पातञ्जलि योग सूत्राणि close with the fourth chapter, traditionally called कैवल्य पाद - the chapter on liberation. Here कैवल्य points to the seer abiding in its own nature, independent of the mind's movements and no longer driven by the push-pull of craving and fear. It is often explained as complete inner freedom, because misidentification has ended at the root.

In समाधि पाद, Patanjali defined योग as the stilling of the mind and described the terrain of meditation: practice and dispassion, obstacles that scatter attention, and stages of absorption. In साधन पाद, he laid out the causes of suffering and the disciplines that purify and stabilize life - ethics, breath, sense-restraint, and steady inward training.

A helpful way to study is to keep translating the sutras back into lived observation. Where do you see a habit-seed rising? Where do you see the mind grabbing an identity? Where do you see the difference between a thought and the knower of the thought?

अथ कैवल्यपादः ।

Translation (भावार्थ):
Now begins the chapter on liberation.

जन्मौषधिमन्त्रतपस्समाधिजाः सिद्धयः ॥1॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Special attainments can arise from birth, herbs, mantra, austerity, or meditative absorption.

जात्यन्तरपरिणामः प्रकृत्यापूरात् ॥2॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Transformation into another kind occurs through the unfolding and "filling in" of nature's potential.

निमित्तमप्रयोजकं प्रकृतीनांवरणभेदस्तु ततः क्षेत्रिकवत् ॥3॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
An external cause does not directly produce nature's changes; it removes obstacles, like a farmer.

निर्माणचित्तान्यस्मितामात्रात् ॥4॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Created minds arise from the I-sense alone.

प्रवृत्तिभेदे प्रयोजकं चित्तमेकमनेकेषाम् ॥5॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Amid varied activities, one mind can direct many.

तत्र ध्यानजमनाशयम् ॥6॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Among these, the mind born of meditation has no latent karmic residue.

कर्माशुक्लाकृष्णं योगिनः त्रिविधमितरेषाम् ॥7॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The yogi's action is neither merit-producing nor demerit-producing; for others it is threefold.

ततस्तद्विपाकानुगुणानामेवाभिव्यक्तिर्वासनानाम् ॥8॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Therefore, only those latent tendencies that match the ripening of karma become active.

जाति देश काल व्यवहितानामप्यानन्तर्यं स्मृतिसंस्कारयोः एकरूपत्वात् ॥9॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Because memory and latent impressions are of the same nature, continuity persists even across gaps of birth, place, and time.

तासामनादित्वं चाशिषो नित्यत्वात् ॥10॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
And these tendencies are beginningless, because the drive of desire continues.

हेतुफलाश्रयालम्बनैः सङ्गृहीतत्वातेषामभावेतदभावः ॥11॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Because these tendencies are sustained by cause, result, support, and object, when those are absent, the tendencies are absent.

अतीतानागतं स्वरूपतोऽस्त्यध्वभेदाद्धर्माणाम् ॥12॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The past and the future exist in their own form; the difference lies in the course taken by the mind's changing states.

ते व्यक्तसूक्ष्माः गुणात्मानः ॥13॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
These states are either manifest or subtle, and they are made of nature's qualities.

परिणामैकत्वात् वस्तुतत्त्वम् ॥14॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The reality of an object rests on the unity of its transformations.

वस्तुसाम्ये चित्तभेदात्तयोर्विभक्तः पन्थाः ॥15॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Even with the same object, because minds differ, the course of experience differs.

न चैकचित्ततन्त्रं वस्तु तत्प्रमाणकं तदा किं स्यात् ॥16॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
An object is not dependent on a single mind; otherwise, what would verify it when that mind is absent?

तदुपरागापेक्षित्वात् चित्तस्य वस्तुज्ञाताज्ञातम् ॥17॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
An object is known or unknown depending on whether the mind is engaged and colored by it.

सदाज्ञाताः चित्तवृत्तयः तत्प्रभोः पुरुषस्यापरिणामित्वात् ॥18॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The mind's movements are always known, because the seer is unchanging.

न तत्स्वाभासं दृश्यत्वात् ॥19॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The mind is not self-illuminating, because it is something that is seen.

एक समये चोभयानवधारणम् ॥20॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
At one time, both cannot be determined together.

चित्तान्तर दृश्ये बुद्धिबुद्धेः अतिप्रसङ्गः स्मृतिसङ्करश्च ॥21॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
If one mind were to be known by another, it would lead to infinite regress of intellects and confusion of memory.

चितेरप्रतिसङ्क्रमायाः तदाकारापत्तौ स्वबुद्धि संवेदनम् ॥22॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Because consciousness does not "move" into objects, the mind knows itself when it takes on the form illuminated by that consciousness.

द्रष्टृदृश्योपरक्तं चित्तं सर्वार्थम् ॥23॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The mind, colored by both the seer and the seen, can serve all purposes of knowing.

तदसङ्ख्येय वासनाभिः चित्रमपि परार्थं संहत्यकारित्वात् ॥24॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Even though the mind is complex with countless tendencies, it exists for another's sake, because it operates as a combined instrument.

विशेषदर्शिनः आत्मभावभावनानिवृत्तिः ॥25॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
For one who clearly discerns the distinction, the habit of self-identifying ceases.

तदा विवेकनिम्नं कैवल्यप्राग्भारं चित्तम् ॥26॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Then the mind flows toward discernment and naturally leans toward freedom.

तच्छिद्रेषु प्रत्ययान्तराणि संस्कारेभ्यः ॥27॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
In the gaps of that, other thoughts arise due to latent impressions.

हानमेषां क्लेशवदुक्तम् ॥28॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Their removal is as explained for the afflictions.

प्रसङ्ख्यानेऽप्यकुसीदस्य सर्वथा विवेकख्यातेः धर्ममेघस्समाधिः ॥29॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
For one who is not grasping even for the highest insight, and who has unwavering discernment, there arises the "cloud of dharma" absorption.

ततः क्लेशकर्मनिवृत्तिः ॥30॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
From that follows the cessation of afflictions and karmic momentum.

तदा सर्वावरणमलापेतस्य ज्ञानस्यानन्त्यात् ज्ञेयमल्पम् ॥31॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Then, because knowledge is free of all veils and stains and becomes limitless, what remains to be known seems very little.

ततः कृतार्थानां परिणामक्रमसमाप्तिर्गुणानाम् ॥32॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
From that, for nature's qualities that have fulfilled their purpose, the sequence of transformation comes to an end.

क्षणप्रतियोगी परिणामापरान्त निर्ग्राह्यः क्रमः ॥33॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Sequence is correlated with moments and is grasped only at the endpoint of change; it is not directly graspable as it happens.

पुरुषार्थशून्यानां गुणानाम्प्रतिप्रसवः कैवल्यं स्वरूपप्रतिष्ठा वा चितिशक्तिरिति ॥34॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Liberation is the return of nature's qualities to their source when they no longer serve the seer, or the establishment of consciousness in its own nature - thus.

इति पातञ्जलयोगदर्शने कैवल्यपादो नाम चतुर्थः पादः ।

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

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