Patanjali Yoga Sutras — foundational text of yoga philosophy. By Maharishi Patanjali (~200 BCE). 196 sutras, 4 padas.
Yoga definition: "Yogashchittavrittinirodhah" — restraint of mind's modifications = yoga.
✦ 4 Padas
1. Samadhi Pada (51 sutras): yoga definition, chitta-vritti, samadhi types.
2. Sadhana Pada (55 sutras): kriya yoga, klesha, ashtanga yoga.
3. Vibhuti Pada (56 sutras): dharana-dhyana-samadhi (samyama), siddhis.
4. Kaivalya Pada (34 sutras): liberation, prakriti-purusha, kaivalya.
✦ 5 Chitta Vrittis
1. Pramana: right knowledge.
2. Viparyaya: wrong knowledge.
3. Vikalpa: imagination.
4. Nidra: sleep.
5. Smriti: memory.
All-restraint = yoga.
✦ 5 Kleshas
1. Avidya: ignorance.
2. Asmita: ego.
3. Raga: attachment.
4. Dvesha: aversion.
5. Abhinivesha: fear of death.
Klesha-removal = kaivalya.
✦ 8 Siddhis
1. Anima: subtle form.
2. Mahima: vast form.
3. Laghima: light body.
4. Garima: heavy body.
5. Prapti: getting all.
6. Prakamya: wish fulfillment.
7. Ishitva: rulership.
8. Vashitva: nature control.
Siddhis are bondage — not moksha.
📚Sources & References
Content in this article is verified against the following classical and modern authoritative sources. Readers may independently verify against the original sources.
- ▪Surya Siddhanta — classical Sanskrit astronomical text (~5th century CE)
- ▪Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra — foundational text on Vedic astrology by Maharishi Parashara
- ▪Muhurta Chintamani by Ram Daivajna (16th century) — standard reference for muhurat selection
- ▪Astronomical Algorithms by Jean Meeus (Willmann-Bell, 1998) — basis for all astronomical computations on this site
- ▪Lahiri Ayanamsa — standard sidereal reference adopted by the Indian Calendar Reform Committee (1955)
✦ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Patanjali?▼
Maharishi Patanjali — 4 texts author: Yoga Sutras, Mahabhashya (grammar), medical text, Charaka Samhita reviser. ~200 BCE.
How to study?▼
Swami Vivekananda Raja Yoga, Swami Satchidananda commentary, Swami Hariharananda Gita Press. Original Sanskrit hard.
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Note: This content is published for educational and cultural reference. For personal religious or astrological decisions, please consult a qualified pandit or jyotishi.