Yoga-sutras (with Bhoja’s Rajamartanda)

by Rajendralala Mitra | 1883 | 103,575 words

The Yoga-Sutra 2.14, 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.

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 2.14:

ते ह्लादपरितापफलाः पुण्यापुण्यहेतुत्वात् ॥ २.१४ ॥

te hlādaparitāpaphalāḥ puṇyāpuṇyahetutvāt || 2.14 ||

14. They have joy or suffering for their fruit, according as their cause is virtue or vice.

The Rajamartanda commentary by King Bhoja:

[English translation of the 11th century commentary by Bhoja called the Rājamārtaṇḍa]

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

The above described kind, &c. being the fruits of works, the author, in order to show that they produce fruition according to the works which are their cause, says:

[Read Sūtra 2.14]

“Joy” (hlāda) is pleasure, and “suffering” (paritāpa) is pain. Those which have joy and suffering for their fruits are so called, (i.e., by the term hlāda-paritāpa-phalāḥ).

“Virtue” (puṇya) is fortunate action, and the reverse of it is “vice” (apuṇya). Those which have virtue or vice for their cause are so called (by the compound term puṇyāpuṇya-hetutva).

What is said is this:—those works which proceed from virtuous actions yield joyful fruition in kind, age, and experience. Those which result from vice have painful fruitions.

Notes and Extracts

[Notes and comparative extracts from other commentaries on the Yogasūtra]

[The meaning is obvious, and calls for no remark.]

To all ordinary beings the fruition is thus of two kinds; but to the Yogī all are painful; to show this, he says:

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