The Yoga Sutras ~ the foundational text of the Yoga philosophy begins with the definition of Yoga as “Chitta Vritti Nirodha” which simply explained, states that Yoga is the cessation of the modifications of the mind. Sparse, poetic but to the point, the Yoga Sutras are an ancient text composed of succinct statements that hold profound meaning.
Yoga is one of the six orthodox Indian philosophical schools (Shad-darshanas) which accept the authority of the Vedas. Historical evidence of yoga has been found in the pre-Vedic period. There is a clear mention of yoga in the Rigveda and the Upanishads, in the Smritis, in teachings of Buddhism, Jainism, Panini, as also the Puranas. However, it is sage Maharishi Patanjali who is credited with systematizing and codifying the practices of Yoga, its meaning and its related knowledge through the Yoga Sutras, a text that takes pride of place in the most important schools of Indian philosophy.
The Sanskrit word sutra means string or thread.
The Yoga Sutras are divided into 4 main sections/ chapters or parts:
Yoga as a text on human psychology
At closer reading, the Yoga Sutras reveal themselves as a text on human psychology, based on the tradition of Indian philosophical thought. The Yoga Sutras describe the human mind, its functioning, how it is affected by various external and internal factors and most importantly, how to overcome the severe limitations imposed on us by our own minds.
For example, the 2nd and 3rd sutras in the first chapter: the Samadhi Pada state ~
“When the mind is settled, we are established in our own essential state, which is unbounded consciousness.”
Our essential nature is usually overshadowed by the activity of the mind
This is followed by a lucid explanation of the following:
Thus, the Yoga Sutras not only define and clarify the most existential of our problems, but also provide solutions to resolve them.
The Sadhana Pada, the second chapter of the Yoga Sutras, explains the most well-known Yama and Niyamas as part of the eight-fold path of Yoga, which helps in achieving the desired state of mind where the constant influx and outflow of thought is contained. This eight-fold path as prescribed in the section on Ashtanga Yoga is perhaps the most detailed and comprehensive explanation of how to manage the mind-body collective that we call our “Self”.
The Sadhana Pada also outlines the path of Kriya Yoga, similar but distinct from the Ashtanga Yoga, thereby giving an alternative route towards the same goal, of ‘chitta vritti nirodha’.
Sage Patanjali has explained that it is the mind that leads a person into bondage or toward liberation; that most human problems arise from the mind and may be resolved by disciplining the mind. He has also stated that the mind is the link between consciousness and the physical body.
The rich insights from the Yoga Sutras can help deepen our understanding of mental health. The practical guidelines, described in this ancient text, have the potential to enhance positive mental health and discover the foundations of joy, a state that we are in but have forgotten owing to the myriad distractions that the external world offers and pulls us into incessantly.
A deep dive into the Yoga Sutras promises a bounty of understanding that will pave the way for us to understand human psychology in a more expansive and holistic way.
