Patanjali's Yoga Sutras 2 - Sadhana Pada

  1. Austerity, self-study, and dedication to Isvara are kriya yoga. tap ah-svadhyaya-isvara-pranidhanani kriya-yoga

  2. [It is] for the purposes of cultivating samadhi and attenuating the afflictions. samadhi-bhavana-artha klesa-tanu-karana-arthas ca

  3. Ignorance, I-am-ness, attraction, aversion, and desire for continuity are the afflictions. avidya-asmita-raga-dvesa-abhinivesa

  4. Ignorance is the origin of the others, whether dormant, attenuated, interrupted, or fully active. avidya ksetram uttaresam prasupta-tanu-vicchina-udaranam

  5. Ignorance is seeing the noneternal as eternal, the impure as pure, dissatisfaction as pleasure, and nonself as self. anitya-asuci-duhkha-anatmasu-nitya-suci-sukha-atma-khyatir avidya

  6. I-am-ness is when the two powers of seer and seen [appear] as a single self. drg-darsana-saktyor eka atmata iva asmita

  7. Attraction is clingling to pleasure. sukha-anusayi ragah

  8. Aversion is clinging to dissatisfaction. duhkha-anusayi ragah

  9. Desire for continuity, arising even among the wise, is sustained by self-inclination. svarasa-vahi viduso' pi tatha rudho' bhinivesa

  10. These subtle ones are to be avoided by a return to the origin. te pratiprasava-heya suksmah

  11. Their fluctuations are to be voided by meditation. dhyana-heyas tad-vrttayah

  12. he residue of karma, rooted in affliction, is felt in seen or unseen existence. klesa-mulah karma-asayo drsta-adrsta-janma-vedaniyah

  13. While the root existence, there is fruition of it as birth, duration, and experience. sati mule tad-vipako jaty-ayur-bhogah

  14. These fruits are joyful or painful according to whether the causes are meritorious or demeritorious. te hlada-paritapa-phala punya-apunya-hetutvat

  15. For the discriminating one, all is dissatisfaction due to the conflict of the fluctuations of the gunas and by the dissatisfactions due to parinama, sorrow, and samskaras. parinam-tapa-samskara-duhkhair guna-vrrti-virodhac ca duhkham eva sarvam vivekinah

  16. The dissatisfaction yet to come is to be avoided. heyam duhkham anagatam

  17. The cause of what is to be avoided is the union of seer with the seen. drastr-drsyayoh samyoga heya-hetuh

  18. The seen has the qualities of light, activity, and inertia, consists of the elements and the senses, and has the purposes of experience an liberation. prakasa-kriya-sthiti-silam bhuta-indriya-atmakam bhoga-aparvargartham drsyam

  19. The distinct, the indistinct, the designator, and the unmaifest are the divisions of the gunas. visesa-avisesa-linga-matra-alingani guna-parvani

  20. The seer only sees; though pure, it appears intentional. drastr drsi-matraha suddho'pi pratyaya-anupasyah

  21. The nature of the seen is only for the purpose of that (purusa). tad-artha eva drsyaya-atma

  22. When [its] purpose is done, it disappears; otherwise it does not disappear due to being common to others. krtaa-artham prati nastam apy anastam tad anya-sadharanatva

  23. Union (samyoga) is the cause of apprehending as [one] self-form the two powers of owner and owned. sva-svami-saktyoh sva-rupa-upalabdhi-hetuh samyogah

  24. The cause of it is ignorance. tasya hetur avidya

  25. From its absence, samyoga ceases; [this is] the escape, the isolation from the seen. tad-abhavat samyoga-abhavo hanam tad-drseh kaivalyam

  26. The means of escape is unfaltering discriminative discernment. viveka-khyatir aviplava hanopayah

  27. His wisdom to the last stage is sevenfold. tasya saptadha pranta-bhumih prajna

  28. From following the limbs of yoga, on the destruction of impurity there is a light of knowledge, leading to discriminative discernment. yoga-anga-anusthanad asuddhi-ksaye jnana-diptir a viveka-kyateh

