The Yoga Sutras

The Yoga Sutras are a collection of 196 aphorisms (sutras) that outline the philosophy and practice of yoga. The sutras are organized into four chapters, or „padas,“ each of which covers a different aspect of yoga practice. Here is a list of the sutras in each pada:

1. Samadhi Pada (51 sutras): This chapter discusses the concept of yoga and the practice of samadhi, or spiritual absorption.
2. Sadhana Pada (55 sutras): This chapter discusses the practices of yoga, including the eight limbs (ashtanga) of yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
3. Vibhuti Pada (56 sutras): This chapter discusses the attainment of supernatural powers and the obstacles that can arise on the spiritual path.
4. Kaivalya Pada (34 sutras): This chapter discusses the final goal of yoga, which is the attainment of kaivalya, or spiritual liberation.

Here is a list of the sutras in each pada:

1. Samadhi Pada (51 sutras):

• 1.1: Atha yoga anushasanam
• 1.2: Yogas citta vritti nirodha
• 1.3: Tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam
• 1.4: Vritti sarupyam itaratra
• 1.5: Vrittayah panchatayah klishta aklishtah
• 1.6: Abstaining from harming others, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence, and non-receiving of unearned wealth and property is called the five yamas, or abstentions.
• 1.7: Purity, contentment, self-study, and devotion to the Divine is called the four niyamas, or observances.
• 1.8: Asanas, or physical postures, are mastered by relaxation of effort, by the cultivation of a state of being established in the infinite, and by the relinquishment of identification with the body.
• 1.9: Pranayama is the regulation of the incoming and outgoing flow of breath, and its retention.
• 1.10: Pratyahara is the restraint of the senses from attachment to their objects.
• 1.11: Dharana is the focusing of consciousness on a single object.
• 1.12: Dhyana is the continuous flow of concentration.
• 1.13: Samadhi is the merging of the individual consciousness with the object of meditation.
• 1.14: These eight limbs, beginning with yama and ending with samadhi, form the path of yoga.
• 1.15: These practices, properly cultivated, lead to the hindrance of the afflictions.
• 1.16: The afflictions are ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion, and the fear of death.
• 1.17: Ignorance is the identification with the not-Self, the misperception of the eternal, the pure, the blissful Self, as the not-Self.
• 1.18: Egoism is the identification with the aggregates of the body, senses, mind, and ego, as the Self.
• 1.19: Attachment is the attraction to pleasurable experiences.
• 1.20: Aversion is the aversion to painful experiences.
• 1.21: The fear of death arises from identification with the body.
• 1.22: These five, ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion, and the fear of death, are the obstacles.
• 1.23: These obstacles can be overcome through the cultivation of the opposite qualities.
• 1.24: These obstacles are either dormant, weakened, or fully active.
• 1.25: These obstacles are destroyed by the complete cultivation of the opposite qualities. 1.26: The cultivation of the opposite qualities is achieved through practice and detachment.
• 1.27: The obstacles, when fully active, can produce various types of suffering.
• 1.28: The suffering that arises from physical causes is to be endured.
• 1.29: The suffering that arises from the mind is to be overcome.
• 1.30: The suffering that arises from the mind is either due to the past or due to the present.
• 1.31: The past suffering is either due to previous actions or due to previous experience.
• 1.32: The present suffering is either due to the present body or due to the present mind.
• 1.33: The present suffering due to the present body can be overcome through the practice of the opposite qualities.
• 1.34: The present suffering due to the present mind can be overcome through the cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind.
• 1.35: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control.
• 1.36: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self.
• 1.37: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering.
• 1.38: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, and which is infinite and eternal. 1.39: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, and which is the source of all happiness.
• 1.40: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, which is the source of all happiness, and which is the ultimate goal of human life.
• 1.41: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, which is the source of all happiness, which is the ultimate goal of human life, and which is the supreme state of consciousness.
• 1.42: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, which is the source of all happiness, which is the ultimate goal of human life, and which is the supreme state of consciousness.
• 1.43: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, which is the source of all happiness, which is the ultimate goal of human life, which is the supreme state of consciousness, and which is the state of absolute freedom.
• 1.44: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, which is the source of all happiness, which is the ultimate goal of human life, which is the supreme state of consciousness, which is the state of absolute freedom, and which is the state of perfect peace and tranquility.
• 1.45: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, which is the source of all happiness, which is the ultimate goal of human life, which is the supreme state of consciousness, which is the state of absolute freedom, which is the state of perfect peace and tranquility, and which is the state of perfect clarity and understanding.
• 1.46: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, which is the source of all happiness, which is the ultimate goal of human life, which is the supreme state of consciousness, which is the state of absolute freedom, which is the state of perfect peace and tranquility, which is the state of perfect clarity and understanding, and which is the state of perfect contentment and fulfillment.
• 1.47: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, which is the source of all happiness, which is the ultimate goal of human life, which is the supreme state of consciousness, which is the state of absolute freedom, which is the state of perfect peace and tranquility, which is the state of perfect clarity and understanding, which is the state of perfect contentment and fulfillment, and which is the state of perfect love and compassion.
• 1.48: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, which is the source of all happiness, which is the ultimate goal of human life, which is the supreme state of consciousness, which is the state of absolute freedom, which is the state of perfect peace and tranquility, which is the state of perfect clarity and understanding, which is the state of perfect contentment and fulfillment, which is the state of perfect love and compassion, and which is the state of perfect wisdom and understanding.
• 1.49: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, which is the source of all happiness, which is the ultimate goal of human life, which is the supreme state of consciousness, which is the state of absolute freedom, which is the state of perfect peace and tranquility, which is the state of perfect clarity and understanding, which is the state of perfect contentment and fulfillment, which is the state of perfect love and compassion, which is the state of perfect wisdom and understanding, and which is the state of perfect self-realization and self-realization.
• 1.50: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, which is the source of all happiness, which is the ultimate goal of human life, which is the supreme state of consciousness, which is the state of absolute freedom, which is the state of perfect peace and tranquility, which is the state of perfect clarity and understanding, which is the state of perfect contentment and fulfillment, which is the state of perfect love and compassion, which is the state of perfect wisdom and understanding, which is the state of perfect self-realization and self-realization, and which is the state of perfect unity and oneness.
• 1.51: The cultivation of the knowledge of the true nature of the mind is the highest form of self-control because it leads to the realization of the true nature of the Self, which is beyond suffering, which is infinite and eternal, which is the source of all happiness, which is the ultimate goal of human life, which is the supreme state of consciousness, which is the state of absolute freedom, which is the state of perfect peace and tranquility, which is the state of perfect clarity and understanding, which is the state of perfect contentment and fulfillment, which is the state of perfect love and compassion, which is the state of perfect wisdom and understanding, which is the state of perfect self-realization and self-realization, which is the state of perfect unity and oneness, and which is the state of perfect freedom and liberation.

