Part 3 - Gist of four Pādas of Pātañjala Yogadarśana

The first two pādas of Pātañjala Yogadarśana deal with the practical aspects of Yoga. The first pāda (samādhipāda) is meant for advanced sādhakas, while the second pāda (sādhanāpāda) is for beginners in the field of Yoga.

The first pāda of Pātañjala Yogadarśana is named as samādhipāda. As the name suggests, the 51 aphorisms contained in this pāda set out the objects of Yoga to be attainment of samādhi. A serious and dedicated seeker can learn sufficiently from samādhipāda alone to become a practical yogī. The word sūtra, though means a thread, here it means very precise, rational and coherent thoughts put forth in a sequential manner (threaded) such that when read in sequence explains the entire philosophy in least possible number of words. The words are generally not repeated. Each sūtra is logically bound and connected to preceding and succeeding sūtra thereby establishing the required continuity. The sūtras are also known as Yogadarśana indicating that the philosophy put forth is not merely an expression of mind thought but was seen and experienced by the sūtrakāra.

The first pāda i.e. Samādhipāda essentially deals with the general nature of Yoga and its techniques. It defines the term Yoga as cessation of modifications of mind (vṛttis). The fivefold modifications are then described. They are either painful or not painful. Cessations of the vṛttis lead the individual consciousness to realize its true nature (svarūpa). The way to stop the vṛttis is then explained as abhyāsa or repetitive practice and vairāgya or absolute detachment. The practices should be done with complete faith and devotion and for a long time without any discontinuity. It then leads to complete desirelessness of all the three attributes of sattva, rajas and tamas and flowers into awareness of puruṣa (consciousness principle). The subsequent sūtras go on to describe the types of samprajñātasamādhi and nirbījasamādhi and ways to attain them through faith, energy, memory, wisdom etc.

At this point, Patañjalialso introduces the concept of Īśvara, (special puruṣa) who is beyond the realms of afflictions and untouched by the fruits of karmas. Patañjalisays that Īśvara is represented by praṇava (OM), and states that a complete surrender to the Īśvara also leads to samprajñātasamādhi.

As per Patañjali, there are nine types of impediments (antarāyas) in the path of an aspirant. They are disease, mental laziness, doubt, negligence, physical laziness, hankering after pleasure, delusory view, pessimism, instability, distractions. These obstacles are symptomized by pain, mental frustration, lack of control over the body and uneven breathing. Repetitive yogic practices help alleviate these symptoms and their underlying causes. To keep the citta in a blissful state (cittaprasādana), Patañjalisuggests the attitude of friendliness, compassion, joyfulness and equanimity towards pleasure, pain, virtue and vice respectively. There are other ways of cittaprasādana also. For a yogī who has been able to end the modifications of his mind, his citta shines forth like a pure and transparent crystal.

Thereafter a yogī progressively goes through the stages of savitarka and nirvitarkasamāpatti. In savitarkasamāpatti, the knowledge is gained through word, through its meaning and through senses while meditating on the object of knowledge. The samāpatti free from gross object of meditation is nirvitarkasamāpatti which is achieved through the purification of memory (smṛtipariśuddhi) and when the true significance of the object of meditation alone shines forth. The next stages of savicāra and nirvicārasamāpattis are attained which are accompanied either by subtle thoughts or absence of subtle thoughts. The subtlety of subjects of meditation eventually extended up-to un-manifested prakṛti. These samāpattis are the stages of sabīja (with seed) samādhi. When the citta attains perfect nirvicārasamāpatti, he experiences spiritual bliss. There then manifests wisdom overflowing with Supreme Truth. The impressions arising from sabījasamādhi removes the effects of all other earlier stored impressions from the present and past births. This is the state of nirbīja (seedless) samādhi. With awareness, all the past impressions (saṃskāras) are wiped out.

