“What is Yoga?
Yoga is Nirodha of the different activities and fluctuations of the mind,
the leader of the senses.
Nirodha is to completely cover.
Thus this Sūtra implies the Nirodha of involvement of the mind in objects
that distract from a chosen direction of contemplation.”
– T Krishnamacharya commentary to Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

”Citta Vṛtti Nirodha, the state of mind in which no distractions arise from undesirable external stimuli and the individual is able to choose an object of focus, ideally Īśvara.”
– T Krishnamacharya’s commentary to Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

”Another term for Citta Vṛtti Nirodha is Dhyānam,
the state of mind in which an individual focuses on,
visualises and remains with Īśvara.”
– T Krishnamacharya’s commentary to Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“The mind is like a fluid,
which can modify into different things.
A sense of change.
Thus restraining modifications is cnannelising.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“Yoga is stopping the mind,
from becoming involved,
in activities that distract,
one from a chosen direction.”
– TKV Desikachar commentary on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“Nirodha is a restraining of OTHER things,
not a cessation of activity.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“Restraint is in the sense of if I am here I am not elsewhere.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“Cit is always the same.
Nirodha always refers to Citta.
Thus Cit is a witness.
What changes is only Citta.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“Nirodha always refers to Citta.
Thus Cit is a witness.
What changes is only Citta.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2 is a Lakṣaṇa Sūtra in that it
describes the characteristics of Yoga as Citta Vṛtti Nirodha.”
– TKV Desikachar

“Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2 is not Yoga Sarva Citta Vṛtti Nirodha.
This is a relative Sūtra, which allows for a gradual evolution.”
– TKV Desikachar

Yoga arises from the containment of,
Our propensity to fluctuate.
– Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“To experience the spaciousness of Cit,
Yoga says practice enclosing the Citta.”
– Reflection on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2-3

“During such a moment, without distractions,
the power of the source of perception,
full of clarity and completeness, shines forth.”
– T Krishnamacharya’s commentary to Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 3

“The greater the Śraddhā, the more meaning there is in the techniques such as Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Dhyānam, Bhāvana and all the others. Without Śraddhā, these techniques have little effect on the state of the mind and the progress to Citta Vṛtti Nirodha.

However, sometimes some minor benefits that we get through Āsana or Prāṇāyāma practice, open up the Śraddhā within us. Śraddhā is within each of us but is covered. It could be any experience that uncovers it.”
– TKV Desikachar on Śraddhā in the Yoga Sūtra

“It can be said that sickness is Citta Vikṣepa and health is Citta Nirodha.”
–  T Krishnamacharya’s commentary to Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 34

“The paradox of being in a state of distraction
is that we are actually in a state of focus.
Its just that we are focused on being turned outwards,
as in the tendency of being scattered,
as in Vyutthāna Saṃskāra,
rather than being focused on being turned inwards,
as in the tendency of being contained,
as in Nirodha Saṃskāra.
Both Saṃskāra are acquired tendencies
and thus we can cultivate a choice within our oscillations.”
– Commenting on Yoga Sūtra Chapter 3 verse 9

“Without Āsana,
Prāṇāyāma cannot become accomplished.
Without containing Prāna,
the mind cannot achieve steadiness.”
– From T Krishnamacharya’s composition,
The Yoga Rahasya Chapter One verse 45

“The word Nirodha also means “restraint”.
It is not by restraining the mind that it will move and
become involved in a particular direction of choice.
It is the other way round; that is,
so strongly and intensely the mind has moved toward
one area and has become absorbed in one area
that there is no “infiltration”.
Therefore Nirodha meaning “restraint”,
is just an effect of Nirodha meaning “complete absorption”.
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
‘The Way the Mind Functions and the Concept of Nirodha’
Chapter Eighteen Page 252

“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

“From Meditation (Dhyānam),
arises Integration (Samādhi),
merging the experience of,
Moments of Containment (Nirodha Kṣana)
without Transformation (Pariṇāma).”

“The place of learning is in the space between the Āsana.
In that Āsana practice is a movie, not a series of pictures.
A marker towards Nirodha is not leaking between Āsana.
Thus containing energetic itches on coming back to stillness.”

“The first four verses of Chapter One of the Yoga Sūtra are said to encapsulate the essence of the whole chapter.
Summarise them in a way so as to interest someone who knows little about Yoga.”
To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet

Links to Related Posts:

• Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verses 1-4 epitomise our Yoga Journey in……
• TKV Desikachar talks on Śraddhā in the light of the Yoga Sūtra……

SaveSave