পাতংজলি যোগ সূত্রাণি are concise aphorisms that describe how a restless mind can become steady, clear, and inwardly free. The sutras are intentionally compact: each line is a "pointer" that opens up through study, reflection, and sustained practice. Traditional study reads them with a teacher (গুরু) and a commentary; this meaning file is a structured aid for that kind of slow, repeatable contemplation.

The full work is arranged into four chapters (পাদাঃ). সমাধি পাদ defines what যোগ is, explains how the mind wanders, and outlines the core tools for steady focus. সাধন পাদ turns that vision into daily discipline: it explains the causes of suffering, introduces ক্রিযা-যোগ, and lays the groundwork for the eight-limbed path. বিভূতি পাদ describes deeper concentration and the extraordinary capacities that can arise from it, while also hinting that such powers are not the final aim. কৈবল্য পাদ gathers the teaching into its end-point: freedom from compulsion and the independence of the seer - liberation that is lived, not merely thought about.

সমাধি পাদ (the first chapter) begins by defining যোগ as the নিরোধ (stilling) of চিত্ত-বৃত্তি (the mind's modifications), and by describing what becomes evident when the mind is quiet: the দ্রষ্টৃ (the "seer") stands revealed as the stable witness behind experience. It then classifies the five major kinds of mental movement, shows how অভ্যাস (practice) and বৈরাগ্য (dispassion) work together, and introduces several ways to cultivate steadiness - including ঈশ্বরপ্রণিধান (surrender to ঈশ্বর) and contemplation of প্রণব (Om).

Midway, the chapter becomes very practical: it lists the common obstacles (অংতরাযঃ) that scatter attention and the signs by which we can recognize them, and it offers skillful remedies such as one-pointed focus, the four attitudes of মৈত্রী/করুণা/মুদিতা/উপেক্ষা, and breath-based settling. The final sutras map stages of deep meditation (সমাপত্তি, সংপ্রজ্ঞাত, অসবীজ) and culminate in the possibility of নির্বীজঃ সমাধিঃ (seedless absorption), where even the subtlest "seed" of mental movement is stilled.

অথ সমাধিপাদঃ ।

Meaning (পদার্থ):
অথ - now; an auspicious "now" that signals readiness
সমাধি - absorption; deep steadiness; meditative stillness
পাদঃ - section/chapter; a "quarter" of the text

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Now begins the chapter on deep meditation - the section that explains steady focus and inner stillness.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
The very first line names the direction of the chapter: সমাধি is not a dramatic trance but the matured condition of a mind that can rest without being pulled away. It helps to hear সমাধি as deep inner steadiness: attention is no longer scattered, and awareness is no longer constantly "captured" by whatever is loudest. Sometimes this shows up as simple, calm focus in ordinary life; at deeper levels it becomes meditative absorption where the mind is so quiet that it reflects reality without distortion. Patanjali is not asking for suppression; he will show that steadiness grows from understanding চিত্ত (the mind-field) and its বৃত্তি (waves), and from loosening the habit of automatically following them. When attention settles, বিবেক (discernment) becomes possible, and we begin to sense the witness behind experience rather than being swept away by the contents of experience.

The ভগবদ্ গীতা describes the same arc from agitation to inner settling in its meditation chapter: যত্রোপরমতে চিত্তং নিরুদ্ধং যোগসেবযা । যত্র চৈবাত্মনাত্মানং পশ্যন্নাত্মনি তুষ্যতি ॥ - when the mind becomes quiet through practice, one "sees the Self by the Self" and is content within. The phrase আত্মনা আত্মানং পশ্যন্ points to an inward turn: awareness recognizes itself, instead of being lost in objects and narratives. This is close to Patanjali's emphasis that yoga is a training in seeing clearly, not merely in collecting ideas about spirituality. The gItA also adds a key flavor here: তুষ্যতি - contentment that arises when the search stops running outward and rests in the inner ground. Read Sutra 1.2 onward with that spirit: as instructions that become true only when verified in your own attention.

Begin by treating this chapter itself as a practice: read one sutra, sit quietly for a minute, and ask, "Where does this show up in my mind today?" Then choose one small application for the day: a moment of breath-awareness before speaking, a brief pause before reacting, or a short sitting at a fixed time. Let the sutra move from "a sentence I agree with" to "a way I watch my mind." Over weeks, this repeated return turns study into অভ্যাস (training), and the mind slowly becomes familiar with steadiness. If you keep coming back - even after breaks - the chapter's promise becomes tangible: not a new belief, but a quieter and clearer way of being.

অথ যোগানুশাসনম্ ॥ 1 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
অথ - now; therefore; "now begins"
যোগ - yoga; integration; disciplined inward training
অনুশাসনম্ - authoritative instruction; disciplined teaching (as যোগ-অনুশাসনম্, shown in sandhi as যোগানুশাসনম্)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Now begins the disciplined teaching of yoga.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
অথ is more than a timestamp; it signals readiness. In many Sanskrit works, অথ also carries an auspicious tone: "now, with attention gathered, let us begin." It suggests অধিকার (fitness/readiness) - not perfection, but a real willingness to look at the mind honestly and to practice consistently. The word অনুশাসনম্ matters for the same reason: yoga is not a mood but a disciplined training, something learned, practiced, corrected, and stabilized over time. অনুশাসনম্ also hints at humility: the mind that wants freedom must be willing to be guided, to repeat the basics, and to keep refining when old habits return.

The গীতা gives a broad definition that complements this opening: যোগঃ কর্মসু কৌশলম্ - yoga is skillfulness in action. That "skill" is not just efficiency; it is the ability to act without being thrown off-balance inside. You might speak truth without harshness, work without inner panic, and face conflict without losing clarity. The sutras will soon define yoga more precisely as inner stilling, but this reminder protects us from treating yoga as something separate from daily life. If the mind becomes steadier in meditation but remains reactive in speech and relationships, the training is incomplete.

A practical way to honor অনুশাসনম্ is to pick a small, non-negotiable routine: a fixed daily time (even 10 minutes), a simple seat, and one steady object of practice. Add one small "life yoga" companion habit: a single mindful breath before answering calls, or a pause before sending messages when emotions are high. When you miss a day, return without drama; the "now" of অথ is always available again. Over time you will see a quiet shift: the practice stops feeling like an extra task and starts feeling like the place where you become yourself again.

যোগশ্চিত্তবৃত্তি নিরোধঃ ॥ 2 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
যোগঃ - yoga (shown in sandhi as যোগশ্)
চিত্ত - mind-stuff; the inner instrument of knowing, feeling, remembering
বৃত্তি - a modification/wave; a functional "movement" of চিত্ত
নিরোধঃ - restraint; stilling; cessation (not repression, but settling)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Yoga is the stilling of the mind's fluctuations.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
This is the famous definition: যোগ is not first described as postures, breathwork, or philosophy, but as চিত্ত-বৃত্তি-নিরোধঃ. চিত্ত is the whole mind-field: thinking, feeling, remembering, imagining, and the subtle sense of "me" that claims experience. A বৃত্তি is any "wave" in that field - an idea, a fear, a plan, an inner movie, even a numb blankness. নিরোধ does not mean violently stopping thoughts; it means not being compelled by them. The mind learns to settle, like muddy water becoming clear when it is not stirred, so awareness becomes steady and transparent. From that clarity, choices become cleaner: you can respond instead of react.

The গীতা describes the same skill in direct, practical language: যতো যতো নিশ্চলতি মনশ্চংচলমস্থিরম্ । ততস্ততো নিযম্যৈতদাত্মন্যেব বশং নযেত্ ॥ - wherever the mind wanders, bring it back under the governance of the Self. The sutra is the principle; this verse is the everyday instruction. It also shows the tone needed: persistent, gentle, and non-dramatic. You do not argue with the mind, you do not shame it; you simply train it the way you train a muscle. This is why Patanjali will soon insist on অভ্যাস (repeated training) and বৈরাগ্য (non-clinging): without these two, নিরোধ remains only an inspiring definition.

Try a small experiment: sit for five minutes, keep attention on the breath, and notice how often a বৃত্তি pulls you away. Do not try to "win" by having no thoughts; just notice, label lightly, and return. Each time you return, you are practicing নিরোধ as a gentle "coming back," not as a harsh suppression. Over weeks, this repeated return becomes a stable capacity: you begin to feel the difference between a thought and the one who knows the thought. In everyday life, this shows up as a small pause between trigger and response - and that pause is where freedom starts.

তদা দ্রষ্টুঃ স্বরূপেঽবস্থানম্ ॥ 3 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
তদা - then; at that time
দ্রষ্টুঃ - of the seer/witness (দ্রষ্টৃ)
স্বরূপে - in one's own nature/form (as স্বরূপে, shown in sandhi as স্বরূপে)
অবস্থানম্ - abiding; resting; being established (shown with avagraha as ঽবস্থানম্)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Then the seer rests established in its own true nature.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
When চিত্ত is not being carried away by its waves, there is a clear recognition: awareness is not the thought, not the emotion, not the memory - it is the witness of all of them. That witnessing principle is called দ্রষ্টৃ (the seer), and the sutra says that in stillness the দ্রষ্টৃ abides in its own স্বরূপ (true nature) without borrowing identity from passing mental content. Practically, this means the mind can have a thought and you do not have to become that thought. You can feel an emotion and not be reduced to it. The witness remains steady while experiences rise and fall, just as the sky remains untouched by the clouds moving through it.

This directly echoes the Upanishadic and আদি শংকরাচার্য tradition of dis-identification from the mind. In নির্বাণ ষট্কম্, the refrain begins: মনো বুধ্যহংকার চিত্তানি নাহং - "I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or memory." The point is not to deny the mind, but to put it in its proper place: an instrument that can be used, not a master that must be obeyed. Whether one frames it as পুরুষ (Yoga) or আত্মন্ (Advaita), the lived insight is the same: the witness is stable; the contents are changeful. When that insight becomes steady, a quiet dignity appears - you stop being bullied by inner weather.

In practice, notice moments when you are "inside" a thought and moments when you can watch the thought. Even a small shift from "I am anxious" to "Anxiety is present" is a step toward স্বরূপেঽবস্থানম্. When you remember the witness, the body often softens and the breath becomes easier - use that as a cue that you are returning to yourself. Over time, this witnessing becomes a refuge you can return to during conflict, decision-making, and uncertainty. The goal is not to become emotionless; it is to be free enough inside to choose your response with clarity and kindness.

বৃত্তি সারূপ্যমিতরত্র ॥ 4 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
বৃত্তি - mental modification; wave
সারূপ্যম্ - taking the same form; identification; "becoming like"
ইতরত্র - otherwise; at other times

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
At other times, the seer identifies with the mind's modifications.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
If Sutra 3 names freedom, Sutra 4 names the common default: we merge with whatever is arising. A plan feels like certainty, anger feels like righteousness, a memory feels like present reality. This সারূপ্য (identification) is subtle - it often happens before we even notice it - and it is precisely why training the mind matters. When the witness is forgotten, the mind's story becomes "me," and the body reacts as if the story were the whole truth. This is how small triggers become big conflicts: we do not merely have thoughts; we become them.

The গীতা diagnoses the same mistake in the language of agency: প্রকৃতেঃ ক্রিযমাণানি গুণৈঃ কর্মাণি সর্বশঃ । অহংকারবিমূঢাত্মা কর্তাহমিতি মন্যতে ॥ - actions happen through the qualities of nature, but the ego-thought imagines "I am the doer." Here অহংকার (ego-sense) claims ownership, and that claim produces pride, guilt, fear, and defensiveness. In Yoga-sutra language, this is দ্রষ্টৃ taking the shape of বৃত্তি: the witness forgets itself and becomes fused with mental movement. Seeing this mechanism clearly is liberating, because it shows that identification is a habit, not an identity.

A simple practice is "naming the vRutti": when a strong emotion arises, silently label it (anger, fear, planning, remembering). Add one more step: feel the body for two breaths, especially the throat, jaw, and belly, and let them soften slightly. This creates a small gap between witness and wave. That gap is not cold detachment; it is the space in which wiser response becomes possible - the space to choose tone, timing, and truth. Over time, you begin to catch identification earlier, and life feels lighter because you no longer have to be every passing mood.

বৃত্তযঃ পংচতয্যঃ ক্লিষ্টাঽক্লিষ্টাঃ ॥ 5 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
বৃত্তযঃ - the modifications; mental movements
পংচতয্যঃ - fivefold; of five kinds
ক্লিষ্টাঃ - afflicted; pain-producing; bound up with ক্লেশ
অক্লিষ্টাঃ - unafflicted; not directly pain-producing (shown with avagraha as ঽক্লিষ্টাঃ)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
The mind's modifications are fivefold, and they can be either afflicted or unafflicted.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Not every mental movement is equally harmful. Some বৃত্তি waves are clearly ক্লিষ্টাঃ (afflicted): they tighten the mind and grow suffering, because they are entangled with ক্লেশ (the inner causes of pain such as ignorance, craving, and aversion). Other waves are অক্লিষ্টাঃ (unafflicted): they can support clarity and stability, like a true perception, a helpful memory, or a wholesome intention. This distinction is compassionate: instead of judging yourself for having thoughts, you learn to see which movements create contraction and which movements create space. It also prevents a common mistake in practice: trying to "blank out" the mind. Yoga is not anti-mind; it is freedom from the mind's compulsive, pain-producing patterns.

The গীতা similarly distinguishes between knowledge that liberates and mental habits that bind. It points to transformation where desire loses its grip not by force but by a higher seeing: রসবর্জং রসোঽপ্যস্য পরং দৃষ্ট্বা নিবর্ততে - even the taste for sense-objects withdraws on seeing a higher reality. In other words, "unafflicted" states are not only calmer; they are supported by wiser understanding. When you see clearly what a habit actually costs, the attraction weakens naturally. Patanjali's point here prepares you for that kind of growth: you do not merely fight ক্লিষ্টাঃ waves; you cultivate the conditions in which অক্লিষ্টাঃ waves become natural.

