Patanjali Yoga Sutra

1. An overview by Praveen Gupta
Email: rugbymeditation@yahoo.co.uk
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3. Preface
Patanjali’s Yoga sutras were the answers given by
Saga Patanjali to his students over a period of time in
around 600 BC. These 196 answers in the form of
sutras (aphorisms) creating a step by step guidance to
achieve “Samadhi”. The above 196 sutras were
compiled in four chapters as below.
Chapter 1  Chapter 2  Chapter 3  Chapter 4 -
Aims of Yoga – 51 Sutras
Practice of Yoga - 55 Sutras
Power through Yoga - 56 Sutras
Liberation through Yoga- 34 Sutras
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4. Introduction
We do not know the exact questions of
students but we have tried to formulate the
probable questions in the following slides,
based on the answers given by Patanjali.
Numbers indicated in bracket are Yoga Sutra
numbers which provide answers to those
questions.
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5. 1 - Aims of Yoga: (51 sutras)
What is the definition of Yoga ? (2-4)
What are the colouring of mind (5-11)
How to get rid of these colourings ? (12-16)
Types of initial Samadhi? (17-18)
How long with it take to achieve? (19-22)
Is there an easier route? (23)
Elaborate the easier route ? (24-29)
Obstacles and solutions (30-32)
Different methods to stabilize the mind? (33-39)
Further states of Samadhi (40-51)
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6. 2 - Practice of Yoga: (55 sutras)
What is practical Yoga (1-2)
What are the causes of misery? (3-9)
How are they destroyed ? (10-11)
Why they should be destroyed ? (12-15)
Can future miseries be avoided ? (16)
What is the fundamental cause ? ( 17)
What is Seer and Seen ? (18-22)
Why are they(seer and seen) brought together (23)
How are they brought together? (24)
How can they be separated ? (25-28)
What is Astanga Yoga? (29-55)
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7. 3 – Spiritual Power gained
through Yoga: (56 sutras)
Astanga Yoga – contd ? (1-3)
Concept of Samyama (4-8)
Powers gained through Samyama (9-37)
What to do with these powers? (38)
Other supernatural powers through Samyama(39-49)
Gaining higher knowledge (50-56)
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8. 4 - Liberation through Yoga: (34)
Ways of getting subtler experiences (1)
Fundamental laws of creation (2-3)
Emergence of mind (4-6)
Actions and Impressions (7-11)
Theory of mental perception (12-23)
Limitation and struggle in final stages (24-29)
Consequences of attaining Liberation(30-34)
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9. My favorites – Chapter 1
1.1 Atha yoga anushasnam (Now is the discipline of Yoga)
1.2 Yogas citta vritti nirodah (Yoga is the cessation of mind)
1.12 Abhyasa-vairagyam tan-nirodhah (Cessation of mind
can be brought about by consistent practice and nonattachment)
1.23 Isvara-pranidhanad va (Success is also attained by
those who surrender to God)
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10. My favorites – Chapter 2
2.3 Avidya asmita raga dvesha abhinivesha pancha klesha
(Miseries are caused by : Lack of awareness, Egoism,
Attractions, Repulsions and fear of death)
2.15 Parinama tapa samskara duhkhaih guna vrittih virodhat cha
duhkham eva sarvam vivekinah (The wise person realizes that
everything leads to misery because of change, anxiety, past
experience and the conflicts that arise between the three
attributes and the five modifications of the mind)
2.16 heyam duhkham anagatam (Future misery can be avoided)
2.17 drashtri drishyayoh samyogah heya hetuh (The link
between seer and seen that creates misery is to be broken)
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11. My favorites – Chapter 2…
2.28 yoga anga anusthanad ashuddhi kshaye jnana diptih
a viveka khyateh (By practising the different steps of yoga
for the destruction of impurity, there arises spiritual
illumination which develops into awareness of reality)
2.29 yama niyama asana pranayama pratyahara dharana
dhyana samadhi ashtau angani (The eight steps of yoga
are : Self Restraint, Fixed Observance, Posture, Breath
Regulation, Abstraction, Concentration, Meditation and Self
Realisation)
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12. My favorite - Chapter 2..
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13. My favorite - Chapter 3
3.38 te samadhau upasargah vyutthane siddhayah (These
are the powers which are achievement but obstacles on the
path of ultimate liberation)
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14. My favorite - Chapter 4
4.1 Janma osadhi mantra tapah samadhi jah siddhyayah
(The powers are revealed at Birth or acquired through
drugs, repeating sacred words, Austerities or Samadhi)
4.7 Karma ashukla akrisnam yoginah trividham itaresam
(The Yogi’s karmas are neither pure nor impure – but all
other’s are threefold: Pure, impure and mixed)
4.25 Vishesa darshinah atma bhava bhavana vinivrittih (For
one who has experienced this distinction between seer and
this mind even the curiosity about the nature of one's own
self come to an end)
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15. An overview by Praveen Gupta
Contact : rugbymeditation@yahoo.co.uk
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