Yoga Sutras of Patanjali · Chapter 1
Samadhi Pada
समाधिपाद
The nature of yoga and the eight limbs of samadhi.
51 verses
अथ योगानुशासनम्॥
atha yogānuśāsanam
Meaning (English)
Now, the exposition of yoga.
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः॥
yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ
Meaning (English)
Yoga is the stilling of the modifications of the mind.
तदा द्रष्टुः स्वरूपेऽवस्थानम्॥
tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe 'vasthānam
Meaning (English)
Then the Seer abides in its own true nature.
vṛtti-sārūpyam itaratra
vṛtti-sārūpyam itaratra
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Otherwise, [the *citta*] conforms to the whirling.
vṛttayaḥ pañcatayyaḥ kliṣṭākliṣṭāḥ
vṛttayaḥ pañcatayyaḥ kliṣṭākliṣṭāḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
There are five whirlings, defiled and not:
pramāṇa viparyaya vikalpa nidrā smṛtayaḥ
pramāṇa viparyaya vikalpa nidrā smṛtayaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
grasping, aversion, conceptualization, drowsiness, and recollection.
pratyakṣānumānāgamāḥ pramāṇāni
pratyakṣānumānāgamāḥ pramāṇāni
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Grasping [can be based on] attention, inference, or hearsay.
viparyayo mithyājñānam atadrūpapratiṣṭham
viparyayo mithyājñānam atadrūpapratiṣṭham
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Aversion is a false knowing, not materially established.
śabdajñānānupātī vastuśūnyo vikalpaḥ
śabdajñānānupātī vastuśūnyo vikalpaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Conceptualization isn't objective, following on from [mere] verbal knowledge.
abhāvapratyayālambanā vṛttir nidrā
abhāvapratyayālambanā vṛttir nidrā
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Drowsiness is a whirling which embraces fading away.
anubhūtaviṣayāsaṃpramoṣaḥ smṛtiḥ
anubhūtaviṣayāsaṃpramoṣaḥ smṛtiḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Recollection is not being deprived of experiences.
अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः॥
abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṁ tan-nirodhaḥ
Meaning (English)
That stilling is achieved through practice and dispassion.
tatra sthitau yatno 'bhyāsaḥ
tatra sthitau yatno 'bhyāsaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Practice means striving for stability.
sa tu dīrghakālanairantaryasatkārāsevito dṛḍhabhūmiḥ
sa tu dīrghakālanairantaryasatkārāsevito dṛḍhabhūmiḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
This is only firmly grounded when cultivated properly and for a long time uninterrupted.
dṛṣṭānuśravikaviṣayavitṛṣṇasya vaśīkārasaṃjñā vairāgyam
dṛṣṭānuśravikaviṣayavitṛṣṇasya vaśīkārasaṃjñā vairāgyam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Renunciation is knowing how to be without thirst for things seen or heard about.
tat paraṃ puruṣakhyāter guṇavaitṛṣṇyam
tat paraṃ puruṣakhyāter guṇavaitṛṣṇyam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The higher [renunciation] is the non-thirst towards sense contact via self-possession.
vitarka vicār' ānand' āsmitā rūpā-nugamāt saṃprajñātaḥ
vitarka vicār' ānand' āsmitā rūpā-nugamāt saṃprajñātaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Effort, thought, joy, [and] conceit [make for] form-connected understanding.
virāmapratyayābhyāsapūrvaḥ saṃskāraśeṣo 'nyaḥ
virāmapratyayābhyāsapūrvaḥ saṃskāraśeṣo 'nyaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Another [level of *samādhi*] has [merely] a residual of mental activity [left] after the attentive practice stops.
bhavapratyayo videhaprakṛtilayānām
bhavapratyayo videhaprakṛtilayānām
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Attention [then] becomes absorbed in a bodiless potential.
śraddhāvīryasmṛtisamādhiprajñāpūrvaka itareṣām
śraddhāvīryasmṛtisamādhiprajñāpūrvaka itareṣām
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The final is preceded by faith, energy, recollection, concentration, and discernment.
tīvrasaṃvegānām āsannaḥ
tīvrasaṃvegānām āsannaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Extreme world-weariness is close [to the goal].
mṛdumadhyādhimātratvāt tato 'pi viśeṣaḥ
mṛdumadhyādhimātratvāt tato 'pi viśeṣaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Mild, moderate, or excessive also differentiates.
īśvarapraṇidhānād vā
īśvarapraṇidhānād vā
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Or [*samādhi* can be gained] through devotion to *Īśvara*.
kleśakarmavipākāśayair aparāmṛṣṭaḥ puruṣaviśeṣa īśvaraḥ
kleśakarmavipākāśayair aparāmṛṣṭaḥ puruṣaviśeṣa īśvaraḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
*Īśvara* is a different kind of person: untouched by defilements, *karma*, fruition, or tendency.
tatra niratiśayaṃ sarvajñabījam
tatra niratiśayaṃ sarvajñabījam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Here is the unsurpassed seed of all there is to know.
pūrveṣām api guruḥ kālenānavacchedāt
pūrveṣām api guruḥ kālenānavacchedāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The former [moment], also a teacher. Hence, temporal continuity.
tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ
tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
His name is a [mere] vocalization.
tajjapas tadarthabhāvanam
tajjapas tadarthabhāvanam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Say it, and you'll see what I mean.