Start noticing which thoughts leave the body tense and the mind narrow, and which thoughts leave you more spacious and kind. Over a week, you will see patterns: certain conversations, apps, foods, or environments reliably create ক্লিষ্টাঃ waves. When you notice contraction, do not moralize; simply name it and soften the breath. Then add one deliberate support for অক্লিষ্টাঃ steadiness: a short walk, a few minutes of quiet sitting, a kind conversation, or a simple act of service. This is how the mind learns discrimination in real time: not through ideology, but through repeated observation and wiser choice.

প্রমাণ বিপর্যয বিকল্প নিদ্রা স্মৃতযঃ ॥ 6 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
প্রমাণ - right knowledge; valid cognition
বিপর্যয - error; misconception
বিকল্প - imagination; conceptual construction
নিদ্রা - sleep
স্মৃতি - memory
বৃত্তযঃ - (these are) the vRuttis

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
The five kinds of mental modifications are right knowledge, misconception, imagination, sleep, and memory.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
This list is a practical map of what "mind" actually does. It can know truly (প্রমাণ), know falsely (বিপর্যয), spin stories based on words (বিকল্প), sink into blankness (নিদ্রা), and replay the past (স্মৃতি). Notice how complete this is: even sleep is included, because yoga is studying the whole mind, not only the "thinking mind." The yogic project is not to destroy these functions, but to see them clearly and stop being unconsciously driven by them. When you can recognize which mode is active, the mind becomes less mysterious and less intimidating. That recognition itself is the beginning of freedom.

In contemplative traditions, this clear seeing is itself a purification. The Upanishadic prayer তমসো মা জ্যোতির্গময asks to be led from darkness/confusion to light/understanding; recognizing the five বৃত্তি modes is a concrete way of moving from "I am the mind" to "I can observe the mind." Darkness here is not only ignorance of philosophy; it is the everyday confusion of not knowing what is happening inside you. Light is the simple clarity of seeing: "This is memory," "This is imagination," "This is an error." When that light increases, reactivity decreases, because you stop treating every inner movement as an order you must obey.

As a practice, do a brief daily check-in and classify what is dominant right now: is the mind perceiving, remembering, imagining, drifting, or stuck in an error? Add one more question: "Is this mode helping or hurting right now?" Even this simple labeling reduces compulsive reactivity and makes it easier to choose the next right step. Over time, you will notice patterns: certain contexts trigger বিপর্যয (misreading), others trigger বিকল্প (story-spinning), and others invite calm প্রমাণ (clear seeing). That pattern-recognition is practical wisdom.

প্রত্যক্ষানুমানাগমাঃ প্রমাণানি ॥ 7 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
প্রত্যক্ষ - direct perception
অনুমান - inference; reasoning from signs
আগম - reliable testimony; trusted instruction (scripture/teacher)
প্রমাণ - valid means of knowledge (plural প্রমাণানি, shown in sandhi as প্রমাণানি)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Right knowledge comes from direct perception, inference, and reliable testimony.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
প্রমাণ is how we claim "I know." Patanjali lists three sources: what you directly see/hear/experience (প্রত্যক্ষ), what you conclude through reasoning (অনুমান), and what you accept from trustworthy sources (আগম). Each is useful, and each has limits. Direct perception can be incomplete, inference can be clever but wrong, and testimony can be reliable or misleading depending on the source. Yoga requires learning to weigh them without being gullible or cynical, because mental steadiness depends on truthfulness. A mind built on shaky knowing becomes anxious and reactive; a mind grounded in valid knowing becomes calm.

The গীতা honors আগম as a living transmission when it says knowledge is learned through humility and inquiry: তদ্বিদ্ধি প্রণিপাতেন পরিপ্রশ্নেন সেবযা - know that by respectful approach, questioning, and service. This verse also shows how testimony becomes real: you do not swallow it blindly; you approach respectfully, ask honest questions, and live the teaching. Patanjali's point is similar: reliable instruction is a legitimate প্রমাণ, but it must mature into direct seeing through practice. Otherwise, it remains second-hand knowing, which cannot steady the deepest layers of the mind.

In daily decisions, check which প্রমাণ you are using. Are you assuming without observing? Are you reasoning from incomplete data? Are you trusting a source without verifying? This simple check for how you know something reduces বিপর্যয and steadies the mind. You can make it very concrete: before reacting, ask "What did I actually see or hear?" (perception), "What am I concluding?" (inference), and "Whose words am I trusting?" (testimony). This small habit improves relationships, decision-making, and inner peace because it reduces unnecessary misunderstanding.

বিপর্যযো মিথ্যাজ্ঞানমতদ্রূপ প্রতিষ্ঠম্ ॥ 8 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
বিপর্যযঃ - misconception; wrong knowing (shown as বিপর্যযো)
মিথ্যা - false; mistaken
জ্ঞানম্ - cognition; knowledge
অতদ্ - not that; other than the thing's truth
রূপ - form/nature
প্রতিষ্ঠম্ - grounded in; established on

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Misconception is false knowledge grounded in something other than the thing's true nature.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
বিপর্যয is not merely "being wrong"; it is being wrong with confidence. The mind constructs certainty on an unstable base: partial information, projection, bias, fear, and habit. Patanjali defines error as cognition that is not established in the object's real nature (অতদ্-রূপ), which is why it produces conflict and suffering. When you misread someone, you speak harshly; when you misread yourself, you either inflate or collapse. Much of human pain is not created by reality itself, but by the mind's story about reality. Yoga is learning to separate the two.

The Upanishadic prayer অসতো মা সদ্গময is a spiritual version of the same request: lead me from untruth to truth. Yoga makes this request practical by training perception, attention, and discernment so that we stop mistaking the imagined for the real. Notice how humble this prayer is: it assumes we can be fooled, and it asks for guidance toward সত্ (truth/reality). Patanjali's sutra gives the psychological mechanism: untruth is cognition built on অতদ্-রূপ, and truth is cognition aligned with what is. When this alignment improves, the mind naturally becomes calmer.

When you notice strong certainty with little evidence, pause. Ask: "What is the direct observation here (প্রত্যক্ষ)? What is inferred (অনুমান)? What is assumed?" Then add a compassionate follow-up: "What else could be true?" This short inquiry is a daily antidote to বিপর্যয and a way to protect relationships and decisions from avoidable harm. It does not make you indecisive; it makes you more accurate. With time, this habit also softens ego, because you stop needing to be right in order to feel safe.

শব্দজ্ঞানানুপাতী বস্তুশূন্যো বিকল্পঃ ॥ 9 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
শব্দ - word; verbal sound
জ্ঞান - knowledge/cognition
অনুপাতী - following upon; dependent on
বস্তু - a real object/thing
শূন্যহ্ - empty; lacking (shown in sandhi as শূন্যো)
বিকল্পঃ - imagination; conceptual construction

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Imagination is a mental construct that follows words but lacks a corresponding reality.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
বিকল্প is the mind's ability to build worlds out of language: "They must think...," "If I had...," "Someday..." This power is useful for planning and learning, and it is how we imagine the future and understand abstract ideas. But it becomes a trap when we confuse word-worlds with what is actually present. Patanjali's definition is sharp: a concept may be internally coherent, yet still be empty of a real referent (বস্তু-শূন্যহ্). Much worry is of this kind: a story that feels urgent but has not yet happened. Yoga does not ban imagination; it trains you to recognize when imagination has replaced reality.

Many scriptures warn against being satisfied with mere verbal understanding. The গীতা repeatedly calls for lived steadiness rather than wordy certainty; the yogic contribution here is very practical: notice when the mind has slipped from "seeing" into "spinning." Words can point, but they can also hypnotize. When you are caught in বিকল্প, you often feel busy and convinced, yet the body is tense and the heart is uneasy. Seeing that difference - between real contact and verbal spinning - is itself a quieting of the mind.

A practice for বিকল্প is to return to sensory immediacy: feel the breath, the contact with the seat, the sounds in the room. When the mind is building a story, gently ask, "What is actually happening right now?" Then take one small action that is truly needed in the present moment. This breaks the spell of purely verbal worlds. Over time, the mind learns a mature skill: to use imagination when it serves life, and to set it down when it becomes anxiety.

অভাব প্রত্যযালংবনা বৃত্তির্নিদ্রা ॥ 10 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
অভাব - absence; non-experience
প্রত্যয - cognition; mental content
আলংবনা - support; that upon which something rests
বৃত্তিঃ - a mental modification
নিদ্রা - sleep

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Sleep is a mental modification supported by the cognition of absence.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Sleep looks like "nothing is happening," yet Patanjali counts নিদ্রা as a বৃত্তি because there is still a definable mental state: the mind rests on the "content" of absence (অভাব). This matters for yoga because it shows that even blankness is a condition of mind - and therefore can be observed, understood, and refined. It also clarifies why sleep alone is not liberation: sleep brings temporary relief, but it does not remove the deeper habits that generate agitation when we wake. Yoga is interested in awareness that is clear, not only in mind that is quiet. By studying sleep, we learn that the mind has layers, and that silence can be either conscious or unconscious.

The গীতা uses the metaphor of night and day to describe inner and outer awareness: যা নিশা সর্বভূতানাং তস্যাং জাগর্তি সংযমী । - what is night for many is wakefulness for the disciplined. This is not about being physically sleepless; it is about inner wakefulness. The yogic practitioner learns to become "awake" to states that others pass through unconsciously, including the approach to sleep. When you can observe the mind softening into sleep, you also learn to observe the mind drifting into daydreams, dullness, and avoidance during the day. In that sense, sleep becomes a teacher: it shows you how attention dissolves and how it can be gently gathered again.

Practically, notice the transition into sleep: the softening of attention, the drifting imagery, the loss of narrative control. If insomnia is present, do not fight; notice the mind's attempt to solve life at midnight, and return to the breath with kindness. Keep a simple pre-sleep routine: dim lights, reduce stimulation, and end the day with one calm recollection. This gentle observation reduces anxious overthinking at night and makes the mind more trainable during the day as well. A well-rested mind also supports practice - Patanjali is quietly reminding us that yoga is not separate from how we live.

অনুভূত বিষযাসংপ্রমোষঃ স্মৃতিঃ ॥ 11 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
অনুভূত - experienced; directly encountered
বিষয - object/content of experience
অসংপ্রমোষঃ - not losing; not letting slip; retention
স্মৃতিঃ - memory

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Memory is the retention of what has been experienced, without losing it.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
স্মৃতি is not just recall; it is the mind's stored momentum. What you repeatedly attend to leaves impressions (সংস্কার) that later surface as preferences, fears, and habits. By defining memory as "not losing the experienced object," Patanjali points to how the past quietly shapes the present unless it is made conscious. This is why the mind can replay an old insult for years, or why a childhood fear can show up as adult avoidance. Memory is not only information; it is conditioning. Yoga includes learning how to relate to memory so that it serves wisdom rather than dragging us backward.

The গীতা links memory, knowledge, and even forgetting to the deepest ground of being: মত্তঃ স্মৃতির্জ্ঞানমপোহনং চ. Regardless of theological reading, the practical insight stands: memory is powerful, and it must be purified, not merely filled. Purification means: we stop feeding harmful recollections with fresh emotion, and we stop collecting stimulation that makes the mind noisy and scattered. We also learn to remember what matters: values, purpose, and the taste of inner quiet. In this way, স্মৃতি becomes a support for yoga rather than a trap.

Choose one wholesome "memory seed" to plant daily: a short gratitude recollection, a kind act you did, or a moment of quiet you tasted. If difficult memories arise, practice seeing them as "a memory present now" rather than as "my identity." You can also reduce the mind's replay by taking one clean action: apologize, set a boundary, or write down the lesson and let the story rest. Over time, these choices become supportive সংস্কার patterns that stabilize the mind rather than agitate it. This is a quiet but profound form of practice: turning memory from burden into wisdom.

অভ্যাস বৈরাগ্যাভ্যাং তন্নিরোধঃ ॥ 12 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
অভ্যাস - sustained practice; repeated training
বৈরাগ্য - dispassion; non-clinging; letting go of craving
অভ্যাম্ - by both (as অভ্যাস-বৈরাগ্য-অভ্যাম্, shown in sandhi as অভ্যাস বৈরাগ্যাভ্যাং)
তত্ - that (those vRuttis)
নিরোধঃ - stilling; cessation

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Their stilling is accomplished through practice and dispassion.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali names the two wings of the path: অভ্যাস (steady training) and বৈরাগ্য (non-clinging). অভ্যাস is the willingness to return again and again - to the breath, the mantra, the chosen focus, or simply to present awareness - until steadiness becomes familiar. বৈরাগ্য is the willingness to stop feeding what scatters you: not only gross indulgence, but also subtle habits like overthinking, comparison, and craving for validation. Effort without letting go becomes tense and rigid; letting go without effort becomes vague and inconsistent. Together, they create a mind that is both trained and unburdened. This pairing is practical psychology: the mind changes through repetition, and it becomes free through loosening its compulsions.

The গীতা states the same pairing as the direct method for mastering the mind: অভ্যাসেন তু কৌংতেয বৈরাগ্যেণ চ গৃহ্যতে - it is grasped and steadied by practice and detachment. Krishna acknowledges the mind is restless, yet insists it is trainable; Patanjali gives the method in sutra form. Notice the wisdom in the pairing: if you only practice without loosening attachments, your practice becomes another ambition; if you only "let go" without steady practice, your letting go becomes another excuse. Patanjali turns this into the central strategy for নিরোধ: repetition stabilizes attention, and dispassion removes the fuel of distraction.

