Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati翻译版
九月 7, 2024
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Interpretive Translation #
Presented by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali succinctly outlines the art and science of Yoga meditation for Self-Realization. It is a process of systematically encountering, examining, and transcending each of the various gross and subtle levels of false identity in the mind field, until the jewel of the true Self comes shining through.
This is an interpretive translation of the Yoga Sutra, expanding the number of English words, so as to allow the practical instructions to be clearer. For example, sutra 1.2 defines Yoga with some 25 English words, rather than only 4 Sanskrit words. The practices of the Yoga Sutras are extremely practical, though it can seem quite complicated when trying to sort through the language. By providing expanded, interpretive translations, the practical meaning of the suggestions more easily comes through. The individual transliterated Sanskrit words also have a large number of English translations, so as to give a more thorough understanding.
Commentaries on the Sutras are on www.SwamiJ.com, as well as other learning aids. These include an extensive Introduction, a Main page presenting a visual outline and summary of the entire Yoga Sutra, and a list of Reminder Questions, which serve as a self-study guide.
When Patanjali codified, or compiled the Yoga Sutras, it was not that a new system was created, but rather, the ancient practices were summarized in an extremely organized and terse way. While the Yoga Sutras are thought to be as old as 400 BCE, archaeological evidence and other texts suggest that the methods described in the Yoga Sutras were being practiced as early as 3000 BCE. Oral tradition states that the period may be even longer.
Yoga means union of the parts of ourselves, which were never divided in the first place. Yoga literally means to yoke, from the root yuj, which means to join; it is the same as the absorption in the state of samadhi. Sutra means thread, and this thread, or multiple threads weave a tapestry of insight and direct experience.
Swami Rama explains, “There have been many scholarly commentaries on the Yoga Sutras, but all the commentaries miss something very practical. Such commentaries can only satisfy the intellect, but do not actually help you beyond that: ‘yogash chitta vritti narodha’–yoga is the control of the ‘modifications’ of the mind. Narodha means control; there is no other English word for it. Control doesn’t mean suppression, but channeling or regulating.”
In the tradition of the Himalayan masters, Yoga, Vedanta, and Tantra complement one another, leading one systematically along the path to Self-realization. The aspirant clears the mind through the practice of Yoga meditation as codified in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, does self-enquiry of Vedanta, and then breaks through the final barrier with Tantra, experiencing the heights of kundalini awakening.
Chapter 1: Concentration (Samadhi Pada) #
What is Yoga? (1-4) #
- Now, after having done prior preparation through life and other practices, the study and practice of Yoga begins.
(atha yoga anushasanam)- atha = now, at this auspicious moment; implying the transition to this practice and pursuit, after prior preparation; implying a blessing at this moment of transition
- yoga = of yoga, union; literally, to yoke, from the root yuj, which means to join or to integrate; same as the absorption in samadhi
- anu = within, or following tradition; implies being subsequent to something else, in this case, the prior preparation
- shasanam = instruction, discipline, training, teaching, exposition, explanation; Shas implies the imparting of teaching that happens along with discipline
- Yoga is the control (nirodhah, regulation, channeling, mastery, integration,
coordination, stilling, quieting, setting aside) of the modifications (gross and subtle
thought patterns) of the mind field.
(yogash chitta vritti nirodhah)- yoga = of yoga, union; literally, to yoke, from the root yuj, which means to join; same as the absorption in samadhi
- chitta = of the consciousness of the mind-field
- vritti = operations, activities, fluctuations, modifications, changes, or various forms of the mind-field
- nirodhah = control, regulation, channeling, mastery, integration, coordination, understanding, stilling, quieting, setting aside of
- Then the Seer abides in Itself, resting in its own True Nature, which is called Selfrealization.
(tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam)- tada = then, at that time; at the time of concentration and meditation
- drashtuh = the seer’s, of the soul, witness, Atman, Self; from the root drsh, which means to see (It is significant to note that Patanjali is not trying to define who is the seer, or the nature of that seer. This is left to be answered or resolved in direct experience.)
- svarupe = in its own nature, own form or essence; (sva = own; rupa = form)
- avasthanam = stability, settling, remaining, be
- At other times, when one is not in Self-realization, the Seer appears to take on the form of the modifications of the mind field, taking on the identity of those thought patterns.
