Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 28
योगाङ्गानुष्ठानादशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञानदीप्तिराविवेकख्यातेः ॥२८॥
yoga-aṅga-anuṣṭhānāt aśuddhi-kṣaye jñāna-dīptiḥ āviveka-khyāteḥ ||28||
From performance of the limbs of Yoga the impurities diminish
and knowing illuminates up to recognition of discrimination.
Commentaries and Reflections
Commentary by TKV Desikachar:
“Aṅgānuṣṭhānāt – Commitment
Irrespective of failures and testing times you will not leave it.”
“For Anuṣṭhānāt to become and remain important there needs to be Śraddhā.”
“In the Yoga Sūtra,
the purpose of the different Sādhana is to clear the mind,
so the light can come out.”
“The purpose of Āsana and Prāṇāyāma are twofold,
to reduce symptoms of ill-health or,
to prepare the mind towards fulfilling the
main emphasis of Patañjali, which is Meditation.
However according to the teaching I have received,
both of these roles can be fulfilled with relatively
few Āsana postures and Prāṇāyāma techniques.”
Commentary by S Ramaswami:
“So far we have looked at Yoga in the context of:
1. SAMADHI YOGA Where Yoga is the conjoining of the mind into an object.
This is Saṃprajñāta Samādhi. Or a state of concentration or Samādhi of the mind but not on an object. i.e., there is a yoking but no object.This is Asaṃprajñāta Samādhi. The first chapter deals with these states which lead one to Yogacittanirodhah which in a sense is an unyoking of the Citta from the Puruṣa. The dissolving of Saṃyogah between Buddhi and Puruṣa.
2. KRIYĀ YOGA Again Yoga can be defined as the yoking of the mind to the actions defined as KRIYĀ YOGA.
Thus it is a yoking of the mind in preparation for SAMĀDHI, not actually working towards or working in states of SAMĀDHI or concentration.
3. AṢṬĀṄGA YOGA Here Yoga is introduced as yoking of the mind both in preparation for concentration and achieving a state of concentration.
Thus one can see that the YOGA defined here is superior to KRIYĀ YOGA but inferior to SAMĀDHI YOGA.
By the practice of the various parts or limbs of Yoga, impurities of the body are reduced. Here it means to complete bringing under control of RAJAS and TAMAS, so SATTVA can predominate.
Thus it is the AŚUDDHI of the CITTA and can only be a gradual reduction. If one is talking purely on a physical level, then it could be said that the impurities are destroyed. However in the case of the GŪNA it can be only a gradual reduction of the predominant workings of RAJAS and TAMAS.
Thus from the practice there comes the light of knowledge, the highest point of which is SAMPRAJÑĀTA SAMĀDHI or VIvEKA KHYĀTI or PURUṢA PRAKṚTI VIVEKA, the distinction between PURUṢA and PRAKṚTI.
By making the mind totally SATTVIC, everything that is to be known is known. NIRODHA SAMĀDHI is not taken up as part of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga. This is regarded as more subtle. i.e.The final three limbs or SAṂYAMA are regarded as the internal limbs yet when compared to NIRODHA SAMĀDHI they are regarded as external in quality and subtlety.
So instead of talking about the final state of YOGA as in the first Chapter, here the whole practice is taken up.
In yoking the mind to YAMA and NIYAMA the attachment to external objects is completely removed.
In yoking the mind in ĀSANA to the body, bodily pain and attachment are removed.
In PRĀṆĀYĀMA the mind is yoked to the breath.
In PRATYĀHĀRA the mind is yoked or merged into the Indriya or senses.
And there is an obvious yoking of the mind in the SAṂYAMA or three internal limbs.”
Commentary by Paul Harvey:
“According to Patañjali, we initiate our
Sādhana by firstly looking at ourselves,
in terms of our Personal Svadharma via
Kriya Yoga. This aspect of our Sādhana
involves the three activities that nurture
a state of Yoga, namely self-discipline,
self–inquiry and self–awareness.
From there we can be clearer about
what is our place and potential within
the role and purpose of the Universal
Dharma inherent within the Bāhya Aṅga
aspect of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga in Chapter Two.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two
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