Yogasutra sadhanapada sutra 46-48

Yogasutra sadhanapada sutra 46-48

Sri Sadgurubhyoh namah

46. sthira sukham asanam

Meaning : Steady, comfortable position is called asana.

Use any posture that brings comfort and ease.

47. prayatna shaithilya ananta samapattibhyam

Meaning : In a posture , one should relax, tension free of the body, and merge with the infinite. Asana is one which helps one to forget body.

48. tatah dvandva anabhighata

Meaning : A perfected posture with relaxation, will make one rise above pairs of opposite.

Peace

Yogasutra sadhanapada sutra 40-45

Yogasutra sadhanapada sutra 40-45

Sri Sadgurubhyoh namah

40.sauchat sva-anga jugupsa paraih asamsargah

Meaning : Shaucha (cleanliness of body) leads to jugupsa (non-attachment) of the body, and a non-contact with other bodies.

The body is a vehicle for enlightenment, if one starts hating the body, then the tool is wasted and purpose is defeated. The sutra means, one will develop a clear understanding that body is a vehicle for enlightenment, I am not the body etc.

41. sattva shuddhi saumanasya ekagra indriya-jaya atma darshana yogyatvani cha

Meaning: Cleanliness of mind is called sattva, it brings about, kind-heartedness, purity and clarity, concentration, victory over senses, acquiring qualification for Self-realisation etc.

42. santosha anuttamah sukha labhah

Meaning : Santosha (Contented happiness) brings about extreme pleasure.

43. kaya indriya siddhih ashuddhi kshayat tapasah

Meaning : Tapas(austerity) is that which will remove body and mental impurities, and masters sensory organs.

Tapas is training the senses.

44. svadhyayat ishta samprayogah

Meaning : With Svaadhyaya (study of oneself) , the purpose of yoga is served. The communion of individual self with Self is established.

45. samadhi siddhih ishvarapranidhana

Meaning : Samadhi (balanced intellect) is attained by surrendering to Iswara and it is a fruit of surrender , Grace of Iswara. Samadhi is not a fruit of our effort. But effort should not be stopped as that qualifies us for Grace.

Yogasutra Sadhanapada Sutra 35-39

Yogasutra Sadhanapada Sutra 35-39

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

35. ahimsa pratishthayam tat vaira-tyagah

Meaning : Those yogis that are firmly established in Ahimsa (righteous non-violence) will automatically get rid of its opposites, i.e. enemity, animosity, hatred (vaira, dvesha).

36. satya pratisthayam kriya phala ashrayatvam

Meaning : Those yogis that are firmly established in Truthfulness (satya) will achieve purposefulness and usefulness of action.

37. asteya pratisthayam sarva ratna upasthanam

Meaning : Non-stealing will ensue all treasures come towards the Yogi.

One should not literally take this. The treasures of Yoga is meant.

38. brahmacharya pratisthayam virya labhah

Meaning : People misunderstand this sutra easily and observe celebacy stringently. Brahmacharya as explained before, means 'Being aware of highest reality'. This will energise us.

39. aparigraha sthairye janma kathanta sambodhah

Meaning : Non-possesiveness brings knowledge of past and future reincarnations.

This sutra should also be not taken literally.

We are nothing but our past impressions and future projections of mind. When one is non-possesive of thoughts relating to past and unattached to thoughts about what is to come in future, he stays in present.

Peace

Prasad

Yogasutra sadhanapada sutra 33-34

Yogasutra Sadhanapada sutra 33-34

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

33. vitarka badhane pratipaksha bhavanam

Meaning : When Yama and Niyama are not practiced correctly, opposite and troublesome thoughts will rise. This will be explained further in next sutra.

34. vitarkah himsadayah krita karita anumoditah lobha krodha moha purvakah mridu madhya adhimatrah dukha ajnana ananta phala iti pratipaksha bhavanam

Meaning : The anantaphala("unending result") of mild, medium, intense pain (dukha), ignorance is called pratipksha bhavanam explained in previous sutra-33. This is caused by opposite & troublesome thoughts occuring when Yama & Niyama is not practiced, resulting in Himsa (violence, harm) and other base actions performed by a person, and approving of other's base acts of greed, anger, deluded acts.