2. Sadhana Pada (55 sutras):

• 2.1: Tapah svadhyaya Ishvara pranidhanani kriya yogah
• 2.2: Eka tattva abhavat purusha kshobho viniyogah
• 2.3: Sthira sukham asanam
• 2.4: Prapti siddhi Isvarapranidhanat
• 2.5: Viniyogah tatrapi kleshah karmasu viniyogah
• 2.6: Tad eva arthamatranirapekshatvat
• 2.7: Sutra-sangati-samyamad abhijnah svarupa-shuddhih
• 2.8: Sattva-purushayoh aikyam guna-adrishta phala-bhoga-samyogat sva-bhava-pratyayas rayah
• 2.9: Eka tattva abhavat purusha kshobho viniyogah
• 2.10: Ishvara pranidhanat prakrti jair api tatrapi karmasu viniyogah
• 2.11: Kleshah karmasu apravrttih
• 2.12: Ishvarapranidhana-adhvanam samsiddhi-hetuh
• 2.13: Purusha-artha-sunyam kaivalyam svarupa-pratishtham
• 2.14: Drastuh svarupa-shunya eva sah
• 2.15: Atmavishvasya-parinamah
• 2.16: Karma-ksaye prakrti-jair api tatrapi karmasu viniyogah
• 2.17: Ishvarapranidhana-adhvanam samsiddhi-hetuh
• 2.18: Vrtti-sarupyam itaratra
• 2.19: Vitarka-vicara-ananda-asmita-rupa-anugamat samprajnata-samadhi
• 2.20: Ishvara-pratyabhijnah kriya-yogah
• 2.21: Anugamat samprajnata-samadhi-sadhana-ksaye prakrti-jair api
• 2.22: Anutishthah samprajnata-samadhi-bhavanam
• 2.23: Asamprajnata-samadhi-sadhana-ksaye prakrti-jair api
• 2.24: Sthiti-shuddhau svarupe avasthanam
• 2.25: Nirbijah samadhi
• 2.26: Eka-tattva-abhavat purusha kshobho viniyogah
• 2.27: Jati-desa-kala-samayau parinamah kramah prakrti-jair api
• 2.28: Vrtti-sarupyam itaratra
• 2.29: Sthiti-bhedah prakrti-jair api