Chapter 2: Sadhana Pada: kriya yoga and eight limbs

तपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोगः

tapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni kriyāyogaḥ

Austerity (tapas), self-study (svadhyaya) and surrender to Ishvara together make up kriya yoga, the yoga of practice.

समाधिभावनार्थः क्लेशतनूकरणार्थश्च

samādhibhāvanārthaḥ kleśatanūkaraṇārthaśca

Kriya yoga is practised to bring about samadhi and to thin out the afflictions (kleshas).

अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः क्लेशाः

avidyāsmitārāgadveṣābhiniveśāḥ kleśāḥ

The afflictions are ignorance (avidya), the sense of 'I' (asmita), attachment, aversion, and clinging to life.

अविद्या क्षेत्रं उत्तरेषां प्रसुप्ततनुविच्छिन्नोदाराणां

avidyā kṣetraṃ uttareṣāṃ prasuptatanuvicchinnodārāṇāṃ

Ignorance is the field in which the other afflictions grow, whether they lie dormant, thinned, interrupted or fully active.

अनित्याशुचिदुःखानात्मसु नित्यशुचिसुखात्मख्यातिरविद्या

anityāśuciduḥkhānātmasu nityaśucisukhātmakhyātiravidyā

Ignorance is taking the impermanent for permanent, the impure for pure, sorrow for joy, and the non-Self for the Self.

दृग्दर्शनशक्त्योरेकात्मतेवास्मिता

dṛgdarśanaśaktyorekātmatevāsmitā

Asmita is treating the power of seeing (the Self) and the instrument of seeing (the mind) as though they were one.

सुखानुशयी रागः

sukhānuśayī rāgaḥ

Attachment (raga) is what follows upon pleasure, the pull towards what once gave delight.

दुःखानुशयी द्वेषः

duḥkhānuśayī dveṣaḥ

Aversion (dvesha) is what follows upon pain, the recoil from what once caused suffering.

स्वरसवाही विदुषोऽपि तथारूढोऽभिनिवेशः

svarasavāhī viduṣo'pi tathārūḍho'bhiniveśaḥ

Clinging to life (abhinivesha) flows by its own momentum and is rooted even in the learned; it is the fear of death felt by all.

ते प्रतिप्रसवहेयाः सूक्ष्माः

te pratiprasavaheyāḥ sūkṣmāḥ

In their subtle form, these afflictions are to be removed by turning the mind back to its source, dissolving them into their cause.

ध्यानहेयास्तद्वृत्तयः

dhyānaheyāstadvṛttayaḥ

Their active, surfacing movements are to be removed by meditation (dhyana), before they sink back to the subtle state.

क्लेशमूलः कर्माशयो दृष्टादृष्टजन्मवेदनीयः

kleśamūlaḥ karmāśayo dṛṣṭādṛṣṭajanmavedanīyaḥ

The store of karma has the afflictions as its root, and it is experienced in the present birth or in births yet unseen.

सति मूले तद्विपाको जात्यायुर्भोगाः

sati mūle tadvipāko jātyāyurbhogāḥ

While the root remains, it ripens into birth, length of life and experience.

ते ह्लादपरितापफलाः पुण्यापुण्यहेतुत्वात्

te hlādaparitāpaphalāḥ puṇyāpuṇyahetutvāt

These bear joy or anguish as their fruit, according to whether they arise from merit or demerit.

परिणामतापसंस्कारदुःखैर्गुणवृत्तिविरोधाच्च दुःखमेव सर्वं विवेकिनः

pariṇāmatāpasaṃskāraduḥkhairguṇavṛttivirodhācca duḥkhameva sarvaṃ vivekinaḥ

For the discerning, all is sorrow, because of change, anxiety and lingering impressions, and because the gunas are ever in conflict.

हेयं दुःखं अनागतं

heyaṃ duḥkhaṃ anāgataṃ

Sorrow that has not yet come is what should be avoided; past sorrow is spent and present sorrow is being lived.

द्रष्टृदृश्ययोः संयोगो हेयहेतुः

draṣṭṛdṛśyayoḥ saṃyogo heyahetuḥ

The cause of what is to be avoided is the union of the Seer with the seen.

प्रकाशक्रियास्थितिशीलं भूतेन्द्रियात्मकं भोगापवर्गार्थंदृश्यं

prakāśakriyāsthitiśīlaṃ bhūtendriyātmakaṃ bhogāpavargārthaṃdṛśyaṃ

The seen has the nature of light, activity and stability; it consists of the elements and the senses, and it exists for the Seer's experience and liberation.

