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Pātañjala Yoga Sūtras • Chapter 01

Samādhi Pāda

समाधिपादः

Portion on Contemplation / Meditative Absorption

Total: 51 Verses • Citations: YS 1.1–51 • 11 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 2 (Verses 30 shown)
अथ योगानुशासनम्
English Translation
Now, the discipline of Yoga.
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Now (atha) the discipline (anuśāsanam) of Yoga (yoga)
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः
English Translation
Yoga is the suppression of the modifications of the mind
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Yoga (yogaḥ) is ceasing (nirodhaḥ) of the transformations (vṛtti) of the mind (citta)
तदा द्रष्टुः स्वरूपेऽवस्थानम्
English Translation
Then the seer abides in his own nature
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Then (tadā), the Seer (draṣṭuḥ) abides (avasthānam) in their own nature (sva-rūpe)
वृत्तिसारूप्यमितरत्र
English Translation
At other times, the seer identifies with the modifications
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Otherwise (itaratra), transformations (vṛtti) assume Identity (sārūpyam)
वृत्तयः पञ्चतय्यः क्लिष्टा अक्लिष्टाः
English Translation
The mental modifications are five-fold and are either painful or not painful
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Transformations (vṛttayaḥ) ,of five kinds (pañcatayyaḥ) , are either afflicating (kliṣṭāḥ) or not-afflicting (akliṣṭāḥ),
प्रमाणविपर्ययविकल्पनिद्रास्मृतयः
English Translation
They are right knowledge, wrong knowledge, conceptualization, sleep, and memory
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Valid knowledge (pramāṇa), Misconstrual (viparyaya), Musing (vikalpa), Sleep (nidrā), and Remembrance (smṛtayaḥ)
प्रत्यक्षानुमानागमाः प्रमाणानि
English Translation
The sources of right knowledge are direct perception, inference, and scriptural testimony
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Perception (pratyakṣa), inference (anumāna), and testimony (āgamāḥ) constitute Valid knowledge (pramāṇāni)
विपर्ययो मिथ्याज्ञानमतद्रूपप्रतिष्ठम्
English Translation
Wrong knowledge is a false conception of a thing whose real form does not correspond to such a mistaken conception
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Misconstrual (viparyayaḥ) is illusory (mithyā) knowledge (jñānam) based (pratiṣṭham) on apperance (rūpa) , not That (atad)
शब्दज्ञानानुपाती वस्तुशून्यो विकल्पः
English Translation
An image conjured up by words without any substance behind it is fancy
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Musing (vikalpaḥ) arises (anupātī) from cognition (jñāna) unanchored (śūnya) to any object (vastu)
अभावप्रत्ययालम्बना वृत्तिर्निद्रा
English Translation
That mental modification supported by cognition of nothingness is sleep
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
The transformation (vṛttiḥ) of sleep (nidrā) is grounded (ālambanā) in the absence (abhāva) of mental dispositions (pratyaya)
अनुभूतविषयासम्प्रमोषः स्मृतिः
English Translation
Memory is the retention of experiences
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Remembrance (smṛtiḥ) is the retention of experiences (anubhūta) regarding objects (viṣaya) without delusion (asaṁpramoṣaḥ)
अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः
English Translation
These mental modifications are restrained by practice and non-attachment
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Through practice (abhyāsa) and detachment (vairāgya), that (tan) modification of the mind (citta) is restrained (nirodhaḥ)
तत्र स्थितौ यत्नोऽभ्यासः
English Translation
Practice is the effort to remain firmly established in the chosen state
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Practice (abhyāsa) is the effort (yatnaḥ) to steady (sthitau) that (tatra)
स तु दीर्घकालनैरन्तर्यसत्कारासेवितो दृढभूमिः
English Translation
Practice becomes firmly grounded when continued with reverent devotion and without interruption over a long period of time
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
That (sa tu), if done over a long time (dīrgha-kāla), without interruption (nairantarya), and with sincere devotion (satkāra-sevitaḥ), becomes firmly (dṛḍha) established (bhūmiḥ)
दृष्टानुश्रविकविषयवितृष्णस्य वशीकारसञ्ज्ञा वैराग्यम्
English Translation
Dispassion is the mastery over desire for objects seen or heard about
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Dispassion (vairāgyam) is called (sañjñā) mastery (vaśīkāra) over craving (vitṛṣṇasya) for objects (viṣaya) seen (dṛṣṭa) or heard (anuśravika)
तत्परं पुरुषख्यातेर्गुणवैतृष्ण्यम्
English Translation
The highest state of dispassion is freedom from desires of the gunas (qualities of nature) achieved through knowledge of the Purusha (Self)
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Higher(paraṁ) than that (tat) is the realized (khyāteḥ) Sages (puruṣa) dispassion (vaitṛṣṇyam) towards attributes (guṇa)
