Yoga Sutra Study

Sutra 2.6

दृग्दर्शनशक्त्योरेकात्मतेवास्मिता॥६॥

dRugdarshanashaktyorekaatmatevaasmitaa

dRuk=power of consciousness; seer; Purusha; darshanashaktyoH=power of seeing; cognition; ekaatmata=identity; blending togetether; iv=as if; asmitaa=I-am-ness

Taimni

"Asmita is the identity of blending together, as it were, of the power of consciousness (Purusa) with the power of cognition (Buddhi). "

Asmita is the identification of consciousness with the vehicle through which the power of cognition is being expressed. Asmita literally means I-am-ness or awareness of Self-existence. When, however, it identifies with one of its vehicles, it is no more pure and is bound by the limitations of Avidya. The identification of consciousness with matter proceeds progressively from subtle to grosser elements. In that process, the veil of avidya gets thicker.

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Sutra 2.5

अनित्याशुचिदुःखानात्मसु नित्यशुचिसुखात्मख्यातिरविद्या॥५॥

anityaashuchiduHkhaanaatmasu nityashuchisukhaatmakhyaatiravidyaa

anitya=non-eternal; ashuchi=impure; duHkha=misery, pain; anaatmasu=non-Ataman; nitya=eternal; shuchi=pure; sukha=happiness; atma=self; khyaatiH=knowledge; avidyaa=ignorance

Taimni

"Avidya is taking the non-eternal, impure, evil and non-Atman to be eternal, pure, good and Atman respectively"

The main theme of this sutra is that the Atman in its purity is fully aware of its real nature. Progressive involvement with matter deprives it of this Self-knowledge increasingly; it is the lack of this self-awareness which is called Avidya. This Avidya is brought about by a transcendent power inherent in the Ultimate Reality called Maya. It is only through a process of evolution from the gross matter toward pure consciousness that the self can realize its true nature resulting in Kaivalya. Avidya does not refer to the lack of intellectual knowledge, but the lack of understanding of the essential nature of Self. The four attributes mentioned in this sutra are:

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Sutra 2.4

अविद्याक्षेत्रमुत्तरेषां प्रसुप्ततनुविच्छिन्नोदाराणाम्॥४॥

avidyaakShetramuttareShaM prasuptatanuvichChinnodaaraaNaam

avidyaa= ignorance; kShetram=field; uttareShaM=of the following ones; prasupta=dormant; tanu=attenuated; vichChinna=scattered; udaaraaNaam=expanded, fully operative

Taimni

"Avidya is the source of those that are mentioned after it, whether they be in the dormant, attenuated, alternating or expanded condition."

Avidya is the root-cause of the other four kleshas. Moreover, these kleshas are connected in a series of cause-effect relationship. There are four states in which these kleshas may exist:

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Sutra 2.3

अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः क्लेशाः॥३॥

avidyaasmitaaraagadveShaabhiniveshaaH kleshaaH

avidya=ignorance; asmitaa=I-am-ness; raaga=attachment; dveSha=repulsion; abhiniveshaaH=fear of death; kleshaaH=afflictions

Taimni

"The lack of awareness of Reality, the sense of egoism or I-am-ness, attractions and repulsions towards objects and the strong desire for life are the great afflictions or causes of all miseries in life."

The philosophy of kleshas is the foundation of Patanjali’s yoga system. Purely academic philosophy (the kind practiced in the West) is intellectually sound but speculative and is not concerned with solving real problems of life. In the East, however, philosophy is meant to expound the real problems of human life and provide effective means for a solution.

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Sutra 2.2

समाधिभावनार्थः क्लेशतनूकरणार्थश्च॥२॥

samaadhibhaavanaarthaH kleshatanUkaraNaarthashcha

samaadhi = meditative absorption; bhaavana = bringing about; arthaH = for the purpose of; klesha = afflictions; tanUkaraNa = weaken; arthah = for the purpose of; cha= and

Taimni

"(Kriyga Yoga) is practiced for attenuating kleshas and bringing about Samadhi"

The two results of practicing kriya yoga – attenuation of kleshas and attainment of Samadhi – can be considered initial and ultimate stages of yoga practice. However, these two are connected and complementary. When the kleshas are attenuated, it is easier to practice samadhi and reach the final goal of kaivalya.