विशेषाविशेषलिङ्गमात्रालिङ्गानि गुणपर्वाणि

viśeṣāviśeṣaliṅgamātrāliṅgāni guṇaparvāṇi

The stages of the gunas are the particular, the unparticular, the merely marked and the unmarked, from gross elements back to unmanifest Prakriti.

द्रष्टा दृशिमात्रः शुद्धोऽपि प्रत्ययानुपश्यः

draṣṭā dṛśimātraḥ śuddho'pi pratyayānupaśyaḥ

The Seer is pure seeing alone; though pure, it witnesses through the ideas of the mind.

तदर्थ एव दृश्यस्यात्मा

tadartha eva dṛśyasyātmā

The very being of the seen is for the sake of the Seer alone.

कृतार्थं प्रति नष्टं अप्यनष्टं तद् अन्यसाधारणत्वात्

kṛtārthaṃ prati naṣṭaṃ apyanaṣṭaṃ tad anyasādhāraṇatvāt

For one whose purpose is fulfilled, the seen ceases, yet it does not cease to exist, since it is shared by others still bound.

स्वस्वामिशक्त्योः स्वरूपोपलब्धिहेतुः संयोगः

svasvāmiśaktyoḥ svarūpopalabdhihetuḥ saṃyogaḥ

The union of owner and owned is what makes possible the recognition of the true nature of both powers.

तस्य हेतुरविद्या

tasya heturavidyā

The cause of that union of Seer and seen is ignorance (avidya), the failure to tell the Self apart from what it sees.

तदभावात्संयोगाभावो हानं तद्दृशेः कैवल्यं

tadabhāvātsaṃyogābhāvo hānaṃ taddṛśeḥ kaivalyaṃ

When ignorance is gone, the union is gone; this removal is the Seer's freedom, kaivalya, aloneness in its own nature.

विवेकख्यातिरविप्लवा हानोपायः

vivekakhyātiraviplavā hānopāyaḥ

The means to this freedom is unwavering discriminative knowledge, the clear seeing that the Self is distinct from Prakriti.

तस्य सप्तधा प्रान्तभूमिः प्रज्ञा

tasya saptadhā prāntabhūmiḥ prajñā

For such a yogi, wisdom reaches its final level in seven stages.

योगाङ्गानुष्ठानादशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञानदीप्तिर् आविवेकख्यातेः

yogāṅgānuṣṭhānādaśuddhikṣaye jñānadīptir āvivekakhyāteḥ

By practising the limbs of yoga, impurity wanes and the light of knowledge shines, up to discriminative knowledge.

यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयोऽष्टावङ्गानि

yamaniyamāsanaprāṇāyāmapratyāhāradhāraṇādhyānasamādhayo'ṣṭāvaṅgāni

The eight limbs are yama (restraints), niyama (observances), asana (posture), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi.

अहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः

ahiṃsāsatyāsteyabrahmacaryāparigrahā yamāḥ

The yamas, or restraints, are non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, brahmacharya (continence) and non-possessiveness. They govern one's conduct towards others.

जातिदेशकालसमयानवच्छिन्नाः सार्वभौमा महाव्रतं

jātideśakālasamayānavacchinnāḥ sārvabhaumā mahāvrataṃ

When they are kept without exception of birth, place, time or circumstance, they are universal, the great vow (mahavrata).

शौचसंतोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः

śaucasaṃtoṣatapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ

The niyamas, or observances, are purity, contentment, austerity, self-study and surrender to Ishvara. They shape the seeker's own inner discipline.

वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनं

vitarkabādhane pratipakṣabhāvanaṃ

When troubled by contrary thoughts that oppose the yamas and niyamas, one should cultivate their opposites in the mind.

वितर्का हिंसादयः कृतकारितानुमोदिता लोभक्रोधमोहपूर्वकामृदुमध्याधिमात्रा दुःखाज्ञानानन्तफला इतिप्रतिपक्षभावनं

vitarkā hiṃsādayaḥ kṛtakāritānumoditā lobhakrodhamohapūrvakāmṛdumadhyādhimātrā duḥkhājñānānantaphalā itipratipakṣabhāvanaṃ

Contrary thoughts such as violence, whether done, caused or approved, born of greed, anger or delusion, mild, middling or intense, bear endless sorrow and ignorance as fruit; so reflecting is cultivating the opposite.

अहिंसाप्रतिष्ठायां तत्संनिधौ वैरत्यागः

ahiṃsāpratiṣṭhāyāṃ tatsaṃnidhau vairatyāgaḥ

When non-violence is firmly established, enmity is given up in that yogi's presence.

सत्यप्रतिष्ठायां क्रियाफलाश्रयत्वं

satyapratiṣṭhāyāṃ kriyāphalāśrayatvaṃ

When truthfulness is firmly established, actions and their fruits come to rest on the yogi's word; what he says comes to pass.

