Yoga Sutras - 20 - Reflections

1. SRINI ”THE10” GURRAPU “YOGA SUTRAS-20” REFLECTIONS
RYT200 | USA YOGA 2017 National Men’s Championship participant | CA Men’s 3rd
Sampoorna (Shivananda) Yoga | ArtofLiving | Bikram Yoga | EkaShriSchoolsOfYoga| Isha
Srini.gurrapu@gmail.com | 408-390-2871
“Yoga Sutras-20” is my interpretation of core Top 20 Yoga Sutras composed by Sage Patanjali.
Prayer to Sage Patanjali:
Yogena cittasya padena vacam malam sarirasyaca vaidyakena
Yopakarottam prvaram muninam Patanjalim pranjaliranatosmi ||
[
To the sage Patanjali, who gave us yoga for serenity of mind, (Sanskrit) grammar for purity of
speech, and (Ayurveda) medicine for the perfection of the body, I salute.
]
Yoga Sutras is the most authoritative and profound text on the holistic yoga system. It is
composed as 196 sutras – aphorisms – terse and universal truths.

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Here are the Top 20 yoga sutras that capture the essence:
WHAT IS YOGA
1. atha yogaanushasanam. [1.1]
Now, the self-discipline of yoga.
In life, we try many things in search of happiness – school, grades, jobs, friends,
marriage, food, entertainment – but realize they only give temporary happiness and
result in suffering.
Now, come to the practice of yoga to realize permanent eternal bliss – sat-chit-
ananda.
Yoga is a self-discipline – not forced up on by friends, family or teachers. It’s
something we do for ourselves.
In addition, yogi is not a part-time job only on the mat for some period of time in a
way. Yogi is a way of life – a full time job; on/off the mat.
2. yoga chitta vritti nirodhah [1.2]
Yoga is restraining (calming) the “turbulent activities” of the mind.
Yoga is not about postures, twists, bends and moves. Yoga is about calming and
restraining the turbulent activities of the mind.
Mind with the aid of sensory organs – sight, touch, smell, hear and taste – create an
illusion and separation of “me vs you” – based on color, race, region, caste, economic
status. This separation of “me vs you” (also referred to as “asmita” – sense of
“I”ness”) is the root of all chatter conflict – and one’s tendencies to optimize for their
own well-being vs others – and therefore create misery.
Yoga is a way of life that destroys all illusions, delusions and superstitions of the mind
– and transforms the “I-ness” (me, I, my famiy) to “Oneness” – we are all ONE.
3. tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam. [1.3]
Then the true divine (seer/purusha/atman) is realized within.

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Once the turbulent mind is restrained and the “I-ness” is destroyed, our true nature –
the divine – gets manifested and realized within. We realize the “ONENESS” among
all of us; and become “brahman” (atman) – the supreme force. Aham Brahmasmi!
4. abhyasa vairagyabhyam tat nirodhah [1.12]
Regular practice and dispassionate (exuberant) engagement are the means to
restrain the mind.
Patanjali gives the two primary keys to restrain the turbulent mind to become “ONE” –
viz. 1) regular practice and 2) dispassionate, exuberant engagement in life.
5. sah tu dirgha kala nairantaira satkara asevito dridha bhumih [1.14]
Regular practice over a long period of time, without interruption, with full honor and
devotion, results in firmly established.
The practice becomes firmly established in you – as way of life – when it is done over
a long period of time without breaks – and performed with sincere effort and sense of
devotion and honor.
6. dristaanushravika vishaya vitrishnasya vashikara sanjna vairagyam [1.15]
Dispassion (vairagya) is the lack of deep desire for the things seen or heard
Vairagya is dispassionate, yet exuberant engagement in activities. Vairagya is not
renunciation – giving up activities or pleasures. One can engage in all activities
without being bonded (attached) to pleasure or pain – for any things seen, heard or
perceived by senses.
Vairagya is ”playfulness” – leela – as depicted by Krishna or Shiva; where one
engage in all activities with full exuberant expression - without getting stuck (bonded)
to people or things.
EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA
7. yama niyama asana pranayama pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhi ashtavangani
[2.29]
The 8-limbs of yoga are: yama (good social conduct), niyama (good self conduct),
asana (postures), pranayama (breath regulation), (pratyahara) reduced consumption,
(dharana) concentration, (dhyana) meditation and (samadhi) immersion.
Yoga is a holistic system of 8-limbs. All the limbs are integral to overall well-being and
realizing the “oneness” within and around.
These are not 8 stages to master one after the other. Rather all the 8-limbs need to