वितर्कविचारानन्दास्मितारूपानुगमात्सम्प्रज्ञातः
English Translation
Cognitive meditation is accompanied by reasoning, reflection, bliss, and the sense of I-am-ness
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Samprajnata (saṁprajñātaḥ) is accompanied by (anugamāt) reasoning (vitarka), reflection (vicāra), bliss (ānanda), and the sense of individuality (asmitā-rūpa)
विरामप्रत्ययाभ्यासपूर्वः संस्कारशेषोऽन्यः
English Translation
Another kind of meditation is preceded by the practice of stopping all mental modifications and leaving only residual impressions
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Another (anyaḥ) [Asamprajnata Samadhi] arises by practice (abhyāsa) of cessation (virāma-pratyaya), where only residual (śeṣaḥ) impressions (saṁskāra) remain
भवप्रत्ययो विदेहप्रकृतिलयानाम्
English Translation
Meditation with an object is for those who are attached to bodily existence or those who are absorbed in the primal cause of nature
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
The existence (bhava) of those who are disembodied (videha) or merged into primal nature (prakṛtilaya) is supported by subtle mental causes (pratyaya)
श्रद्धावीर्यस्मृतिसमाधिप्रज्ञापूर्वक इतरेषाम्
English Translation
For others, the practice is preceded by faith, energy, memory, deep concentration, and wisdom
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
For others (itareṣām), progress is preceded by (pūrvaka) faith (śraddhā), energy (vīrya), mindfulness (smṛti), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā)
तीव्रसंवेगानामासन्नः
English Translation
For those who have intense enthusiasm, the goal is near
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Intense (tīvra) zeal (saṁvega), nears (āsannaḥ) [realization]
मृदुमध्याधिमात्रत्वात्ततोऽपि विशेषः
English Translation
Due to the mild, medium, and intense nature of practice, there are further distinctions
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Mild (mṛdu), medium (madhyama), or intense (adhimātratvāt) practice indeed (api) delineates (viśeṣaḥ) [the outcomes]
ईश्वरप्रणिधानाद्वा
English Translation
Or by surrendering to Ishvara (the Supreme Being)
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Or (vā), by devotion (praṇidhānāt) to the Divine (Īśvara)
क्लेशकर्मविपाकाशयैरपरामृष्टः पुरुषविशेष ईश्वरः
English Translation
Ishvara is a special Self, untouched by afflictions, actions, results, and impressions
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Īśvara (īśvaraḥ) is a particular (viśeṣaḥ) Puruṣa (puruṣaḥ), untouched (aparāmṛṣṭaḥ) by the afflictions (kleśa), actions (karma), the fruition (vipāka) of actions, and latent impressions (āśaya)
तत्र निरतिशयं सर्वज्ञवीजम्
English Translation
In Him is the seed of omniscience
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Therein (tatra), the all-knowing (sarvajña), unsurpassable (niratiśayaṁ) source (bījam)
पूर्वेषामपि गुरुः कालेनानवच्छेदात्
English Translation
He is the teacher of even the ancient teachers, being not limited by time
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Also (api) the teacher (guruḥ) of the ancient ones (pūrveṣām) beyond (anavacchedāt) time (kālena)
तस्य वाचकः प्रणवः
English Translation
His expression is the sacred syllable Om
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
The word (vācakaḥ) to designate [Eshvara] (tasya) is Om̐ (praṇavaḥ)
तज्जपस्तदर्थभावनम्
English Translation
Its repetition and contemplation of its meaning should be practiced
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Repeat (japaḥ) it (tat) and contemplate (bhāvanam) its (tat) meaning (artha)
ततः प्रत्यक्चेतनाधिगमोऽप्यन्तरायाभावश्च
English Translation
From this practice, the consciousness turns inward and the obstacles are removed
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
From that (tataḥ), is the attainment (adhigamaḥ) of inner (pratyak) consciousness (cetana) and the removal (abhāvaḥ) of obstacles (antarāya)
व्याधिस्त्यानसंशयप्रमादालस्याविरतिभ्रान्तिदर्शनालब्धभूमिकत्वानवस्थितत्वानि चित्तविक्षेपास्तेऽन्तरायाः
English Translation
Disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, non-abstinence, delusion, lack of progress, and instability of mind are the obstacles
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Sickness (vyādhi), mental inefficiency (styāna), doubt (saṁśaya), carelessness (pramāda), laziness (ālasya), non-detachment (avirati), delusion (bhrānti), failure to attain a higher stage of practice (alabdhabhūmikatva), and instability in maintaining that stage (anavasthitatva) are distractions (cittavikṣepa), and obstacles (antarāyāḥ) Sickness (vyādhi), mental inefficiency (styāna), doubt (saṁśaya), negligence (pramāda), idleness (ālasya), non-abstention (avirati), erroneous perception (bhrānti-darśana), the state of not attaining (alabdha) any yogic stage (bhūmikatva), and unsteadines (anavasthitatvāni). These (te) mental (citta) projections (vikṣepāḥ) are the obstacles (antarāyāḥ)
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