Patanjali Yoga Sutras - 2 (Sadhana Pada) - Devanagari

पातञ्जलि योग सूत्राणि are concise aphorisms meant to be lived, not merely understood. They read like a pocket-sized psychology of attention: how the mind gets scattered, why suffering repeats, and what kind of training makes clarity stable.

In समाधि पाद, Patanjali defined योग as the stilling of the mind's fluctuations (चित्त-वृत्ति-निरोधः) and described what becomes visible when the mind is quieter: the द्रष्टृ (seer) stands distinct from what is seen. He mapped the kinds of mental movement, the role of अभ्यास and वैराग्य, the obstacles that disrupt steadiness, and several skillful remedies (attitudes like मैत्री/करुणा, breath-based settling, and ईश्वरप्रणिधान).

As you read, notice the chapter's rhythm: diagnosis first, then remedy; inner work and outer discipline reinforcing each other. Classical योग commentaries treat this chapter as the practical spine of the text, because it shows how clarity becomes a stable character rather than a passing mood.

अथ साधनपादः ।

Translation (भावार्थ):
Now begins the chapter on disciplined practice.

तपः स्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोगः ॥1॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The yoga of disciplined practice consists of disciplined effort, self-study, and dedication to the Lord.

समाधिभावनार्थः क्लेशतनूकरणार्थश्च ॥2॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Its purpose is to cultivate deep meditation and to weaken the afflictions.

अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः क्लेशाः ॥3॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Ignorance, egoism, craving, aversion, and clinging are the afflictions.

अविद्या क्षेत्रमुत्तरेषां प्रसुप्ततनुविच्छिन्नोदाराणाम् ॥4॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Ignorance is the field in which the other afflictions exist, whether dormant, weakened, intermittent, or active.

अनित्याशुचिदुःखानात्मसु नित्यशुचिसुखात्मख्यातिरविद्या ॥5॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Ignorance is seeing the impermanent as permanent, the impure as pure, the painful as pleasant, and what is not the Self as the Self.

दृग्दर्शनशक्त्योरेकात्मतेवास्मिता ॥6॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Egoism is the identification of the seer with the power of perception.

सुखानुशयी रागः ॥7॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Craving is the latent pull that follows pleasurable experience.

दुःखानुशयी द्वेषः ॥8॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Aversion is the latent push-away that follows painful experience.

स्वरसवाही विदुषोऽपि तथारूढोऽभिनिवेशः ॥9॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Clinging to life, flowing instinctively, is firmly rooted even in the wise.

ते प्रतिप्रसवहेयाः सूक्ष्माः ॥10॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The subtle afflictions are removed by resolving them back into their source.

ध्यानहेयास्तद्वृत्तयः ॥11॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Their active movements are removed through meditation.

क्लेशमूलः कर्माशयो दृष्टादृष्टजन्मवेदनीयः ॥12॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The storehouse of karmic impressions is rooted in the afflictions, and it bears experiences in this life and in unseen (future) conditions.

सति मूले तद् विपाको जात्यायुर्भोगाः ॥13॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
When the root is present, its ripening produces birth circumstances, lifespan, and experiences.

ते ह्लादपरितापफलाः पुण्यापुण्यहेतुत्वात् ॥14॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Those results are experienced as pleasure or pain, because they arise from virtue and non-virtue.

परिणामतापसंस्कारदुःखैर्गुणवृत्तिविरोधाच्च दुःखमेव सर्वं विवेकिनः ॥15॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
For the discerning, all conditioned experience is ultimately unsatisfactory, because of change, suffering, latent impressions, and the conflicting movements of the qualities of nature.

हेयं दुःखमनागतम् ॥16॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Future suffering is to be avoided.

द्रष्टृदृश्ययोः संयोगो हेयहेतुः॥17॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The cause of what is to be avoided is the conjunction (mis-identification) of the seer and the seen.

प्रकाशक्रियास्थितिशीलं भूतेन्द्रियात्मकं भोगापवर्गार्थं दृश्यम् ॥18॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The seen world, consisting of the elements and the senses, has the nature of illumination, activity, and stability, and exists for experience and for liberation.

विशेषाविशेषलिङ्गमात्रालिङ्गानि गुणपर्वाणि ॥19॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The stages of nature's qualities range from the manifest to the subtle, the merely marked, and the unmanifest.

द्रष्टा दृशिमात्रः शुद्धोऽपि प्रत्ययानुपश्यः ॥20॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The seer is pure seeing itself, yet it witnesses mental contents.

तदर्थ एव दृश्यस्यात्मा ॥21॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The very nature of the seen is for that purpose (for the seer).

कृतार्थं प्रति नष्टमप्यनष्टं तदन्यसाधारणत्वात् ॥22॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
For one whose purpose is fulfilled, the seen is as though ended, yet it is not ended for others, because it is shared.

स्वस्वामिशक्त्योः स्वरूपोपलब्धिहेतुः संयोगः ॥23॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Conjunction is the cause for recognizing the true nature of the owner (seer) and the owned (seen).

तस्य हेतुरविद्या ॥24॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The cause of that conjunction is ignorance.

तदभावात्संयोगाभावो हानं तद् दृशेः कैवल्यम् ॥25॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
With the absence of ignorance comes the absence of conjunction; that is the removal of suffering and the seer's freedom.

