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Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669

Introduction (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and absorption in the self Maharshi has codified his knowledge of () are the eight limbs of . (Patanjali yoga, its practices and benefits by encapsulating Yogasutra II/29) them in the form aphorisms. They are called as yoga-. He has given the clear definitions 1) of yoga and its eight branches very precisely and asteya scientifically in his treatise Patanjali Yogasutra in aparigrahah yamah. four different padas or sections such as Samadhi pada, pada, Vibhuti pada and Non-injury or non-violence (ahimsa), veracity or Kaivalya pada. truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (asteya), abstinence (brahmacarya) and non-acceptance

Definitions of Astanga Yoga of Maharshi Patanjali

Dr. Saroj Kumar Sahoo

Definitions of Yoga or covetousness (aparigraha) are the five Yogah cittavrtti nirodhah. or restraints. (Patanjali Yogasutra II/30) Yoga is the arrest of activities of chitta. (Patanjali 2) Yogasutra I/2) Sauca santosa tapah svadhyaya Definitions of eight branches of Yoga isvarapranidhanani niyamah. Yama niyama pranayama Cleanliness (sauca), contentment (santosa), pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhayah austerity or penance (), study and recitation astau angani. of sacred scriptures (svadhyaya), and devotion Self-discipline (yama), observances (niyama), (pranidhana) to the Supreme Lord (Isvara) are posture (asana), breath control (pranayama), the five or observances. (Patanjali withdrawal of the mind from sense objects Yogasutra II/32)

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3) Asana When the becomes oblivious of his own entity Sthira sukham asanam. and only the object of meditation remains, it is called perfect concentration (samadhi). It is just Posture (asana) should be firm and comfortable. that condition in which only the object of (Patanjali Yogasutra II/46) concentration () shines forth and the self is 4) Pranayama absent as it were. (Patanjali Yogasutra III/3) Tasmin satisvasa prasvasayoh Conclusion gativicchedah pranayamah. Along with the definitions of eight branches of Once that (asana or posture) has been perfected, yoga, Maharshi Patanjali has also given the simple pranayama is practiced. Pranayama is the definitions of , Isvara, pranava, sabija suspension of the flow of inhalation (svasa) and samadhi (samprajnata samadhi), nirbija exhalation (prasvasa). (Patanjali Yogasutra II/49) samadhi (asamprajnata samadhi), dharmamegha samadhi, kriyayoga, samyama 5) Pratyahara and kaivalya. Svavisaya asamprayoge cittasya Vairagya svarupanukarah iva indriyanam pratyaharah. Drsta anusravika visaya vitrsnasya vasikarasamjna vairagyam. Pratyahara or the withdrawal of five jnanendriyas (senses of perception), and five He who has withdrawn his mind from all the karmendriyas (senses of action), as it were, a enjoyments of this world and the other world following the essential nature of mind () (by (heaven) is called vasikara vairagya. (Patanjali those very ), when separated from Yogasutra I/15) their corresponding objects (visaya). (Patanjali Isvara Yogasutra II/54) Klesa vipaka asayaih aparamrstah 6) Dharana purusavisesah Isvarah. Desa bandhah cittasya dharana. Isvara is a special purusa (consciousness) Concentration (dharana) is the mind’s fixation on untouched by klesha (afflictions), karma (action), one particular point. (Patanjali Yogasutra III/1) vipaka (result of action) and asaya (deposits of 7) Dhyana the result of action). He is different from other purusas. (Patanjali Yogasutra I/24) Tatra pratyaya ekatanata dhyanam. Pranava In dharana, the continuous flow of similar mental modifications is meditation (dhyana). (Patanjali Tasya vacakah pranavah. Yogasutra III/2) AUM is the expression word of Isvara. 8) Samadhi (Patanjali Yogasutra I/27) Tadeva arthamatranirbhasam Sabija Samadhi (Samprajnata Samadhi) svarupasunyam iva samadhih. Ta eva sabijah samadhih.

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The state in which there is one object of meditation Kaivalya as seed (bija) is called savija samadhi or purusayoh suddhi samye kaivalyam samprajnata samadhi. There is only one vritti iti. of chitta as object of meditation in this state. (Patanjali Yogasutra I/46) When the buddhi and the purusa are equally purified the yogi attains kaivalya (isolation). Nirbija Samadhi (Asamprajnata Samadhi) (Patanjali Yogasutra III/56) Tasyapi nirodhe sarvanirodhat nirbijah Purusartha sunyanam gunanam samadhih. pratiprasavah kaivalyam svarupapratistha When the single vritti of chitta present in sabija va citisaktaih iti. samadhi is removed it is called nirbija samadhi Merger of all the modifications into their respective or asamprajnata samadhi. (Patanjali Yogasutra causes is called kaivalya. It is the state when the I/51) purusa (consciousness) is established in its real Dharmamegha Samadhi form. (Patanjali Yogasutra IV/34) Prasamkhyane api akusidasya sarvatha Bibliography : vivekakhyateh dharmameghah samadhih. 1. , Swami Satyananda. Four chapters on When the yogi is not interested even in the Freedom, Yoga Publication Trust, Munger, Bihar, khyati (intellectual knowledge) he then enters into 2006. dharmamegha Samadhi. Here there is heavy 2. Baba, Bangali. Yogasutra Patanjali With the rain of (righteousness). This is the state Commentary of , Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, 41 U. A. Bangalow just before the kaivalya. Here the yogi becomes Road, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi 1100007, 2005. full of goodness. (Patanjali Yogasutra IV/29) 3. Nambiar, . K. Yoga of Patanjali, The Kriyayoga , Shivanandnagar, Tehri- Garhwal, n.d. Tapah svadhyaya isvarapranidhanani kriyayogah. 4. Venkatesananda, Swami. Enlighted Living, A new interpretative translation of the Yogasutra of Austerity or penance (tapas), study of scriptures Maharshi Patanjali, The Chiltern Yoga Trust, P.O. and chanting of (svadhyaya) and Elgin Cape Province, South Africa, 1975. devotion to the Supreme Lord (Isvara) are 5. Vivekananda, Swami. , Advaita kriyayoga. (Patanjali Yogasutra II/1) , Kolkata, n.d. Samyama Trayam ekatra samyamah. The triad i.e. dharana, dhyana and samadhi together on the same single object is samyama. Dr. Saroj Kumar Sahu, Guest Faculty, Shivananda Yoga (Patanjali Yogasutra III/3) Academy, Goutam Nagar, Bhubaneswar -14.

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