The Yoga of Patañjali, presented in very brief pithy statements…

“The Yoga of Patañjali, presented in very brief pithy statements,
asserts that all human problems emanate from the mind
and can be resolved by changing the quality of this mind.
Not only can they be resolved, but a person can also
utilise this refined mind for every use possible,
including comprehending the divine mystery.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1996

TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
T Krishnamacharya Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated

When I do something is it because I want to do it or……

“When I do something is it
because I want to do it,
or am I being led to
do it by the mind?”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 9

To practice Dhyānam there are two questions…

“To practice Dhyāna
there are two questions
we need to ask,
Can I hold an object?
Can I sustain that hold?”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 2

TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
T Krishnamacharya Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated

If there is no Dhāraṇā, there is no Grahaṇa…

“If there is no Dhāraṇā,
there is no Grahaṇa or grasping.
Mind itself cannot do Dhāraṇā.
Something else is required.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 1

TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
T Krishnamacharya Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated

Who is going to decide the place…

dharana

DeśaPlace
BandhaFixing
Who is going to decide the place,
and who is going to say go there?
Or something else is telling the
mind to go there and stay there?”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 1

TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
T Krishnamacharya Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated

Here the word Citta is used rather than Manas…

“Here the word Citta is used rather than Manas.
Citta is not used in Chapter Two,
except with regard to Pratyāhāra in verse 54.
Otherwise the term Manas is used,
as in when the mind is automatically
pulled out by external forces.
Therefore for many of us mind is Manas.

Unless there is a shift from Manas to Citta,
it is not possible to do Dhāraṇā.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 1

TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
T Krishnamacharya Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated

A busy mind is always telling you where to go…

dharana

‎”A busy mind is always telling you where to go.
A quiet mind can be told where to go.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 1

TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
T Krishnamacharya Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated

Vibhūti – Something special within each of us…

Vibhūti
Something special
within each of us,
as in Aiśvaryam.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three

TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
T Krishnamacharya Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated

In the Yogavallī, T Krishnamacharya’s commentary on the Yoga Sūtra…

sraddha

“In the Yogavallī, T Krishnamacharya’s commentary on the Yoga Sūtra,
Śraddhā has been seen in a different, very interesting way.
In it, he has said that Śraddhā is a symbol for a special meditation
and he calls this meditation, Ahaṃ Graha Upāsana.
Ahaṃ is the I, Graha is to grasp and Upāsana is to stay near.
Where a person wants to grasp the true nature of the I,
it is called Ahaṃ Graha Upāsana.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 20

T Krishnamacharya Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated

T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verses 1-9 Study Quotes Collated

T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra
Chapter Two verses 1-9 Study Quotes Collated

Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter Two – Sādhana Pādaḥ

“What about others who are known as Vyutthita Citta,
a mind easily prone to agitations and distractions?
This second chapter known as Sādhana Pādaḥ caters to them.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two

“Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two is for those who
want to move to the state of Chapter One.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two

“What we try to do in Yoga is simply to create conditions so
that the mind becomes a most useful instrument for action.
And this can only be done gradually.
Any “short-cut method” is an illusion.
This gradual procedure may involve a number of intelligent means,
all of which come within the realm of Yoga Sādhana.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two

“The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali deals with the mind.
It examines the different functions of the mind
and provides means to modify these functions
so that it serves the person in a very constructive way.
The means by which certain qualitative changes in the mind
are brought about is called Sādhanā.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two

“The arrangement of Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two involves four components:

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T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verses 1-4 Study Quotes Collated

T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra
Chapter One verses 1-4 Study Quotes Collated

“I am going to explain to you something else about the aphorisms, about their translation.
Many books or courses have been written about the treatise of Patañjali.
Some of them analyse the words one by one, trying to translate them separately,
dissecting the text. This way of proceeding may be interesting, but unfortunately,
it can also confuse instead of helping understanding of the text.
Why?
Because literally translating the aphorisms is nothing
but a series of words glued together,
in sentences that very often lack in consistency.
The ancient way of exposing was not translating them into a new language;
it was mainly making the student grasp the sense of the aphorism.
In this case, the Sanskrit text is just a reminder,
a mnemonic that the teacher is not going to translate textually.
They are going to use it to develop the idea or the sense of the aphorism.
They will explain these notions,
sometimes even without referring to any word of the aphorism.
What is important is to give a teaching that is adapted
to the level of understanding of the student.”
– TKV Desikachar introducing the Yoga Sūtra

“There is no style to the Yoga Sūtra.
The only style is your style.
We can see this from the number of alternatives Patañjali
proposes to give us strength of mind,
or allow us to do something we cannot do before.”
– TKV Desikachar introducing the Yoga Sūtra

“The Yoga of Patañjali as a complete process of learning
provides the best instrument for helping the individual
know that he is more than a money making machine.”
– TKV Desikachar introducing the Yoga Sūtra