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be practiced and nurtured synchronously together to establish a well-balanced Yoga
body within us. This is very similar to how our human body limbs grow together.
8. yogaanga anusthanad ashuddhi kshaye jnana diptih aviveka khyateh [2.28]
Eight limbs holistic yoga practice results in the “impurities to dwindle”, “light of
brilliance to shine forth”, illuminating the discriminative knowledge within.
The Eight limb holistic yoga practice results in all the impurities within body and mind
to be destroyed, bringing the divine light to shine forth – and ignites the discriminative
knowledge.
The knowledge that we are all “nitya-suchi-sukha-atma” – eternal, pure, bliss,
indivisible – our true identity, sat-chit-ananda.
The illusionary identity of this human body and mind – wrong knowledge – gets
destroyed. And we become ONE – the brahman!
YAMA NIYAMA PRINCIPLES – GOOD SOCIAL AND SELF CONDUCT
9. ahimsa satya asteya brahmacharya aparigraha yama [2.30]
Non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, moderation, non-accumulation (non-greedy)
are the five good social conduct principles.
Holistic yoga practice starts with cultivating good social conduct principles – how we
behave towards others. These need to be practiced in “trikarana-shuddi” – manasa-
vacha-karmana – in thought, words and action.
Patanjali revealed that these principles reveal super-powers to practitioners:
• Non-violence practice influences people around us to give up violence.
• Truthful practice results in your wishes to come true – both good and bad. A
big responsibility to develop positive thinking.
• Non-stealing practice results in one’s to acquire all the wealth that is needed.
• Moderation (rightful conduct) results in valor.
• Non-accumulation and non-greedy results in acquiring knowledge of lifetimes.
Yama principles are universal – applies across all times, regions and races of people.
10.saucha santosha tapah svadhyaya ishvarapranidhanani niyamah [2.32]
saucha (Hygiene in body and mind), sanotosha (contentment), tapas (intense effort),
swadhyaya (self-study) and ishvara prannidanai (surrender to the divine) are the five
good self-conduct and internal discipline principles.

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Along with yama (good social conduct), a yogi needs to practice niyama (good self-
conduct and internal discipline) principles.
Similar to Yamas, Patanjali revealed that Niyamas also reveal super-powers.
• Maintaining purity and good hygiene results in transcending the body – clarity,
happiness, concentration, mastery of senses and capacity for self-awareness.
• Being content results in unbounded joy.
• Intense effort and discipline burn up all impurities in the body – and purification
of senses.
• Self-study deepens one’s union with personal deity.
• Surrendering all efforts and outcomes to supreme (ishvara) results in samadhi
(bliss) – merging with divine.
ASANA - POSTURES
11. sthira sukham asanam. [2.42]
Steady and comfort are perfect posture.
Patanjali only defined 3 yoga sutras for postures. A good posture is one that is very
stable, steadiness with full effort – yet easy and comfortable to breath in a
synchronous flow. A shaking breath or not a continuous flow of breath is a not a good
posture – and sometimes categorized as “violence” – not honoring the body.
12. tato dvandva anabhighata [2.48]
(Practicing asanas) reduces the conflicts within the body and mind.
Patanjali reveals the regular practice of asanas reduces the conflicts within body and
mind. In life as we grow up, we become “adulterated” bringing in many conflicts in the
body and mind.
One such conflict is “tongue vs stomach” or “taste vs nutrition”. Our tongue wants to
eat tasty pies, pizzas, burgers – but the body longs for nutritious food such as
vegetables, fruits etc. Practice of asanas reduces these conflicts and bring the “taste
and nutrition” in alignment – essentially nutritious food becomes tasty.
Practicing asanas also reduces the “rajas” – the intense action-oriented energy and
qualities within.

