Patañjali’s Yoga-sūtras 1.1–2: What is Yoga?
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 2020-06-20

This series is classified Vivartha-vāda | Rāja-yoga | Suśupti | Ājñā-cakra

॥ प्रथम: समीधिपाद: ॥ prathamaḥ samādhi-pādaḥ
First Part: Samādhi 
1. Definition of Yoga
अथ योगानुशासनभ् ॥ १ ॥
1. atha yoga-anuśāsanam
Now yoga is explained. 
योगश्चित्तवृणृत्तिणनिरीध: ॥ २ ॥
2. yogaś-citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ
Yoga is restraining the consciousness (citta) from taking various forms (vṛtti). 
Root meaning of vṛtti is literally whirlpool: a vortex—Vivekānanda

Compare the Buddha:
etaṃ santaṃ, etaṃ panītaṃ: yadidaṃ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhak-khayo virāgo nirodho nibbāna

“This is peaceful, this is excellent: namely the stilling of all mental modifications (saṅkhārā); the relinquishment of all limiting adjuncts (upādhi); the destruction of craving (taṇha); detachment, cessation, nirvāṇa.” —Mahā-Mālunkya Sutta 

Bhikkhu Ñānananda wrote:
“Insofar only, Ānanda, can one be born, or grow old, or die, or pass away, or reappear, in so far only is there any pathway for verbal expression, insofar only is there any pathway for terminology, insofar only is there any pathway for designation, in so far only is the range of wisdom, insofar only is the round (of saṁsāra) kept going for there to be a designation as a this-ness—that is to say: name-and-form together with consciousness.”—Mahā-nidāna Sutta

“What is meant by the Buddha’s statement is that name-and-form together with consciousness is the rallying point for all concepts of birth, decay, death and rebirth. All pathways for verbal expression, terminology and designation converge on name-and-form together with consciousness. The range of wisdom extends only up to the relationship between these two. And it is between these two that there is a whirling round so that one may point out a this-ness. In short, the secret of the entire existence of saṁsāra is to be found in this whirlpool.”—Nibbāna the Mind Stilled, Sermon 2

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