Patanjali Yog Sutra Curated
EP #2 | महर्षि पतंजलि का अष्टांग योग
March 31, 2022
After giving a brief outline of Maharishi Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yog, in Episode #2, Sri Guru gives a clear definition of ‘Yog’ — a term that is widely mistaken for the physical exercise ‘Yoga’. Derived from the Sanskrit term ‘Yuj’ that means — to unite, ‘Yog’ is usually defined as the union of our ‘limited’ self-consciousness with the ‘limitless’ universal consciousness. Through the 2nd Sutra of Samadhipada (First Chapter of Patanjali’s Yog Sutra), योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः (yoga-chitta-vrutti-nirodhah), Sri Guru broadens our interpretation and understanding of योग (Yog), चित्त (Chitta), वृत्ति (Vrutti) and निरोध (Nirodh).
This new series is a collection of curated episodes derived from Sri Guru’s Satsangs on Patanjali Yog Sutra.
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 Yoga Sutras of Maharishi Patanjali, Sri Guru takes the seekers deeper into the understanding of ‘Union’ through physical, mental and intellectual evolution.
