Yoga Sutras of Patanjali · Chapter 2
Sadhana Pada
साधनपाद
The practice — kriya yoga, the kleshas, the first five limbs.
55 verses
तपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोगः॥
tapaḥ-svādhyāyeśvara-praṇidhānāni kriyā-yogaḥ
Meaning (English)
Austerity, self-study, and surrender to the Lord — these constitute kriya yoga.
samādhibhāvanārthaḥ kleśatanūkaraṇārthaś ca
samādhibhāvanārthaḥ kleśatanūkaraṇārthaś ca
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
[These practices] cultivate *samādhi* and weaken the defilements.
avidyāsmitārāgadveṣābhiniveśāḥ kleśāḥ
avidyāsmitārāgadveṣābhiniveśāḥ kleśāḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The defilements are: ignorance, conceit, greed, aversion, and inertia.
avidyā kṣetram uttareṣāṃ prasuptatanuvicchinnodārāṇām
avidyā kṣetram uttareṣāṃ prasuptatanuvicchinnodārāṇām
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Ignorance is the field for the rest, whether they be dormant, suppressed, weakened, or aroused.
anityāśuciduḥkhānātmasu nityaśucisukhātmakhyātir avidyā
anityāśuciduḥkhānātmasu nityaśucisukhātmakhyātir avidyā
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Ignorance is seeing as permanent, essential, satisfying, or self that which is really impermanent, inessential, unsatisfying, and not-self
dṛgdarśanaśaktyor ekātmatevāsmitā
dṛgdarśanaśaktyor ekātmatevāsmitā
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Conceit misidentifies the power of seeing as “a seer.”
sukhānuśayī rāgaḥ
sukhānuśayī rāgaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Greed is chasing [after] pleasure.
duḥkhānuśayī dveṣaḥ
duḥkhānuśayī dveṣaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Aversion is chasing [away] pain.
svarasavāhī viduṣo 'pi tathā rūḍho 'bhiniveśaḥ
svarasavāhī viduṣo 'pi tathā rūḍho 'bhiniveśaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Inertia is rooted in relishing one’s own stream of consciousness.
te pratiprasavaheyāḥ sūkṣmāḥ
te pratiprasavaheyāḥ sūkṣmāḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
These are subtleties to be eliminated by going against the stream
dhyānaheyās tadvṛttayaḥ
dhyānaheyās tadvṛttayaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Eliminated, that is, through meditation.
kleśamūlaḥ karmāśayo dṛṣṭādṛṣṭajanmavedanīyaḥ
kleśamūlaḥ karmāśayo dṛṣṭādṛṣṭajanmavedanīyaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The tendency to act is rooted in the defilements and is felt throughout seen and unseen births.
sati mūle tadvipāko jātyāyurbhogāḥ
sati mūle tadvipāko jātyāyurbhogāḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
There being a root, there will be fruit: birth, aging, and experience.
te hlādaparitāpaphalāḥ puṇyāpuṇyahetutvāt
te hlādaparitāpaphalāḥ puṇyāpuṇyahetutvāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
These delightful and distressing fruits have merit and demerit as their cause.
pariṇāmatāpasaṃskāraduḥkhair guṇavṛttivirodhāc ca duḥkham eva sarvaṃ vivekinaḥ
pariṇāmatāpasaṃskāraduḥkhair guṇavṛttivirodhāc ca duḥkham eva sarvaṃ vivekinaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Change, austerity, activity, pain, sense contact, whirling, and conflict—to the discerning, however, all is stressful.
heyaṃ duḥkham anāgatam
heyaṃ duḥkham anāgatam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Eliminate future stress!
draṣṭṛdṛśyayoḥ saṃyogo heyahetuḥ
draṣṭṛdṛśyayoḥ saṃyogo heyahetuḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Eliminate its cause: conflating “seeing” with “a seer”!
prakāśakriyāsthitiśīlaṃ bhūtendriyātmakaṃ bhogāpavargārthaṃ dṛśyam
prakāśakriyāsthitiśīlaṃ bhūtendriyātmakaṃ bhogāpavargārthaṃ dṛśyam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
“Seeing” is [merely] the continuous, “brightness” activity with the virtue of transforming the elements and the [visual] faculties into objects of experience.
