Yoga Sutras Overview & Structure

Vocabulary

Kaivalya Pada, Sadhana Pada, Samadhi Pada, Vibhuti Pada, Yoga Darshana, Yoga Sutras

Vocabulary

1. KAIVALYA PADA — Book 4 of The Yoga Sutras, On Absoluteness
2. SADHANA PADA — Book 2 of The Yoga Sutras, On Practice
3. SAMADHI PADA — Book 1 of The Yoga Sutras, On Absorption
4. VIBHUTI PADA — Book 3 of The Yoga Sutras, On Accomplishments
5. YOGA DARSHANA — Philosophy of Yoga and “to see the invisible”
6. YOGA SUTRAS — A philosophy of yoga codified by Patanjali

Introduction

What are The Yoga Sutras?

• The Yoga Sutras are a philosophy of yoga.
• The text is also called Yoga Darshana, translated as “Philosophy of Yoga.” Yoga Darshana has a deeper meaning: “to see the invisible” or “to see with spiritual insight.” In other words, it refers to seeing beyond sensory input and the conditioned mind.
• “The scripture is regarded as the most precise and scientific text ever written on yoga.” (Swami Satyananda Saraswati)

What Do They Impart?

• The Yoga Sutras describe human consciousness, how suffering happens, and how to cultivate inner happiness. They describe how to remove the “veil of darkness” and to be free.
• “In their essence, the Yoga Sutras form a practical book about how to experience samadhi, the state of oneness that is at the center of all authentic yoga practice…  Samadhi is as natural as breathing and available to all, because it is our true nature… The process that the Yoga Sutras describe is one of spiritual evolution and growth.” (Alan Finger)

History

• The text is thought to have been written 200 years before the common era (BCE), or over 2,000 years ago.
• The Yoga Sutras were codified (arranged in a systematic collection) by Patanjali, said to have been a revered yogi and scholar of many subjects.
• See more about Patanjali and the sutra style: Historical Context.

A METHOD OF HIGHER PERCEPTION

The scripture is also called Yoga Darshana, which is widely translated as “Philosophy of Yoga,” but actually the word darsha has a much deeper meaning. Literally, it means “to see.”… Yoga Darshana means to see something beyond the senses and beyond the mind. It is a process of seeing with the eyes and other senses closed, and with the mind under complete control. Yoga Darshana is a method of higher perception; it is a means “to see the invisible” or “to see with spiritual insight.” The scripture is regarded as the most precise and scientific text ever written on yoga. – Swami Satyananda Saraswati 

DESCRIBES HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS

The text describes human consciousness in detail, including how our heart-mind functions, how suffering happens, and how to refine our body, breath, mind and heart so we are able to cultivate inner happiness and free ourselves from negativity. – Nicolai Bachman 

THE MESSAGE IS TO REMOVE THE VEIL OF DARKNESS

The message of Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra is simple and straight-forward: Remove the veil of darkness and allow your intrinsic luminosity to illuminate both your inner and outer worlds. Be free here and now, and experience your everlasting self-luminous joy. The goal of Yoga is nothing less than that. – Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD 

A PRACTICAL BOOK ABOUT HOW TO EXPERIENCE THE STATE OF ONENESS

In their essence, the Yoga Sutras form a practical book about how to experience samadhi, the state of oneness that is at the center of all authentic yoga practice… In Tantra, one of the most basic teachings is that because we individuals are an integral part of the universe, the intelligence, or consciousness of the universe is really at the core of who we are. Universal intelligence is our own true nature, and samadhi is that experience. When we tap into the experience of samadhi, it fundamentally affects every moment and aspect of our living, because it aligns us with the greater intelligence of the universe and takes us out of the limited and linear perspective that is the domain of the mind. – Alan Finger & Wendy Newton