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This is an article about the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. For general information on sutras, see Sutra.

For a list of Hindu sutras, see List of sutras.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a foundational text of Yoga. It forms part of the corpus of Sutra

literature dating to India's Mauryan period.

In Indian philosophy, Yoga (also Raja Yoga to distinguish it from later schools) is the name of one of

the six orthodox philosophical schools.[1][2] Though brief, the Yoga Sutras are an enormously

influential work on yoga philosophy and practice, held by principal proponents of yoga such

as B.K.S. Iyengar as being of principal importance:

Patañjali fills each sutra with his experiential intelligence, stretching it like a thread (sūtra), and weaving it

into a garland of pearls of wisdom to flavour and savour by those who love and live in yoga....[3]

Contents

 [hide]

1   Compilation and dating

2   Philosophical roots and influences

3   Usage

4   Text

o 4.1   The eight limbs (ashtanga) of

Raja Yoga

5   See also

6   Notes

7   References

8   Further reading

9   External links

[edit]Compilation and dating

Radhakrishnan and Moore attribute the text to Patanjali, dating it as 2nd century BCE.[4] Scholars

such as S.N. Dasgupta [5] , claim this is the same Patanjali who authored the Mahabhasya, a treatise

on Sanskrit grammar [6] .

Indologist Axel Michaels disagrees that the work was written by Patanjali, characterizing it instead

as a collection of fragments and traditions of texts stemming from the second or third century.

[7] Gavin Flood cites a wider period of uncertainty for the composition, between 100 BCE and 500

CE.[8]

[edit]Philosophical roots and influences

The Sutras are built on a foundation of Samkhya philosophy and also exhibit the influence

of Upanishadic, Buddhist and Jain thought. Karel Werner writes that "Patanjali's system is

unthinkable without Buddhism. As far as its terminology goes there is much in the Yoga Sutras that

reminds us of Buddhist formulations from the Pāli Canon and even more so from

the Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma and from Sautrāntika."[9] Robert Thurman writes that Patanjali was

influenced by the success of the Buddhist monastic system to formulate his own matrix for the

version of thought he considered orthodox.[10] The five yamas or the constraints of the Yoga Sutras

of Patanjali bear an uncanny resemblance to the five major vows of Jainism, indicating influence

of Jainism. [11] [12] This mutual influence between the Yoga philosophy and Jainism is admitted by the

author Vivian Worthington who writes: "Yoga fully acknowledges its debt to Jainism, and Jainism

reciprocates by making the practice of yoga part and parcel of life." [13] Christopher Chappel also

notes that three teachings closely associated with Jainism appear in Yoga: the doctrine of karma

described as colourful in both traditions; the telos of isolation (kevala in Jainism and Kaivalyam in

Yoga); and the practice of non-violence (ahimsa). He also notes that the entire list of five yamas

(II:30) is identical with the ethical precepts (Mahavratas) taught by Mahavira. [14]

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali prescribes adherence to eight "limbs" or steps (the sum of which

constitute "Ashtanga Yoga", the title of the second chapter) to quiet one's mind and

achieve kaivalya. TheYoga Sutras form the theoretical and philosophical basis of Raja Yoga, and

are considered to be the most organized and complete definition of that discipline. The division into

the Eight Limbs (SanskritAshtanga) of Yoga is reminiscent of Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path;

inclusion of Brahmaviharas (Yoga Sutra 1:33) also shows Buddhism's influence on parts of the

Sutras.[15]

The Sutras not only provide yoga with a thorough and consistent philosophical basis, they also

clarify many important esoteric concepts which are common to all traditions of Indian thought, such

askarma.