viśeṣāviśeṣaliṅgamātrāliṅgāni guṇaparvāṇi
viśeṣāviśeṣaliṅgamātrāliṅgāni guṇaparvāṇi
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Differentiated, undifferentiated, distinct or indistinct are just levels of sense contact.
draṣṭā dṛśimātraḥ śuddho 'pi pratyayānupaśyaḥ
draṣṭā dṛśimātraḥ śuddho 'pi pratyayānupaśyaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
“The seer” is only [the action of] seeing: pure attending and observing.
tadartha eva dṛśyasyātmā
tadartha eva dṛśyasyātmā
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
“Seeing” is, essentially, just for that purpose.
kṛtārthaṃ prati naṣṭam apy anaṣṭaṃ tadanyasādhāraṇatvāt
kṛtārthaṃ prati naṣṭam apy anaṣṭaṃ tadanyasādhāraṇatvāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Its purpose done, it vanishes—though the object doesn't, commonly speaking.
svasvāmiśaktyoḥ svarūpopalabdhihetuḥ saṃyogaḥ
svasvāmiśaktyoḥ svarūpopalabdhihetuḥ saṃyogaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The power of ownership over things is a misunderstanding caused by this conflation.
tasya hetur avidyā
tasya hetur avidyā
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The cause of this is ignorance.
tadabhāvāt saṃyogābhāvo hānaṃ taddṛśeḥ kaivalyam
tadabhāvāt saṃyogābhāvo hānaṃ taddṛśeḥ kaivalyam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Eradicating it, the conflation is [also] eradicated. That letting go is seeing liberation.
vivekakhyātir aviplavā hānopāyaḥ
vivekakhyātir aviplavā hānopāyaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Unremitting, detached awareness is the means for attaining detachment.
tasya saptadhā prāntabhūmiḥ prajñā
tasya saptadhā prāntabhūmiḥ prajñā
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
It has seven parts and its final stage is wisdom.
yogāṅgānuṣṭhānād aśuddhikṣaye jñānadīptir ā vivekakhyāteḥ
yogāṅgānuṣṭhānād aśuddhikṣaye jñānadīptir ā vivekakhyāteḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The “limbs” of Yoga, the wearing away of impurities, and the brilliance of *jhana* lead to detached awareness.
यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयोऽष्टावङ्गानि॥
yama-niyamāsana-prāṇāyāma-pratyāhāra-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhayo 'ṣṭāv aṅgāni
Meaning (English)
Restraints, observances, posture, breath-regulation, withdrawal of senses, concentration, meditation, samadhi — these are the eight limbs.
ahiṃsāsatyāsteyabrahmacaryāparigrahā yamāḥ
ahiṃsāsatyāsteyabrahmacaryāparigrahā yamāḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Harmlessness, honesty, non-stealing, chastity and non-addiction are restraint.
jātideśakālasamayānavacchinnāḥ sārvabhaumā mahāvratam
jātideśakālasamayānavacchinnāḥ sārvabhaumā mahāvratam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
[Holding to these five precepts] in all spheres, [regardless of] birth, place, time, and mitigating circumstances constitutes the Great Vow.
śaucasaṃtoṣatapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ
śaucasaṃtoṣatapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Purity, contentment, austerity, recitation, and devotion to the present are the observances.
vitarkabādhane pratipakṣabhāvanam
vitarkabādhane pratipakṣabhāvanam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Afflicted effort implies cultivating the opposite.
vitarkā hiṃsādayaḥ kṛtakāritānumoditā lobhakrodhamohapūrvakā mṛdumadhyādhimātrā duḥkhājñānānantaphalā iti pratipakṣabhāvanam
vitarkā hiṃsādayaḥ kṛtakāritānumoditā lobhakrodhamohapūrvakā mṛdumadhyādhimātrā duḥkhājñānānantaphalā iti pratipakṣabhāvanam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The effort to harm, [lie, steal,] etc.—whether done [personally], caused to be done, or [simply] approved of; whether arising from greed, hatred, or delusion; whether subtle, medium, or extreme—has suffering and unending ignorance as its fruit. Therefore, their opposites should be cultivated.
