Advaita Yoga Sūtras

Chapter 2: Sādhana

Sūtra 2.1

साधनमार्ग आभ्यसो विद्यात्रयायाः ॥ २.१ ॥
sādhanamārga ābhyaso vidyātrayāyāḥ ‖ 2.1 ‖

~~~

sādhanamārgaḥ: practical path; ābhyasaḥ: practice; vidyā-trayāyāḥ: of wisdom + triple

“The practical path is the repetition of triple wisdom.”

Sūtra 2.2

विद्या सम्यग्दृष्टिर् यत् समदृष्टिर् दृश्यस्य ॥ २.२ ॥
vidyā samyagdṛṣṭir yat samadṛṣṭir dṛśyasya ‖ 2.2 ‖

~~~

vidyā: wisdom; samyagdṛṣṭiḥ: right view; yat: which; samadṛṣṭiḥ: equal vision; dṛśyasya: of the seen

“Wisdom is the right view, which is equal vision of the seen.”

Sūtra 2.3

विद्या क्षेत्रम् उत्तरेषां भेषजानाम् ॥ २.३ ॥
vidyā kṣetram uttareṣāṃ bheṣajānām ‖ 2.3 ‖

~~~

vidyā: wisdom; kṣetram: field; uttareṣām: of the subsequent; bheṣajānām: remedies

“Wisdom is the field of the subsequent remedies.”

Sūtra 2.4

विवेको विच्छेदनः स्वरूपम् अस्मितायाः ॥ २.४ ॥
viveko vicchedanaḥ svarūpam asmitāyāḥ ‖ 2.4 ‖

~~~

vivekaḥ: discernment; vicchedanaḥ: separating; svarūpam: one’s true nature; asmitātāḥ: from egotism

“Discernment is distinguishing one’s true nature from egotism.”

Sūtra 2.5

वैराग्यं वैतृष्ण्यं रागद्वेषाय ॥ २.५ ॥
vairāgyaṃ vaitṛṣṇyaṃ rāgadveṣāya ‖ 2.5 ‖

~~~

vairāgyam: non-attachment; vaitṛṣṇyam: lack of desire; rāgadveṣāya: for attachment and aversion

“Non-attachment is lack of desire for attachment and aversion.”

Sūtra 2.6

मुमुक्षुत्वं जयनाभिनिवेशः ॥ २.६ ॥
mumukṣutvaṃ jayanābhiniveśaḥ ‖ 2.6 ‖

~~~

mumukṣutvam: seeking liberation; jayana-abhiniveśaḥ: overcoming + inertia

“Seeking liberation is overcoming inertia.”

Sūtra 2.7

अभ्यासः स्थितयत्नः ॥ २.७ ॥
abhyāsaḥ sthitayatnaḥ ‖ 2.7 ‖

~~~

abhyāsaḥ: repetition; sthita-yatnaḥ: steady + effort

“Repetition is steady effort.”

Sūtra 2.8

दृढभूमिः स आसेवितो दीर्घकालनैरन्तर्यसत्कारेण ॥ २.८ ॥
dṛḍhabhūmiḥ sa āsevito dīrghakālanairantaryasatkāreṇa ‖ 2.8 ‖

~~~

dṛḍha-bhūmiḥ: stable + foundation; saḥ: it; āsevitaḥ: followed; dīrgha-kāla-nairantarya-satkāreṇa: for a long + time + without interruption + with reverence

“There is a stable foundation when followed for a long time without interruption and with reverence.”

Sūtra 2.9

अष्टाङ्गं यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयः ॥ २.९ ॥
aṣṭāṅgaṃ yamaniyamāsanaprāṇāyāmapratyāhāradhāraṇādhyānasamādhayaḥ ‖ 2.9 ‖

~~~

aṣṭāṅgam: eight limbs; yama-niyama-āsana-prāṇāyāma-pratyāhāra-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhayaḥ: the restraints + the observances + sitting + energy extension + withdrawal + concentration + meditation + absorption

“The eight limbs are the restraints, the observances, sitting, energy extension, withdrawal, concentration, meditation, and absorption.”

Sūtra 2.10

यमा अहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहाः ॥ २.१० ॥
yamā ahiṃsāsatyāsteyabrahmacaryāparigrahāḥ ‖ 2.10 ‖

~~~

yamāḥ: the restraints; ahiṃsā-satya-asteya-brahmacarya-aparigrahāḥ: non-harming + non-lying + non-stealing + non-wasting + non-possessiveness

“The restraints are non-harming, non-lying, non-stealing, non-wasting, and non-possessiveness.”

