Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 18

प्रकाशक्रियास्थितिशीलं भूतेन्द्रियात्मकं भोगापवर्गार्थं दृश्यम् ॥१८॥

prakāśa-kriyā-sthiti-śīlaṃ bhūta-indriya-ātmakaṃ bhoga-apavarga-arthaṃ dṛśyam ||18||

The seen has the qualities of brightness, activity and stay,
its nature is elements and senses,
taking the role of our essence
its purpose is worldly enjoyment and emancipation.

prakāśa - clearness, brightness, splendour, lustre, light; visible, shining, brightkriyā - activity; bodily activity; medical treatment or practicesthiti - staying or remaining or being in any state or condition; maintenance of life;śīla - naturebhūta - element; living beingindriya - faculty of sense; sense; organ of senseātmaka - taking the role of our essencebhogā - worldly experienceapavarga - completion, end; the emancipation of the soul from bodily existence, exemption from further transmigrationartha - purpose, aim; meaning; thing, objectdṛśya - the seen
<<< >>>

Commentaries and Reflections

Commentary by T Krishnamacharya:

“What is the nature of the Dṛśya or what can be perceived?
It has three qualities; it reveals, it acts, it has substance.
It has many components, the objects known and the means to know them.
They serve two roles.
When in strong association with the perceiver they produce pleasure or pain –
when this association is absent they let the perceiver visualise its own nature.
Experience of pleasure or pain is by the perceiver.
Freedom from them is also its fundamental situation.
This freedom is no different from Mukti.”

Commentary by TKV Desikachar:

“The world exists to set us free.”

Commentary by Paul Harvey:

“Yoga is not about not enjoying the world because we see it as it really is.
Rather it is seeing the world as it really is and still enjoying it.”