ahiṃsāpratiṣṭhāyāṃ tatsaṃnidhau vairatyāgaḥ
ahiṃsāpratiṣṭhāyāṃ tatsaṃnidhau vairatyāgaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Being firmly grounded in non-harm, enmity is abandoned in that presence.
satyapratiṣṭhāyāṃ kriyāphalāśrayatvam
satyapratiṣṭhāyāṃ kriyāphalāśrayatvam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Being firmly grounded in honesty ensures that actions are fruitful.
asteyapratiṣṭhāyāṃ sarvaratnopasthānam
asteyapratiṣṭhāyāṃ sarvaratnopasthānam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Being firmly grounded in non-stealing draws you close to all the [world's] treasures.
brahmacaryapratiṣṭhāyāṃ vīryalābhaḥ
brahmacaryapratiṣṭhāyāṃ vīryalābhaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Being firmly grounded in chastity, vitality is obtained.
aparigrahasthairye janmakathaṃtāsaṃbodhaḥ
aparigrahasthairye janmakathaṃtāsaṃbodhaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Being settled on non-addiction awakens us to the process of rebirth.
śaucāt svāṅgajugupsā parair asaṃsargaḥ
śaucāt svāṅgajugupsā parair asaṃsargaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Through purity, the protection of your own limbs and the non-contamination of others.
sattva-śuddhi-saumanasya-ikāgryendriya-jayātma-darśana-yogyatvāni ca
sattva-śuddhi-saumanasya-ikāgryendriya-jayātma-darśana-yogyatvāni ca
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
[The higher] purity of mind is [achieved through] gladness, one-pointedness, mastery of the faculties, and the ability to know one's self.
saṃtoṣād anuttamaḥ sukhalābhaḥ
saṃtoṣād anuttamaḥ sukhalābhaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Contentment is the highest pleasure.
kāyendriyasiddhir aśuddhikṣayāt tapasaḥ
kāyendriyasiddhir aśuddhikṣayāt tapasaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Austerity is the wearing away of [mental] impurities through the power of the body’s faculties.
svādhyāyād iṣṭadevatāsaṃprayogaḥ
svādhyāyād iṣṭadevatāsaṃprayogaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Through recitation, contact with the chosen deity.
samādhisiddhir īśvarapraṇidhānāt
samādhisiddhir īśvarapraṇidhānāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Through devotion to the present, the attainment of *samādhi*.
स्थिरसुखमासनम्॥
sthira-sukham āsanam
Meaning (English)
Posture should be steady and comfortable.
prayatnaśaithilyānantasamāpattibhyām
prayatnaśaithilyānantasamāpattibhyām
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
by deliberate relaxation and nonstop unification
tato dvandvānabhighātaḥ
tato dvandvānabhighātaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
From that, one is not bothered by dualities
tasmin sati śvāsapraśvāsayor gativicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ
tasmin sati śvāsapraśvāsayor gativicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Mindful of inhalation and exhalation in this way, while cutting off [other] activities, is watching the breath.
bāhyābhyantarastambhavṛttir deśakālasaṃkhyābhiḥ paridṛṣṭo dīrghasūkṣmaḥ
bāhyābhyantarastambhavṛttir deśakālasaṃkhyābhiḥ paridṛṣṭo dīrghasūkṣmaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Externally or internally, with a fixed or moving point [of awareness], for a duration or for a count, watch long and short [breaths].
bāhyābhyantaraviṣayākṣepī caturthaḥ
bāhyābhyantaraviṣayākṣepī caturthaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The fourth [*jhana*] transcends in and out.
tataḥ kṣīyate prakāśāvaraṇam
tataḥ kṣīyate prakāśāvaraṇam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
There, the covering of the light [of the *citta*] disappears.
dhāraṇāsu ca yogyatā manasaḥ
dhāraṇāsu ca yogyatā manasaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
And it is there that the mind is [finally] fit for application.
svaviṣayāsaṃprayoge cittasvarūpānukāra ivendriyāṇāṃ pratyāhāraḥ
svaviṣayāsaṃprayoge cittasvarūpānukāra ivendriyāṇāṃ pratyāhāraḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Its things disunite [from it], just as appearances did from the faculties during sense restraint.
tataḥ paramā vaśyatendriyāṇām
tataḥ paramā vaśyatendriyāṇām
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
From this: full control of the faculties.