[edit]Usage

Although Patanjali's work does not cover the many types of Yogic practices that have become

prevalent, its succinct form and availability caused it to be pressed into service by a variety of

schools of Yogic thought.[16]

The Sutras, with commentaries, have been published by a number of successful teachers of Yoga,

as well as by academicians seeking to clarify issues of textual variation. There are also other

versions from a variety of sources available on the Internet. The many versions display a wide

variation, particularly in translation. The text has not been submitted in its entirety to any rigorous

textual analysis, and the contextual meaning of many of the Sanskrit words and phrases remains a

matter of some dispute.[17]

[edit]Text

Patanjali divided his Yoga Sutras into 4 chapters or books (Sanskrit pada), containing in all 196

aphorisms, divided as follows:

Samadhi Pada (51 sutras)

Samadhi refers to a blissful state where the yogi is absorbed into the One. The author describes

yoga and then the nature and the means to attaining samādhi. This chapter contains the famous

definitional verse: "Yogaś citta-vritti-nirodhaḥ" ("Yoga is the restraint of mental modifications"[18]).

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 Eightlimbed Yoga).

Kriya yoga, sometimes called Karma 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. It is the yoga of selfless action and service.

Ashtanga Yoga describes the eight limbs that together constitute Raja Yoga.

Vibhuti Pada (56 sutras)

Vibhuti is the Sanskrit word for "power" or "manifestation". 'Supra-normal powers'

(Sanskrit: siddhi) are acquired by the practice of yoga. The temptation of these powers should be

avoided and the attention should be fixed only on liberation.

Kaivalya Pada (34 sutras)

Kaivalya literally means "isolation", but 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.

[edit]The eight limbs (ashtanga) of Raja Yoga

The eight "limbs" or steps prescribed in the second pada of the

Yoga Sutras

are: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhy

ana and Samadhi.

Ashtanga yoga consists of the following steps: The first five are

called external aids to Yoga (bahiranga sadhana)

Yama  refers to the five abstentions. These are the same as

the five vows of Jainism.

Ahimsa : non-violence, inflicting no injury or harm to others or even to one's ownself, it goes

as far as nonviolence in thought, word and deed.

Satya : truth in word & thought.

Asteya : non-covetousness, to the extent that one should not even desire something that is

not his own.

Brahmacharya : abstain from sexual intercourse; celibacy in case of unmarried people and

monogamy in case of married people. Even this to the extent that one should not possess

any sexual thoughts towards any other man or woman except one's own spouse. It's common

to associate Brahmacharya with celibacy.

Aparigraha : non-possessiveness

Niyama  refers to the five observances

Shaucha : cleanliness of body & mind.

Santosha : satisfaction; satisfied with what one has.

Tapas : austerity and associated observances for body discipline & thereby mental control.

Svadhyaya : study of the Vedic scriptures to know about God and the soul, which leads to

introspection on a greater awakening to the soul and God within,

Ishvarapranidhana : surrender to (or worship of) 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 : control of breath. Beneficial to health,

steadies the body and is highly conducive to the

concentration of the mind.

Pratyahara : withdrawal of senses from their external

objects.

The last three levels are called internal aids to Yoga

(antaranga sadhana)

Dharana : concentration of the citta upon a physical

object, such as a flame of a lamp, the mid point of

the eyebrows, or the image of a deity.

Dhyana : steadfast meditation. Undisturbed flow of

thought around the object of meditation

(pratyayaikatanata). The act of meditation and the

object of meditation remain distinct and separate.

Samadhi : oneness with the object of meditation.

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 Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna & Samādhi is referred to

as Samyama and is considered a tool of achieving

various perfections, or Siddhis.

[edit]See also

Abhyasa

Pranava yoga

Swara yoga

[edit]Notes

1. ̂  For an overview of the six orthodox schools,

with detail on the grouping of schools, see:

Radhakrishnan and Moore, "Contents", and pp.

453-487.

2. ̂  For a brief overview of the Yoga school of

philosophy see: Chatterjee and Datta, p. 43.

3. ̂  Iyengar, B.K.S. (1993, 2002). Light on the

Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. Hammersmith,

London, UK: Thorsons. ISBN 978-0-00-714516-

4 p.xiii

4. ̂  For attribution to Patanjali and dating of 2nd c.

BCE see: Radhakrishnan and Moore, p. 453.

5. ̂  Dasgupta, Surendranath. Yoga-As Philosophy

and Religion Port Washington: Kennikat Press,

1924

6. ̂  For the philosophical nature of Sanskrit

grammarian thought see: Lata, Bidyut

(editor); Panini to Patanjali: A Grammatical

March. New Delhi, 2004.

