The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapters One to Four

Samādhi Sādhana Vibhūti Kaivalya Pādaḥ

Offered here, as both a UK and US version PDF, is a verse by verse rendition for all four chapters of the Yoga Sūtra, each with the Romanised Saṃskṛta. Each verse is rendered more from a literal viewpoint, rather than a liberal viewpoint. This is a choice of approach whereby the aim is to stay closer to the style of composition utilised by Patañjali with its grammatical terseness outweighing communicative fluidity.

Readers wishing to complement this more literal approach with a more liberal interpretation can visit Paul’s Yoga Mālā – A Thread of Pearls from Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra where you can find a freedom of expression in terms of choice of rendering to facilitate a more free-form thread for the reader.

I do feel that verses ten and eleven in Chapter Two of the Yoga Sūtra offer a directional shift as an inspiration for undertaking the transitional commitment from Kriyā Yoga towards Aṣṭāṅga Yoga.

“These (Kleśa) are subtle and are
overcome by going back to their origin.”
Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 10

“This fluctuation
(the rise and fall in their perpetual potency to ‘take over’)
is overcome by meditation.”
Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 11

For me, these two verses are an essential reflection in the transition from the integration of Bāhya Sādhana, towards the cultivation of Antar Sādhana. Furthermore, when considering this deepening of our Sādhana from Bāhya towards Antar, these verses also re-mind me of the simple yet heartfelt teaching inherent in Chapter One.

Yoga Practice is about a re-turning towards our inner life.

However, even without outer obstacles,
we can encounter inner feelings that arise
and manifest as if obstacles to that re-turning.

Here it might be helpful to reflect
on how to cultivate the four pillars of
Maitrī, Karuṇā, Muditā and Upekṣā and
the role they can have in helping to transform
the unhelpful aspects of these inner feelings.

“Bhāvana is a beneficial attitude
that is consciously cultivated
despite tendencies to the contrary”
– T Krishnamacharya commentary on
Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 33

With the spirit of Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 33 in mind,
the cultivation of the four pillars is an inner practice
that can support a stepping, rather than stymieing,
onto our practice mat or seat through:

A postscript to yesterdays post around the three Niyama
within Kriyā Yoga on the uses of the terms ‘self’ or ‘Self’ within
the legs in the tripod supporting our efforts at nurturing a state of Yoga.

The first leg supporting the tripod refers to Citta
as the self in terms of nurturing self-Discipline.

“Tapas is to discipline our eating habits.”
– T Krishnamacharya

The second leg supporting the tripod refers to both Citta and Cit
as the self in terms of nurturing Self-Inquiry.

“Svādhyāya is an inquiry into one’s true nature.”
– T Krishnamacharya

The final leg supporting the tripod refers to Cit
as the Self in terms of nurturing Self-Awareness.

“Yoga is awareness, a type of knowing.”
– T Krishnamacharya

Pratyāhāra is not feeding the tendency of the Citta to automatically form a positive, negative, or neutral identification with whatever stimuli the senses present to it. From that we can begin to understand how their external gathering activities stimulate our conscious and especially, unconscious choices.

From this we can begin to understand how the impact of this sensory process can lead us to travel in different directions and trigger different levels of response, often without us being really conscious of how deeply their input stimulates our psychic activities.

From these responses there will be the inevitable re-actions, again quite possibly unconscious and multilevelled, according to our psychic history in terms of our memory, habit patternings and deeper memory processes.

From those initial insights we can begin to understand and interact in how we can resist unconsciously slipping into the trance states that can so often culminate with the Kleśa manifesting fully in the entrancing dance of Udārā Rāga, or Udārā Dveṣa, or Udārā Abhiniveśa, the profligate children of Avidyā.

– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 54

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Chapter One Samādhi Pādaḥ

First Theme Nirodha or Containment verses 1-4

verse 1
Now,
Follow the Teachings of Yoga.

verse 2
Yoga arises from the containment of,
Our propensity to fluctuate.

verse 3
From this state,
Clarity of being,
As vision is from the source of perception.

verse 4
At all other times,
We identify with the fluctuations.

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The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapters One to Four

Samādhi Sādhana Vibhūti Kaivalya Pādaḥ

Romanised Saṃskṛta verse by verse word by word personal study support workbooks are listed below for all four chapters of the Yoga Sūtra. They are available for each individual chapter as well as a combined version.

For those wishing to use these workbooks as a personal study guide then exploring the online Yoga Sūtra verse by verse translation with its added individual word by word translation and cross verse reference index links may be helpful. These translations are also accumulating online verse by verse commentaries from T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar.

The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter Four Kaivalya Pādaḥ

A Romanised Saṃskṛta verse by verse word by word personal study support workbook for chapter four of the Yoga Sūtra. Further workbooks will be available for the remaining chapter as well as a combined version.

For those wishing to use this workbook as a self study guide exploring the online chapter four verse by verse translation with its added individual word by word translation and cross verse reference index links may be helpful. These translations are also accumulating online verse by verse commentaries from T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar.

The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter Three Vibhūti Pādaḥ

A Romanised Saṃskṛta verse by verse word by word personal study support workbook for chapter three of the Yoga Sūtra. Further workbooks will be available for the remaining chapter as well as a combined version.