अस्तेयप्रतिष्ठायां सर्वरत्नोपस्थानं

asteyapratiṣṭhāyāṃ sarvaratnopasthānaṃ

When non-stealing is firmly established, all jewels present themselves to the yogi.

ब्रह्मचर्यप्रतिष्ठायां वीर्यलाभः

brahmacaryapratiṣṭhāyāṃ vīryalābhaḥ

When brahmacharya is firmly established, vigour (virya) is gained, a strength of body and mind that the yogi can use for the path and for teaching.

अपरिग्रहस्थैर्ये जन्मकथंतासंबोधः

aparigrahasthairye janmakathaṃtāsaṃbodhaḥ

When non-possessiveness is steady, there comes knowledge of the how and why of one's births.

शौचात्स्वाङ्गजुगुप्सा परैरसंसर्गः

śaucātsvāṅgajugupsā parairasaṃsargaḥ

From purity comes detachment from one's own body and freedom from contact with the bodies of others.

सत्त्वशुद्धिसौमनस्यैकाग्र्येन्द्रियजयात्मदर्शनयोग्यत्वानि च

sattvaśuddhisaumanasyaikāgryendriyajayātmadarśanayogyatvāni ca

Also from purity come clarity of being, cheerfulness, one-pointedness, mastery of the senses, and fitness for seeing the Self.

संतोषादनुत्तमः सुखलाभः

saṃtoṣādanuttamaḥ sukhalābhaḥ

From contentment comes happiness that nothing can surpass, since desire, the source of restlessness, has been laid down.

कायेन्द्रियसिद्धिरशुद्धिक्षयात्तपसः

kāyendriyasiddhiraśuddhikṣayāttapasaḥ

Through austerity impurity is destroyed, and perfection of body and senses is attained.

स्वाध्यायादिष्टदेवतासंप्रयोगः

svādhyāyādiṣṭadevatāsaṃprayogaḥ

Through self-study one comes into communion with one's chosen deity (ishta devata).

समाधिसिद्धिरीश्वरप्रणिधानात्

samādhisiddhirīśvarapraṇidhānāt

Through surrender to Ishvara, samadhi is perfected; offering everything to the Lord removes the hindrances of the ego.

स्थिरसुखं आसनं

sthirasukhaṃ āsanaṃ

Asana, the seat or posture for meditation, should be steady and comfortable, so that the body no longer draws the mind's attention.

प्रयत्नशैथिल्यानन्तसमापत्तिभ्यां

prayatnaśaithilyānantasamāpattibhyāṃ

It is perfected by relaxing effort and by letting the mind rest on the infinite.

ततो द्वन्द्वानभिघातः

tato dvandvānabhighātaḥ

From that, one is no longer struck by the pairs of opposites, such as heat and cold.

तस्मिन्सति श्वासप्रश्वासयोर्गतिविच्छेदः प्राणायामः

tasminsati śvāsapraśvāsayorgativicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ

Once posture is mastered, pranayama is the pause in the flow of in-breath and out-breath.

बाह्याभ्यन्तरस्तम्भवृत्तिर् देशकालसंख्याभिःपरिदृष्टो दीर्घसूक्ष्मः

bāhyābhyantarastambhavṛttir deśakālasaṃkhyābhiḥparidṛṣṭo dīrghasūkṣmaḥ

It is external, internal or held still; regulated by place, time and number, it becomes long and subtle.

बाह्याभ्यन्तरविषयाक्षेपी चतुर्थः

bāhyābhyantaraviṣayākṣepī caturthaḥ

The fourth kind of pranayama goes beyond the spheres of the external and the internal.

ततः क्षीयते प्रकाशावरणं

tataḥ kṣīyate prakāśāvaraṇaṃ

From that pranayama, the covering of impressions that veils the inner light of knowledge is thinned away.

धारणासु च योग्यता मनसः

dhāraṇāsu ca yogyatā manasaḥ

And the mind becomes fit for concentration (dharana), able to hold itself on a single place.

स्वविषयासंप्रयोगे चित्तस्य स्वरूपानुकार इवेन्द्रियाणां प्रत्याहारः

svaviṣayāsaṃprayoge cittasya svarūpānukāra ivendriyāṇāṃ pratyāhāraḥ

Pratyahara is when the senses, cut off from their objects, follow the nature of the mind, as though imitating it.

ततः परमा वश्यतेन्द्रियाणां

tataḥ paramā vaśyatendriyāṇāṃ

From that withdrawal comes supreme mastery over the senses; they no longer run after objects on their own.