Patanjali Yoga Sutra – Sadhana Pada – Eight limbs of Yoga
2.29.Yamaniyamasanapranayamaprtayaharadharanadhyanasamadhayo’stavangani|
- Yama-self restraints
- Niyama-fixed rules
- Asana-postures
- Pranayama-breath control
- Pratayahara-sense withdrawl
- Dharana-concentration
- Dhyana-meditation
- Samadhai-samadhi
- Asta-eight
- Angani-parts
Personal ethics, social ethics, postures, breath control practice, sense withdrawl from its sense objects, concentration, meditation and samadhi or supersonsciouness, constitute the eight limbs of yoga discipline.
Five Self-Discipline
2.30. AhimsaSatyaAsteyaBrahmacharyaaparigraha Yamah|
- Ahimsa- Non-violence
- Satya- truthfullness
- Asteya- honesty
- Brahmacarya-sensual abstinence
- Aparigraha-non-acquistiveness
- Yamah-self-restraints
Non-violence, truth, honesty, sensual abstinence, and non-possesiveness are the five self-disciplines.
Following Self-Discipline is the great Path
2.31. Jatidesakalasamayanavacchinnah sarvabhauma mahavratam|
- Jati-class of birth
- Desa-country, or place
- Kala-time
- Samaya-circumstances
- Anavacchinnah-unconditioned
- Sarvabhauma-universal
- Mahavratam-the great discipline
It can be practiced universally without exception due to birth, place, time and circumstances then yamas become great disciplines.
Social-discipline for yoga practice
2.32. Sauchasantosatapahsvadhyayesvarapranidhanani niyamah|
- Saucha-clenaliness
- Santosa-contentment
- Tapah-austerity
- Svadhyaya-self-study
- Isvara pranidhanani-resignation to god
- Niyamah-fixed rules
Cleanliness, contentment, austerity, self-study and self-surrender to God constitute social discipline.
Path to remove mind disturbance
- 33. Vitarkabadhane pratipaksabhavanam|
- Vitarka-passions
- Badhane- on disturbances
- Pratipaksa-the opposite
- Bhavanam-pondering over
When the mind is disturbed by passions one should practise contemplating over their opposites nature.
Qualities and characteristics of mind disturbances
2.34. Vitarka himsadayah krtakaritanumodita lobhakrodhamohapurvaka
mrdumadhyadimatraduhkhajnananantaphala iti pratipaksabhavanam|
- Vitarka-evil passions
- Himsadayah-violence and others
- Krta-done by ones self
- Karita-done through others
- Anumodita-approved
- Lobha-greed
- Krodha-anger
- Moha-confusion
- Purvaka-preceded by
- mrdu-mild
- madhya-moderate
- adhimatra-intense
- duhkha-pain
- ajnana-ignorance
- ananta-infinite
- phalah-reults
- iti-like that
- pratipaksa-opposite
- bhavanam-thinking
Thinking of evil thoughts such as violence, whether done through oneself, through others, or approved, is caused by greed, anger and confusion. They can be mild, medium, or intense. Pratipaksha bhavana is thinking that these evil thoughts cause infinite pain and ignorance.
Benefits of following Non-Violence
2.35. Ahimsapratisthayam tatsamnidhau vairatyagah|
- Ahiàsa-non-violence
- Pratisthayam-on being firmly established
- Tatsamnidhau-in its vicinity
- Vaira-hostility
- Tyagah-abandonment
Those who following strongly ahimsa path, there is abandonment of hostility and enmity in his vicinity.
Benefits of following Truthfulness
2.36. Satyapratisthayam kriyaphalasrayatvam|
- Satya-truthfulness
- Pratisthayam-on being firmly established
- Kriya-action
- Phala-result or fruit
- Asrayatvam-basis
Those who following truthfullness, the actions result in fruits, entirely depending on them.
Benefits of being honesty
2.37. Asteyapratisthayam sarvaratnopasthanam|
- Asteya-honesty
- Pratisthayam-on being firmly established
- Sarva-all
- Ratna-gems
- Upasthanam-self-presentation
By being firmly established in honesty path, so all gems present with themselves.
Benefits of being celibacy
2.38. Brahmacharyapratisthayam viryalabhah|
- Brahmacharya-sexual abstinence
- Pratisthayam-on being firmly established
- Virya-indomitable courage
- Labhah-gain
By following celibacy, veerya is gained.
Benefits of following Non-possessiveness
2.39. Aparigrahasthairye janmakathantssambodah|
- Aparigraha-non-possessiveness
- Sthairye-on becoming steady
- Janma-birth
- Kathanta-how and from where
- Sambodah-knowledge
On becoming stable in non-possessiveness, there arises the knowledge of how and from where birth arise.
