The Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: Tracing the Roots of Yogic Practices

The ancient practice of yoga is a beautiful tree that has branched out to different parts of the world. Whenever we talk about yoga, mentioning the yoga sutras is inevitable. They are quite popular among yoga practitioners and are the oldest known texts on the subject.

The yoga sutras are Sanskrit texts compiled around 500 BCE by Patanjali. They are considered to be a manual for yoga based on practices followed by yogis of that era. Information on yoga was scattered throughout different texts and was beyond the comprehension of the common folk, so Patanjali compiled it into simplified yoga sutras, making them easy to understand by all.

We will learn more about them. But let’s first answer the much-asked question, “Who is Patanjali?" He was an Indian sage and one of the most highly regarded scholars. Many people consider Patanjali to be the father of yoga. He is credited with compiling the yoga sutras and writing Mahabhasya and Charaka Varttika as commentaries on treatises on grammar, and Ayurveda penned by Panini and Sushruta, respectively.

Some people consider him a divine being with a body that is half man and half serpent. According to a school of thought, he was the incarnation of Sheshnaag, a serpent with a thousand hoods who is the seat of Lord Vishnu. While Pata means to fall, Anjali means palm. The story behind his birth states that when Sheshnaag expressed his desire to be born on earth, Lord Shiva granted his wish, and he fell into the palm of a woman named Gonika.

Basic Idea

According to the yoga sutra of Patanjali, human beings are made of two main components - material, which is known as Prakriti, and soul, which is known as Purusha. Patanjali yoga aims to separate the two and reach the stage where the soul is pure. It encourages people to rid themselves of their material attachments by controlling their minds through yoga and asceticism.

As per the yoga sutras, the human body has 3 gunas - sattva or harmony, rajas or passion, and tamas or darkness, and the end goal of yoga is to make the soul self-aware by expanding the sattva guna and liberate humans from the pains and travesties of the world. Patanjali advocated achieving the stillness of the mind by removing the fluctuations occurring in it and stated that yoga is the means through which one can control the mind and focus one’s attention.

Components

The yoga sutras are a collection of 196 sutras compiled by Patanjali, and these are bifurcated into 4 chapters -

Samadhi Pada - This chapter comprises 51 sutras and discusses what yoga is and its importance. It focuses on enlightenment being the ultimate goal of yoga and how samadhi can help achieve it.

Sadhana Pada - It consists of 55 sutras that focus on the practices of yoga, kriya yoga, and ashtanga yoga, or the eight stems of yoga, and how they help control the mind and enable humans to become one with the universe.

Vibhuti Pada - 56 sutras in this chapter focus on how humans can attain special and supernatural powers or siddhis by practicing meditation. Attainment of these siddhis brings one closer to liberating the soul.

Kaivalya Pada - Kaivalya means solitude or isolation. It consists of 34 sutras and discusses seven paths to attain samadhi and what happens when samadhi is achieved, and Purusha is finally separated from Prakriti.

Ashtanga Yoga

Mentioned in the second chapter of the yoga sutra of Patanjali are the eight stems of yoga, which serve as guidelines for attaining liberation for the soul. These are as follows -

Yama or restraints

Ahimsa (Non-violence)

Asteya (Non-stealing)

Satya (Truthfulness)

Brahmacharya (Celibacy)

Aparigraha (Abstaining from greed and envy)

Niyama or observances

Shaucha (Purity)

Santosha (Contentment)

Tapas (Austerity)

Svadhyaya (Study)

Ishvara Pranidhana (Devotion to God)

Asanas or practicing yogic postures

Pranayama, or breath control through breathing exercises

Pratyahara, or withdrawal of senses to focus on the world within

Dharana, or practicing concentration and training the mind to meditate

Dhyana, or perfecting meditation

Samadhi, or being one with the Divine

While Yama and Niyama help control instincts, the three components of Asanas, Pranayama, and Pratyahara, help gain control over the physical body, breathing, and the senses. The last two components of Dharana and Dhyana lead to the last element, Samadhi. You practice yoga in a true sense when you follow all these 8 steps instead of focusing on just the asana part.

Wrapping Up

As the world struggles to deal with the stress of daily life, yoga comes as a rescue to humans, offering them peace and salvation. As more and more people turn to this ancient practice, the wisdom compiled in the yoga sutras also gains popularity. This text has touched and transformed many lives by teaching generations of people about how they can transform their lives through yoga.

While there is still mystery around the much-debated question - Who is Patanjali, the yoga sutras compiled by him have and continue to influence modern yogic practice and guide people towards living a life full of peace and purpose.