Samadhi Pada

The Foundation of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras

The Samadhi Pada is the first chapter of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, a foundational text in the philosophy and practice of yoga. This chapter lays the groundwork for understanding the nature of the mind and the path to achieving a state of meditative absorption known as “samadhi.” The Samadhi Pada consists of 51 sutras, each offering profound insights into the practice and philosophy of yoga.

Overview of Samadhi Pada

The Samadhi Pada introduces the concept of yoga and its ultimate goal: the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. It defines key terms, explains the obstacles to achieving a calm mind, and provides methods to overcome these obstacles. The chapter emphasizes the importance of practice (abhyasa) and detachment (vairagya) in attaining a state of inner peace and self-realization.

Outline of the Sutras

Sutra 1.1: “Atha yoga anushasanam” – Now, the discipline of yoga.

Sutra 1.2: “Yogas chitta vritti nirodhah” – Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.

Sutra 1.3: “Tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam” – Then the seer abides in its own true nature.

Sutra 1.4: “Vritti sarupyam itaratra” – At other times, the seer identifies with the fluctuations of the mind.

Sutra 1.5: “Vrittayah panchatayyah klishta aklishta” – The mind’s activities are fivefold and can be either painful or non-painful.

Sutra 1.6: “Pramana viparyaya vikalpa nidra smritayah” – These activities are: correct knowledge, misconception, imagination, sleep, and memory.

Sutra 1.7: “Pratyaksha anumana agamah pramanani” – Correct knowledge is based on direct perception, inference, and authoritative testimony.

Sutra 1.8: “Viparyayah mithya jnanam atad rupa pratistham” – Misconception is false knowledge not based on the true nature of its object.

Sutra 1.9: “Shabda jnana anupati vastu shunyah vikalpah” – Imagination is knowledge based on words without a corresponding reality.

Sutra 1.10: “Abhava pratyaya alambana vrittih nidra” – Sleep is the mental activity based on the absence of any content.

Sutra 1.11: “Anubhuta vishaya asampramoshah smritih” – Memory is the retention of experiences.

Sutra 1.12: “Abhyasa vairagyabhyam tan nirodhah” – The cessation of these activities is achieved through practice and detachment.

Sutra 1.13: “Tatra sthitau yatnah abhyasah” – Practice is the effort to remain in a state of steadiness.

Sutra 1.14: “Sah tu dirgha kala nairantarya satkara asevitah dridha bhumih” – Practice becomes firmly grounded when continued for a long time, without interruption, and with sincere devotion.

Sutra 1.15: “Drishta anushravika vishaya vitrishnasya vashikara sanjna vairagyam” – Detachment is the mastery of desire for what is seen and heard.

Sutra 1.16: “Tat param purusha khyateh guna vaitrishnyam” – The highest form of detachment arises from the realization of the true self.

Sutra 1.17: “Vitarka vichara ananda asmita rupa anugamat samprajnatah” – Samprajnata samadhi is accompanied by reasoning, reflection, bliss, and a sense of individuality.

Sutra 1.18: “Virama pratyaya abhyasa purvah samskara shesha anyah” – Asamprajnata samadhi is preceded by practice and leaves only latent impressions.

Sutra 1.19: “Bhava pratyayah videha prakriti layanam” – Some attain this state through birth or by merging with nature.

Sutra 1.20: “Shraddha virya smriti samadhi prajna purvakah itaresam” – Others attain it through faith, energy, memory, concentration, and discernment.

Sutra 1.21: “Tivra samveganam asannah” – For those with intense enthusiasm, samadhi is near.

Sutra 1.22: “Mridu madhya adhimatra tat api visheshah” – There are differences in the intensity of practice: mild, moderate, and intense.

Sutra 1.23: “Ishvara pranidhanad va” – Or through devotion to Ishvara (the Supreme Being).

Sutra 1.24: “Klesha karma vipaka ashayaih aparamrishtah purusha vishesha Ishvarah” – Ishvara is a special self, unaffected by afflictions, actions, and their results.

Sutra 1.25: “Tatra niratishayam sarvajna bijam” – In Ishvara, the seed of omniscience is unsurpassed.

