Sutras 1.21-1.23

Sutra 1.21

तीव्रसंवेगानामासन्नः॥२१॥tIvrasaMvegaanaam aasannaH

Taimni

"It (samadhi) is nearest to those whose desire (for samadhi) is intensely strong"

A great intensity of desire polarizes all the mental faculties and powers and thus helps very greatly the realization of one’s aims. As opposed to the objectives connected with the external world, the objective of Yoga involves . . . → Read More: Sutras 1.21-1.23

YSP Study Group 06/27/09, sutra 1.20

Sutra 1.20 Aranya

"Others (who follow the path of the prescribed effort) adopt the means of reverential faith, energy, repeated recollection, concentration and real knowledge (and thus attain Asamprajnata-samadhi)."

Yogis (as opposed to Videhas and Prakritilayas, talked about in the previous sutra) adopt the means prescribed in this sutra to achieve ‘asamprajnata samadhi’.

Shraddha . . . → Read More: YSP Study Group 06/27/09, sutra 1.20

Sutra 1.20

श्रद्धावीर्यस्मृतिसमाधिप्रज्ञापूर्वक इतरेषाम्॥२०॥

shraddhaavIryasmRutisamaadhipraj~jaapUravaka itareSham

Taimni

“In the case of others (upaaya-pratyaya yogis) it is preceded by faith, energy, memory and high intelligence necessary for samaadhi”

Patanjali provides a list of traits required by the rest of the sadhakas (not Videhas and Prakritilayas of the previous sutra) for the attainment of a high spiritual ideal. These . . . → Read More: Sutra 1.20

Sutra 1.19

भवप्रत्ययो विदेहप्रकृतिलयानाम्॥१९॥

bhava-pratyayo videha-prakr̥ti-layānām ॥19

Bhava=rebirth; pratyaya=cause; Videha=disembodied; prakr̥ti-layānām=of those merged in Prakriti

Taimni

“Of those who are Videhas and Prakritilayas birth is the cause”

The word Videha literally means the “bodiless” and Prakrtilaya means”merged-in-Prakrti”. Videha most probably refers to a “medium” – a person with a peculiar physical constitution, the peculiarity consisting in the . . . → Read More: Sutra 1.19

YSP Study Group 05/09/09, sutra 1.18

Sutra 1.18 Aranya

"Asamprajnata-Samadhi is the other kind of Samadhi which arises through constant practice of Paravairagya which brings about the disappearance of all fluctuations of the mind, wherein only the latent impressions remain."

Supreme detachment (para-vairagya) is the means of attaining Asamprajnata-Samadhi because it cannot be attained when an object is the basis of . . . → Read More: YSP Study Group 05/09/09, sutra 1.18

YSP Study Group 04/25/09, sutra 1.17

Sutra 1.17 Aranya

“When concentration is reached with the help of Vitarka, Vichara, Ananda and Asmita, it is called Samprajnata-samadhi.”

Samprajnata-samadhi refers to the one-pointed state of the mind (recall the five states mentioned in the commentary on the first sutra – scattered (Kshipta), dull (moodha), partially focused (vikshipta), one-pointed (ekagra), and fully arrested (niruddha)). . . . → Read More: YSP Study Group 04/25/09, sutra 1.17

YSP Study Group 04/11/09, sutra 1.16

Sutra 1.16 Aranya

"Indifference to the Gunas or the constituent principles, achieved through a knowledge of the nature of Purusha, is called Paravairagya (supreme detachment)"

A yogi who has attained the knowledge of ‘purusha’, or the highest form of discriminative knowledge, and has a sharpened intellect becomes indifferent to all manifest and unmanifested states of . . . → Read More: YSP Study Group 04/11/09, sutra 1.16

YSP Study Group 03/14/09, sutras 1.13-1.15

Sutra 1.13 Aranya

"Exertion to acquite ‘sthiti’ or a tranquil state of mind devoid of fluctuations is called practice"

The effort, energy and the enthusiasm needed to achieve a calm state of mind is called practice.Constant practice is needed to maintain whatever state of calmness one has achieved and strive to go deeper with further . . . → Read More: YSP Study Group 03/14/09, sutras 1.13-1.15

Sutra 1.18

विरामप्रत्ययाभ्यासपूर्वः संस्कारशेषोऽन्यः॥१८॥

viraamapratyayaabhyaasapUrvaH saMskaarasheSho&nyaH (sutra 1.18)

viraama=cessation; pratyaya=notion, thought; abhyaasa=practice; pUrvaH=previous; saMskaara=impressions, mental imprints; sheShah=remainder; anyaH=the other (samadhi – asamprajnata samadhi)

"The other samadhi (i.e., Asamprajnata Samadhi) is preceded by cultivating the determination to terminate all thoughts. In this state only the latent impressions remain."

Taimni

In this sutra, Taimni continues the discussion he initiated . . . → Read More: Sutra 1.18

Sutras 1.16, 1.17

Sutra 1.16

(Discussed on 1/24/09)

तत्परं पुरुषख्यातेर्गुणवैतृष्ण्यम्॥१६॥

tatparaṁ puruṣa-khyāteḥ guṇa-vaitr̥ṣṇyam ॥16॥

tat=from that (given in previous sutra); paraṁ=higher; puruṣa=consciousness; khyāteḥ=of knowledge; guṇa=the three gunas – sattva, rajas, tamas; vaitr̥ṣṇyam=absence of desire;

That is the highest Vairagya in which, on account of the awareness of the Purusa, there is cessation of the least desire for . . . → Read More: Sutras 1.16, 1.17