Yoga Sutras Q & A

Yogena cittasya padena vacam
malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena
yopakarottam pravaram muninam
patanjalim pranajaliranato'smi

Abahu purusakaram sankha cakrasi dharinam
sahasra sirasam svetam pranamami patanjalim.

Let us bow before the noblest of sages Patanjali,
who gave yoga for serenity and sanctity of mind,
grammar for clarity and purity of speech
and medicine for perfection of health.

Let us prostrate before Patanjali,
an incarnation of Adisesa,
whose upper body has a human form,
whose arms hold a conch, a disc and a sword,
and who is crowned by a thousand-headed cobra.

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The chant above may discourage a devout Catholic, dedicated Christian or a faithful Muslim from pursuing the study of yoga if we look at its literal translation. The Sanskrit language, like the old English, is very poetic. It is most helpful if we look at the meaning behind the words. The conch, for example, represents the Divine Sound and power.

"It is an emblem of power, authority and sovereignty whose blast is believed to banish evil spirits, avert natural disasters, and scare away poisonous creatures." - Exotic India

I told Chona I studied the Sutras in a Q&A manner and it made me understand this yogic text easier. As promised, I'm posting the questions for the first half of Chapter I.

What is Yoga? And why do we have to pursue it?

• Yoga is the control over the fluctuations of the mind (YS I:2). The Self either abides in his own nature of assumes the forms of the mental modifications (YS I:3-4)

What are the mental modifications?

1. Right knowledge
2. Imagination/misconception
3. Verbal delusion
4. Sleep
5. Memory

• Then are either painless or painful (YS I:6-11)
  

How can we control these mental modifications?

• Through practice and non-attachment (YS I:12)

What is practice?

• It is the effort toward steadiness of mind (YS I:13)

How can practice be successful?

• Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without braek and in all earnestness (YS I:14)

What is non-attachment?

• The consciousness of self-mastery in one who is free from craving for objects seen or heard about (YS I:15)

When can one attain success in yoga?

• To the keen and intent practitioner this comes very quickly (YS I:21)
• The time necessary for success further depends on whether the practice is mild, medium or intense (YS I:22) or by devotion with total dedication to the Divine (YS I:23)