Yoga-sutras (with Bhoja’s Rajamartanda)
by Rajendralala Mitra | 1883 | 103,575 words
The Yoga-Sutra 1.23, English translation with Commentaries. The Yogasutra of Patanjali represents a collection of aphorisms dealing with spiritual topics such as meditation, absorption, Siddhis (yogic powers) and final liberation (Moksha). The Raja-Martanda is officialy classified as a Vritti (gloss) which means its explanatory in nature, as opposed to being a discursive commentary.
Sūtra 1.23
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 1.23:
ईश्वरप्रणिधानाद्वा ॥ १.२३ ॥
īśvarapraṇidhānādvā || 1.23 ||
23. Or by devotion to God.
The Rajamartanda commentary by King Bhoja:
[English translation of the 11th century commentary by Bhoja called the Rājamārtaṇḍa]
[Sanskrit text for commentary available]
Now he mentions an easy expedient, distinct from the preceding expedients.
[Read Sūtra 1.22]
“God” (īśvara) will be described presently (A. XXIV). “Devotion” (praṇidhāna) is a form of resignation to Him. It is thorough worship of Him, and the consignment of all one’s actions to Him. Without wishing for the fruition of worldly enjoyments, the making over all one’s actions to Him, the preeminent guide, is “devotion,” praṇidhāna. This is an important means of meditation and of its fruition.
Notes and Extracts
[Notes and comparative extracts from other commentaries on the Yogasūtra]
[In this aphorism the author departs from the Sāṅkhya system, by introducing devotion to God as a facile and ready means of attaining the end. God, however, is not made the end, but the ṭ means to an end of which He forms no integral portion. The theory of resignation or dedication of the fruits of all actions to Him, is evidently borrowed from the Bhakti system in which it plays the most important part. In entire reliance on the providence of the Godhead, the Bhakta wishes for no fruition whatever. Whatever he does is for the service of the Divinity, and He in His mercy is to grant whatever He thinks proper. In the Bhagavad Gītā this is made the cardinal point of faith, (IX, 27,) and there it appears quite consistent; but in the Yoga system Kapila found no necessity for it, and Patañjali adopts it as a sort of compromise to give a theistic character to his system; but it plays only a very subordinate part.]
It has been just stated that meditation may be achieved through devotion to God. With reference to this he now proceeds to declare, in order, the nature (XXIV), the proofs (XXV), the glory (XXVI), the name (XXVII), and the order of worship of God (XXIII), as also the fruit thereof (XXIX).