atha yoga-anuśāsanam ||1||
This is the beginning of instruction in yoga.
yogaś-citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ ||2||
Yoga is the control of thought-waves in the mind.
Yoga's aim is to control the Vrittis in the Mind (Chitta). Vrittis are the fluctuations or waves of thoughts which arises in the mind.
tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe-'vasthānam ||3||
Then man abides in his real nature.
Man abides in his real nature after Restraining the fluctuations and being in the state Yoga.
vṛtti sārūpyam-itaratra ||4||
At other times, when he is not in the state of yoga, man remains identified with the thought-waves in the mind.
When the man is not in the state of Yoga, he identifies himself with the fluctuations in the mind. It's one of the cause of Pain. Identifying himself with thoughts leads pain. When the emotion of sorrow arises in your mind, you identify yourself with the emotion and say "I am Sad" and start crying. But in reality, we are something beyond thoughts, mind and body. We are the watcher or the observer who just watches the emotion of sorrow in the mind.
This identification with things comes from ignorance of Self (Atman/Purusha). When you know this and separate yourself from your emotions and thoughts you are free from the control of emotions. This is one of the central concept of Hinduism.
vṛttayaḥ pañcatayyaḥ kliṣṭākliṣṭāḥ ||5||
There are five kinds of thought-waves---some painful, others not painful.
pramāṇa viparyaya vikalpa nidrā smṛtayaḥ ||6||
These five kinds of thought-waves are: right knowledge, wrong knowledge, verbal delusion, sleep and memory.
pratyakṣa-anumāna-āgamāḥ pramāṇāni ||7||
The right kinds of knowledge are: direct perception, inference and scriptural testimony.
Direct Perception (Pratyaksa) is when you directly perceive an object. You see an apple and you know there is an apple on the table.
Inference (anumana) is when you see the consequences and you can say it is there. Example, you see the smoke and you can say there is fire.
Spiritual testimonies are those knowledge which were gained by our ancient Rishis in super-conscious state.
These three are called right knowledge.
viparyayo mithyā-jñānam-atadrūpa pratiṣṭham ||8||
Wrong knowledge is knowledge which is false and not based upon the true nature of its object.
Wrong knowledge is the knowledge which is false. Example, when you see a rope and you perceive it as a snake
śabda-jñāna-anupātī vastu-śūnyo vikalpaḥ ||9||
Verbal delusion arises when words do not correspond to reality.
anu-bhūta-viṣaya-asaṃpramoṣaḥ smṛtiḥ ||11||
Memory is when perceived objects are not forgotten, but come back to consciousness.
When you throw a stone in the lake, waves arises. After some time the waves become smaller and smaller and exist in a subtler form for some time. Similarly, when waves of thoughts arises in the mind, after some time, it doesn't immediately dies out. It become smaller and remains in the mind in subtler form, and when you focus on it, it grows.
Example, an event occurred. Thoughts arose in your mind, you perceived it. Now after some time, the wave of thought becomes smaller and it remains in your mind in subtler form (which is memory). When we recall it, the wave of thought grows and we remember the event.
abhyāsa-vairāgya-ābhyāṃ tan-nirodhaḥ ||12||
They are controlled by means of practice and non-attachment.
tatra sthitau yatno-'bhyāsaḥ ||13||
Practice is the repeated effort to follow the disciplines which give permanent control of the thought-waves of the mind.
sa tu dīrghakāla nairantarya satkāra-ādara-āsevito dṛḍhabhūmiḥ ||14||
Practice becomes firmly grounded when it has been cultivated for a long time, uninterruptedly, with earnest devotion.
dṛṣṭa-anuśravika-viṣaya-vitṛṣṇasya vaśīkāra-saṃjṇā vairāgyam ||15||
Non-attachment is self-mastery; it is freedom from desire for what is seen or heard.
tatparaṃ puruṣa-khyāteḥ guṇa-vaitṛṣṇyam ||16||
When, through knowledge of the Atman, one ceases to desire any manifestation of Nature, then that is the highest kind of non-attachment.
These waves of thoughts can be controlled through practice and non-attachment. Constant effort to restrain the Vrittis (fluctuations/waves) in the mind is called Practice.
Non attachment (Vairagya) is giving up the thirst or desire for objects. Vairagya occurs when the person sees the fault in the objects. Objects our mind seeks are temporary. when he realizes, attachment cause pain.
Highest kind of Vairagya is the Vairagya through the knowledge of Self (Atman/ Purusha). When one attains the knowledge of Self, he detaches himself from any kind of manifestation of the Meterial universe (Prakriti).
It's not possible for a householder to practice full Vairagya (detachment), but some amount of Vairagya is necessary for the peace of mind.
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Yoga Sutras With Commentaries
EspiritualYoga Sutras written by Maharishi Patanjali are the Central scripture of Yoga Philosophy of Hinduism. It's the basic foundation of modern Yoga. It's one of the most important scripture of Hinduism Commentaries by Sri Bhargab Borah