Sutra 1.26: “Sa eshah purvesham api guruh kalena anavachchhedat” – Ishvara is the teacher of even the ancient teachers, being unconditioned by time.

Sutra 1.27: “Tasya vachakah pranavah” – The expression of Ishvara is the sacred syllable Om.

Sutra 1.28: “Tajjapah tadartha bhavanam” – Repetition of Om and meditation on its meaning.

Sutra 1.29: “Tatah pratyak chetanadhigamah api antaraya abhavash cha” – Through this practice, the consciousness turns inward, and obstacles are overcome.

Sutra 1.30: “Vyadhi styana samshaya pramada alasya avirati bhranti darshana alabdhabhumikatva anavasthitatvani chitta vikshepa te antarayah” – The obstacles to yoga are disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, failure to attain stages, and instability.

Sutra 1.31: “Duhkha daurmanasya angamejayatva shvasa prashvasa viksepa sahabhuvah” – These obstacles are accompanied by suffering, distress, unsteadiness of body, and disturbed breathing.

Sutra 1.32: “Tat pratisedha artham eka tattva abhyasah” – To overcome these, practice one principle.

Sutra 1.33: “Maitri karuna mudita upeksanam sukha duhkha punya apunya vishayanam bhavanatah chitta prasadanam” – The mind becomes serene by cultivating friendliness, compassion, joy, and equanimity towards those who are happy, suffering, virtuous, and non-virtuous.

Sutra 1.34: “Prachchhardana vidharanabhyam va pranasya” – Or by regulating the breath.

Sutra 1.35: “Vishayavati va pravrittih utpanna manasah sthiti nibandhini” – Or by focusing on a sense object.

Sutra 1.36: “Vishoka va jyotishmati” – Or by meditating on the inner light, free from sorrow.

Sutra 1.37: “Vita raga vishayam va chittam” – Or by focusing on a mind free from desire.

Sutra 1.38: “Svapna nidra jnana alambanam va” – Or by contemplating the knowledge gained in dreams or sleep.

Sutra 1.39: “Yatha abhimata dhyanad va” – Or by meditating on anything one chooses.

Sutra 1.40: “Paramanu paramamahatva antah asya vashikarah” – The mind can be made steady from the smallest to the greatest object.

Sutra 1.41: “Kshina vritti abhijatasya iva maner grahitr grahana grahyeshu tatstha tada anjanata samapattih” – When the mind is free from distractions, it becomes like a transparent crystal, reflecting the object of focus, the process of focusing, and the focuser.

Sutra 1.42: “Tatra shabda artha jnana vikalpah sankirna savitarka samapattih” – Savitarka samapatti is the meditative absorption where the mind mixes the word, its meaning, and knowledge.

Sutra 1.43: “Smriti pari shuddhau svarupa shunyeva artha matra nirbhasa nirvitarka” – Nirvitarka samapatti is the meditative absorption where the mind is free from memory and the object alone shines forth.

Sutra 1.44: “Etaya eva savichara nirvichara cha sukshma vishaya vyakhyata” – In the same way, savichara (reflective) and nirvichara (non-reflective) samapatti, which are subtler, are explained.

Sutra 1.45: “Sukshma vishayatvam cha alinga paryavasanam” – The subtlety of these stages extends up to the unmanifest.

Sutra 1.46: “Ta eva sabijah samadhih” – These stages constitute sabija (with seed) samadhi.

Sutra 1.47: “Nirvichara vaisharadye adhyatma prasadah” – Upon attaining clarity in nirvichara samadhi, inner tranquility arises.

Sutra 1.48: “Ritambhara tatra prajna” – This state of consciousness is filled with truth-bearing wisdom.

Sutra 1.49: “Shruta anumana prajnabhyam anya vishaya vishesha arthatvat” – This wisdom is distinct from knowledge gained through scriptures or inference.

Sutra 1.50: “Tajjah samskarah anya samskara pratibandhi” – The impressions produced by this wisdom prevent other impressions.

Sutra 1.51: “Tasya api nirodhe sarva nirodhat nirbijah samadhih” – When even these impressions are restrained, seedless (nirbija) samadhi is attained.