Yogasutra sadhanapada sutra 32

Yogasutra sadhanapada sutra 32

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

32.shaucha santosha tapah svadhyaya ishvarapranidhana niyamah

Meaning : Cleanliness of body & mind, contentment & happiness, penance, Self-study of scriptures and study of oneself, surrendering to Iswara forms Niyamah.

Hari OM

Yogasutra Sadhanapada Sutra 30-31

Yogasutra Sadhanapada Sutra 30-31

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

30.ahimsa satya asteya brahmacharya aparigraha yama
Meaning: Ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya(continence), aparigraha (non-possessiveness) is called Yama (code of restraint). The above codes of restraint cover bodily action, speech, and thoughts.

31. jati desha kala samaya anavachchhinnah sarva-bhaumah maha-vratam
Meaning: If the above Yama are practiced irrespective of and unlimited by time, place, type of birth and universal then that becomes a maha-vrata (great vow).

Hari OM

Yogasutra Sadhanapada sutra 26-29

Yogasutra Sadhanapada Sutra 26-29

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

26. viveka-khyatih aviplava hana upayah

meaning: A undisturbed special kind of Discrimination(Viveka-Khyatih aviplava) is the secret of avoiding the danger (hana) of avidya.

Viveka means knowing what is atma(self) and what is anatma (non-self). Vairagya means attachment to Self and non-attachment to non-self.

27. tasya saptadha pranta bhumih prajna

Meaning : For such a one with Viveka, seven phases or stages are there for enlightenment.

28. yoga anga anusthanad ashuddhi kshaye jnana diptih a viveka khyateh

Meaning : One who follows the Anga (limbs) of Yoga will have impurities removed and there will be stages of illumination in intellect till he gets Special kind of discriminating consciousness.

29. yama niyama asana pranayama pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhi ashtau angani

Meaning : What are the limbs of yoga mentioned above ?

Yama, Niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi. These 8 form Ashtanga yoga or 8 limbed Yoga.

HariOM

Prasad

Yogasutra Sadhanapada Sutra 23-25

Yogasutra Sadhanapada sutra 23-25

Sri Sadgurubhyoh namaha

23. sva svami saktyoh svarupa upalabdhi hetuh samyogah

Meaning : The union between seer and seen becomes reason for the thoughts like me, mine and I have this etc.

24. tasya hetuh avidya

Meaning : The reason for this union of seer and seen is avidya (Ignorance).

25. tat abhavat samyogah abhavah hanam tat drishi kaivalyam

Meaning : The lack of this union between seer and seen (avidya) leads one to kaivalyam (liberation, self-realisation).

Hari Om

Prasad

Yogasutra Sadhanapada Sutra 18-22

Yogasutra Sadhanapada sutra 18-22

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

18. prakasha kriya sthiti shilam bhuta indriya atmakam bhoga apavarga artham drishyam

Meaning : Objects (drishyam, seen) are of nature (illumination, activity, inert) and made up of a combination of five basic elements. The five basic elements are prithvi tatva(earth element), Jala tatva (liquid element), Agni tatva (Fire element), Vayu tatva (Wind element), and Akasa tatva (Ether element). They(objects, seen) exist for the purpose of either bhoga(pleasure) through indriyas (10 senses) or for the purpose of self-realisation, liberation.

The same object or seen can cause bondage or liberation depending on your perception. For ex: Science and technology gave us the nuclear science. It is being used in war, medical science to treat people, generate electricity etc.

19. vishesha avishesha linga-matra alingani guna parvani

Meaning : The objects seen are in four stages.

Vishesha : We differentiate objects by their special features. this cow is black, that cow is grey etc. This cow has only one horn.

Avishesha : No special differentiation. cow is a cow. bicycle is a bicycle.

Linga-matra : cow is an animal.

Alingani : cow and you are a part of the universe and it is a whole universe.

The above are perceptions seen by Gunas in different mixes.