  29. Restraint, observance, postures, control of breath, withdrawal, concentration, meditation, and samadhi are the eight limbs. yama-niyama-asana-pranayama-pratyahara-dharana- dhyana-samadhyo stav-angani

  30. The restraints are nonviolence, truthfulness, nonstealing, sexual restraint, and nonpossession. ahimsa-satya-asteya-brahmacarya-aparigraha yamah

  31. When not limited by life-state, place, time, or circumstance in all occasions. jati-desa-kala-samaya-anavacchinnah sarva-bhauma mahavratam

  32. Purity, contentment, austerity, self-study, and dedication to Isvara are the observances. sasuca-santosha-tapah-svadhyaya-isvara-pranidhanani niyamah

  33. When there is bondage due to discursive thought, the cultivation of the opposite [is prescribed]. vitarka-badhane pratipaksa-bhavanam

  34. Discursive thoughts like violence, etc., whether done, caused or approved, consisting in lust, anger, or delusion, and whether mild, medium, or intense, have as their endless fruits *** and ignorance; thus, cultivation of opposites [is prescribed]. vitarka himsa-adayah krta-karita-anumodita lobha-krodha-moha-purvaka mrdu-madhya-adhimatra duhkha-ajnana-ananta-phala iti pratipaksa-bhavanam

  35. When in the presence of one established in nonviolence, there is the abandonment of hostility. ahimsa-pratistayam tat-samnidhau vira-tyagah

  36. When established in truthfulness, [there is] correspondence between action and fruit. satya-pratisthyam kriya-phala-asrayatvam

  37. When established in nonstealing, [whatever is] present is all jewels. asteya-pratisthyam sarva-ratna-upasthanam

  38. When established in sexual restraint, vigor is obtained. brahmacarya-pratisthayam virya-labhah

  39. When steadfast in nonpossession, there is knowledge of "the how" of existence. aparigraha-sthairye janma-kathamta sambodhah

  40. From purity arises dislike of one's own body and noncontact with others. saucat sva-anga-jugupsa parair asamsargah

  41. And purity of sattva, cheerfulness, onepointedness, mastery of the senses, and fitness for the vision of the self. sattva-suddhi-saumanasya-eka-agrya-indriya-jaya-atma-darsana-yogyatvani ca

  42. From contentment, unsurpassed happiness is obtained. samtosad anuttamah sukha-labhah

  43. From austerity arises the destruction of impurity and the perfection of the body and the senses. kaya-indriya-siddhir asuddhi-ksayat tapasah

  44. From self-study arises union with the desired diety. svadhyayad ista-devata-samprayogah

  45. Perfection in samadhi [arises] from dedication to Isvara. ahimsa-pratistayam tat-samnidhau vira-tyagah

  46. Asana is steadiness and ease. sthira-sukham asanam

  47. From relaxation of effort and endless unity. prayatna-saithiya-ananta-samapattibhyam

  48. Thus, there is no assault by the pairs of opposites. tato dvandva-anabhighatah

  49. Being in this, there is control of the breath, which is cutting off of the motion of inbreath and outbreath. tasmin sati svasa-prasvasayor gati-viccedah pranayamah

  50. Its fluctuations are external, internal, and suppressed; it is observed according to time, place, and number, and becomes long and subtle. baha-abhyantara-stambha-vrttir desa-kala-samkhyabhih paridrsto dirgha-suksmah

  51. The fourth is withdrawal from external and internal conditions [of breath]. bahya-abhyantara-visaya-aksepi caturthah

  52. Thus, the covering of light is dissolved. tath ksiyate prakasa-avaranam

  53. And there is fitness of the mind organ for concentrations. dharanasu ca yogyatamanasah

  54. Withdrawal of the senses is the disengagement from conditions as if in imitation of the own-form of the mind. sva-visaya-asamprayoge cittasya sva-rupa-anukara iva indriyanam pratyaharah

  55. Then arises utmost command of the senses. tath parama vasyata indriyanam



Chapter 1 - Samadhi Pada   Chapter 3    Chapter 4

Words cannot convey the value of yoga - it has to be experienced.

- BKS Iyengar