(vritti sarupyam itaratra)- vritti = of the operations, activities, fluctuations, modifications, changes, or various forms (of the mind-field)
- sarupyam = similarity, assimilation, appearance of, identification of form or nature, conformity with the shape of; the root sa means with, and rupa means form
- itaratra = elsewhere, at other times, when not in that state of realization above
Un-coloring your thoughts (5-11) #
- Those gross and subtle thought patterns (vrittis) fall into five varieties, of which some are colored (klishta) and others are uncolored (aklishta).
(vrittayah pancatayah klishta aklishta)- vrittayah = the vrittis are
- pancatayah = five fold (and of two kinds); panch means five
- klishta = colored, painful, afflicted, impure; the root klish means to cause trouble; (klesha is the noun form of the adjective klishta)
- aklishta = uncolored, not painful, not afflicted, pure; not imbued with kleshas; the root a- means without or in the absence of; hence, without the coloring called klishta
- The five varieties of thought patterns to witness are:
- knowing correctly (pramana),
- incorrect knowing (viparyaya),
- fantasy or imagination (vikalpa),
- the object of void-ness that is deep sleep (nidra), and
- recollection or memory (smriti).
(pramana viparyaya vikalpa nidra smritayah)
- pramana = real or valid cognition, right knowledge, valid proof, seeing clearly
- viparyayah = unreal cognition, indiscrimination, perverse cognition, wrong knowledge, misconception, incorrect knowing, not seeing clearly
- vikalpah = imagination, verbal misconception or delusion, fantasy, hallucination
- nidra = deep sleep
- smritayah = memory, remembering
- Of these five, there are three ways of gaining correct knowledge (pramana):
- perception,
- inference, and
- testimony or verbal communication from others who have knowledge.
(pratyaksha anumana agamah pramanani)
- pratyaksha = direct perception or cognition
- anumana = inference, reasoning, deduction
- agamah = authority, testimony, validation, competent evidence
- pramanani = valid means of knowing, proofs, sources of correct knowing
- Incorrect knowledge or illusion (viparyaya) is false knowledge formed by perceiving a thing as being other than what it really is.
(viparyayah mithya jnanam atad rupa pratistham)- viparyayah = unreal cognition, indiscrimination, perverse cognition, wrong knowledge, misconception, incorrect knowing, not seeing clearly
- mithya = of the unreal, of the false, erroneous, illusory
- jnanam = knowing, knowledge
- atad = not its own, not that
- rupa = form, nature, appearance
- pratistham = based on, possessing, established, occupying, steadfast, standing
- Fantasy or imagination (vikalpa) is a thought pattern that has verbal expression and knowledge, but for which there is no such object or reality in existence.
(shabda jnana anupati vastu shunyah vikalpah)- shabda = word, sound, verbal expression
- jnana = by knowledge, knowing
- anupati = following, in sequence, depending upon
- vastu = a reality, real object, existent
- shunyah = devoid, without, empty
- vikalpah = imagination, verbal misconception or delusion, fantasy, hallucination
- Dreamless sleep (nidra) is the subtle thought pattern which has as its object an inertia, blankness, absence, or negation of the other though patterns (vrittis).
(abhava pratyaya alambana vritti nidra)- abhava = absence, non-existence, non-occurrence, negation, voidness, nothingness
- pratyaya = the cause, the feeling, causal or cognitive principle, notion, content of mind, presented idea, cognition
- alambana = support, substratum, leaning on, dependent on, having as a base or foundation
- vritti = operations, activities, fluctuations, modifications, changes, or various forms of the mind-field • nidra = deep sleep
- Recollection or memory (smriti) is mental modification caused by the inner reproducing of a previous impression of an object, but without adding any other characteristics from other sources.
(anubhuta vishaya asampramoshah smritih)- anubhuta = experienced
- vishaya = objects of experience, impressions
- asampramoshah = not being stolen, not being lost, not having addition
- smritih = memory, remembering
Practice and non-attachment (12-16) #
- These thought patterns (vrittis) are mastered (nirodhah, regulated, coordinated, controlled, stilled, quieted) through practice (abhyasa) and non-attachment (vairagya).
(abhyasa vairagyabhyam tat nirodhah)- abhyasa = by or with practice, repeated practice
- vairagyabhyam = non-attachment, by desirelessness or dispassion, neutrality or absence of coloring, without attraction or aversion
- tat = of those, through that of
- nirodhah = control, regulation, channeling, mastery, integration, coordination, understanding, stilling, quieting, setting aside of
- Practice (abhyasa) means choosing, applying the effort, and doing those actions that bring a stable and tranquil state (sthitau).