In practice, treat "effort" as showing up daily, and treat "dispassion" as simplifying what scatters you: fewer compulsive inputs, fewer unnecessary conflicts, fewer indulgences that leave you dull. You can make it concrete: decide a minimum daily practice you will not negotiate with (even 7 minutes), and choose one habit to reduce that reliably triggers restlessness. The mind becomes quiet not by a single heroic sitting, but by daily alignment. When practice and lifestyle support each other, নিরোধ stops feeling like a struggle and starts feeling like returning home.

তত্র স্থিতৌ যত্নোঽভ্যাসঃ ॥ 13 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
তত্র - there; in that state/aim (stilling)
স্থিতৌ - in steadiness; in abiding
যত্নঃ - effort; endeavor (shown with avagraha as যত্নো)
অভ্যাসঃ - practice; repeated training

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Practice is the effort to remain established in that steadiness.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Here Patanjali clarifies what counts as অভ্যাস: not occasional inspiration, but the repeated effort to stay steady. যত্ন (effort) is intentional, not forced; it is the quiet decision to come back, even when the mind prefers entertainment or avoidance. "Steady" does not mean never wandering; it means returning again and again to the chosen foundation until returning becomes natural. This is how practice stays realistic: it does not demand an unnatural mind, it trains the mind you actually have. Over time, the mind begins to trust that it can return, and that trust reduces anxiety.

The গীতা describes this exact rhythm: the mind wanders, and one brings it back - patiently, repeatedly, without self-judgment. That repeated return is the real "effort" (যত্ন) of meditation, and it is how স্থিতৌ becomes stable. A key point is the tone: patience is not weakness; it is endurance. When you react to wandering with frustration, you add a new disturbance; when you return calmly, you strengthen steadiness. Patanjali's definition keeps you oriented to what matters: not a perfect mind, but a trained mind.

Choose a single anchor for a season: breath, a mantra, or a simple inner feeling of presence. Each time you return, count it as success, not failure; the return itself is the repetition that builds strength. To make it practical, begin each sitting by choosing the anchor consciously, and end by noticing one small shift - even if it is just "I returned a few times." Over time, this reshapes the mind from scattered to trained. You will also notice the effect outside meditation: you recover faster from emotional spikes and you become less impulsive in speech.

স তু দীর্ঘকাল নৈরংতর্য সত্কারাসেবিতো দৃঢভূমিঃ ॥ 14 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
সঃ - that (practice)
তু - but; indeed
দীর্ঘ - long
কাল - time (as দীর্ঘ-কাল, shown in sandhi as দীর্ঘকাল)
নৈরংতর্য - without interruption; continuity
সত্কার - respect; devotion; careful attention
অসেবিতঃ - attended to; cultivated (as সত্কার-অসেবিতঃ, shown in sandhi as সত্কারাসেবিতো)
দৃঢভূমিঃ - firm ground; stable foundation (shown in sandhi as দৃঢভূমিঃ)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Practice becomes firmly grounded when it is sustained for a long time, done without interruption, and pursued with sincere care and reverence.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
This sutra describes what makes practice "take root." Duration (দীর্ঘ-কাল) builds depth, continuity (নৈরংতর্য) builds momentum, and reverent sincerity (সত্কার) keeps practice from becoming mechanical. In other words, practice grows like a living thing: it needs time, it needs regular watering, and it needs a heart that cares. সত্কার is especially important - it means you treat practice as meaningful, not as a chore squeezed between distractions. Together these three create দৃঢ-ভূমি: a firm inner ground, so that even when life shakes you, you can return to steadiness without starting from zero each time.

Many teachings emphasize the same "long obedience." The গীতা calls for steady resolve and sustained effort, not sporadic bursts; and Patanjali gives the practical criteria. This is how practice becomes reliable: it stops depending on mood. When these three are present, the mind changes at the level of habit, not just at the level of intention. You begin to notice that steadiness is not something you "achieve" on good days, but something you can access even on hard days. That reliability is one of the hidden gifts of yoga.

Translate this into a realistic plan: pick a time window you can keep for months, make it small enough to be continuous, and treat it as important as eating. If travel or illness interrupts you, resume at a smaller dose rather than quitting; protect the chain of continuity first, then rebuild duration. You can also build continuity with "micro practice": one mindful breath before meetings, a short pause before meals, or a brief moment of stillness before sleep. Continuity is more transformative than intensity. The aim is not heroic effort, but a life shaped by steady attention.

দৃষ্টানুশ্রবিক বিষয বিতৃষ্ণস্য বশীকারসংজ্ঞা বৈরাগ্যম্ ॥ 15 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
দৃষ্ট - seen; experienced in this life
অনুশ্রবিক - heard; known through report/tradition (often future/heavenly enjoyments)
বিষয - objects of experience; sense-objects
বিতৃষ্ণঃ - free from thirst/craving (genitive বিতৃষ্ণস্য)
বশী-কার - mastery; being under one's control
সংজ্ঞা - designation; called/known as
বৈরাগ্য - dispassion; non-clinging

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Dispassion is the mastery that arises when craving for objects seen or heard about no longer dominates.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
বৈরাগ্য is not dislike; it is freedom from being pushed and pulled by craving (তৃষ্ণা). Patanjali includes both "seen" pleasures (দৃষ্ট) and "heard" pleasures (অনুশ্রবিক) - not only what you can consume today, but also what you chase because someone promised it would fulfill you. This is very modern: the mind can be ruled not only by direct pleasure, but by the promise of pleasure - status, recognition, a future milestone, or an imagined perfect life. When the mind is no longer thirsty for these objects, a quiet mastery (বশী-কার) appears: you can still enjoy what is wholesome, but you are not enslaved by needing more.

The গীতা explains why this mastery is more than suppression: বিষযা বিনিবর্তংতে নিরাহারস্য দেহিনঃ । রসবর্জং রসোঽপ্যস্য পরং দৃষ্ট্বা নিবর্ততে ॥ - sense-objects may withdraw for a person who restrains them, yet the inner "taste" can remain, until one sees something higher. This verse separates outer restraint from inner freedom. You can stop a habit outwardly (নিরাহার, withdrawal), and still feel a strong pull inside (রস, lingering taste). Patanjali's বৈরাগ্য becomes stable when the mind has genuinely tasted a deeper ease - the quiet satisfaction of steadiness - so that craving loses its glamour. That is the meaning of পরং দৃষ্ট্বা: seeing a higher good, not merely denying a lower one.

In practice, watch the moment a craving arises and ask, "What do I think this will give me?" Then test it: does it actually deliver lasting ease, or only a brief spike followed by restlessness? Also notice the body: craving often feels like tightness, heat, urgency, and a narrowing of attention. Breathe into that tightening for a few breaths before acting. This honest audit slowly converts compulsive wanting into calm choice - the lived core of বৈরাগ্য. With time, you start choosing pleasures that leave you clearer, and letting go of pleasures that leave you dull or agitated.

তত্পরং পুরুষখ্যাতে-র্গুণবৈতৃষ্ণ্যম্ ॥ 16 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
তত্ - that
পরম্ - higher; supreme
পুরুষ - the seer; pure consciousness principle
খ্যাতিঃ - clear knowledge/discernment (genitive, shown in sandhi as খ্যতে-র্)
গুণ - the qualities of nature (সত্ত্ব, রজস্, তমস্)
বৈতৃষ্ণ্যম্ - freedom from thirst; non-craving

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
The higher dispassion is freedom from craving even for the qualities of nature, born of clear discernment of the seer.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Sutra 15 speaks of letting go of objects; Sutra 16 speaks of letting go at a deeper level. Even refined states - calmness, clarity, spiritual identity, subtle pleasure - can become another object of clinging. Higher বৈরাগ্য is গুণ-বৈতৃষ্ণ্যম্: not being thirsty even for সত্ত্ব itself, because পুরুষ-খ্যাতি (clear discernment of the witness) has matured. This is subtle and important: the mind can become attached to being "spiritual," to being peaceful, or to having special experiences. When that happens, even practice becomes another form of grasping. Patanjali is pointing to freedom that is deeper than any state - freedom that rests in the witness, not in a mood.

The গীতা points to a similar transcendence of the গুণ-field: গুণানেতানতীত্য ত্রীংদেহী দেহসমুদ্ভবান্ । জন্মমৃত্যুজরাদুঃখৈর্বিমুক্তোঽমৃতমশ্নৌতে ॥ - going beyond the three qualities, one becomes free from birth, death, and sorrow. The teaching is not that you must hate সত্ত্ব or reject clarity; it is that you stop clinging even to clarity. Patanjali's yoga and the গীতা share this insight: the deepest freedom is not a better mood, but a different identity. When identity shifts from the mind's qualities to the witnessing presence, the ups and downs of nature lose their power to define you.

A practical experiment is to notice subtle spiritual craving: wanting a "perfect meditation," wanting to be seen as calm, wanting experiences. When you catch that, relax the demand and return to simple witnessing. You can even name it kindly: "grasping is here," and then soften the breath. This is not giving up aspiration; it is removing clinging so aspiration becomes clean. Over time, practice becomes less about "getting" and more about "being" - and that shift is the doorway to higher বৈরাগ্য.

বিতর্ক বিচারানংদাস্মিতারূপানুগমাত্ সংপ্রজ্ঞাতঃ ॥ 17 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
বিতর্ক - gross thought/inquiry; conceptual engagement with an object
বিচার - subtle reflection; finer inquiry
আনংদ - bliss/joy (a refined happiness)
অস্মিতা - "I-am-ness"; subtle sense of individuality
অনুগমাত্ - accompanied by; following upon
সংপ্রজ্ঞাতঃ - cognitive/seeded samadhi; absorption with knowing

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Absorption with cognitive support is accompanied by inquiry, subtle reflection, joy, and a subtle sense of individuality.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali maps সংপ্রজ্ঞাত samadhi as a progression. The mind first stays with an object through বিতর্ক (gross engagement), then through বিচার (subtle penetration). As distractions drop, a refined joy (আনংদ) can arise, and finally a very subtle "I-am" (অস্মিতা) remains. These are not "achievements" to collect; they are landmarks that help a practitioner understand what is happening. The progression is also a warning: as concentration deepens, the mind becomes more sensitive, and subtle attachment can arise. Patanjali is training you to be a careful observer, so you do not get stuck at a stage and mistake it for the final goal. The real aim remains the freedom described in Sutras 3-4: the witness not being captured by the mind.

The গীতা describes a related inner happiness that is beyond the senses: সুখমাত্যংতিকং যত্তদ্বুদ্ধিগ্রাহ্যমতীংদ্রিযম্ - a happiness grasped by the clear intellect, beyond sense contact. This kind of joy is not excitement; it is quiet well-being that comes when agitation drops. Patanjali's আনংদ stage points to this refined, non-sensory happiness that can support steadiness when handled without attachment. The key is to keep it clean: joy can steady the mind, but craving for joy can scatter it again. So the practitioner learns to receive joy like fragrance - appreciated, but not clung to.

If you meditate, notice whether your attention is on a gross object (sound, breath) or a subtle quality (quiet, clarity). When joy arises, treat it as a sign of settling, not as a goal. Stay connected to the anchor, and let joy be in the background rather than in the spotlight. If the mind starts bargaining ("I want that again"), return to breath and soften the effort. Keep the practice simple: return to the object, allow refinement, and avoid chasing experiences. This simplicity protects you from turning meditation into another form of desire.

বিরামপ্রত্যযাভ্যাসপূর্বঃ সংস্কারশেষোঽন্যঃ ॥ 18 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
বিরাম - cessation; stopping
প্রত্যয - mental content/cognition
অভ্যাস - sustained practice (as বিরাম-প্রত্যয-অভ্যাস, shown in sandhi as বিরামপ্রত্যযাভ্যাস)
পূর্বঃ - preceded by
সংস্কার - latent impression; conditioning trace
শেষঃ - remainder; residue
অন্যঃ - the other (shown with avagraha as ঽন্যঃ)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
The other absorption is preceded by repeated practice of cessation, leaving only latent impressions.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Beyond সংপ্রজ্ঞাত (where some cognitive content remains), Patanjali points to another absorption where content ceases and only subtle residue remains. This is often called অসংপ্রজ্ঞাত samadhi: the mind is profoundly quiet, yet traces (সংস্কার) still exist, which is why one can return to ordinary mentation afterward. The phrase বিরাম-প্রত্যয indicates that the "object" here is cessation itself - a deep resting where thoughts do not present themselves. Patanjali is precise: the mind can be quiet and still carry seeds. This is why even deep meditation must be paired with purification of habits; otherwise, the old patterns can sprout again.

Many traditions describe this "contentless" stillness while warning that it is not the final goal by itself. The গীতা speaks of steadiness that is not shaken by sorrow: যস্মিন্স্থিতো ন দুঃখেন গুরুণাপি বিচাল্যতে. That description points to freedom that remains in life, not only on the meditation seat. Patanjali's emphasis on সংস্কার reminds us that deep quiet must transform conditioning, not merely pause it. Otherwise, after meditation ends, the same old reactions return unchanged. The aim is integration: a quiet mind that also becomes a wise life.

If practice brings periods of blank stillness, do not become attached to them or frightened by them. Treat them as a sign that the mind can rest, and then return to the basics: steadiness, kindness, and consistent practice. Continue with ethical living, balanced food and sleep, and gentle discipline, because these reduce the very সংস্কার seeds that disturb the mind. Over time, the residual সংস্কার patterns weaken, and quiet becomes more integrated into daily life. When that happens, you will notice not only calmer meditation, but also calmer speech and choices.

ভবপ্রত্যযো বিদেহপ্রকৃতিলযানাম্ ॥ 19 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
ভব - becoming; existence; birth-condition
প্রত্যযঃ - cause; basis; cognition (shown as প্রত্যযো)
বিদেহ - disembodied; without a gross body
প্রকৃতি-লয - merged/absorbed into প্রকৃতি (nature)
অনাম্ - of those (genitive plural)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
For the disembodied and those absorbed into nature, this state is caused by their condition of existence (their birth-state).

