The Yoga Sutras are what?

Deciphering Patanjali's ancient knowledge

You might not yet be familiar with the Patanjali Yoga Sutras if you're new to yoga. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are a compilation of 196 brief verses that, in a nutshell, serve as a roadmap for achieving wisdom and self-realization via yoga. Many consider the text to be the foundation of yoga philosophy. It is thought to have been written around 400 C.E.

Samadhi, Sadhana, Vibhuti, and Kaivalya are the four padas (chapters) that make up the 196 sutras, which are translated as 'threads' or 'discourses' in English. Although the text itself is up to interpretation by the practitioner, the Yoga Sutras' primary goal is to offer depth and useful knowledge to aid yogis and yoginis in exploring the essence of yoga.

Padas Samadhi

The definition of yoga is covered in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras' first chapter. The 51 sutras in this part are intended for people who already incorporate yoga into their daily lives and speak to them through messages that center on enlightenment, concentration, and meditation.

Padas Sadhana

The Yoga Sutras' chapter two provides instructions on how to enter a yogic condition as we move forward in the narrative but possibly backward in philosophical terms. The 55 sutras in this section describe yoga as a practise and introduce its eight limbs, which are:

Yama's Five Ethical Principles

• Niyama: Five rules for behavior and discipline
• Asana: The physical postures used in yoga
• Pranayama: Breathing exercises
• Sensory withdrawal, Pratyahara
• Dharana: Intensification
• Samadhi, or self-realization, is a result of meditation.

Vishnu Padas

Chapter three's 56 sutras emphasize the advantages of frequent yoga practice. Patanjali delves further into the final two limbs of yoga, Dhyana and Sadhi, as well as the power and manifestation that come from practicing yoga.

Padas Kaivalya

34 sutras that emphasize liberation and release from suffering are found in the final chapter of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. In this passage, the author examines yoga's ultimate objectives and offers thoughtful analysis of the absolute, unconditional release it offers.