tataḥ pratyakcetanādhigamo 'py antarāyābhāvaś ca
tataḥ pratyakcetanādhigamo 'py antarāyābhāvaś ca
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
From that: mindfulness and the disappearance of the obstacles.
vyādhi styāna saṃśaya pramādālasyāvirati bhrānti darśanālabdha bhūmikatvānavasthitatvāni citta-vikṣepās te 'ntarāyāḥ
vyādhi styāna saṃśaya pramādālasyāvirati bhrānti darśanālabdha bhūmikatvānavasthitatvāni citta-vikṣepās te 'ntarāyāḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Disease, torpor, doubt, carelessness, sloth, compulsion, confusion, seeing the unobtained, instability in the foundation, [and] an anxious *citta*: these are the obstacles.
duḥkha daurmanasyāṅgame jayatvaśvāsapraśvāsā vikṣepasahabhuvaḥ
duḥkha daurmanasyāṅgame jayatvaśvāsapraśvāsā vikṣepasahabhuvaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The symptoms of anxiety are stress, depression, tremors in the limbs, and difficulty breathing.
tat-pratiṣedhārtham eka-tattvābhyāsaḥ
tat-pratiṣedhārtham eka-tattvābhyāsaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The treatment is single-object practice.
maitrī-karuṇā-mudit'-opekṣāṇāṃ sukha-duḥkha puṇy'-āpuṇya viṣayāṇāṃ bhāvanātaś citta-prasādanam
maitrī-karuṇā-mudit'-opekṣāṇāṃ sukha-duḥkha puṇy'-āpuṇya viṣayāṇāṃ bhāvanātaś citta-prasādanam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity towards everything—pleasant, unpleasant, good and bad alike—pacifies the *citta*.
pracchardanavidhāraṇābhyāṃ vā prāṇasya
pracchardanavidhāraṇābhyāṃ vā prāṇasya
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Or the exhaling and inhaling of the breath
viṣayavatī vā pravṛttir utpannā manasaḥ sthitinibandhanī
viṣayavatī vā pravṛttir utpannā manasaḥ sthitinibandhanī
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Or something which arises out of experience and arrests the mind.
viśokā vā jyotiṣmatī
viśokā vā jyotiṣmatī
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Or which is painless and enlightening
vītarāgaviṣayaṃ vā cittam
vītarāgaviṣayaṃ vā cittam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Or something for which the *citta* is without passion
svapnanidrājñānālambanaṃ vā
svapnanidrājñānālambanaṃ vā
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Or [you can] hang on to dream knowledge
yathābhimatadhyānād vā
yathābhimatadhyānād vā
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Or meditate on whatever suits you.
paramāṇuparamamahattvānto 'sya vaśīkāraḥ
paramāṇuparamamahattvānto 'sya vaśīkāraḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Mastery is from the most minute to the most grand.
kṣīṇavṛtter abhijātasyeva maṇer grahītṛgrahaṇagrāhyeṣu tatsthatadañjanatā samāpattiḥ
kṣīṇavṛtter abhijātasyeva maṇer grahītṛgrahaṇagrāhyeṣu tatsthatadañjanatā samāpattiḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The whirling abated—precious as a jewel!—the grasper, the grasping, and the grasped thus abiding and thus anointed: [this is] unification.
tatra śabdārthajñānavikalpaiḥ saṃkīrṇā savitarkā samāpattiḥ
tatra śabdārthajñānavikalpaiḥ saṃkīrṇā savitarkā samāpattiḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
In that [state of] unification with effort, [there is still] sound, meaning, knowledge, and conceptualization.
smṛtipariśuddhau svarūpaśūnyevārthamātranirbhāsā nirvitarkā
smṛtipariśuddhau svarūpaśūnyevārthamātranirbhāsā nirvitarkā
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
With the purification of mindfulness, [the mind] appears to be empty except for the object shining forth effortlessly.
etayaiva savicārā nirvicārā ca sūkṣmaviṣayā vyākhyātā
etayaiva savicārā nirvicārā ca sūkṣmaviṣayā vyākhyātā
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
This also explains the subtle things [about *samādhi*] with and without thought.
sūkṣmaviṣayatvaṃ cāliṅgaparyavasānam
sūkṣmaviṣayatvaṃ cāliṅgaparyavasānam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Even subtle “thingness” itself terminates in the featureless [absorptions].
tā eva sabījaḥ samādhiḥ
tā eva sabījaḥ samādhiḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
[But] even these [states] are “*samādhi* with [karmic] seeds.”
nirvicāravaiśāradye 'dhyātmaprasādaḥ
nirvicāravaiśāradye 'dhyātmaprasādaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Thoughtless clarity is the heart of religiousity.
ṛtaṃbharā tatra prajñā
ṛtaṃbharā tatra prajñā
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Truth born this way is discerning.
śrutānumānaprajñābhyām anyaviṣayā viśeṣārthatvāt
śrutānumānaprajñābhyām anyaviṣayā viśeṣārthatvāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
[Truths] which have been heard, inferred, or discerned are different things, [and have] different functions.
tajjaḥ saṃskāro 'nyasaṃskārapratibandhī
tajjaḥ saṃskāro 'nyasaṃskārapratibandhī
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The [mental] activity born from that [absorption], [temporarily] obstructs other activity.
tasyāpi nirodhe sarvanirodhān nirbījaḥ samādhiḥ
tasyāpi nirodhe sarvanirodhān nirbījaḥ samādhiḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
With the cessation of even that, all ceases. This is the seedless *samādhi*.