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali notes that deep absorption can also occur as a "given" state for certain beings - not necessarily as the fruit of yogic practice. বিদেহ and প্রকৃতি-লয indicate subtle forms of existence where ordinary sensory life is absent or attenuated. The implication is important: not every absorbed state is liberation; context and causality matter. A person can have an unusual experience, or even a long-lasting calm, and still remain bound by latent tendencies. Patanjali is quietly training discernment: do not judge liberation by an experience alone. Look for the reduction of craving, aversion, and ignorance in the heart.

The গীতা makes a similar point about lofty states still being within the cycle of return: আব্রহ্মভুবনাল্লোকাঃ পুনরাবর্তিনোঽর্জুন । - even the highest worlds are subject to return. The teaching is simple: anything that begins and ends is not final freedom. Yoga values genuine liberation, not merely an elevated experience. This protects the practitioner from spiritual pride and from getting distracted by the spectacular. Patanjali keeps the goal sober: freedom from the causes of suffering.

Practically, this warns against spiritual envy and shortcut thinking. If you hear of someone's unusual experiences, do not measure yourself against them or chase the same signs; comparison makes the mind restless and practice becomes a performance. Ask instead: "Is my mind becoming clearer? Are my reactions becoming fewer? Is my kindness becoming more natural?" Also watch quieter markers: fewer rationalizations, quicker recovery after irritation, more honesty, and more contentment with simplicity. If a calm state appears but old ক্লেশ patterns still dominate in relationships, treat the calm as a stage, not as liberation. Keep the measure close to life: what happens when you are criticized, when you do not get what you want, when you are tired? When you keep this measure, practice stays grounded and healthy, and the goal remains inner freedom rather than spiritual entertainment.

শ্রদ্ধা বীর্য স্মৃতি সমাধিপ্রজ্ঞা পূর্বক ইতরেষাম্ ॥ 20 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
শ্রদ্ধা - trust/faith; a confident openness
বীর্য - energy; strength; courageous effort (shown as বীর্য)
স্মৃতি - mindfulness/memory; recollection of the aim
সমাধি - meditative absorption; steady focus
প্রজ্ঞা - wisdom; clear insight (as সমাধি-প্রজ্ঞা, shown in sandhi as সমাধিপ্রজ্ঞা)
পূর্বকঃ - preceded by
ইতরেষাম্ - of the others (ordinary practitioners)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
For other practitioners, it is preceded by trust, energy, mindfulness, steady focus, and insight.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali lists the inner "support-beams" of practice. শ্রদ্ধা (trust) keeps you from quitting when results are slow; it is a confident openness, not blind belief. বীর্য (energy) provides the effort to keep practicing even when the mind resists. স্মৃতি (mindful recollection) keeps you remembering the aim, so that you do not practice for a week and forget for a month. সমাধি stabilizes attention and makes the mind steady enough to see clearly. And প্রজ্ঞা turns that stability into understanding: you begin to recognize patterns, causes, and remedies in your own mind. Together, these describe a mature practitioner's inner ecology - the inner conditions that make real change possible.

The গীতা similarly links শ্রদ্ধা to knowledge and peace: শ্রদ্ধাবাఁল্লভতে জ্ঞানং তত্পরঃ সংযতেংদ্রিযঃ । জ্ঞানং লব্ধ্বা পরাং শাংতিমচিরেণাধিগচ্ছতি ॥ - with trust and disciplined senses, one gains knowledge and soon reaches peace. Notice the sequence: trust leads to effort, effort leads to discipline, discipline leads to knowledge, and knowledge ripens into peace. Patanjali's list is the same path described in sutra-form, with the added reminder that স্মৃতি (remembering) and সমাধি (steadiness) are essential bridges. Without those bridges, knowledge remains theoretical and peace remains occasional.

Make these supports concrete: write down your "why" (to strengthen শ্রদ্ধা), set a realistic daily minimum (to sustain বীর্য), place a small reminder where you sit (to refresh স্মৃতি), and end each session with one clear takeaway (to develop প্রজ্ঞা). If attention feels unstable, simplify the technique and focus on regularity; সমাধি grows more from consistency than from intensity. Over time, this becomes a stable inner rhythm: trust, effort, remembering, steadiness, insight. That rhythm is what carries you through dry periods without losing the path.

তীব্রসংবেগানামাসন্নঃ ॥ 21 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
তীব্র - intense; strong
সংবেগ - urgency; ardent striving; passionate commitment
আনাম্ - of those (genitive plural)
আসন্নঃ - near; close at hand

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
For those with intense ardor and urgency, realization is near.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Progress depends not only on technique but on intensity of aspiration. সংবেগ is not anxious rushing; it is the deep inner recognition that a scattered life is costly and that freedom matters. It often arises when you see, with honesty, how much time and energy are lost to worry, anger, craving, and distraction. This kind of urgency has dignity: it is the heart saying, "I do not want to live mechanically anymore." When that urgency is sincere, the mind stops bargaining and starts cooperating, because the goal becomes more important than comfort.

Many devotional and contemplative texts praise this wholeheartedness. The গীতা values the seeker who is "ever united" (নিত্য-যুক্ত), and yoga praises the mind that does not treat practice as optional. In Vedantic language, this urgency is close to মুমুক্ষুত্ব (the desire for liberation): a clear longing to be free from inner bondage. Patanjali's point is simple: half-hearted practice yields half-hearted results. Not because a teacher is punishing you, but because the mind changes only when practice becomes more important than the mind's excuses.

A practical way to kindle সংবেগ is to remember consequences. Notice how agitation affects speech, relationships, and health, and how steadiness improves all three. Let that honest observation create gentle urgency: "I will practice today because I value my clarity more than my habitual distractions." Keep it gentle, not harsh: urgency is strongest when it is rooted in self-respect, not self-hatred. When you practice from that place, discipline feels less like force and more like care.

মৃদুমধ্যাধিমাত্রত্বাত্ততোঽপি বিশেষঃ ॥ 22 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
মৃদু - mild
মধ্য - moderate
অধিমাত্র - intense; to the highest degree
ত্বাত্ - because of; due to
ততঃ - therefore; from that
অপি - also
বিশেষঃ - distinction; difference

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Even among seekers, there are distinctions based on whether the intensity is mild, moderate, or intense.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
This sutra protects you from two illusions: "Everyone progresses the same way," and "I must progress like someone else." Patanjali acknowledges gradations in intensity (মৃদু, মধ্য, অধিমাত্র) and therefore gradations in speed and depth of results. This is not fatalism; it is a realistic account of human variability. Intensity can also change across seasons of life: health, responsibilities, and emotional load all affect how much energy you can bring. The goal is not to label yourself as "low" or "high," but to practice wisely from where you are. When you stop comparing, your effort becomes cleaner and your mind becomes less disturbed.

The গীতা similarly speaks of different temperaments and capacities, and it repeatedly returns to sincerity as the key. Patanjali's teaching encourages compassion toward oneself and others while still honoring the fact that effort matters. The deeper message is: do not use difference as an excuse, and do not use someone else's pace as a weapon against yourself. The path is personal, and progress is real when it is sustainable.

Instead of comparing, calibrate. If your intensity is mild right now, choose a practice you can genuinely keep. When intensity increases naturally, adjust the discipline. A sustainable "moderate" done daily is more transformative than an "intense" done once in a while. The most helpful question is not "Am I fast enough?" but "Am I steady enough?" That shift removes shame and strengthens the very intensity that Patanjali is pointing to.

ঈশ্বরপ্রণিধানাদ্বা ॥ 23 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
ঈশ্বর - the Lord; a special puruSha; the guiding principle
প্রণিধান - dedication; surrender; placing oneself down
বা - or; alternatively

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Alternatively, it can be attained through devoted surrender to the Lord.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Not everyone can or should approach practice through sheer self-effort alone. ঈশ্বরপ্রণিধান is the yogic way of relaxing the ego's tight grip and placing practice in a larger reality - "I do what I can, and I offer the rest." Surrender here means releasing the inner insistence that you must control every outcome and never fail. It is a medicine for perfectionism, anxiety, and spiritual ego. This surrender is not passivity; it is disciplined action without the inner strain of control. You still practice, but you stop turning practice into a performance.

The গীতা gives a well-known expression of this surrender: সর্বধর্মান্পরিত্যজ্য মামেকং শরণং ব্রজ - take refuge in the One. Even if one interprets ঈশ্বর differently across traditions, the practical effect is similar: the heart softens, resistance drops, and steadiness becomes easier. This verse also points to the inner movement of surrender: you drop the heavy burden of self-justification and return to what is essential. In practice, it means you stop trying to control every detail of your spiritual journey and you allow a higher order to guide you. That guidance is not a magic solution; it is the quiet clarity that arises when ego-relaxation and sincerity meet.

Try beginning practice with one sentence of offering: "May this practice be for clarity and kindness." When anxiety about "doing it right" arises, return to that offering and relax the shoulders and jaw. You can also end practice with a simple letting go: "Whatever came up today, I offer it." Over time, surrender becomes a stable inner posture that supports meditation and ethical living. It also changes how you act: you become more sincere and less needy, because you are not constantly bargaining for results.

ক্লেশ কর্ম বিপাকাশযৈরপরামৃষ্টঃ পুরুষবিশেষ ঈশ্বরঃ ॥ 24 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
ক্লেশ - affliction; root causes of suffering
কর্ম - action and its moral residue
বিপাক - ripening; fruition (of karma)
আশয - latent deposit; subliminal impression store (plural আশযৈঃ, shown in sandhi as আশযৈঃ)
অপরামৃষ্টঃ - untouched; not contacted/affected by
পুরুষ - seer; consciousness principle
বিশেষঃ - special; distinct (as পুরুষ-বিশেষঃ)
ঈশ্বরঃ - Ishvara

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
The Lord is a special seer, untouched by afflictions, actions, their fruits, and the storehouse of latent impressions.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali defines ঈশ্বর in a distinctly yogic way: not as a creator described through mythic attributes, but as পুরুষ-বিশেষ - a special consciousness that is not entangled in ক্লেশ (afflictions), কর্ম (actions and their binding residue), বিপাক (the ripening of those actions), or the latent deposits (আশয) that drive ordinary minds. In other words, ঈশ্বর is not pulled by ignorance, craving, aversion, or habit. This makes ঈশ্বর a stable support for meditation: contemplating the unentangled helps the practitioner loosen entanglement. The mind learns by association; when it repeatedly contemplates purity, it becomes less fascinated by compulsion.

The গীতা often contrasts the bound and the free in similar terms, pointing to the possibility of action without bondage: ন মাং কর্মাণি লিংপংতি ন মে কর্মফলে স্পৃহা । ইতি মাং যোঽভিজানাতি কর্মভির্ন স বধ্যতে ॥. The Lord is not tainted by action and does not cling to results; one who understands this principle is not bound. Whether one approaches through Yoga's পুরুষ language or Vedanta's ব্রহ্মন্/ঈশ্বর language, the practical implication is the same: there exists a standpoint of purity not driven by compulsions. Contemplating that standpoint gives the practitioner a reference point higher than the ego's moods.

In practice, treat ঈশ্বর as the ideal of "not being hooked." When a strong trigger arises, remember this sutra and ask, "Can I act without adding a new আশয (latent groove)?" That might mean speaking firmly without contempt, setting a boundary without revenge, or doing your duty without needing applause. Even a small pause before reacting is a step toward that ideal. Over time, this kind of remembrance becomes a lived devotion: you start valuing inner cleanliness more than emotional discharge.

তত্র নিরতিশযং সর্বজ্ঞবীজম্ ॥ 25 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
তত্র - there; in Him
নিরতিশযম্ - unsurpassed; beyond all limit (shown as নিরতিশযং)
সর্বজ্ঞ - all-knowing
বীজম্ - seed; source-principle (as সর্বজ্ঞ-বীজম্, shown in sandhi as সর্বজ্ঞবীজম্)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
In the Lord lies the unsurpassed seed of omniscience.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
This sutra says that the "source" of complete knowing is present in ঈশ্বর. In practice, this supports humility: my knowing is partial and conditioned by বৃত্তি; there is a higher clarity not limited by my habits. The mind usually knows through filters - likes, dislikes, fears, and assumptions. Patanjali points to a knowing that is not filtered in that way. Meditation on that higher clarity aligns the mind toward truthfulness and discernment, because you begin to love truth more than being right.

The গীতা similarly attributes complete knowledge to the Divine: বেদাহং সমতীতানি বর্তমানানি চার্জুন । ভবিষ্যাণি চ ভূতানি মাং তু বেদ ন কশ্চন ॥ - "I know what has passed, what is present, and what is to come." The point is not to claim omniscience, but to orient the mind toward sincerity: "May my seeing become truer, less distorted by ক্লেশ." When you repeatedly contemplate perfect knowing, you become less satisfied with half-truths, gossip, and self-deception. That itself is purification.

In daily life, apply this by slowing down certainty. When you feel sure you are right, remember that your "seed of knowing" is limited. Ask for more data, listen longer, and be willing to revise. You can turn this into a habit: before making a strong claim, check whether you have direct observation, careful inference, or reliable testimony. This is a practical devotion to truth. It reduces conflict, improves learning, and makes the mind quieter because it is not constantly defending shaky conclusions.