20. drashta drishi-matrah suddhah api pratyaya anupashyah

Meaning : The seer is the power of seeing, it is pure and it appears as seeing.

21. tad-artha eva drishyasya atma

Meaning : For the purpose of the Seer only the world of objects exists. The field of experiences is the world of objects, and its purpose is to serve the Seer either in bhoga or liberation as mentioned in sutra-18.

22. krita-artham prati nashtam api anashtam tat anya sadharanatvat

Meaning : Once the purpose of the objective world is served i.e helping self-realisation, The objects are not destroyed for others because of common-ness of the world.

HariOM

Yogasutra Sadhanapada 16-17

Yogasutra Sadhanapada Sutra 16-17

Sri Sadgurubhyoh namaha

16. Heyam dukham anagatam
Meaning : Impending suffering can be and should be avoided. The karma ashaya, which is yet to come into effect will cause suffering. This can be avoided. Buddha said the same, " there is an to suffering".

17. Drashtri dhrushyayoh samyogah heya hetuh
Meaning : The association/uniting of seen with seer is the cause of suffering and should be avoided. Senses come in contact with objects. What is the contact between mind and senses. What is the contact between the enjoyer and mind. If we apply the tool of viveka in the domain of seer and seen, ultimately it is the enjoyer that sees mind, sense inputs, and objects. If there is a distinction in the seeing of the enjoyer that enjoyer is different from seen, then the suffering can be avoided.

Yogasutra Sadhanapada Sutra 15

Yogasutra Sadhanapada Sutra 15

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namaha

15. parinama tapa samskara duhkhaih guna vrittih virodhat cha duhkham eva sarvam vivekinah
Meaning : Vivekinah (wise one), will see that all samskaras (latent impressions) will take effect as worldy experiences (birth, lifespan, experiences) and all the experiences will result in suffering. Pleasurable experiences will also lead to suffering in the end. End of pleasure , and craving for more, or fear of its loss is a suffering.
Buddha says 'Life is full of suffering'. Blessed are those who understood this line.

HariOm
Prasad

Yogasutra Sadhanapada 12-14

Yogasutra Sadhanapada 12-14

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

12. kleshamula karmaashaya drishta adrishta janma vedaniyah
Meaning : Root cause of all Kleshas( Avidya, asmita, raga, dvesha, abhinivesha) is Karmaashaya(Storehouse of karma's effects). Karma=action, and its effects are drishta(which are seen, or taken fruit) or adrishta(unseen, or unborn effect). Every action has a reaction. Jesus said "You reap what you sow", this is karma ashaya. Chitta is a storehouse of impressions of our past karmas and thoughts. Until that is cleared, we need to take janma(rebirth).

13. sati mule tat vipakah jati ayus bhogah

Meaning : The consequences of Karmaashaya determines the type of birth, longevity of life, and experiences we undergo in that life.

During the life taken we do some more actions which will leave some more impressions and subsequently some more lives has to be taken to exhaust them. This is a viscious cycle. as long as the experiences are pleasurable we dont mind. But if the experiences are horrible , then we start looking to break the cycle.

14. te hlada-paritapa-phalah punya apunya hetutvat

Meaning : The consequences (type of birth, longevity of life, experiences of life) are pleasurable or painful depending on the type of karma. If karma is a sin, pain will result. If karma is a virtue, pleasure will result.

What is sin and what is virtue : Forgetting self is a sin. Forgetting Iswara is a sin.

Yogasutra sadhanapada 10-11

Yogasutra Sadhanapada 10 - 11

Sri Sadgurubhyoh namaha

10. te pratiprasava heyah sukshmah

Meaning : When the kleshas (Avidya, asmita, raga, dvesha, abhinivesha) are in subtle form (seed form), they can be overcome by the mind control itself.

11.dhyana heyah tat vrittayah

Meaning : When the kleshas are in action, meditation will bring the mind in control.

This key sutra explains the way to bring the agitated mind into stabilized form. Meditation is the key. There are various meditation techniques on offer. The best one is the one that your Guru teaches you.

Hari OM

11.