7. ̂  For the Yoga Sutras as a collection dating to

second or third century, see: Michaels, p. 267.

8. ̂  For dating between 100 BCE and 500 CE

see: Flood (1996), page 96.

9. ̂  Karel Werner, The Yogi and the

Mystic. Routledge 1994, page 27.

10. ̂  Robert Thurman, "The Central Philosophy of

Tibet. Princeton University Press, 1984, page

34.

11. ̂  Zydenbos, Robert. Jainism Today and Its

Future. München: Manya Verlag, (2006) p.66

12. ̂  A History of Yoga By Vivian Worthington

(1982) Routledge ISBN 071009258X p. 29

13. ̂  Vivian Worthington (1982) p. 35

14. ̂  Christopher Chapple (2008) Yoga and the

Luminous: Patanjali's Spiritual Path to

Freedom New York: SUNY Press, ISBN 0978-

0-7914-7475-4 p. 110

15. ̂  For works on the Buddhist influence on the

Yoga Sutras: Eliade, M. Le Yoga, Immortalité et

Liberté, Payot, 1954. and Miller Stoler, Barbara.

Yoga Discipline of Freedom. The Yoga Sutra

attributed to Patanjali. Berkeley: University of

California Press, 1995

16. ̂  For an overview of the scope of earlier

commentaries: Complete Commentary by

Sankara on the Yoga Sutras ISBN: 0-7103-

0277-0

17. ̂  Christopher Key Chapple; Reading Patanjali

without Vyasa: A Critique of Four Yoga Sutra

Passages, Journal of the American Academy of

Religion, Vol. 62, No. 1 (Spring, 1994), pp. 85-

105

18. ̂  Radhakrishnan and Moore, p.454

[edit]References

Chatterjee, Satischandra; Datta, Dhirendramohan

(1984). An Introduction to Indian Philosophy (Eighth

Reprint Edition ed.). Calcutta: University of Calcutta.

Flood, Gavin (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-

521-43878-0.

Michaels, Axel (2004). Hinduism: Past and Present.

Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University

Press. ISBN 0-691-08953-1.

Müeller, Max  (1899). Six Systems of Indian

Philosophy; Samkhya and Yoga, Naya and

Vaiseshika. Calcutta: Susil Gupta (India)

Ltd.. ISBN 0-7661-4296-5. Reprint edition; Originally

published under the title of The Six Systems of

Indian Philosophy.

Patanjali. 1989. (Feuerstein, G. trans). The Yoga-

Sutra of Patañjali: A New Translation and

Commentary. Inner Traditions.

Radhakrishnan, S. ; Moore, C. A. (1957). A Source

Book in Indian Philosophy. Princeton, New Jersey:

Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01958-

4. Princeton paperback 12th printing, 1989.

Tubb, Gary A.; Boose, Emery R. (2006), Scholastic

Sanskrit: A Manual for Students, New York, New

York: Columbia University Press (published

2007), ISBN 978-0-9753734-7-7

Sharma, Chandradhar (1987). An Critical Survey of

Indian Philosophy. Delhi: Motilal

Banarsidass. ISBN 81-208-0365-5.

[edit]Further reading

Iyengar, B.K.S.  (1993, 2002). Light on the Yoga

Sūtras of Patañjali. Hammersmith, London, UK:

Thorsons. ISBN 978-0-00-714516-4

Master E.K., The Yoga of Patanjali Kulapathi Book

Trust ISBN 81-85943-05-2

[edit]External links

Wikisource has original text

related to this article:

Yoga Sutras

Yoga system of Patanjali  (including

commentaries Yoga-bhāshya by Vyasa and, Tattva-

vāicāradī by Vāchaspati-Miçra), translated by James

Haughton Woods, at books.google.com

The Yoga Aphorisms of Patañjali  (including

commentary by Bhoja Raja), translated by

Rajendralala Mitra, at books.google.com

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali , translation by

BonGiovanni, at sacred-texts.com

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: the Book of the

Spiritual Man by Patañjali, an interpretation by

Charles Johnston, at Project Gutenberg

Audio lectures on Yoga Sutras , by Swami

Harshananda, at archive.org

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