স এষঃ পূর্বেষামপি গুরুঃ কালেনানবচ্ছেদাত্ ॥ 26 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
সঃ - He
এষঃ - this very one
পূর্বেষাম্ - of the ancient ones; the earlier teachers
অপি - even
গুরুঃ - teacher; guide
কালেন - by time
অনবচ্ছেদাত্ - because there is no limitation/interruption

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
He is also the teacher of the ancient teachers, being unbounded by time.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali presents ঈশ্বর as the timeless source of guidance - not merely one teacher among many, but the principle that makes teaching possible. কালেন অনবচ্ছেদ means not "cut off" by time: the clarity Patanjali points to is not an artifact of a certain era, and it is not limited to a single historical moment. A human teacher appears and disappears; a lineage rises and falls; but the light of discernment and the possibility of inner freedom remain. By calling ঈশ্বর the গুরু even of the ancient teachers (পূর্বেষাম্), the sutra honors the tradition while also saying: the deepest guidance is available now, whenever the mind becomes sincere and steady.

This is also why tradition emphasizes learning with a teacher: আচার্যবান্ পুরুষো বেদ - one who has a teacher truly knows. Yet Patanjali's definition prevents blind dependence: the গুরু-principle is ultimately grounded in unchanging clarity, not in personality. The গীতা speaks of yoga as an imperishable teaching transmitted across time (ইমং বিবস্বতে যোগং প্রোক্তবান্ অহমব্যযম্), and Patanjali gives the yogic psychology behind that claim: truth is timeless, and the mind can align to it. Whether you approach ঈশ্বর as a personal Lord, as the inner witness, or as the ideal of purity, the practical effect is the same - you learn to trust a higher standard than the ego's preferences.

In practice, cultivate a "listening mind" before you act: pause, feel the breath, and sense what is wholesome. Then notice the difference between impulse (urgent, narrow, reactive), habit (automatic, familiar), and clarity (quiet, simple, non-dramatic). The timeless গুরু-principle often feels like the third: it does not shout, it steadies. You can ask: "Is this true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?" and also "Will I regret this tomorrow?" If you have a living teacher, use them to calibrate this inner listening; if not, use the sutras and your own honesty as a mirror. Over time, you begin to trust that clarity more than the mind's rush, and decisions become cleaner.

তস্য বাচকঃ প্রণবঃ ॥ 27 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
তস্য - of Him
বাচকঃ - expressive word/symbol; designator (shown as বাচকঃ)
প্রণবঃ - ওং; the sacred syllable

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
The sacred syllable Om is the expressive symbol of the Lord.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali now gives a concrete support for meditation: প্রণব (Om) as the বাচক - the expressive symbol of ঈশ্বর. A symbol matters because the mind needs something simple, repeatable, and non-distracting to return to. Om is not treated as a magical syllable; it is a carefully chosen focus that gathers attention, settles breath, and carries the feeling of reverence. When repeated gently, Om naturally lengthens the exhale and creates a small inner silence after the sound, and that silence can become a doorway to steadiness. Patanjali is offering a universal handle: even if the mind cannot hold complex philosophy, it can hold one sound with sincerity.

The Upanishads treat Om as a summary-symbol of the whole teaching: ওং ইত্যেতদক্ষরমিদং সর্বম্ - this syllable Om is all this. The গীতা echoes the same reverence: প্রণবঃ সর্ববেদেষু, and ওং ইত্যেকাক্ষরং ব্রহ্ম ব্যাহরন্মামনুস্মরন্ ।. These references show two sides of the same symbol: Om as a vast pointer and Om as a personal remembrance. Patanjali uses it pragmatically: a single, elevating focus that can carry devotion, steadiness, and the sense of the unentangled. When the mind is scattered, a symbol with depth prevents practice from becoming dry; when the mind is emotional, a symbol that is simple prevents practice from becoming chaotic.

If you use Om, keep it gentle and unhurried. You can chant aloud at first, then softly, then mentally, and notice the three parts - আ, ঊ, ং - and especially the quiet that follows. Let the repetition soften the mind rather than excite it; if it becomes forceful or showy, reduce volume and effort. After a few repetitions, pause and rest in the after-silence; that resting is as important as the sound. Even outside formal practice, a quiet remembrance of প্রণব during transitions can bring the mind back from agitation into clarity.

তজ্জপস্তদর্থভাবনম্ ॥ 28 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
তত্ - that (Om / pranava)
জপঃ - repetition; recitation (as তত্-জপঃ, shown in sandhi as তজ্জপ)
তদ্ - its
অর্থ - meaning
ভাবনম্ - contemplation; cultivation; inward "soaking" (as তদ্-অর্থ-ভাবনম্, shown in sandhi as তদর্থভাবনম্)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Its repetition should be accompanied by contemplation of its meaning.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali balances technique and understanding. জপ without meaning can become a counting exercise; "meaning" without repetition can remain a thought. তদ্-অর্থ-ভাবনম্ is the middle path: you repeat, and you also let the mind soak in the sense the symbol carries. Here "meaning" is not only a verbal definition; it is the lived feeling of surrender (প্রণিধান), purity, and steadiness. When you repeat Om while holding that feeling, the mantra begins to reshape the mind's tendencies: it becomes harder to keep repeating a symbol of inner truth while indulging inner noise. This is why Patanjali puts contemplation and repetition together.

Mantra traditions have always insisted on this pairing of sound and inner orientation. The গীতা speaks of remembering the Divine while uttering Om: ওং ইত্যেকাক্ষরং ব্রহ্ম ব্যাহরন্মামনুস্মরন্ - saying the one syllable Om and remembering the Divine. The key word is "remembering": the heart is engaged, not only the tongue. In the same spirit, Vedantic training speaks of শ্রবণ (listening), মনন (reflecting), and নিদিধ্যাসন (deep contemplation): repetition supports contemplation, and contemplation gives repetition depth. Patanjali's sutra is the yoga version of that same wisdom: repeat the symbol, and repeatedly return to what it points to.

A practical approach is to pick one clear meaning for a season - for example, "May my mind become steady and kind," or "I offer this effort," or "Let truth be my guide." Repeat Om slowly, and on each repetition recall that meaning with a gentle feeling, not as a forced thought. After 10-20 repetitions, stop and sit in silence for a minute, as if you are letting the meaning settle into the mind. During the day, recall the same meaning at moments of trigger; this is where ভাবনা becomes real. Over time, the mind begins to associate the mantra with calm and clarity.

ততঃ প্রত্যক্চেতনাধিগমোঽপ্যংতরাযাভাবশ্চ ॥ 29 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
ততঃ - from that (japa + contemplation)
প্রত্যক্ - inward; direct
চেতনা - consciousness; awareness
অধিগমঃ - attainment/realization (shown in sandhi as অধিগমো)
অপি - also (shown with avagraha as ঽপ্য্)
অংতরায - obstacle
অভাবঃ - absence; removal
চ - and (as অভাবশ্ + চ, shown in sandhi as অভাবশ্চ)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
From that comes direct realization of inner consciousness, and the removal of obstacles.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali states the fruits of mantra-based practice: inward realization (প্রত্যক্-চেতনা-অধিগম) and the weakening of hindrances (অংতরায-অভাব). The first is positive insight; the second is negative purification. Together they describe a mind becoming clearer and less obstructed. "Direct" (প্রত্যক্) is important: the teaching is meant to become immediate experience, not only a belief about consciousness. As obstacles reduce, the mind stops feeling like a crowded room and starts feeling like open space. That openness is itself healing.

This matches a common spiritual pattern: repeated remembrance reduces inner noise. The Upanishadic prayers for truth and light are the same aspiration, and mantra-japa is a practical vehicle for it. When a word like Om is repeated with meaning, attention becomes one-pointed, emotions soften, and the mind becomes less fragmented. Patanjali is careful to say the insight becomes "direct" (প্রত্যক্), not merely conceptual, because the end of yoga is not a better story - it is clearer seeing. In that clarity, the witness described in Sutra 1.3 is easier to recognize.

In practice, watch for small signs of "obstacles reducing": fewer impulsive reactions, less compulsive checking, quicker recovery after stress, more patience. These are real fruits, and they matter more than dramatic experiences. Keep the practice steady and simple, and let change be gradual. If obstacles return, treat it as part of training, not as failure; return to জপ and meaning with fresh sincerity. Over time, the mind learns a new default: steadier attention, cleaner emotion, and a quieter inner space.

ব্যাধি স্ত্যান সংশয প্রমাদালস্যাবিরতি ভ্রাংতি
দর্শনালব্ধভূমিকত্বানবস্থিতত্বানি চিত্তবিক্ষেপাস্তেংঽতরাযাঃ ॥ 30 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
ব্যাধি - illness; disease
স্ত্যান - dullness; mental stagnation
সংশয - doubt; indecision
প্রমাদ - carelessness; heedlessness
আলস্য - laziness; lack of effort (shown in sandhi as প্রমাদালস্য = প্রমাদ + আলস্য)
অবিরতি - lack of restraint; inability to disengage from indulgence
ভ্রাংতি-দর্শন - mistaken perception; illusion (as ভ্রাংতি দর্শন)
অলব্ধ-ভূমিকত্ব - not attaining the stages/ground of practice
অনবস্থিতত্ব - instability; not being able to remain established
চিত্ত - mind-stuff
বিক্ষেপঃ - distraction; scattering
তে - these (shown with avagraha as তেংঽ)
অংতরাযঃ - obstacles; hindrances

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Illness, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, lack of restraint, mistaken perception, failure to attain stages, and instability are the obstacles that scatter the mind.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
This sutra is a compassionate checklist. Instead of blaming yourself vaguely ("I'm bad at meditation"), Patanjali names specific patterns that disrupt practice: bodily imbalance (ব্যাধি), low energy or heaviness (স্ত্যান), inner debate (সংশয), careless living (প্রমাদ), avoidance (আলস্য), indulgent over-stimulation (অবিরতি), misreading reality (ভ্রাংতি-দর্শন), not finding footing (অলব্ধ-ভূমিকত্ব), and not being able to stay steady (অনবস্থিতত্ব). Notice how practical this is: some obstacles are physical, some are emotional, some are cognitive, and some are about consistency. Patanjali is saying, "Do not be confused; identify the obstruction." When you name the obstacle, you can choose the right remedy. Without naming, you tend to either push harder (and burn out) or give up (and stagnate).

The গীতা also emphasizes balance as the foundation of steadiness: নাত্যশ্নতস্তু যোগোঽস্তি ন চৈকাংতমনশ্নতঃ । ন চাতিস্বপ্নশীলস্য জাগ্রতো নৈব চার্জুন ॥ - yoga is not for extremes of eating, fasting, sleeping, or wakefulness. This matters because many obstacles are created by lifestyle imbalance, not by lack of spiritual talent. When sleep is poor, স্ত্যান and সংশয increase; when stimulation is high, অবিরতি increases; when discipline is sloppy, অনবস্থিতত্ব appears. Patanjali's list shows how imbalance expresses itself as obstacles in the mind. The remedy is often surprisingly ordinary: simpler living, steadier routines, and kinder self-regulation.

Pick one obstacle that is most active right now and address it directly for two weeks. If অবিরতি is the issue, reduce one overstimulating habit. If সংশয is the issue, commit to a simple method and stop switching. If আলস্য is the issue, lower the bar and rebuild continuity with a tiny daily minimum. Treat obstacles as signals for adjustment, not as reasons for self-criticism. When you work with them this way, obstacles become part of the path: each one teaches you what to refine.

দুঃখ দৌর্মনস্যাংগমেজযত্ব শ্বাসপ্রশ্বাসা বিক্ষেপসহভুবঃ ॥ 31 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
দুঃখ - pain; suffering
দৌর্মনস্য - dejection; gloom; mental distress
অংগ - limb/body
এজযত্ব - trembling; agitation (as অংগমেজযত্ব)
শ্বাস - inhalation
প্রশ্বাস - exhalation (as শ্বাস-প্রশ্বাস)
বিক্ষেপ - distraction
সহভুবঃ - accompanying; co-arising

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Suffering, dejection, bodily agitation, and irregular breathing accompany mental distraction.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Obstacles are not only mental; they have bodily signatures. When the mind is scattered (বিক্ষেপ), it often shows up as inner discomfort (দুঃখ), emotional heaviness (দৌর্মনস্য), physical restlessness (অংগমেজযত্ব), and disturbed breath (শ্বাস-প্রশ্বাস). Patanjali is teaching somatic awareness: you can detect the mind's state through the body. This is very practical, because the body often reveals agitation before the mind admits it. For example, you may notice a tight chest, shallow breath, or jittery limbs even while telling yourself "I'm fine." When you can read these signs early, you can correct course sooner.

This aligns with the গীতা emphasis on self-regulation and inner steadiness, where the mind and breath are repeatedly treated as linked. The practical lesson is that you do not have to "think your way out" of distraction; you can also work through the breath and the body. When breath calms, the nervous system calms, and the mind becomes easier to gather. Patanjali is quietly training you to use the body as an ally rather than as a problem. This is why simple breath-awareness is such a universal remedy across traditions.

When you notice any of these symptoms, do not push harder. Soften the effort, lengthen the exhale, relax the jaw and shoulders, and simplify the practice. If the mind is very scattered, drop complex techniques and return to one basic anchor: feel the breath at the nostrils, or count ten slow breaths. Often, a few minutes of breath awareness reduces বিক্ষেপ more effectively than forceful concentration. Then, when the system is calmer, you can return to deeper practice without strain.

তত্প্রতিষেধার্থমেকতত্ত্বাভ্যাসঃ ॥ 32 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
তত্ - of those (obstacles)
প্রতিষেধ - prevention; removal; countering
অর্থম্ - for the purpose of (as প্রতিষেধ-অর্থম্, shown in sandhi as প্রতিষেধার্থম্)
এক - one
তত্ত্ব - principle; reality; focus-object
অভ্যাসঃ - practice

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
To counter these obstacles, practice one-pointed focus on a single principle.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
When the mind is scattered, the remedy is not more complexity; it is এক-তত্ত্ব-অভ্যাস. Choose one stabilizing "one thing" - a mantra, the breath, a chosen form, a single virtue - and return to it repeatedly. One-pointedness (একাগ্রতা, one-pointed attention) is medicine for dispersion, because the mind cannot chase ten directions at once when it is trained to return to one. Patanjali is not saying "think only one thought forever"; he is saying "stop feeding the habit of scatteredness." The more you return to one stable focus, the more the mind learns calm strength.