विवेकख्यातिरविप्लवा हानोपायः ॥26॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Unbroken discernment is the means to the removal (of suffering).

तस्य सप्तधा प्रान्तभूमिः प्रज्ञा ॥27॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
In its culmination, wisdom has seven stages.

योगाङ्गानुष्ठानादशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञानदीप्तिराविवेकख्यातेः ॥28॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Through practicing the limbs of yoga, impurities are destroyed, and the light of insight shines forth toward discernment.

यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयोष्टावङ्गानि ॥29॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The eight limbs are ethical restraints, disciplines, posture, breath regulation, sense-withdrawal, concentration, meditation, and absorption.

अहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः ॥30॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The ethical restraints are non-harming, truthfulness, non-stealing, wise restraint, and non-possessiveness.

जातिदेशकालसमयानवच्छिन्नाः सार्वभौमा महाव्रतम् ॥31॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
When not restricted by class, place, time, or circumstance, these become the great universal vow.

शौचसन्तोषतपः स्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः ॥32॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The observances are purity, contentment, disciplined effort, self-study, and dedication to the Lord.

वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम् ॥33॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
When disturbed by harmful thoughts, cultivate their opposite.

वितर्काहिंसादयः कृतकारितानुमोदिता लोभक्रोधमोहपूर्वका मृदुमध्याधिमात्रा दुःखाज्ञानानन्तफला इति प्रतिपक्षभावनम् ॥34॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Harmful thoughts - whether acted on, caused, or approved, and whether mild, moderate, or intense - are rooted in greed, anger, and delusion, and they bring endless suffering and ignorance; therefore cultivate their opposite.

अहिंसाप्रतिष्ठायां तत्सन्निधौ वैरत्यागः ॥35॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
When one is firmly established in non-harming, hostility is abandoned in one's presence.

सत्यप्रतिष्ठायां क्रियाफलाश्रयत्वम् ॥36॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
When established in truthfulness, actions bear reliable results.

अस्तेयप्रतिष्ठायां सर्वरत्नोपस्थानम् ॥37॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
When established in non-stealing, all kinds of "treasures" come to one.

ब्रह्मचर्यप्रतिष्ठायां वीर्यलाभः ॥38॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
When established in wise restraint, vigor and strength are gained.

अपरिग्रहस्थैर्ये जन्मकथन्तासम्बोधः ॥39॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
When established in non-possessiveness, understanding of the circumstances of birth arises.

शौचात्स्वाङ्गजुगुप्सा परैरसंसर्गः ॥40॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
From purity arises dispassion toward one's own body and reduced clinging-contact with others.

सत्त्वशुद्धि-सौमनस्यैकाग्र्येन्द्रियजयात्मदर्शन-योग्यत्वानि च ॥41॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
And from purity arise clarity of mind, serenity, one-pointedness, mastery of the senses, fitness for Self-knowledge, and the capacity for direct inner seeing.

सन्तोषात् अनुत्तमःसुखलाभः ॥42॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
From contentment comes the highest happiness.

कायेन्द्रियसिद्धिरशुद्धिक्षयात् तपसः ॥43॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Through disciplined effort, as impurities diminish, the body and senses gain capability and refinement.

स्वाध्यायादिष्टदेवतासम्प्रयोगः ॥44॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Through self-study comes communion with one's chosen guiding ideal.

समाधिसिद्धिरीश्वरप्रणिधानात् ॥45॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Through dedication to the Lord, meditative absorption is attained.

स्थिरसुखमासनम् ॥46॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Posture is steady and easeful.

प्रयत्नशैथिल्यानन्तसमापत्तिभ्याम् ॥47॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
It is mastered by relaxing effort and by attuning to the boundless.

ततो द्वन्द्वानभिघातः ॥48॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
From that comes non-disturbance by the pairs of opposites.

तस्मिन् सति श्वासप्रश्वासयोर्गतिविच्छेदः प्राणायामः ॥49॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
When that is established, breath regulation is the regulation of the movement of inhalation and exhalation.

(स तु) बाह्याभ्यन्तरस्तम्भवृत्तिर्देशकालसङ्ख्याभिः परिदृष्टो दीर्घसूक्ष्मः ॥50॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
That breath regulation has external, internal, and suspended modes, and is observed and regulated by place, time, and count; it becomes long and subtle.

बाह्याभ्यन्तरविषयाक्षेपी चतुर्थः ॥51॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The fourth breath regulation goes beyond the external and internal fields.

ततः क्षीयते प्रकाशावरणम् ॥52॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
From that, the veil covering clarity is diminished.

धारणासु च योग्यता मनसः ॥53॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
And the mind becomes fit for concentration.

स्वविषयासम्प्रयोगे चित्तस्वरूपानुकार इवेन्द्रियाणां प्रत्याहारः ॥54॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Sense-withdrawal is when the senses no longer connect with their objects and, as if, follow the nature of the mind.

ततः परमावश्यतेन्द्रियाणाम् ॥55॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
From that comes the highest mastery of the senses.

इति पातञ्जलयोगदर्शने साधनपादो नाम द्वितीयः पादः ।

Translation (भावार्थ):
Thus ends the second chapter of Patanjali's Yoga teaching, called "The Chapter on Practice."

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