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PRANAYAMA – BREATHING PRACTICES
13. tasmin sati svasa prasvsayoh gati vichchhedah pranayamah [2.49]
[Being established in a yoga posture], regulating the inhale breath and exhale breath
is called pranayama.
Patanjali regards pranayama twice as useful to asanas – and therefore gave 6 sutras.
In pranayama, one is comfortably established in a yoga posture – and then regulates
the inhale breath (svasa) and exhale breath (prasvas) with holds in between. The
regular practice of pranayama extends the duration of each inhale, exhale and hold
progressively starting with 4-6 counts.
Prana is a life force – not just the breath – and energizes each cell in the body; not
just lungs.
The regulation is done by constricting the passage (shifting the attention) in some part
of the body. Ujjayi pranayama constricts the breath in the throat area. Alternate nostril
(anulom-vilom) breathing constricts in the nostril – and Sheetkari in the tongue.
14. tatah kshiyate prakasha avaranam. [2.52]
[Mastering pranayama] the veil of darkness is removed, revealing the inner light.
Patanjali reveals that the regular practice of pranayama removes the veil of darkness
(tamas – dull, lethargy, bad qualities) revealing the true divine light within.
Always combine pranayama with posture practice.
15. dharanasu cha yogyata manasah. [2. 53]
Pranyama makes the mind fit for concentration.
Regular practice of pranayama improves concentration (Dharana) in the mind –
allows one to perform activities efficiently. Dharana is also one of the 8-limbs and one
of the inner practices along with Dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (immersion).

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MEDITATION, SAMYAMA AND INNER PRACTICES
16. tatra pratyaya ekatanata dhyanam [3.2]
Meditation is that state where the image (thoughts) in the mind are identical from one
moment to next.
Patanjali describes meditation as the most powerful practice in holistic yoga system.
Meditation is not sleep – or slumber. Meditation is a conscious state where the
contents (thoughts and images) in the mind are exactly the same from one moment to
the next.
When we observe our mind, mind is always running around in many directions with
many thoughts – like a bitten and drunk monkey (Vivekananda). With meditation, one
learns to focus the mind on one image (any image – something positive and uplifting
is better)
Meditation is a state where the mind becomes like the surface of a clear lake –
becomes so translucent so that one can see the true divine (depth – the Shiva) within.
On regular practice, meditation becomes effortless keeping the spine erect.
17. dhyana heyah tat vrittayah. [2.11]
Meditation results in the miseries of the mind to be fully eliminated.
According to Patanjali, only meditation completely eliminates all the miseries (result of
activities - vrittis) in the mind.
Asanas and pranayama reduce the conflicts and removes the impurities – and help
prepare the body for meditation.
Meditation improves the “sattva” – equanimous quality within reducing the tamas and
rajas qualities.
18. avidya asmita raga dvesha abhinivesha pancha klesha [2.3]
avidya (wrong knowledge), asmita (sense of I-ness), raga (desire and attachment),
dvesha (hatred) and abhinivesha (fear of death and insecurity) are the five miseries of
the mind.
The 5 miseries of the mind are the root of turbulence in the mind – and all conflicts
and suffering within.
Meditation completely eliminates all the five miseries helping one realize the
“ONENESS” – the divine within.

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19. tatra dhyanajam anasayam. [4.6]
That (thought and action) borne in a meditative state does not create residue –
bondage or karma.
According to Patanjali, any thoughts and actions that are performed in fully meditative
state (clear translucent mind) are free of any bondage or karma. Therefore, does not
result in more births resulting in moksha – liberation and bliss.
CONCLUSION
20. heyam dukham anagatam. [2.16]
The suffering is completely avoided.
According to Patanjali, the holistic 8-limb yoga practice regularly (abhyasa) and with
dispassionate and exuberant engagement results in total bliss – and all suffering is
avoided.
Yoga is the way of life to realize ONENESS – the Brahman, the supreme divine – we
are all.
Patanjai yoga sutras have lot of common with Bhagavad Gita and Vedanta,
Shankara’s “we are all ONE; divine” philosophy.
Patanjali yoga sutras is a scientific and prescriptive text to the full system of yoga with
many more tools and techniques to overcome difficulties in the practice – and
progressive realization of divine within.
CREDITS
My sincere gratitude to Shriram Sarvotham ji, EkaShri Schools of Yoga, for teaching
and igniting passion for Patanjali yoga sutras.
Some of my interpretations is a result of Shriram ji’s teachings, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Yoga Sutras commentary, yoga sutras study led by my friend Shailesh Basani - and
my explorations with Vedanta and Upanishads teaching.
OM TAT SAT. Truth is Absolute. ONE. Bliss. Satchidananda. 🙏🙏🙏