“The original essence of the Yoga Sūtra was passed on by oral tradition.
First, you learn the rhythm of the  Sūtra. This was in Saṃskṛta,
first learning the words or Sūtra, then the meanings.
By learning to recite the Sūtra perfectly it was clear that
you were earnest in wanting to learn their meanings.
The scheme would be to repeat it twice,
in exactly the same tone used by the teacher.
This would take many years.
Thus these days it’s difficult to expect to understand the Sūtra from a book or a course.
A Sūtra Class began with a dedication.
It had the effect of orienting the mind to the class and subject
and could also be a dedication to a god, if accepted,
to remove obstacles, or if none, not to put any i.e. Gaṇeśa.
It is also a dedication to all one’s teachers or all the teachers
and the author of the text himself. Patañjali as in
– Pata that which falls and Añjali a position of offering as in Añjali Mudrā.
Something fell from above and became Patañjali.
The roots are in Indian mythology.
A god reclining on a bed of serpents was beseeched by the sages of old.
They had problems with Saṃskṛta grammar, Knowledge of disease and Peace of mind.
Thus in order to find a balance of body mind and speech they prayed to God.
Ānanta answered them and threw down something which was
half-man up to the shoulders and above a head of many cobras.
This became the man Patañjali.
From this myth, three works are often attributed to him.
One of Grammar for speech, one of medicine for the body, one of Yoga for the mind.
Patañjali was regarded as an incarnation of the great Ānanta
and the prayer salutes him and his work.”
– TKV Desikachar introducing the Yoga Sūtra

“To define the word Yoga is very difficult, as the word is so adaptable.
A starting point would be Patañjali.
Patañjali removed all the complicated definitions and simplified it to:
‘Making the best out of the most difficult object, the mind.’
His idea was to create a situation,
where the mind becomes more faithful than it is.”
– TKV Desikachar introducing the Yoga Sūtra

Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter One – Samādhi Pādaḥ

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A Sūtra Class began with a dedication, it had the effect of orienting…

“The original essence of the Yoga Sūtra was passed on by oral tradition. First, you learn the rhythm of the  Sūtra. This was in Saṃskṛta, first learning the words or Sūtra, then the meanings. By learning to recite the Sūtra perfectly it was clear that you were earnest in wanting to learn their meanings.

The scheme would be to repeat it twice, in exactly the same tone used by the teacher. This would take many years. Thus these days it’s difficult to expect to understand the Sūtra from a book or a course.

A Sūtra Class began with a dedication. It had the effect of orienting the mind to the class and subject and could also be a dedication to a god, if accepted, to remove obstacles, or if none, not to put any i.e. Gaṇeśa.

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When there is Śraddhā the person is not disappointed…

sraddha

“When there is Śraddhā, the person is not
disappointed on failing to get immediate benefits.
They are sure that it is only a question of time
and so the failures on the path do not
reduce their enthusiasm or their efforts.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 20

TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Collated Quotes Chapter One verses 1-4

“The original essence of the Yoga Sūtra
was passed on by oral tradition.
First you learn the rhythm of the Sūtra.
This was in Saṃskṛta,
first learning the words or Sūtra, then the meanings.
By learning to recite the Sūtra perfectly it was clear
that you were earnest in wanting to learn their meanings.
The scheme would be to repeat it twice,
in exactly the same tone used by the teacher.
This would take many years.
Thus these days it’s difficult to expect to
understand the Sūtra from a book or a course.”

Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter One – Samādhi Pādaḥ

“The beauty of the Sūtra is that they are only related to the mind.
Thus they stand above various religions
and can be studied and related to by
all types of persons from all types of religions.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One

Annotated through Ten Themed Sections

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Meditation can’t be taught, but can be learnt.

dhyanam

Meditation can’t be taught,
but can be learnt.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 2

Question: What is the greatest obstacle to meditation?

Question: What is the greatest obstacle to meditation?
“The biggest obstacle to obstacle is Vikalpa,
the ability of the mind to fabricate in spite of reality.
Through Vikalpa, the mind fabricates thoughts of no essence,
no substance; and since meditation is, for most of us,
the play of the mind, Vikalpa is the greatest obstacle.”
TKV Desikachar Madras December 19th 1988

The original essence of the Yoga Sūtra was passed on by oral tradition……

yoga_sutra_cover

“The original essence of the Yoga Sūtra
was passed on by oral tradition.
First you learn the rhythm of the Sūtra.
This was in Saṃskṛta,
first learning the words or Sūtra, then the meanings.
By learning to recite the Sūtra perfectly it was clear
that you were earnest in wanting to learn their meanings.
The scheme would be to repeat it twice,
in exactly the same tone used by the teacher.
This would take many years.
Thus these days it’s difficult to expect to
understand the Sūtra from a book or a course.”
– TKV Desikachar 1979

Who does not seek a situation where he is able to understand things clearly……

“Who does not seek a situation where he is able to
understand things clearly, discover new things,
and remove or clear away wrong perceptions?
If there is one thing that can be said about
what happens in the state of Nirodha it is this:
one sees and one knows.”
TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
‘The Way the Mind Functions and the Concept of Nirodha’
Chapter Eighteen Page 254