Sūtra 2.11

नियमाः शौचसंतोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि ॥ २.११ ॥
niyamāḥ śaucasaṃtoṣatapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni ‖ 2.11 ‖

~~~

niyamāḥ: the observances; śauca-saṃtoṣa-tapas-svādhyāya-īśvarapraṇidhānāni: purity + contentment + self-discipline + self-study + surrender to the oversoul

“The observances are purity, contentment, self-discipline, self-study, and surrender to the oversoul.”

Sūtra 2.12

दशमहाव्रतं सार्वभौमम् अनवच्छिन्नं जातिकालदेशसमयेनैः ॥ २.१२ ॥
daśamahāvrataṃ sārvabhaumam anavacchinnaṃ jātikāladeśasamayenaiḥ ‖ 2.12 ‖

~~~

daśamahāvratam: ten great vows; sārvabhaumam: universal; anavacchinnam: not limited; jāti-kāla-deśa-samayenaiḥ: by birth + time + space + circumstance

“These ten great vows are universal and not limited by birth, time, space, or circumstance.”

Sūtra 2.13

बाधनवितर्के प्रतिपक्षभाव्यः ॥ २.१३ ॥
bādhanavitarke pratipakṣabhāvyaḥ ‖ 2.13 ‖

~~~

bādhana-vitarke: upon a troubling + thought; pratipakṣa-bhāvyaḥ: opposite + should be cultivated

“Upon a troubling thought arising, the opposite should be cultivated.”

Sūtra 2.14

अहिंसा पथोऽवरहिंसायाः ॥ २.१४ ॥
ahiṃsā patho’varahiṃsāyāḥ ‖ 2.14 ‖

~~~

ahiṃsā: non-harming; pathaḥ: path; avara-hiṃsāyāḥ: of least + harm

“Non-harming is the path of least harm.”

Sūtra 2.15

सत्यं प्रमेयवाच् ॥ २.१५ ॥
satyaṃ prameyavāc ‖ 2.15 ‖

~~~

satyam: non-lying; prameya-vāc: verifiable + speech

“Non-lying is verifiable speech.”

Sūtra 2.16

अस्तेयम् आदानम् एव स्वैरंदत्तम् ॥ २.१६ ॥
asteyam ādānam eva svairaṃdattam ‖ 2.16 ‖

~~~

asteyam: non-stealing; ādāna: taking; eva: only; svairaṃ-dattam: freely + given

“Non-stealing is taking only what is freely given.”

Sūtra 2.17

ब्रह्मचर्यं रक्षणं प्राणस्य ॥ २.१७ ॥
brahmacaryaṃ rakṣaṇaṃ prāṇasya ‖ 2.17 ‖

~~~

brahmacaryam: non-wasting; rakṣaṇam: preservation; prāṇasya: of energy

“Non-wasting is preservation of energy.”

Sūtra 2.18

अपरिग्रहस् त्यागो निष्कारणार्थानाम् ॥ २.१८ ॥
aparigrahas tyāgo niṣkāraṇārthānām ‖ 2.18 ‖

~~~

aparigrahaḥ: non-possessiveness; tyāgaḥ: renunciation; niṣkāraṇa-arthānām: of unnecessary + objects

“Non-possessiveness is renunciation of unnecessary objects.”

Sūtra 2.19

शौचं भूतशुद्धिः ॥ २.१९ ॥
śaucaṃ bhūtaśuddhiḥ ‖ 2.19 ‖

~~~

śaucam: purification; bhūtaśuddhiḥ: clearing the elements

“Purification is clearing the elements.”

Sūtra 2.20

संतोषोऽव्यथ्यान्तःशान्ति ॥ २.२० ॥
saṃtoṣo’vyathyāntaḥśānti ‖ 2.20 ‖

~~~

ssaṃtoṣaḥ: contentment; avyathya-antaḥśānti: unwavering + inner peace

“Contentment is unwavering inner peace.”

Sūtra 2.21

तपं प्रग्रहणेन्द्रियाणि ॥ २.२१ ॥
tapaṃ pragrahaṇendriyāṇi ‖ 2.21 ‖

~~~

tapam: self-discipline; pragrahaṇa-indriyāṇi: reining in + senses

“Self-discipline is reining in the senses.”

Sūtra 2.22

स्वाध्याय आत्मविचारः ॥ २.२२ ॥
svādhyāya ātmavicāraḥ ‖ 2.22 ‖

~~~

svādhyāyaḥ: self-study; ātmavicāraḥ: self-inquiry

“Self-study is self-inquiry.”