The গীতা repeatedly recommends single-direction resolve in yoga, and Patanjali makes it a specific technique: focus becomes the tool that lifts you out of বিক্ষেপ. This is also why frequent switching of methods can become a hidden obstacle: the mind gets a new toy each week and never builds depth. Depth comes when you stay long enough with one practice for it to work on the deeper layers. Patanjali's advice here is simple but powerful: choose, commit, and return.

Pick your এক-তত্ত্ব for a month. Write it down, keep it stable, and measure progress by returning rather than by having "perfect" sessions. You can also set a small rule: when you notice the mind wandering, return without commentary, as if you are gently guiding a child back to the path. This builds the internal muscle that later supports deeper absorption. Over time, that muscle also shows up in daily life: you become less distracted in conversations, more present in work, and less reactive under pressure.

মৈত্রী করুণা মুদিতোপেক্ষাণাং সুখ দুঃখ পুণ্যাপুণ্য বিষযাণাম্-ভাবনাতশ্চিত্তপ্রসাদনম্ ॥ 33 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
মৈত্রী - friendliness; benevolence (shown as মৈত্রী)
করুণা - compassion
মুদিতা - appreciative joy; gladness
উপেক্ষা - equanimity; non-reactive acceptance (as মুদিতা-উপেক্ষা, shown in sandhi as মুদিতোপেক্ষা)
সুখ - happiness
দুঃখ - suffering
পুণ্য - virtue; goodness
অপুণ্য - non-virtue; wrongdoing (as পুণ্য-অপুণ্য, shown in sandhi as পুণ্যাপুণ্য)
বিষয - objects/cases/people (genitive plural বিষযাণাম্, shown as বিষযাণাম্)
ভাবনাতঃ - by cultivating the attitude (shown as ভাবনাতশ্)
চিত্ত - mind
প্রসাদনম্ - clarification; calm brightness; serenity

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
The mind becomes serene by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion toward the suffering, appreciative joy toward the virtuous, and equanimity toward the non-virtuous.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
This sutra is a complete social-emotional practice for mental clarity. Much agitation comes from how we react to other people's lives: envy of the happy, impatience with the suffering, competitiveness with the good, and obsessive judgment of the wrongdoer. Patanjali offers four intentional attitudes - মৈত্রী, করুণা, মুদিতা, উপেক্ষা - that turn relationships into a field of yoga and produce চিত্ত-প্রসাদন (a clear, calm mind). Each attitude is a medicine for a specific poison: মৈত্রী softens jealousy, করুণা softens cruelty and indifference, মুদিতা softens comparison, and উপেক্ষা softens obsessive resentment. Notice that this is not just "being nice"; it is training the mind to stop creating self-made disturbances. When the heart becomes steadier, meditation becomes steadier, because the mind is no longer constantly replaying social conflict.

The গীতা describes the dear yogin in very similar qualities: অদ্বেষ্টা সর্বভূতানাং মৈত্রঃ করুণ এব চ । - non-hating, friendly, compassionate. This verse shows why Patanjali's list works: hatred and envy keep the mind burning, while friendliness and compassion cool it. Patanjali's list is a precise psychological training that supports the same kind of mind. It also adds two subtler trainings: মুদিতা (rejoicing in goodness) and উপেক্ষা (not being inwardly dragged into another person's wrongdoing). Together, they keep the mind clean in the middle of society, which is where most agitation is created.

Choose one attitude to practice consciously each day. For example: when a friend succeeds, practice মুদিতা instead of comparison; when you see suffering, practice করুণা without helplessness; when you encounter harmful behavior, practice উপেক্ষা as non-obsession while still acting appropriately. You can make it practical: decide in advance how you will respond to success (congratulate), to suffering (listen and help), to virtue (learn and appreciate), and to wrongdoing (set a boundary without hatred). Over time, this reduces interpersonal turbulence and makes meditation steadier. It also makes daily life lighter, because you stop spending so much inner energy on other people's stories.

প্রচ্ছর্দন বিধারণাভ্যাং বা প্রাণস্য ॥ 34 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
প্রচ্ছর্দন - exhalation; letting out; gentle expulsion
বিধারণ - holding/retaining; steadying
অভ্যাম্ - by both (shown in sandhi as বিধারণাভ্যাং)
বা - or
প্রাণস্য - of the breath/life-force (প্রাণ)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Or, by working with the breath through exhalation and retention.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Breath is the most accessible bridge between body and mind. Patanjali points to simple breath methods - emphasis on exhale (প্রচ্ছর্দন) and gentle holding/steadying (বিধারণ) - as ways to calm the system. The principle is that when the breath smooths, the mind smooths, because breath and attention are intimately linked. Exhale naturally releases tension; gentle pausing after exhale can quiet the nervous system and reduce mental speed. This is why breathwork often helps when the mind feels too busy to meditate. Patanjali is offering a practical entry point: if the mind will not settle through thoughts, settle it through breath.

The গীতা mentions breath disciplines as a yogic offering: প্রাণাপানগতী রুদ্ধ্বা প্রাণাযামপরাযণাঃ । - restraining the movements of inhalation and exhalation, devoted to প্রাণাযাম. In that chapter, breath is treated as something you can "offer" and regulate with respect, not with aggression. Patanjali's wording is similarly light: he says বা ("or"), pointing to breath as one optional doorway into steadiness. The point is not complicated ratios; it is building sensitivity to how inhalation, exhalation, and pauses affect the mind. When breath becomes smooth and quiet, the mind becomes smooth and quiet; when breath is forced, the mind becomes forced. So breath practice is best approached with gentleness and awareness.

Keep it safe and simple: lengthen the exhale slightly, pause naturally for a moment, then inhale softly. If retention creates strain, skip it; strain defeats the purpose. The goal is calmness, not force; the breath should feel like a soothing rhythm that makes attention easy. You can do this for two minutes before meditation, and also anytime during the day when agitation rises. Over time, the mind learns a new reflex: instead of spiraling, it returns to breath and steadiness.

বিষযবতী বা প্রবৃত্তিরুত্পন্না মনসঃ স্থিতি নিবংধিনী ॥ 35 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
বিষযবতী - having an object; connected to a sense-object
বা - or
প্রবৃত্তিঃ - activity/flow; a movement of attention
উত্পন্না - arisen
মনসঃ - of the mind
স্থিতি - steadiness; stability
নিবংধিনী - binding/anchoring; that which fastens

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Or, the mind can be steadied by an object-centered flow of attention that arises through the senses.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Some minds settle more easily through a wholesome object. Patanjali suggests that an object-based প্রবৃত্তি - a stable, uplifting sense-impression - can "bind" the mind into steadiness (স্থিতি-নিবংধিনী). This can include a calm visual focus, a devotional form, a gentle sound, or a subtle inner sensation that naturally gathers attention. The key is that the object should quiet the mind, not excite it. A noisy object creates more waves; a pure object creates fewer waves. Patanjali is giving permission to use the senses wisely: the senses can scatter the mind, but they can also help gather it when the object is chosen skillfully.

This aligns with the broader yogic insight that attention follows interest. If the chosen object is pure and steady, the mind becomes pure and steady. Many devotional paths use this principle through মূর্তি contemplation and sacred sound, not as distraction but as steady focus. Devotion gives the mind a clean attraction: instead of craving and fear, attention is guided by reverence and love. Patanjali's point is universal: the mind stabilizes when it has an object that is both steady and meaningful.

Choose an object that calms rather than excites. If you use a visual focus, keep it simple and non-stimulating; if you use sound, keep volume and rhythm gentle. Let the object be a doorway to inner quiet, not another form of entertainment. Test the object honestly: after five minutes, do you feel more open and steady, or more restless and hungry? Choose what makes you steady. Over time, this becomes a personalized doorway into meditation.

বিশোকা বা জ্যোতিষ্মতী ॥ 36 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
বিশোকা - sorrowless; free from grief
বা - or
জ্যোতিষ্মতী - luminous; radiant (feminine qualifier)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Or, steadiness can arise through a luminous, sorrowless state of awareness.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Sometimes the mind becomes steady not by effort but by touching a naturally luminous clarity. জ্যোতিষ্মতী suggests an inner brightness - a clear, awake quality - and বিশোকা suggests the absence of heavy grief in that moment. Patanjali points to this as a support: when such clarity arises, rest in it. Many people have small glimpses of this: a quiet dawn, a moment of deep honesty, the calm after forgiveness, or the stillness that comes in nature. The mind becomes bright and clean, not because you forced it, but because the usual inner noise fell away. Patanjali is teaching you to recognize these moments and use them wisely.

Many texts describe knowledge as light, because clarity feels like brightness. The Upanishadic prayer তমসো মা জ্যোতির্গময can be read psychologically here: move from inner darkness to inner luminosity. In yoga language, inner darkness often shows up as তমস্ (heaviness, dullness, hopelessness), while inner light shows up as সত্ত্ব (clarity, ease, wakefulness). Patanjali is not asking you to manufacture this light; he is saying that when a luminous, sorrowless state appears, use it as support. Such moments can arise after ethical action, prayer, forgiveness, or simply good rest. The teaching is to recognize clarity as a valid meditative object and to protect it from the mind's habit of immediately turning it into a story.

In practice, notice what evokes this "luminous, sorrowless" quality: early-morning quiet, time in nature, honest prayer, or a simple act of compassion. Then use it intentionally as a prelude to meditation - not as a mood to chase, but as a doorway to steadiness. If the glow fades, do not grasp; return to breath or mantra and continue. Over time, you learn a mature skill: to cooperate with clarity when it appears, and to practice steadily even when it does not. That steadiness is what makes luminous moments more frequent and more stable.

বীতরাগ বিষযং বা চিত্তম্ ॥ 37 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
বীত - gone; removed
রাগ - craving; attachment (as বীত-রাগ, shown in sandhi as বীতরাগ)
বিষযম্ - object; content
বা - or
চিত্তম্ - the mind

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Or, the mind can be steadied by taking as its object one who is free from attachment.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali suggests a powerful support: contemplate a mind that is বীত-রাগ (free from craving). This can mean the image of a realized sage, a teacher, or an ideal of inner freedom. The point is not personality-worship; it is using an example of non-clinging to awaken the same quality in yourself. When you contemplate a বীত-রাগ mind, your own mind temporarily stops feeding its usual hunger, and a different possibility becomes believable. This is why traditions honor saints and sages: not to escape responsibility, but to remember what a free mind feels like. Patanjali is offering a practical shortcut to steadiness through inspiration.

Scriptures often use exemplars for this reason: seeing steadiness embodied makes steadiness imaginable. The গীতা describes the স্থিতপ্রজ্ঞ (steady-wisdom person) as one who is not shaken by pleasure and pain and who is free from রাগ and দ্বেষ. It says: দুঃখেষ্বনুদ্বিগ্নমনাঃ সুখেষু বিগতস্পৃহঃ । বীতরাগভযক্রোধঃ স্থিতধীর্মুনিরুচ্যতে ॥ - unshaken in sorrow, not craving in pleasure, free from attachment, fear, and anger. Patanjali offers contemplation of such freedom as a direct aid to meditation because it gives the mind a stable, noble object. Instead of feeding the mind with desire, you feed it with the image of freedom.

Pick a single inspiring exemplar and keep it stable for a while. When restlessness arises, recall one quality - simplicity, fearlessness, compassion - and let that remembrance soften craving. You can also ask, "What would a free mind do right now?" and let the question slow you down. Over time, the exemplar becomes a mirror that draws out your own capacity for non-clinging. The goal is not to become someone else; it is to awaken your own steadiness by repeatedly touching the possibility of বীত-রাগ.

স্বপ্ন নিদ্রা জ্ঞানালংবনং বা ॥ 38 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
স্বপ্ন - dream
নিদ্রা - sleep
জ্ঞান - knowledge/awareness
আলংবনম্ - support/object (shown in sandhi as জ্ঞানালংবনং)
বা - or

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Or, steadiness may be supported by insight gained from dreams and sleep.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Dream and sleep reveal the mind's mechanics. In dream, the mind creates a world; in sleep, it drops content. By using the "knowledge" (জ্ঞান) gleaned from these states as an আলংবন (support), one learns detachment from waking narratives as well: if dream felt real while it lasted, how much of waking agitation is also constructed? This does not mean waking life is unreal in the same way; it means the mind is capable of making a story feel absolute. When you see that, you stop treating every thought as final truth. Observing these states also strengthens the witness: awareness remains while states change. That recognition supports the steady দ্রষ্টৃ viewpoint described earlier.

Many contemplative teachings use this analogy to reduce identification. In Vedantic language, the three states are জাগ্রত্ (waking), স্বপ্ন (dream), and সুষুপ্তি (deep sleep); the point is to notice that you are present through all three. While Patanjali does not elaborate here, the implication is that observing these states weakens rigid belief in the mind's stories and supports the witness standpoint described earlier. It also softens fear: if states come and go, you do not have to cling to any one state as "me." This is a gentle way to develop বৈরাগ্য without harshness.

A simple practice is dream-journaling for a short period, not for obsession, but to see how quickly the mind fabricates meaning. Notice how emotions, identities, and events appear convincing inside a dream and then dissolve. For sleep, notice the calm neutrality you taste upon waking, before the day's thoughts rush back in. Let that remembrance remind you that quiet is natural and can be returned to. In daily life, when the mind is spinning a story, you can remember: "This too is a state," and return to breath and presence.