For those wishing to use this workbook as a self study guide exploring the online chapter three verse by verse translation with its added individual word by word translation and cross verse reference index links may be helpful. These translations are also accumulating online verse by verse commentaries from T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar.

The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter Two Sādhana Pādaḥ

A Romanised Saṃskṛta verse by verse word by word personal study support workbook for chapter two of the Yoga Sūtra. Further workbooks will be available for the remaining chapters as well as a combined version.

For those wishing to use this workbook as a self study guide exploring the online chapter two verse by verse translation with its added individual word by word translation and cross verse reference index links may be helpful. These translations are also accumulating online verse by verse commentaries from T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar.

The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter One Samādhi Pādaḥ

A Romanised Saṃskṛta verse by verse word by word personal study support workbook for chapter one of the Yoga Sūtra. Further workbooks will be available for the remaining chapters as well as a combined version.

For those wishing to use this workbook as a self study guide exploring the online chapter one verse by verse translation with its added individual word by word translation and cross verse reference index links may be helpful. These translations are also accumulating online verse by verse commentaries from T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar.

With appreciation for many years of personal teaching in India with my root Yoga teacher TKV Desikachar, along with further word by word studies of the Yoga Sūtra through personal lessons with S Ramaswami.

This Sūtra study Workbook is offered in the spirit of Paramparā. It is not © and is available online, as a PDF in both A4 and US Letter versions, in the spirit of open source community commons.

May it support those who use it in their journey towards Viveka and Svatantra.

View or Download Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter Two Workbook A4 version

View or Download Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter Two Workbook US Letter version

View or Download Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter One Workbook A4 version

View or Download Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter One Workbook US letter version

A recent surge of questions from Yoga teachers around the notion of Śraddhā.
Collating and ordering the range of questions being asked we arrive at:
– What is Śraddhā?
– How do we offer a relevant meaning for Śraddhā to a group class?
– How do we teach Śraddhā to a group of students?
– How do we plan a practice with Śraddhā as the focus for a group class?
Before responding more in a future post I wanted to let the questions sit as reflections for all interested in this topic.
Meanwhile helpful reference points could be:
– The Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 20
– The Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Six verse 37
– The Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Seventeen verse 2

Yoga Teachings on Emotions, Mind, Body and Energy

Chapter One has 51 Sūtra and is called SAMĀDHI PĀDAḤ or the Path to Integrating the Psyche.

This first chapter introduces the psyche, its activities, practices required for change and the possibilities for practice according to the inherent abilities of the practitioner. This chapter is for a student who already has a quality of a Samāhīta Citta or a stable psyche.

– Primary concepts in the Yoga Sūtra Chapter One

Theme One verses 1-11 – Cit and Citta

• v1-4 – Definition and Purpose of Yoga
• v5 – 11 – Activities of the Citta or Psyche

Theme Two verses 12-22 – Jñāna and Śraddhā

• v12 – 19 – Meditation or Dhyānam as Jñāna Yoga
• v20 – 22 – The role of Śraddhā

Theme Three verses 23-39 – Bhakti and Eka Tattva

• v23 – 31 – Meditation or Dhyānam as Bhakti Yoga
• v32 – 39 – Short Term Meditational Strategies

Theme Four verses 40-51 – Sabīja and Nirbīja Samādhi

• v40 – 46 – Refinement of Dhyānam
• v47 – 51 – Final Steps

Question:
Is there an equivalent of “redemption” in the Yogic system? Getting out of the trouble caused by Avidyā?

Response:
A complex question as all the major Religious traditions have different views as to what it is and how it works.

I feel reflecting on the recent three posts on Īśvara Praṇidhānā from TKV Desikachar in relation to our actions needs to consider the Sat Viniyoga or appropriate application of the Citta or psyche in terms of:

Vikalpa or the ability to skilfully use imagination and fantasy.
Pramāṇa or the ability to skilfully use right perception.
Smṛti or the ability to skilfully use our memory of experiences.

And the Sat Viniyoga or appropriate application of Time In terms of its three faces – Past, Present and Future.
These two aspects psyche and time offer a myriad of combinations for reflection such as:

• Past – “īśvara Praṇidhānā – How do we take the fruit of our action?”
  How skilful is my use of Pramāṇa around being present with possible impacts of previous actions?
• Present – “The relationship we have developed with the fruits of our actions is īśvara Praṇidhānā”
  How skilful is my use of Smṛti around being present with possible effects of current actions?
• Future – “īśvara Praṇidhānā – What is our attitude towards our own action?”
  How skilful is my use of Vikalpa around possible outcomes of future actions?

Link to download this post as a PDF

The first four verses in the Yoga Sūtra Chapter One are very significant.

If what is offered here interests then proceed.

Also the first four Sūtra summarise the whole thrust of the teaching.

• Verse 1. Starting Point.
• Now follow the teachings of Yoga.
• Verse 2. Goal and Means.
• Yoga is the containment of fluctuations in the psyche.
• Verse 3. Outcome.
• Then the seer abides in its own character.
• Verse 4. Obstacles.
• At other times there is identification with the fluctuations.