(tatra sthitau yatnah abhyasa)- tatra = of these two (abhyasa and vairagya)
- sthitau = stability, steadiness, stable tranquility, undisturbed calmness
- yatnah = effort, persistent exertion, sustained struggle, endeavour
- abhyasa = by or with practice, repeated practice
- When that practice is done for a long time, without a break, and with sincere devotion, then the practice becomes a firmly rooted, stable and solid foundation.
(sah tu dirgha kala nairantaira satkara asevitah dridha bhumih)- sah = that (practice)
- tu = and, but, however
- dirgha = long time (dirgha = long; kala = time)
- nairantaira = without interruption, continually,
- satkara = with devotion, sincerity, respect, reverence, positive attitude, right action
- asevitah = pursued, practiced, cultivated, attended to, done with assiduous attention
- dridha-bhumih = stable, solid foundation, firmly rooted, of firm ground (dridha = firm; bhumih = ground)
- When the mind loses desire even for objects seen or described in a tradition or in scriptures, it acquires a state of utter (vashikara) desirelessness that is called nonattachment (vairagya).
(drista anushravika vishaya vitrishnasya vashikara sanjna vairagyam)- drista = seen, perceived
- anushravika = revealed, scriptural, heard in tradition
- vishaya = objects, subjects, matters of experience
- vitrishnasya = of one who is free from desire or craving
- vashikara = supreme, mastery, total control
- sanjna = awareness, consciousness, knowing
- vairagyam = non-attachment, desirelessness, dispassion, neutrality or absence of coloring, without attraction or aversion
- Indifference to the subtlest elements, constituent principles, or qualities themselves (gunas), achieved through a knowledge of the nature of pure consciousness (purusha), is called supreme non-attachment (paravairagya).
(tat param purusha khyateh guna vaitrshnyam)- tat = that
- param = is higher, superior, supreme, transcendent
- purusha = pure consciousness, Self
- khyateh = through knowledge, vision, discernment
- guna = elements, prime qualities, constituents, attributes; (three gunas of sattvas, rajas, tamas)
- vaitrshnyam = state of freedom from desire or craving (for the gunas)
Types of concentration (17-18) #
- The deep absorption of attention on an object is of four kinds,
- gross (vitarka),
- subtle (vichara),
- bliss accompanied (ananda), and
- with I-ness (asmita), and is called samprajnata samadhi.
(vitarka vichara ananda asmita rupa anugamat samprajnatah)
- vitarka = gross thought or reasoning
- vichara = subtle thought
- ananda = bliss, ecstasy
- asmita = I-ness, individuality
- rupa = appearances, nature, form
- anugamat = accompanied by, associated with
- samprajnatah = cognitive absorption, lower samadhi
- The other kind of samadhi is asamprajnata samadhi, and has no object in which attention is absorbed, wherein only latent impressions remain; attainment of this state is preceded by the constant practice of allowing all of the gross and subtle fluctuations of mind to recede back into the field from which they arose.
(virama pratyaya abhyasa purvah samskara shesha anyah)- virama = cessation, stopping, receding
- pratyaya = cause, cognitive principle, content of mind, cognition
- abhyasa = practice
- purvah = preceding, coming before
- samskara = deep impressions, imprints in the unconscious, deepest habits, subliminal activators, traces
- shesha = residual, subliminal
- anyah = the other (the other samadhi)
Efforts and commitment (19-22) #
- Some who have attained higher levels (videhas) or know unmanifest nature (prakritilayas), are drawn into birth in this world by their remaining latent impressions of ignorance, and more naturally come to these states of samadhi.
(bhava pratyayah videha prakriti layanam)- bhava = objective existence, becoming
- pratyayah = cause, cognitive principle, content of mind, cognition
- videha = bodiless, disembodied
- prakriti = creative cause, subtlest material cause, nature • layanam = dissolved, merged into
- Others follow a five-fold systematic path of
- faithful certainty in the path,
- directing energy towards the practices,
- repeated memory of the path and the process of stilling the mind,
- training in deep concentration, and
- the pursuit of real knowledge, by which the higher samadhi (asamprajnata samadhi) is attained.
(shraddha virya smriti samadhi prajna purvakah itaresham)
- shraddha = unconditional faith, trust, confidence, belief, certainty
- virya = energy, strength of will
- smriti = memory, intentful remembrance, mindfulness
- samadhi = deep absorption of meditation, entasy
- prajna = wisdom, discernment, super cognitive
- purvakah = preceding, coming before, prerequisite
- itaresham = of other people