Advaita Yoga Sūtras

Chapter 1: Sādhya

Sūtra 1.1

अथानुसांख्यं योगशासनम् ॥ १.१ ॥
athānusāṃkhyaṃ yogaśāsanam ‖ 1.1 ‖

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atha: now; anu-sāṃkhyam: after + Sāṃkhya; yoga-śāsanam: Yoga + instruction

“Now, after Samkhya, comes the instruction of Yoga.”

Sūtra 1.2

योगो निरोधः क्लिष्टवृत्तीनाम् ॥ १.२ ॥
yogo nirodhaḥ kliṣṭavṛttīnām ‖ 1.2 ‖

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yogaḥ: Yoga; nirodhaḥ: cessation; kliṣṭa-vṛttīnām: of afflicted + modifications

“Yoga is cessation of afflicted modifications.”

Sūtra 1.3

तदा दृश्यम् अवस्थानं स्वरूपे यद् द्रष्टा ॥ १.३ ॥
tadā dṛśyam avasthānaṃ svarūpe yad draṣṭā ‖ 1.3 ‖

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tadā: then; dṛśyam: seen; avasthānam: abiding; svarūpe: in its true nature; yat: which; draṣṭā: seer

“Then, the seen is abiding in its true nature, which is the seer.”

Sūtra 1.4

इतरत्र सारूप्यं क्लेशाः ॥ १.४ ॥
itaratra sārūpyaṃ kleśāḥ ‖ 1.4 ‖

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itaratra: otherwise; sārūpyam: conformity with; kleśāḥ: afflictions

“Otherwise, there is conformity with the afflictions.”

Sūtra 1.5

अविद्यासम्यग्दृष्टिर् यद् विषमदृष्टिर् दृश्यस्य ॥ १.५ ॥
avidyāsamyagdṛṣṭir yad viṣamadṛṣṭir dṛśyasya ‖ 1.5 ‖

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avidyā: ignorance; asamyagdṛṣṭiḥ: wrong view; yat: which; viṣamadṛṣṭiḥ: unequal vision; dṛśyasya: of the seen

“Ignorance is the wrong view, which is unequal vision of the seen.”

Sūtra 1.6

अविद्या क्षेत्रम् उत्तरेषां क्लेशानाम् ॥ १.६ ॥
avidyā kṣetram uttareṣāṃ kleśānām ‖ 1.6 ‖

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avidyā: ignorance; kṣetram: field; uttareṣām: of the subsequent; kleśānām: of afflictions

“Ignorance is the field of the subsequent afflictions.”

Sūtra 1.7

अस्मितास्वरूपं दृश्यस्य ॥ १.७ ॥
asmitāsvarūpaṃ dṛśyasya ‖ 1.7 ‖

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asmitā: egotism; asvarūpam: false nature; dṛśyasya: of the seen

“Egotism is the false nature of the seen.”

Sūtra 1.8

रागद्वेषो मदो दृश्यस्य ॥ १.८ ॥
rāgadveṣo mado dṛśyasya ‖ 1.8 ‖

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rāgadveṣaḥ: attachment and aversion; madaḥ: thrill; dṛśyasya: of the seen

“Attachment and aversion are the thrill of the seen.”

Sūtra 1.9

अभिनिवेशो बन्धो दृश्यस्य ॥ १.९ ॥
abhiniveśo bandho dṛśyasya ‖ 1.9 ‖

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abhiniveśaḥ: inertia; bandhaḥ: bondage; dṛśyasya: of the seen

“Inertia is the binding of the seen.”

Sūtra 1.10

वृत्तयो द्वादशतयाः क्लिष्टाक्लिष्टाः ॥ १.१० ॥
vṛttayo dvādaśatayāḥ kliṣṭākliṣṭāḥ ‖ 1.10 ‖

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vṛttayaḥ: modifications; dvādaśatayāḥ: twelvefold; kliṣṭa-akliṣṭāḥ: afflicted + unafflicted

“Modifications are twelvefold and either afflicted or unafflicted.”

Sūtra 1.11

क्लिष्टवृत्तयोऽधार्मपापेऽक्लिष्टवृत्तयो धार्मपुण्ये ॥ १.११ ॥
kliṣṭavṛttayo’dhārmapāpe’kliṣṭavṛttayo dhārmapuṇye ‖ 1.11 ‖

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kliṣṭa-vṛttayaḥ: afflicted + modifications; adhārma-pāpe: unlawful + inauspicious; akliṣṭa-vṛttayaḥ: unafflicted + modifications; dhārma-puṇye: lawful + auspicious

“Afflicted modifications are unlawful and inauspicious; unafflicted modifications are lawful and auspicious.”

Sūtra 1.12

समुदयो दुःखस्य क्लिष्टवृत्तयः समुदयः सुखस्योऽक्लिष्टवृत्तयः ॥ १.१२ ॥
samudayo duḥkhasya kliṣṭavṛttayaḥ samudayaḥ sukhasyo’kliṣṭavṛttayaḥ ‖ 1.12 ‖

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samudayaḥ: co-arising; duḥkhasya: of suffering; kliṣṭa-vṛttayaḥ: afflicted + modifications; samudayaḥ: co-arising; sukhasya: of happiness; akliṣṭa-vṛttayaḥ: unafflicted + modifications

“The co-arising of suffering is afflicted modifications; the co-arising of happiness is unafflicted modifications.”

Sūtra 1.13

अयमानियमौ वृत्तयः क्लिष्टा भावसर्पिण्याम् ॥ १.१३ ॥
ayamāniyamau vṛttayaḥ kliṣṭā bhāvasarpiṇyām ‖ 1.13 ‖

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ayama-aniyamau: without restraint + without observance; vṛttayaḥ: modifications; kliṣṭāḥ: afflicted; bhāvasarpiṇyām: during the arc of rebirth

“Without restraint and without observance, modifications become afflicted during the arc of rebirth.”

Sūtra 1.14

अक्लिष्टवृत्तयः प्रलयोऽनुभावसर्पिणी तु क्लिष्टवृत्तयः संचितास् तास्वाशयेषु ॥ १.१४ ॥
akliṣṭavṛttayaḥ pralayo’nubhāvasarpiṇī tu kliṣṭavṛttayaḥ saṃcitās tāsvāśayeṣu ‖ 1.14 ‖

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akliṣṭa-vṛttayaḥ: unafflicted + modifications; pralayaḥ: reabsorption; anu-bhāvasarpiṇī: after + arc of rebirth; tu: while; kliṣṭa-vṛttayaḥ: afflicted + modifications; saṃcitāḥ: accumulated; tāsu: in their; āśayeṣu: in abodes

“Unafflicted modifications attain reabsorption after the arc of rebirth, while afflicted modifications remain accumulated in their abodes.”

Sūtra 1.15

संचितवृत्तयः पुनःप्रारब्धा अनुधार्मसर्पिणी ॥ १.१५ ॥
saṃcitavṛttayaḥ punaḥprārabdhā anudhārmasarpiṇī ‖ 1.15 ‖

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saṃcita-vṛttayaḥ: accumulated + modifications; punar-prārabdhāḥ: again + undertaken; anu-dhārmasarpiṇī: after + arc of law

“Accumulated modifications are undertaken again after the arc of law.”

Sūtra 1.16

तद् दुःखम् अनागतं हेयं साधनेन ॥ १.१६ ॥
tad duḥkham anāgataṃ heyaṃ sādhanena ‖ 1.16 ‖

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tat: that; duḥkham: suffering; anāgatam: yet to come; heyam: to be avoided; sādhanena: through practice

“That suffering yet to come is to be avoided through practice.”