. The second one is called as Sadhana Pada which has 55 Sutras.

And the third is Vibhuti Pada which has 55 Sutras. And the last one is the Kaivalya Pada which has 34 Sutras. They are called as Sutras. Sanskrit language has this unique literature. The Sutra literature. There are various Sutras down from the beginning. The Chatus Sutri, Brahma Sutras, Nyaya Sutras, Bhakti Sutras, Samkhya Sutras. Then there are varieties of Sutras. Griha Sutras.

There are thousands of Sutra literature in Sanskrit.  What is the speciality of this Sutra? The tradition defines what is a Sutra. Or describes what is a Sutra. There is a beautiful Shloka which goes like this.

अल्पाक्षरमसन्दिग्धं सारवद्विश्वतोमुखम्। अस्तोभमनवद्यं च सूत्रं सूत्रविदो विदुः॥

Six components or six qualities.  Six Lakshanas of a Sutra is described in this. The first one is Alpaksharam (अल्पाक्षरम्). A Sutra will have minimum number of letters, syllables, Aksharas. And a Sutra conveys its message without any doubt (असन्दिग्धं). Clear presentation of the idea.

And the third is Saharvat. It gives the essence of the message. It encompasses entire gamut of the meaning (विश्वतोमुखम्). Nothing is left out. Astobham. No word, no meaning or no shabda is repeated. Astobham. No repetition. And the last one is Anavadyam.It is faultless. These are the six qualities, components. Lakshanas given for a Sutra.

So all the 195 Sutras, each Sutra has all these six components. Not a single letter, not a single word can be changed.  And each word has a tremendous potency in conveying its message. From now on, let us continue our journey of understanding each Sutra of Maharshi's Patanjali Yoga Sutra. We shall begin from first Sutra of the first Pada. For our convenience, we shall use the word chapter. So first Sutra of the first chapter. Thank you.

To Be Continued..

----------------------------------------

These are transcription of session delivered by Vice-President of Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra, Sri M. Hanumantha Rao Ji.
Audio Link - https://youtu.be/TK-CakokQjM?si=v4S3HCCT0hRBAgYE

--

कथा : विवेकानन्द केन्द्र { Katha : Vivekananda Kendra }

Katha Blog : http://katha.vkendra.org

Katha Google Group : https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!forum/daily-katha

Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra : http://www.vivekanandakendra.org
Read n Get Articles, Magazines, Books @ http://prakashan.vivekanandakendra.org

Let's work on "Swamiji's Vision - Eknathji's Mission"

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Follow Vivekananda Kendra on   blog   twitter   g+   facebook   rss   delicious   youtube   Donate Online

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मुक्तसंग्ङोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित:।
सिद्ध‌‌यसिद्धयोर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥१८.२६॥

Freed from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with courage and enthusiasm and unperturbed by success or failure, the worker is known as a pure (Sattvika) one. Four outstanding and essential qualities of a worker. - Bhagwad Gita : XVIII-26