“The mind acts in countless ways and all of them
stem from the power of past Karma Vāsanā.
This is why individuals differ from one another.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 6

“This Sūtra introduces
what Patañjali calls Kriyā Yoga.
Kriyā in the sense of action.
Take the first step.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 1

“If Śarīra leads Ātma, there is Kleśa.
The cause of this is Karma Vāsanā and Mithyā Indriya.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 2

“How we feel during the action is the quality of the action.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 13

“All actions are not rooted in Kleśa.
Those done when Kleśa are subdued produce joy.
Others produce different degrees of agony.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 14

Asteya – non-stealing.
It’s not taking away that
which belongs to somebody else.
Whether Dravya, Dharma, Karma, Vidyā.
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 37

“The Das Indriya or ten senses of experience and action,
whilst seen as belonging to the Bāhya Aṅga or five external limbs
in the eight limb Aṣṭa Aṅga Yoga of Patañjali,
are also the gateway to the Antar Aṅga or three internal limbs.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 54

“The first Śloka sets the saga on the field of Dharma.
Dharma is how we respond, whatever the situation,
presuming we can sustain our view within the present.
Karma is how we respond, having lost sight of our view,
because it’s become obscured by  the force of our memories.
Then Karma is the force now driving us through our memories.
So, Arjuna’s Dharma becomes obscured because of his Karma.”
– Paul Harvey on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter One verse 1

“The movement of life is a pilgrimage of the body
and cannot be accomplished without action.”
– TKV Desikachar on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Three verse 8

“Karma is the means to know oneself.”
– TKV Desikachar on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Four verse 17

“In the Bhagavad Gītā, Karma is defined as a Śodhana Kriyā where,
as actions are performed, they also offer a chance to refine oneself.
Thus, whatever I do and whatever happens is a chance to refine myself.
The Bhāvana here is Ātma Śuddha where all actions are an opportunity
for purification of that which inhibits the expression of our essence.”
– Paul Harvey on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Five verse 11

“Svabhava is Karma Vāsanā.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Five verse 14

“God is always inside the heart.
However we are not always inside the will of God.
So actions can be right or wrong.”
– TKV Desikachar on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 18 verse 15

“The mind is an accumulation of actions and memories of actions.
This conditions us to act as we have been acting.
In doing so, we cannot detect that things are changing and therefore,
our actions might go wrong.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Six Page 85

“We must act in life,
but we should not be disappointed
by the results of our actions
for we may often act imperfectly.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga ‘Various Approaches to Yoga’ Chapter Seventeen Page 242

“Another way the mind functions is called Vikṣipta.
We act but we have doubts;
distractions come about,
there are obstacles.
The set direction does not look right
and we don’t know what to do about it.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga ‘The Way the Mind Functions and the Concept of Nirodha’ Chapter Eighteen Page 251

“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 Religiousness in Yoga ‘The Way the Mind Functions and the Concept of Nirodha’ Chapter Eighteen Page 253

“One’s own actions can develop or make one Guṇa prominent.
Thus we can plan or practice Āsana or Prāṇāyāma to promote one Guṇa.
The practice of Yoga can influence the Guṇa.
the room where you practice can affect the Guṇa
by photographs, colour of paint, smell.
Even Mantra are classified into Guṇa.
This needs to be considered when using Mantra for the individual.
Meditation can be related to the Guṇa.
The object of our inquiry must be related or,
in accordance with what we want to produce.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

Question to TKV Desikachar on Yama and Niyama:
“The idea behind Yama and Niyama is the attitude we have to the inside and outside.
If I don’t know what is true there is no question of telling the truth.
However there is the intention, because one day it may become a reality.
Even though some of these things are not there in the beginning, if the intention is sincere then one day it will become an action if conditions and our psychological state change.
Yama as telling the truth also means discretion.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“The relationship we have developed with the fruits of our actions is Īśvara Praṇidhānā”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“Patañjali says if we fail in our action it is because we started wrong.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“The Hindu Veda classify Dhyāna into three major but not water-tight divisions:
1. Karma – actions, the details, precise actions and results of rituals, such as the how and where you sit; considered most important for  Dhyāna.
2. Jñāna – inquiry, into anything from the lowest to the highest, such as God, myself, Prāṇa, Brahma, etc; recognising absolutely one object of inquiry, not many.
3. Bhakti – trying to connect myself with the highest force; to accept the absolute power of God – that he is Master and Teacher, the only reality.
Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra, the definitive text on Yoga, classifies Dhyāna in different yet similar terms.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras December 20th 1988

“Actions either take us forwards or backwards.”
– TKV Desikachar

Links to Related Posts:

• TKV Desikachar talks on Śraddhā in the light of the Yoga Sūtra……
• Yoga Sūtra on Stress – An interview with TKV Desikachar