Sūtra 2.23

ईश्वरप्रणिधानम् अनुवृत्तीश्वरः ॥ २.२३ ॥
īśvarapraṇidhānam anuvṛttīśvaraḥ ‖ 2.23 ‖

~~~

īśvarapraṇidhānam: surrender to the oversoul; anuvṛtti-īśvaraḥ: emulating + the oversoul

“Surrender to the oversoul is emulating it.”

Sūtra 2.24

आसनं ध्यानाय स्थिरसुखे ॥ २.२४ ॥
āsanaṃ dhyānāya sthirasukhe ‖ 2.24 ‖

~~~

āsanam: sitting; dhyānāya: for meditation; sthira-sukhe: still + comfortable

“Sitting for meditation is still and comfortable.”

Sūtra 2.25

शैथिल्यात् प्रयत्नस्य समापत्तिः प्राणमयकोशे ॥ २.२५ ॥
śaithilyāt prayatnasya samāpattiḥ prāṇamayakośe ‖ 2.25 ‖

~~~

śaithilyāt: from relaxation; prayatnasya: of effort; samāpattiḥ: absorption; prāṇamayakośe: in the energy sheath

“From the relaxation of effort comes absorption in the energy sheath.”

Sūtra 2.26

ततः अनभिघातः स्थूलशरीरेण ॥ २.२६ ॥
tataḥ anabhighātaḥ sthūlaśarīreṇa ‖ 2.26 ‖

~~~

tataḥ: then; anabhighātaḥ: untroubled; sthūlaśarīreṇa: by the gross body

“Then one is untroubled by the gross body.”

Sūtra 2.27

एवासितं प्राणायामो विच्छेदगति श्वासप्रश्वासयोः ॥ २.२७ ॥
evāsitaṃ prāṇāyāmo vicchedagati śvāsapraśvāsayoḥ ‖ 2.27 ‖

~~~

eva: thus; āsitam: seated; prāṇāyāmaḥ: energy extension; viccheda-gati: interrupting + procession; śvāsa-praśvāsayoḥ: of inhalation + exhalation

“Thus seated, energy extension is the interruption of the procession of inhalation and exhalation.”

Sūtra 2.28

वृत्तयः प्राणायामस्य बाह्याभ्यन्तरस्तम्भा दीर्घंसूक्ष्मंपरिदृष्टा देशकालसांख्याभिः ॥ २.२८ ॥
vṛttayaḥ prāṇāyāmasya bāhyābhyantarastambhā dīrghaṃsūkṣmaṃparidṛṣṭā deśakālasāṃkhyābhiḥ ‖ 2.28 ‖

~~~

vṛttayaḥ: activities; prāṇāyāmasya: of energy extension; bāhya-abhyantara-stambhāḥ: internal + external + paused; dīrgham-sūkṣmam-paridṛṣṭāḥ: slowly + subtly + directed; deśa-kāla-sāṃkhyābhiḥ: by place + time + number

“The activities of energy extension are external, internal, and pause.  They are slowly and subtly directed according to place, time, and number.”

Sūtra 2.29

चतुर्थवृत्तिर् जुह्वानः प्राणोऽपानेऽपानः प्राणे च ॥ २.२९ ॥
caturthavṛttir juhvānaḥ prāṇo’pāne’pānaḥ prāṇe ca ‖ 2.29 ‖

~~~

caturthavṛttiḥ: fourth activity; juhvānaḥ: offering; prāṇaḥ: upward inhalation; apāne: to the downward exhalation; apānaḥ: downward exhalation; prāṇe: to the upward inhalation; ca: and

“The fourth activity is offering the upward inhalation to the downward exhalation and the downward exhalation to the upward inhalation.”

Sūtra 2.30

ततः प्रकाशावरणं क्षीणम् ॥ २.३० ॥
tataḥ prakāśāvaraṇaṃ kṣīṇam ‖ 2.30 ‖

~~~

tataḥ: from that; prakāśa-āvaraṇam: light + veil; kṣīṇam: destroyed

“From that, the veil over the light is destroyed.”

