Patanjali Yog Sutra Curated
EP #6 | पाँच प्रकार की वृत्तियाँ
April 14, 2022
After introducing it as a concept in the previous episode, the Episode #6 elaborates upon the five states of the Mind, or चित्त-वृत्ति, as propounded in the Sutras 7-11 of the Samadhipada (Chapter 1 of the Patanjali Yog Sutra). These states are: प्रमाण (Right knowledge), विपर्यय (Wrong Knowledge), विकल्प (Imagination) निद्रा (Sleep or No Knowledge ) and स्मृति (Memory or Past Knowledge). To reach a state of being that is beyond the Mind’s tendencies, to rise above the joys & sorrows associated with them – this is the primary aim of Yogic Sadhana (meditation techniques). But before entering into the meditation process, we must have clarity of what those tendencies actually are.
This new series is a collection of curated episodes derived from Sri Guru’s Satsangs on Patanjali Yog Sutra. Stay tuned for more!
The teachings of Yoga that had been handed down in an oral tradition over thousands of years from ancient times, are said to have been synthesized and compiled by Maharishi Patanjali in the form of ‘Yog Sutra’— one of the foundational texts of classical Yogic Philosophy. The Patanjali Yog Sutras explain about the अष्टांग योग (Ashtanga Yog) illustrating the 8 Elements for a Holistic Life, i.e. यम (Yama), नियम (Niyam), आसन (Aasana), प्राणायाम (Pranayama), प्रत्याहार (Pratyahara), धारणा (Dharaana), ध्यान (Dhyana), समाधि (Samadhi). The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali consist of 196 Sanskrit Sutras organized in 4 Adhyaya (chapters) — समाधिपाद (Samadhipadah), साधनापाद (Saadhanpadah), विभूतिपाद (Vibhutipadah) and कैवल्यपाद (Kaivalyapadah). He defines Yoga as that which restrains the mind-stuff (Chitta) from taking various forms (Vrutti).
At SRM, Sri Guru has always laid emphasis on the subtler spiritual objective of Yoga, hence, was coined the term ‘YogaYog’— experiencing Union (Yog) through Yoga. Through this Satsang series on the Yog Sutras of Maharishi Patanjali, Sri Guru takes the seekers deeper into the understanding of ‘Union’ through physical, mental and intellectual evolution.