Benefits of being cleanliness
2.40. Saucat svanga jugupsa parairasaàsargah|
- Saucat-from clealiness
- Svanga-one own body
- Jugupsa-indifference
- Paraih-with others
- Asamsargah-non-attachment
By being cleanliness there comes indifference towards one’s own body and non-attachment to others.
Control of mind through cleanliness
2.41. Satvasuddhi saumanasyaikagryendriyajayatmadarsanayogyatvani cha|
- Satvasuddhi-purity of internal being
- Sauomanasya-cheer fullness
- Ekagrya-one-pointedness
- Indriyajaya-control of senses
- Atmadarsana-vision of the self
- Yogyatvani-ftness
- Cha-and
By the practice of mental purity one gains qualification for cheerfulness, one-pointedness, sense control and vision of the self.
Benefits of being contentment
2.42. Santosadanuttamasukhalabhah|
- Santosad-from contentment
- Anuttamah-unexcelled
- Sukha-pleasure
- Labhah-gain
Infinite happiness comes from the practice of contentment.
Benefits of austerities
2.43. Kayendriya siddhirasuddhiksayattapasah|
- Kaya-the body
- Indriya-sense organ
- Siddhi-perfection
- Asuddhi-impurity
- Ksayat-destruction
- Tapasah-by austerities
By following austerities, impurities are eradicated and there appears perfection in the body and sense organs.
Benefits of self-study
2.44. Svadhyayadistadevatasamprayogah|
- Svadhyayat-by self-awareness, self-obsrvation
- Istadevata-the deity of choice
- Samprayogah-communion
By self-study, union with the desired deity is brought about.
Benefits of self-surrendering to God
2.45. Samadhisiddhirisvarapranidhanat|
- Samadhi- superconsiousness
- Siddhi-perfection
- Isvara-god
- Pranidhanat-self-surrender
Succcess in superconsiousness comes by complete resignation to God.
How should be Asana?
2.46. Sthirasukhamasanam|
- Sthira-steady
- Sukham-comfortable
- Asanam-posture
Steady and comfortable should be the posture.
How to mastery Asana
2.47. Prayatnasaithilyananatasamapattibhyam|
- Prayatna-effort
- Saithilya-looseness
- Ananta-the serpent called ananta
- Samapattibhyam-by meditation
By effortless effort and by meditation on the serpent ananta, asana is mastered.
Benefits of by mastery over Asana
2.48. Tato dvandvanabhighatah|
- Tatah-from that
- Dvandva-pair of opposites
- Anabhighatah-no impact
Thereby the pairs of opposites stop to have any impact.
What is pranayama?
2.49. Tasmin sati svasaprasvasayorgativichchhedah pranayamah|
- Tasmin-on that
- Sati-having been
- Svasaprasvasayah-inhalation, exhalation
- Gati-movement
- Vichchhedah-break, cessation
- Pranayamah-pranayama
After the asana practice done, pranayama is the stopping of the movement of incoming and outcomng breath.
Types of Pranayama
2.50. Bahyabhyantarastambhavrttih desakalasankhyabhih paridrsto dirghasuksmah ,
- Bahyah-outer
- Abhyantara-internal
- Stambhavrttih-supperessed stage
- Desa-place
- Kala-time
- Sankhyabhih-number
- Paridrstah-measured
- Dirgha-prolonged
- Suksmah-subtle
Pranayama is external, internal or suspended, regulated by place, time and number and becomes prolonged and subtle.
Fourth type of pranayama
2.51. Bahyabhyantaravisayaksepi chaturthah|
- Bahya-external
- Abhyantara-internal
- Viñaya-object
- Aksepi-transcending
- Chaturtha-fourth
The fourth pranayama is that which transcends the internal and external object, called it breathless state.
By practicing pranayama luminosity achieved
2.52. Tatah ksiyate prakasavaranam|
- Tatah-thereby
- Ksiyate-disappears
- Prakasa-light
- Avaranam-covering
Thereby the covering of light vanish.
Pranayama for good concentration
2.53. Dharanasu cha yogyata manasah|
- Dharanasu-in concentartion
- Cha-and
- Yogyata-fitness
- Manasah-of the mind
And mind becomes well qualified for concentration.
Withdrawing of the mind
2.54. Svavisayasamprayoge chittasvarupanukara indriyanam pratyaharah|
- Sva-ones own
- Visaya-object
- Asamprayoge-not coming into contact
- Chitta-mind
- Svarupa-own form
- Anukara-imitating
- Iva-as if
- Indriyanam-of the senses
- Pratyaharah-withdrawal
Pratyahara means, the imitation by the senses of the mind by withdrawing them from their respective sense objects.
Mastery over the senses by pratyahara
2.55. Tatah paramavasyatendriyanam|
- Tatah-thereby
- Parama-highest
- Vasyate-mastery
- Indriyanam-of the senses
This is the highest state of mastery over the sense organs by pratyahara practice.