যথাভিমতধ্যানাদ্বা ॥ 39 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
যথা - as; according to
অভিমত - agreeable; chosen; pleasing
ধ্যান - meditation; contemplation (shown as ধ্যান)
বা - or

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Or, by meditating on anything that is personally agreeable and elevating.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali now broadens: different minds stabilize through different supports. যথা-অভিমত does not mean "whatever entertains me"; it means a chosen support that the mind can stay with steadily and that does not inflame রাগ and দ্বেষ. The goal is stability; the object is a means. This is compassionate realism: the same object does not work equally for everyone. One person settles with breath, another with mantra, another with devotion, another with inquiry. Patanjali's criterion is simple: does it gather the mind and make it clearer?

This flexibility matches the spirit of many traditions that offer multiple gateways: mantra, form, breath, inquiry. The danger is not variety; the danger is restlessness - constantly changing objects out of boredom or impatience. Patanjali's realism is kind: if one door does not open for you, choose another without guilt, as long as it supports steadiness and clarity. But once you choose, stay long enough for the practice to deepen. In other words: be flexible in finding the right doorway, and be firm in walking through it.

Practically, select an object that is calming, meaningful, and repeatable. Test it for a week: does it reduce agitation and build focus? If yes, stay with it longer. If it increases restlessness, refine the choice and simplify. Also watch your motive: choose what supports steadiness, not what gives the strongest sensation. When the object is right, practice feels simpler and more sustainable. Over time, the mind begins to associate that chosen object with quiet, and the doorway becomes easier to enter.

পরমাণু পরম মহত্ত্বাংতোঽস্য বশীকারঃ ॥ 40 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
পরমাণু - the smallest particle; atom
পরম - supreme; greatest
মহত্ত্ব - greatness; vastness (as পরম-মহত্ত্ব)
অংতঃ - limit; end (shown with avagraha as ঽংতো = অংতঃ + অস্য)
অস্য - of this (mind)
বশী-কারঃ - mastery; control

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Mastery of the mind extends from the smallest to the greatest.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
As steadiness matures, attention becomes powerful: it can rest on the subtle (the "atom-like") or on the vast (the "cosmic"). This is not a claim about acquiring supernatural control as an egoic trophy; it is a description of the range of concentration when the mind is no longer compulsively pulled outward. A scattered mind cannot stay with anything; a trained mind can stay with what it chooses. Patanjali is pointing to mastery of attention, which is one of the deepest human powers. When attention is free, it is not trapped in tiny irritations, and it is not overwhelmed by huge worries. It becomes flexible and strong.

Many meditation texts describe this widening range: the mind can become microscopic in its subtlety or panoramic in its spaciousness. The key is that the mind is no longer a servant of distraction; it becomes an instrument. This also hints at why advanced practice can feel vast: as attention becomes less personal and less reactive, awareness feels more spacious. Patanjali is not asking you to believe in the vast; he is saying that the range of attention grows when the causes of scattering are reduced.

In practice, notice that attention already has this range: sometimes you fixate on a tiny irritation, other times you glimpse the big picture. Training is learning to choose. When overwhelmed, deliberately widen to a larger context: step back, breathe, and remember what truly matters. When scattered, deliberately narrow to a single simple point: one breath, one mantra repetition, one small task done with full presence. This is mastery in daily life: your attention becomes yours again.

ক্ষীণবৃত্তেরভিজাতস্যেব মণের্গ্রহীতৃগ্রহণ গ্রাহ্যেষু তত্স্থ তদংজনতা সমাপত্তিঃ ॥ 41 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
ক্ষীণ - weakened; thinned
বৃত্তি - mental modifications (genitive, shown in sandhi as ক্ষীণবৃত্তে)
অভিজাতঃ - well-born; naturally clear/pure
ইব - like
মণিঃ - a jewel
গ্রহীতৃ - the knower/perceiver
গ্রহণ - the act of knowing; grasping
গ্রাহ্য - the known; object
তত্স্থ - resting there; fixed on that
তদ্-অংজনতা - being "colored by that"; taking its tint
সমাপত্তিঃ - complete coalescence/absorption

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
When the mind's fluctuations are weakened, the mind becomes like a clear jewel, taking on the tint of the knower, the act of knowing, and the known - this is complete absorption.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
This sutra describes deep meditative absorption with a striking metaphor. When বৃত্তি waves are thinned (ক্ষীণ), the mind becomes like a pure gem: whatever is placed near it is reflected without distortion. In that state, the distinction between subject (গ্রহীতৃ), process (গ্রহণ), and object (গ্রাহ্য) becomes very subtle, as if the mind "takes the color" (তদ্-অংজনতা) of what it rests upon. Practically, this means attention becomes intimate: you are not watching the object from a distance while thinking about it; you are fully with it. The mind is still present, but it is clear and quiet, so it does not add extra commentary. This is why Patanjali compares it to a jewel: clarity, not effort, is the defining feature.

This resonates with the idea that purity of mind is clarity of seeing. Many teachings describe the purified mind as a transparent medium through which truth is known. Patanjali's contribution is technical: he names the condition সমাপত্তি and describes how it is experienced from within. It also helps us keep humility: this is still a state of mind, and states come and go. The value of সমাপত্তি is that it purifies perception and reveals how much distortion normally comes from restless বৃত্তি. When you taste this clarity, you better understand why earlier sutras insisted on অভ্যাস and বৈরাগ্য: they are the prerequisites for the jewel-like mind.

In practice, do not force this state; cultivate the prerequisites: ethical steadiness, reduced distraction, and consistent meditation. Choose a simple object and stay with it long enough that the mind stops treating it as "one more task." When attention becomes naturally steady and clear, let the mind rest gently on the chosen object without strain. If you notice effort turning into tension, soften the body and return to the breath; clarity comes with relaxation, not with pushing. Over time, the "jewel-like" clarity appears as a quiet, effortless intimacy with the object, and that intimacy becomes a source of deep peace.

তত্র শব্দার্থ জ্ঞান বিকল্পৈঃ সংকীর্ণা সবিতর্কা সমাপত্তিঃ ॥ 42 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
তত্র - there; in that samapatti
শব্দ - word/name
অর্থ - meaning/object
জ্ঞান - knowledge/idea
বিকল্প - conceptual construction
সংকীর্ণা - mixed; intermingled
সবিতর্কা - with vitarka; with gross thought
সমাপত্তিঃ - absorption

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
There, absorption accompanied by gross conceptual activity is the state in which word, meaning, knowledge, and conceptualization are intermingled.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Even in deep concentration, the mind can still mix layers: the name of the object, the concept of it, the image of it, and the object itself. Patanjali calls this সবিতর্কা সমাপত্তি - absorption still accompanied by বিতর্ক (gross conceptual activity). It is real steadiness, but not yet the "pure" object-only clarity. Most practitioners begin here, because the mind naturally thinks in words and images. Even when you are focused, subtle labeling continues: "breath in, breath out," "good session, bad session," "this is calm." Patanjali is not criticizing this; he is giving you a map so you can recognize the mixture and refine it.

This is a useful self-check for practitioners: sometimes you think you are "with the breath," but you are actually with the idea of the breath, or with words about it. Recognizing the mixture is progress; it is how the mind refines from conceptual to direct. It also protects you from self-deception: you can sit for a long time and still be mostly in thought-about-meditation rather than in meditation. Patanjali gives you a gentle test: is the mind mostly experiencing, or mostly describing? When experiencing becomes stronger than describing, you are moving toward নির্বিতর্কা.

In practice, when you notice inner commentary about the object, gently return to raw experience: the felt sensation of breath, the direct presence of the mantra sound, the simple perception of the chosen form. You do not have to kill the commentary; you simply stop feeding it. Each time you return to sensation, the mind learns a cleaner way of knowing. Over time, the mix quiets and the object becomes more immediate. This is a key refinement: it turns meditation from thinking about peace into directly tasting peace.

স্মৃতি পরিশুদ্ধৌ স্বরূপ শূন্যেবার্থ মাত্রনির্ভাসা নির্বিতর্কা ॥ 43 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
স্মৃতি - memory (here: the mind's stored conceptual overlays)
পরিশুদ্ধৌ - when purified
স্বরূপ - own form/nature
শূন্যা - empty of (as শূন্যেব - "as if empty")
অর্থ - object/meaning
মাত্র - only; alone
নির্ভাসা - shining forth; appearing
নির্বিতর্কা - without vitarka; without gross conceptual activity

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
When memory is purified, the mind becomes as if empty of its own form, and only the object shines forth in awareness.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
The refinement from সবিতর্কা to নির্বিতর্কা is described as purification of স্মৃতি - the store of memories, words, and learned associations that normally jump in front of perception. In সবিতর্কা, the object is mixed with these overlays: you know the object, its name, its category, and your opinions about it all at once. When those overlays quiet, the mind no longer projects its own "shape" onto the object; it becomes "as if empty" (স্বরূপ-শূন্যা) - empty of commentary, not empty of awareness. What remains is simple, direct seeing. The mind becomes like a clear crystal: it takes the "color" of the object without adding its own tint. This is why Patanjali treats purity as a practical skill, not a moral ornament; pure perception is peace.

This resembles the psychological process of seeing without bias. The গীতা often describes clarity as a mind free from turbulence and attachment, capable of direct seeing. Patanjali's technical language gives you a meditation-specific way to recognize that clarity. Here "purifying memory" does not mean erasing your past; it means your past stops coloring the present moment. The mind becomes capable of meeting what is here, without immediately overlaying old labels and habits. When that happens, attention feels quiet, direct, and bright. This is one reason yoga values inner purity: pure perception is peace.

In practice, reduce conceptual load: simplify life inputs, reduce multitasking, and keep meditation object consistent. During practice, when the mind offers labels and stories, acknowledge them and return without argument. Outside practice, reduce the inputs that keep the mind wordy and reactive: constant news, endless scrolling, and unnecessary debates. Over time, attention becomes less verbal and more direct, and the "object-only" clarity becomes accessible. The fruit is not only better meditation; it is a calmer way of meeting life without instant mental commentary.

এতযৈব সবিচারা নির্বিচারা চ সূক্ষ্মবিষযা ব্যাখ্যাতা ॥ 44 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
এতযা - by this (same method)
এব - indeed
সবিচারা - with subtle reflection
নির্বিচারা - without subtle reflection
চ - and
সূক্ষ্ম - subtle
বিষয - objects (as সূক্ষ্ম-বিষযাঃ, shown as সূক্ষ্মবিষযা)
ব্যাখ্যাতা - have been explained

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
By the same reasoning, absorptions on subtle objects - with or without subtle reflection - are explained.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali extends the earlier distinction from gross to subtle. Just as absorption on a gross object can be mixed (সবিতর্কা) or unmixed (নির্বিতর্কা), absorption on subtle objects can be accompanied by subtle reflection (সবিচারা) or be free of it (নির্বিচারা). Here বিচার is not ordinary thinking; it is a fine, probing attention that tracks subtle aspects of the object - like texture, vibration, causality, or the way the object arises in awareness. In সবিচারা, that subtle probing is still present; in নির্বিচারা, even that movement quiets and the subtle object is held in calm, steady clarity. The same pattern repeats: mixed vs pure, gross vs subtle, with increasing quietness and stability.

This helps a practitioner avoid confusion: deeper does not always mean purer, and subtle does not always mean free. Some subtle experiences can feel lofty, yet still contain grasping or self-image; some simple practices can feel ordinary, yet steadily purify the mind. Patanjali is giving you a language to track the mind's refinement without exaggeration, so you do not get either inflated or discouraged. The map also helps you communicate your experience clearly to a teacher, so guidance becomes more precise.

In practice, do not rush to "subtle objects" prematurely. Stabilize gross-object attention first, then allow refinement naturally. When subtle reflection appears, see it as a stage, not as a flaw; when it quiets, rest without trying to analyze. If you chase subtlety too soon, the mind often becomes strained or imaginative; if you mature steadily, subtlety appears without effort. Patanjali is training patience: depth grows in the soil of steadiness.

সূক্ষ্ম বিষযত্বং চালিংগপর্যবসানম্ ॥ 45 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
সূক্ষ্ম - subtle
বিষযত্বম্ - objecthood; being an object-domain
চ - and
অলিংগ - without a mark/sign; unmanifest
পর্যবসানম্ - culminating in; ending in

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
The subtle-object domain culminates in the unmanifest.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali notes the end-point of subtle objects: the "unmarked" (অলিংগ) unmanifest ground of nature. লিংগ is a mark or sign; অলিংগ is what has no distinguishing sign because it is not yet differentiated into specific forms. In সাংখ্য-যোগ terms, as meditation moves from gross forms to subtler principles, it can finally take as its object the unmanifest source of all manifested qualities - the causal ground of প্রকৃতি. This is extremely subtle and can feel vast and quiet, but Patanjali includes it here precisely to say: even this is still within the domain of nature and its evolution. It is subtle-object meditation taken to its farthest edge.

Many teachings remind seekers not to confuse subtle experience with ultimate freedom. The গীতা distinguishes between the changing field (ক্ষেত্র, nature) and the knower of the field (ক্ষেত্রজ্ঞ, the seer). Patanjali's sutra provides the yoga-specific landmark: subtle-object সমাধি has an end point, and that end point is still an object-domain. This keeps the practitioner aligned with the central yoga insight: liberation is not a particular experience in প্রকৃতি, however refined, but the seer standing free from identification. The map prevents a subtle trap - settling for a quiet "cosmic" state while the root habit of identification remains.

As a practice, use this as humility and orientation. If unusual states arise, receive them gratefully, but do not build identity on them and do not advertise them. Ask simple questions: "Am I less reactive?", "Is craving weaker?", "Is kindness more natural?", "Is my speech cleaner?" Also ask, "Do I return to steadiness faster when life is messy?" Focus on reduced clinging, increased clarity, and ethical maturity; these are more reliable indicators than subtle experiences. When the inner life is transforming, it shows up in relationships, choices, and stability under stress.