Sādhanāpāda, the second pāda of Pātañjala Yogadarśana is meant for the beginners. The first concept of sādhanā is kriyāyoga. Tapas, svādhyāya and Īśvarapraṇidhāna are the three vital components of kriyāyoga. Kriyāyoga is to be practiced for reducing the kleśas and reach the state of samādhi.Patañjalithen describes and explains five kleśas as avidyā (nescience), asmitā (I-sense), rāga (attachment), dveśa (repulsion) and abhiniveśa (fear of death). The kleśas can be attenuated through pratiprasava (reversal into the source/origin). The active kleśas can be turned into a passive activity through meditation. Patañjalithen explains karmasiddhānta (doctrine of karma). The karmāśaya rooted in kleśas is responsible for the experience of present and future lives. If the root is there, it must grow and give results in various ways and lives for various durations. The experiences could be pleasurable or sorrowful based on their cause being virtue or vice respectively. Union of puruṣa (the seer) and the prakṛti (seen) is the root cause of kleśas. The union has occurred to offer experience of prakṛti and its constituent guṇas i.e. sattva, rajas and tamas to puruṣa. Having found the experience to be full of kleśas, the liberation or separation of puruṣa from prakṛti is ‘Yoga’. The concept of puruṣa is then explained. The puruṣa (seer) is pure consciousness but appears to see through the mind. Prakṛti (seen) plays a subordinate role in the apparent union of puruṣa and prakṛti. When the puruṣa attains selfrealization, and separates from prakṛti, prakṛti continues to exist for other puruṣas, puruṣas being many and prakṛti being common to all. The very coming together of puruṣa and prakṛti is for offering the puruṣa awareness of his true self and unfolding the powers inherent in him. Due to avidyā, puruṣa seems to lose his awareness and true nature which is being eternal, omniscient and free. The disassociation of puruṣa from prakṛti is kaivalya. The means of dissolving avidyā is discrimination (vivekakhyāti). State of enlightenment is reached through seven stages (saptadhāprāntabhūmi).

The aspect of aṣṭāṅgayogasādhanā is then discussed by Patañjali. Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhara, dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi are those eight limbs. There are five yamas (rules of conduct in the society, moral and prohibitive) and five niyamas (rules of personal conduct, disciplinal and constructive) and they are to be practised as mahāvrata (great vow) without limitation of time, space, location and occasion.

Patañjali then explains the benefits and outcomes of each of the yamas and niyamas. Observance of yamas and niyamas lead to mental purity, cheerful mindedness, one pointedness and control on the senses and fitness for the vision of the Self.

The aspect of āsanas is then discussed. Āsana practices lead to cessation of dualities. After attaining the mastery over the Physical postures through āsanas, prāṇāyāma practice (regulation of breath i.e. inspiration and expiration) is suggested. Prāṇāyāma removes the veil covering the internal subtle plane i.e. prāṇamayakośa and prepares the mind for concentration (dhāraṇā).

The first four limbs of aṣṭāṅgayoga i.e. yama, niyama, āsana and prāṇāyāma can be termed as bahiraṅgayoga. Pratyāhāra (sense withdrawal) is the fifth limb and a bridge connecting to higher antaraṅgasādhanā of dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi.

The third pāda called Vibhūtipāda starts with sūtras on last three limbs of Patañjali’s aṣṭāṅgayoga i.e. dhāraṇā (concentration), dhyāna (meditation) and samādhi (contemplation). The concept of simultaneous practice of saṃyama on all the above three limbs is discussed. The Practice of saṃyama leads to supra-normal abilities defined as siddhi. The concept of saṃyama has been then explained in various sūtras and deals with which siddhis can be achieved through saṃyama on various objects, ideas and phenomenon. These supra-normal abilities vary from knowledge of future, of previous births, of other’s mind, of system of galaxy, solar system, lunar system and abilities such as levitation, becoming invisible, etc. It is to be understood that these siddhis are but a transitory stage, a mile stone, in the spiritual evolution of a genuine aspirant and are to be left behind. This is also a potentially harmful stage in the process, since such siddhis apart from giving boost to the Ego, can also be misused and hinders further progress of the aspirant. They do not mean that the laws of Physics are to be defied, but indicates what the power of mind can achieve. The mind can stretch anywhere, and Yoga is ‘Empowering the Mind’. The concept of Mind has been discussed by Patañjaliin Kaivalyapāda.

Kaivalyapāda, the fourth pāda of Pātañjala Yogadarśana dwells on issue of Liberation or kaivalya. Kaivalya is achieved by isolation of puruṣa from prakṛti. Vāsanās and saṃskāras are the subtle mental impressions and have latent potentialities having karmic effects. The latent impressions are accumulated based on karmas, and lead to abhiniveśa (will to live or fear of death) as one of the five kleśas. The way to dissolve Vāsanās is through removal of avidyā. The citta (Higher Mind) becomes pure in nature and is thus able to reflect both draṣṭā (the seer) and dṛṣya (Object of concentration). Kaivalya is explained as the state in which constituent guṇas of the prakṛti, merge in their cause having no longer a purpose in relation to the puruṣa (pure consciousness). The puruṣa is then established in its true nature which is Pure Consciousness.