Sūtra 1.30

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 1.30:

व्याधिस्त्यानसंशयप्रमादालस्याविरतिभ्रान्तिदर्शनालब्धभूमिकत्वानवस्थितत्वानि चित्तविक्षेपास् तेऽन्तरायाः ॥ १.३० ॥

vyādhistyānasaṃśayapramādālasyāviratibhrāntidarśanālabdhabhūmikatvānavasthitatvāni cittavikṣepās te'ntarāyāḥ || 1.30 ||

vyādhi—disease, styāna—langour. saṃśaya—indecision. pramāda—carelessness. ālasya—sloth. avirati—sensuality, want of non-attachment. bhrānti—mistaken notion, darśana-alabdha-bhūmikatva—missing the point, not being able to see a place which is just seen. anavasthitatva—instability. citta-vikṣepāḥ—causing distractions, or divertion of the mind, te—these are. antarāyāḥ—the obstacles..

30. Disease, langour, indecision, carelessness, sloth, sensuality, mistaken notion, missing the point, instability,—these causing distractions are the obstacles.

The Sankhya-pravachana commentary of Vyasa

[English translation of the 7th century commentary by Vyāsa called the Sāṅkhya-pravacana, Vyāsabhāṣya or Yogabhāṣya]

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

Now what are the obstacles that distract the mind? How many are they and what is their nature? ‘Disease, &c.’ There are nine obstacles causing distraction to the mind. These exist with mental modifications. In their absence they do not exist. The mental modifications have been described before.

Disease is the disturbance of the equilibrium of the humours, chyle and the organs of the body.

Langour is the indisposition of the mind to work.

Indecision is the notion touching both sides of a question: It might be thus or thus.

Carelessness is want of resort to the means of trance.

Sloth is the inertia of mind and body, consequent upon heaviness.

Sensuality is the desire consequent upon objects of sense having taken possession of the mind.

Mistaken notion is False knowledge.

Missing the point, is the non-attainment of the state of trance.

Instability is the incapacity of the mind to keep in any state that has been attained, because it becomes stable only when the state of trance has been reached.

These distractions of the mind are designated the enemies and the obstacles of Yoga.

The Gloss of Vachaspati Mishra

[English translation of the 9th century Tattvavaiśāradī by Vācaspatimiśra]

He puts a question:—‘Now what are the obstacles?’ The answer consists of the words, “distractions of the mind.” Again he. asks for the specific enumeration:—‘How many, &c.’ The answer is ‘Disease, &c.’ the whole aphorism. The nine obstacles are mental manifestations which stand in the way of Yoga. They are contrary to Yoga and disturb the mind. They are called obstacles, because they turn the aspirant away from the direct path of Yoga.

He gives the cause of their being the antagonists of Yoga:—‘They manifest with mental modifications.’ Indecision and False knowledge are antagonistic to the inhibition mind, because they are mental modifications. The others, however, which are not mental of the modifications such as disease, &c., likewise antagonistic, because mental modifications manifest themselves along with them.

He explains the meaning of the words:—‘Disease, &c.’

The humours are bile, mucus and gas, called Dhātus, because they keep up the body. Chyle (rasa) is a particular modification of foods and drinks. The organs of the body are the organs of sensation and action. Disturbance of equilibrium means one of these becoming more and the other less than what is necessary. The indisposition of the mind to work means incapacity to work. Indecision or doubt is knowledge touching both sides of a question. Although the basis of doubt is the knowing of a thing to be what it is not and therefore doubt and False knowledge do not differ from each other, yet doubt is separately mentioned here, because it is especially intended to bring out here the special characteristic of doubt, the touching and giving up of both sides of a question, which makes a sub-head of False knowing.

‘Want of resort, to the means of trance’ means the absence of these means, the want of effort. The heaviness of the body is caused by phlegm, &c. The heaviness of the mind.is caused by inertia, tamas. Desire means thirst for an object. The states of trance are Madhumatī, &c. If one has reached a particular state of progress in trance and is satisfied with it, then he will not reach the higher state and will lose the one already attained. Therefore, when a state of trance has been reached, effort must always be made to retain it.—30.