তা এব সবীজঃ সমাধিঃ ॥ 46 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
তাঃ - those (forms of samapatti)
এব - indeed
স-বীজঃ - with seed; supported by a "seed" of object/impression (shown as সবীজঃ)
সমাধিঃ - samadhi; absorption

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
These are forms of absorption with a supporting seed.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali summarizes: all the absorptions described so far are সবীজঃ সমাধিঃ - "with seed." The "seed" (বীজ) is some subtle support: an object, a trace of cognition, a remaining impression. Seeded samadhi is powerful and purifying, but it still has a basis that can sprout mental movement again. This is why you can have a deep sitting and then later return to ordinary patterns: the mind was quiet, but the deepest seeds were not yet fully dissolved. Patanjali's language prevents confusion: it honors the depth of concentration while also showing its limit. The mind has become very refined, but it is still operating with a support.

This distinction is crucial because it prevents spiritual inflation. Seeded absorption is real, but it is not the final cessation of all seeds. Many texts make similar distinctions between deep concentration and liberation; Patanjali's terminology is clear and useful. It also keeps the practitioner balanced: you respect meditative states, but you do not build identity around them. Instead, you use them as purification - a way of weakening সংস্কার patterns and strengthening clarity. When you keep this perspective, practice stays sincere.

In practice, treat deep concentration as training and purification. Enjoy the calm, but do not cling to it, and do not demand that it be the same every day. After meditation, carry the steadiness into simple actions: eat mindfully, speak gently, do one task with full attention. Keep the larger aim: a mind that is free even when life is active. When seeded samadhi supports wiser living, it becomes a bridge to deeper freedom rather than an isolated experience.

নির্বিচার বৈশারাদ্যেঽধ্যাত্মপ্রসাদঃ ॥ 47 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
নির্বিচারা - free from subtle reflection
বৈশারদ্য - clarity; mastery; lucidity (ablative, shown as বৈশারাদ্যে with avagraha)
অধ্যাত্ম - pertaining to the inner Self/spirit
প্রসাদঃ - serenity; clear brightness; grace (as অধ্যাত্ম-প্রসাদঃ)

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
From the lucidity of reflection-free absorption arises inner serenity and clarity.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
When subtle analysis drops (নির্বিচারা) and attention becomes lucid (বৈশারদ্য), the inner world becomes bright and serene (অধ্যাত্ম-প্রসাদঃ). This is not emotional excitement; it is a clear calmness that makes insight possible. Patanjali describes it as a natural fruit of deep refinement. In this state, the mind is not dull; it is awake and transparent. It does not feel like sleepiness or blankness; it feels like clarity without strain. The heart also becomes softer, because agitation is no longer driving emotion. This is why প্রসাদ is often experienced as both peace and brightness.

Many scriptures speak of প্রসাদ as clarity that comes when agitation ends. The গীতা says: প্রসাদে সর্বদুঃখানাং হানিরস্যোপজাযতে । প্রসন্নচেতসো হ্যাশু বুদ্ধিঃ পর্যবতিষ্ঠতে ॥ - when serenity arises, sorrow diminishes, and the intellect becomes steady. Patanjali offers a concrete meditative condition that produces this: when even subtle reflection quiets, clarity becomes natural. This is one reason yoga emphasizes inner discipline: peace is not merely a pleasant mood; it is the mind's stable state when disturbances are reduced. When প্রসাদ matures, insight becomes easier and choices become cleaner.

Practically, notice the difference between "quiet because I am tired" and "quiet because I am clear." Support clarity through enough sleep, simpler inputs, and consistent practice. If you notice dullness, adjust with a short walk, a few deeper breaths, or a more upright posture; clarity and dullness can look similar from far away but feel different inside. When clarity arises, protect it by avoiding immediately jumping into stimulation. Let the day be shaped by the calm you touched, so that meditation becomes integrated rather than isolated.

ঋতংভরা তত্র প্রজ্ঞা ॥ 48 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
ঋতংভরা - truth-bearing; that which carries truth
তত্র - there; in that state
প্রজ্ঞা - wisdom; insight; cognition

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
In that state, the insight is truth-bearing.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Patanjali now names a special kind of knowing: ঋতংভরা প্রজ্ঞা. It is "truth-bearing" not because it has more opinions, but because it arises when the mind is clear and uncolored by projection. In that clarity, insight aligns with reality more directly than ordinary thought. Ordinary knowing is often mixed with fear, desire, and habit; truth-bearing knowing is clean and quiet. It is also humble: it does not rush to conclusions, because it is not defending an ego. Patanjali is describing how wisdom feels when it is born from deep stillness rather than from mental debate. That is why it is called "truth-bearing" - it carries the order of reality (ঋতম্) rather than the noise of the mind.

The Upanishadic emphasis on truth (সত্) and light (জ্যোতি) points to the same aspiration: to know in a way that is not distorted by ignorance. Patanjali's contribution is the practical route: refine the mind through samadhi until knowing itself becomes more truthful. The Upanishads pray for light; Patanjali shows how light arises through purification and steadiness. When the mind is less reactive, it stops inventing problems and starts seeing clearly. This kind of clarity is deeply healing, because many sorrows are born from wrong seeing. Truth-bearing insight reduces wrong seeing at the root.

In daily life, treat this as a standard: do not trust every strong feeling as "truth." Cultivate calm first, then decide. Often, the best decisions come after the mind is steady - when প্রজ্ঞা can be closer to ঋতম্ (truth/order) than to impulse. You can practice this in small ways: wait before replying to a charged message, take a few breaths before making a purchase, or pause before judging someone. Over time, you build trust in quiet clarity rather than in agitation. That is how ঋতংভরা begins to express itself in ordinary life.

শ্রুতানুমান প্রজ্ঞাভ্যামন্যবিষযা বিশেষার্থত্বাত্ ॥ 49 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
শ্রুত - heard; scriptural testimony
অনুমান - inference
প্রজ্ঞা - knowledge/insight (instrumental dual প্রজ্ঞাভ্যাম্, shown in sandhi as প্রজ্ঞাভ্যাম্)
অন্য - other; different
বিষযা - object-domain (shown as বিষযা)
বিশেষ - particular; specific
অর্থ - meaning/reality
ত্বাত্ - because of; due to

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
It is different from knowledge gained through scripture or inference, because it pertains to the direct apprehension of the specific reality.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
ঋতংভরা প্রজ্ঞা is not the same as knowing by reading or by reasoning. The phrase literally suggests a wisdom that "bears ঋতম্" - truth, right order, what is. Scripture (শ্রুত) and inference (অনুমান) are valuable, but they remain mediated: they move through words and concepts, which the mind can twist. Patanjali says this insight has a different "object-domain" (অন্য-বিষযা) because it directly apprehends the particular reality (বিশেষ-অর্থ) in the stillness of meditation, not merely the general idea. It is like the difference between reading about sweetness and actually tasting sugar: both are knowledge, but one is immediate.

This distinction protects the practitioner from mistaking intellectual fluency for realization. A sharp mind can argue, quote, and explain, and still be driven by ক্লেশ. Many traditions say the same: words can point, but seeing must happen. Patanjali's criterion is practical: if your "understanding" does not change your reactions, it is probably still conceptual. When ঋতংভরা appears, it brings a quiet certainty that reduces confusion and craving because it is grounded in direct seeing. It also brings humility, because you sense how much the mind was adding before. So Patanjali is not anti-intellect; he is saying intellect must mature into insight.

In practice, keep both wings: study and meditation. Study gives direction and protects you from self-deception; meditation verifies and deepens. When you read a sutra, ask: "Can I see this in my own experience?" and then design one small experiment for the week. For example, after reading about অভ্যাস, practice returning to the breath ten times without irritation; after reading about মৈত্রী, practice one act of friendliness without needing a response. This is how শ্রুত becomes lived, and lived understanding becomes প্রজ্ঞা. Over time, the mind learns to trust direct clarity more than speculation, and practice becomes steady.

তজ্জঃ সংস্কারোঽন্যসংস্কার প্রতিবংধী ॥ 50 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
তত্ - that (truth-bearing insight)
জঃ - born from; arising from (as তত্-জঃ, shown in sandhi as তজ্জঃ)
সংস্কারঃ - latent impression; conditioning trace (shown as সংস্কারো)
অন্য - other (shown with avagraha as ঽন্য)
সংস্কার - impressions/conditioning
প্রতিবংধী - blocking; counteracting; restraining

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
The impression born of that insight blocks other impressions.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
Deep insight does not remain as a momentary flash; it leaves a new সংস্কার. Patanjali says this new impression has a special function: it counteracts and blocks other habitual impressions. In other words, realization rewires the mind; it does not merely decorate it with experiences. When truth is seen deeply, old habits lose their authority. The mind has tasted a higher clarity, and that taste becomes a new default reference point. This is how practice becomes stable: not by fighting every old pattern daily, but by strengthening the new, purer groove until it naturally dominates.

This aligns with the general spiritual principle that wisdom becomes habit. The গীতা says the restless mind is mastered by practice and dispassion: অভ্যাসেন তু কৌংতেয বৈরাগ্যেণ চ গৃহ্যতে. Patanjali now shows the inner mechanics of that statement: each time you return to truth, you lay down a new সংস্কার, and when that groove becomes strong, it interrupts the old grooves before they take over. Instead of trying to fight every impulse head-on, you strengthen the mind's new default. Over time, peace becomes less fragile because it is supported by a stable inner habit, not by a good mood.

In practice, protect insights by revisiting them. After a clear meditation, write one sentence of what became evident. Return to that sentence during the day when old patterns arise, especially in moments of trigger. You can also pair insight with one action: simplify a habit, speak more truthfully, or reduce a source of agitation. This turns insight into a living সংস্কার that steadily reshapes your defaults. Over time, you notice that old reactions still appear, but they no longer feel inevitable - and that is real freedom.

তস্যাপি নিরোধে সর্বনিরোধান্নির্বীজস্সমাধিঃ ॥ 51 ॥

Meaning (পদার্থ):
তস্য - of that (truth-born impression as well)
অপি - even
নিরোধে - in the cessation/stilling (locative)
সর্ব - all
নিরোধ - cessation; complete stilling (as সর্ব-নিরোধ)
নির্বীজঃ - seedless; without any seed/support
সমাধিঃ - samadhi; absorption

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
When even that impression is stilled, through complete cessation, seedless absorption is realized.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
The chapter culminates in নির্বীজঃ সমাধিঃ - a stillness without any remaining seed. Even the refined সংস্কার born of truth-bearing insight is ultimately transcended. This is not an "experience" added to the mind; it is the cessation of the conditions that produce mental movement. Patanjali is pointing to a freedom that does not depend on objects, thoughts, or even refined meditative states. When the deepest seeds are quiet, the mind cannot manufacture bondage again. This is why it is called "seedless": nothing remains to sprout into agitation. It is the farthest description of inner freedom in this chapter.

The গীতা calls yoga "the disconnection from the union with suffering": তং বিদ্যাদ্দুঃখসংযোগবিযোগং যোগসংজ্ঞিতম্. Patanjali's নির্বীজ points to the far end of that disconnection - not merely reduced suffering, but the root stilling of what generates bondage. This is not an escape from life; it is the end of inner compulsion. A person established in this freedom may still act, speak, and serve, but without the inner chain of craving and fear. The mind becomes an instrument, not a prison.

For most practitioners, this sutra is a guiding star rather than an immediate attainment. The practical takeaway is to keep refining: reduce agitation, cultivate clarity, and do not cling even to your best meditative states. Measure progress in simple signs: fewer compulsive reactions, quicker recovery, more kindness, and a quieter inner life even when outer life is busy. Continue to practice অভ্যাস and বৈরাগ্য, and treat obstacles as training, not as failure. Progress is measured by increased freedom in daily life - less compulsion, more steadiness, and a growing ability to rest as the witness. That is how the far goal of নির্বীজ begins to shine into ordinary living.

ইতি পাতংজলযোগদর্শনে সমাধিপাদো নাম প্রথমঃ পাদঃ ।

Meaning (পদার্থ):
ইতি - thus; so ends
পাতংজল - of Patanjali
যোগ-দর্শন - the "vision/system of yoga"
সমাধি-পাদঃ - the chapter on samadhi
নাম - named/called
প্রথমঃ - first
পাদঃ - chapter/section

Translation (ভাবার্থ):
Thus ends the first chapter, called "Samadhi Pada," in Patanjali's Yoga Darshana.

Commentary (অনুসংধান):
The colophon is a simple closure, but it also reminds us of the genre: this is দর্শন, a "way of seeing" tested by practice. The first chapter has given the definition, the obstacles, the remedies, and a map of deep absorption. It begins with the most famous line - চিত্ত-বৃত্তি-নিরোধঃ - and then patiently shows how that definition becomes real through training. In other words, the chapter is not just philosophy; it is a handbook for transforming attention. If you read it as a set of living instructions, it keeps giving guidance for years.

If you continue to later chapters, remember the foundation: চিত্ত-বৃত্তি-নিরোধঃ is strengthened by ethical steadiness, right relationship, and consistent training. The next chapters expand what this steadiness looks like in practice: discipline and the causes of suffering, deeper concentration and its powers, and finally liberation as a lived freedom. As you move forward, keep returning to the basics of this first chapter, because everything else rests on them. The sutras are meant to be lived; their meaning ripens as your mind changes.

Revisit this chapter periodically. Even after years of practice, Sutras 1-4 remain daily-relevant: when the mind is disturbed, re-establish the witness; when obstacles arise, use a remedy; when clarity appears, protect it. You can also reread the chapter when life changes - new responsibilities, new stress, new grief - because the mind will meet those seasons in predictable ways. The sutras then become companions: concise reminders of what to do when you forget yourself. That repetition is how অনুশাসনম্ becomes embodied wisdom. When the teaching lives in your breath and choices, the chapter has done its work.

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