Sūtra 2.31

प्रत्याहारोऽसम्प्रयोग इन्द्रियाणां स्वानुकारविषयेभ्यः प्रतिस्वरूपं सत्त्वस्य ॥ २.३१ ॥
pratyāhāro’samprayoga indriyāṇāṃ svānukāraviṣayebhyaḥ pratisvarūpaṃ sattvasya ‖ 2.31 ‖

~~~

pratyāhāraḥ: withdrawal; asamprayogaḥ: dissociation; indriyanam: of the senses; sva-anukāra-viṣayebhyaḥ: from their + corresponding + objects; prati-svarūpam: to + their true nature; sattvasya: of mind

“Withdrawal is the disassociation of the senses from their corresponding objects back to their mental nature.”

Sūtra 2.32

ततः परमवश्यतेन्द्रियाणाम् ॥ २.३२ ॥
tataḥ paramavaśyatendriyāṇām ‖ 2.32 ‖

~~~

tataḥ: from that; parama-vaśyatā: highest + control; indriyāṇām: of the senses

“From that comes the highest control of the senses.”

Sūtra 2.33

योग्यता मनसो धारणासु च ॥ २.३३ ॥
yogyatā manaso dhāraṇāsu ca ‖ 2.33 ‖

~~~

yogatā: fitness; manasaḥ: of mind; dhāraṇāsu: in concentration; ca: and

“And there is fitness of mind for concentration.”

Sūtra 2.34

पञ्चाङ्गम् एकत्र क्रियायोगो यद् बहिःसाधनम् ॥ २.३४ ॥
pañcāṅgam ekatra kriyāyogo yad bahiḥsādhanam ‖ 2.34 ‖

~~~

pañcāṅgam: five limbs; ekatra: together; kriyāyogaḥ: performance yoga; yat: which; bahir-sādhanam: outer + practice

“These five limbs together are performance yoga, which is outer practice.”

Sūtra 2.35

धारणा बन्धश् चित्तशरीरस्यैकवृत्त्याम् ॥ २.३५ ॥
dhāraṇā bandhaś cittaśarīrasyaikavṛttyām ‖ 2.35 ‖

~~~

dhāraṇā: concentration; bandhaḥ: binding; cittaśarīrasya: of the conscious body; eka-vṛttyām: on one + modification

“Concentration is the binding of the conscious body on one modification.”

Sūtra 2.36

ध्यानं बन्धोऽन्तःशरीरस्यैववृत्त्याम् ॥ २.३६ ॥
dhyānaṃ bandho’ntaḥśarīrasyaivavṛttyām ‖ 2.36 ‖

~~~

dhyānam: meditation; bandhaḥ: binding; antaḥśarīrasya: of the inner body; eva-vṛttyām: on the same + modification

“Meditation is the binding of the inner body on the same modification.”

Sūtra 2.37

समाधिर् बन्धः कारणशरीरस्यैववृत्त्याम् ॥ २.३७ ॥
samādhir bandhaḥ kāraṇaśarīrasyaivavṛttyām ‖ 2.37 ‖

~~~

samadhiḥ: absorption; bandhaḥ: binding; kāraṇaśarīrasya: of the causal body; eva-vṛttyām: on the same + modification

“Absorption is the binding of the causal body on the same modification.”

Sūtra 2.38

त्र्यङ्गम् एकत्र संयमयोगो यद् अन्तःसाधनम् ॥ २.३८ ॥
tryaṅgam ekatra saṃyamayogo yad antaḥsādhanam ‖ 2.38 ‖

~~~

tryaṅgam: three limbs; ekatra: together; saṃyamayogaḥ: restraint yoga; yat: which; antar-sādhanam: inner + practice

“These three limbs together are restraint yoga, which is inner practice.”

Sūtra 2.39

अष्टाङ्गम् एकत्र राजयोगो यत् सम्यक्साधनम् ॥ २.३९ ॥
aṣṭāṅgam ekatra rājayogo yat samyaksādhanam ‖ 2.39 ‖

~~~

aṣṭāṅgam: eight limbs; ekatra: together; rājayogaḥ: royal yoga; yat: which; samyaksādhanam: complete practice

“All eight limbs together are royal yoga, which is complete practice.”

Sūtra 2.40

ततः सम्यक्सिद्धयः ॥ २.४० ॥
tataḥ samyaksiddhayaḥ ‖ 2.40 ‖

~~~

tataḥ: from that; samyaksiddhayaḥ: complete results

“From that comes complete results.”