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Sutra 2.1

तपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोगः॥१॥

tapaHsvaadhyaayeshvarapraNidhaanaani kRuyaayogaH

tasya = of that; api = also; nirodhe = on suppression; sarva = of all; nirodhaat = by suppression; nirbIjaH = seedless; samAdhiH = samadhi

Taimni

"Austerity, self-study and resignation to Ishvara constitute preliminary yoga"

Since these three elements of Kriya Yoga are the same as the last three of the five Niyamas, the question is why Patanjali decided to place these at two different places. The main reason is that these three serve as a preparation ground so that the yogi is ready to take on other elements of a yoga practice. For a yoga aspirant, a mere intention to follow a yogic path is not enough – there needs to be adequate preparation before one can jump into a full yogic way of life. These three provide that launching pad for the aspirant.

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– by Kailasam

The Buddha diagnosed the symptoms of the Human Condition ( anxiety over birth, death, old age, and disease) and hypothesized that attachment was the cause. Sage Pathanjali pursues the diagnosis even further and proposes that the root cause is the lack of true knowledge ( agnanam). This lack is at the level of day to day life in the form of misapprehension of the true nature of the phenomenal universe and its activities as well as at the level of not knowing the true nature of our “Self”.

The antidote is, again, at two different levels; a) clearing the mind of biases and prejudices of all kinds to be able to reflect without distortion what is sensed. Ordinarily, we do not have unmediated access to the phenomenal world which includes ourselves. Our knowledge is based on processed and interpreted information. Until and unless the processing and interpreting is curbed, we can not know anything for what it is. b) The Truth and Its Operating Principle ( Satyam/Riti) which is at the core of the beginning, during, and the end of all can be approached and experienced by a clear mind and from that state of experiential knowledge one can become conscious of consciousness itself.

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Sutra 1.51

तस्यापि निरोधे सर्वनिरोधान्निर्बीजः समाधिः॥५१॥

tasyaapi nirodhe sarvanirodhaannirbIjaH samAdhiH

tasya = of that; api = also; nirodhe = on suppression; sarva = of all; nirodhaat = by suppression; nirbIjaH = seedless; samAdhiH = samadhi

Taimni

"On suppression of even that owing to suppression of all (modifications of the mind) ‘seedless’ samadhi "is attained)."

Having attained the last stage of the ‘sabija’ (with seed) samadhi, called ‘asmita’, the yogi now needs to transcend the realm of Prakriti altogether to attain Self-realization.
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Sutra 1.50

तज्जः संस्कारोऽन्यसंस्कारप्रतिबन्धी॥५०॥

tajjaH saMskaaro.nyasaMskaarapratibandhI

tajjaH = born of it; saMskaaraH = impression; anya = (of) other; saMskaara = impressions; pratibandhI = preventer, stands in the say of

Taimni

"The impression produced by it (sabija samadhi) stands in the way of other impressions."

While the mind is in the state of sabija samadhi, an impression of the bija (seed) alone is being created in the mind. In this state of concentration, it is impossible for other thoughts to intrude upon the mind and create more impressions. In ordinary life experience, when we are fully engrossed in one activity, it is not easy for other thoughts to get into the mind. However, if we relax the level of concentration before the state of nirbija samadhi is reached, then we are leaving the door open for other thoughts to come into and distract the mind.
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Sutra 1.48

ऋतम्भरा तत्र प्रज्ञा॥४८॥

Rutambharaa tatra praj~jaa

Rutambharaa = truth-bearing; tatra = there (mental purity mentioned in the previous sutra); praj~jaa = higher state of consciousness, intuitive wisdom

Taimni

"There, the consciousness is truth and right-bearing"

The word "ritambhara" is made up of two words – ritam (right) – bhara (bearing) or right/truth-bearing. A distinction needs to be made between "ritam" and "satyam" both of which mean "truth". Satyam refers to the supreme divine reality that manifests as the truth or existence of all things in the universe. Ritam, on the other hand, refers to the ordered course of things both in their material and moral aspects.  Ritam is thus the cosmic order and the eternal laws – natural, moral and spiritual. Ritambhara prajna is the unerring perception of the truth underlying manifestation.

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