The great sage Patanjali was known as the father-and-architect of yoga on account of having compiled and systemised all existing knowledge of the subject and giving it a philosophical structure. His Yogasutras is steeped in wisdom and gives a meaningful direction to life, bringing the body, the senses and the mind under control and enabling man to live life in harmony with himself and all around him. The sutras are an amazing study of the mind and its working. They detail how to use intellect to achieve one'sgoals and in the context of yoga they are a means to achieve freedom from the burdens of life.
Patanjali'smission was to reduce the sufferings of the people. He discovered that there were three sources of trouble?the body, the speech and the mind. Patanjali'streatise consists of 195 sutras divided into four chapters?samadhi pada or the thought of yoga, sadhana pada or the practice of yoga, vihbuti pada or the powers of yoga, and kaivalya pada or the goal of yoga.
The samadhi pada describes the means to reach the state of yoga through practice, dispassion, birth, faith and surrender to a higher force. Unwavering faith combined with appropriate practice leads the practitioner to the final stages of yoga?the state of samadhi or oneness with the object of meditation. Patanjali has described the various levels of samadhi and explained how to make possible a smooth transition from one to the other.
Sadhana pada deals with sadhana, the practice. When the guidelines are followed faithfully, practice reduces klesa?the afflictions of the mind?and prepare the mind to scale new heights. Patanjali has described each of the five klesas in detail and analysed their inter-relationships. He has explained how klesas control our thoughts and actions, resulting in unhappiness and therefore must be eliminated. The disharmony in the partnership between ?spirit? and ?matter? causes misery and discriminative knowledge helps to achieve this. The eight-limbed practice or astanga yoga shows one how to do so.
Vibhuti pada describes the last three limbs of astanga yoga?dharana or making the right choice in life; dhyana or establishment and maintenance of contact with the chosen object without distraction; and samadhi or complete and effortless integration with the object of dhyana.
Patanjali has introduced a technical term?samyama, which entails practice of yoga with the qualities of dharana, dhyana and samadhi. They transcend many barriers and some of them reach superhuman realm. They include abilities at the physical level, control over the senses and sensations, special mental faculties, powers to observe and foresee future events and spiritual powers.
Kaivalya pada means complete freedom from all bondage. This chapter in the book enumerates the means to attain the powers and capabilities described earlier. Patanjali had outlined five routes, one of which is yoga. A complete transformation is needed to achieve kaivalya through the help of the teacher. Patanjali has described and analysed the different kinds of teachers and shown how special the yoga teacher is. Here he points out that the mind is inanimate and receives its power from its master, the spirit and its role is only to assist its master. The role of the mind is twofold?it helps to interact with the world and also aids the spirit to understand itself by serving as a mirror. With practice the mind is freed of all misapprehensions, past impressions and bad habits.
At the end of the book are the Sanskrit yogasutras given in English transliteration By harnessing the ancient wisdom, the work provides a meaningful direction for bringing the body, the senses and the mind into a harmonious state, enabling one to live in peace with oneself.
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