Patanjali wrote 195 Yoga Sutras. The word Sutra means “thread,” symbolising the invisible link between the teachings — a concise way of expressing “minimum words, maximum knowledge.”

The Yoga Sutras are divided into four chapters or Padas:

1. Samadhi Pada – Contemplates meditation and the nature of Yoga.
2. Sadhana Pada – Offers practical techniques such as Kriya Yoga, the Kleshas, and methods to overcome them.
3. Vibhuti Pada – Describes Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi and how extraordinary powers may arise.
4. Kaivalya Pada – Philosophical in nature, focusing on liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

In the following, the first part of Samadhi Pada and its essential teachings are discussed.

The First Four Sutras of Samadhi Pada

1. Atha Yoga Anusasanam
   “Here, I am offering or explaining the discipline of Yoga.”
2. Yogah Chitta Vritti Nirodhah
   “Yoga is the complete absence of the activities of the mind.”
3. Tada Drashtuh Svarupe Avasthanam
   “At that time, when I experience Yoga, my true observer resides in its own nature.”
4. Vritti Sarupyam Itaratra
   “At other times, I identify with my own mental activities.”

The essence of Patanjali’s Yoga can be found in this statement:
“Chitta Vritti Nirodhah” – Yoga is the cessation of the modifications of the mind.

1. Chitta – The Mind-Field

Chitta can be understood as the “mind-field” or subtle substance of the mind. It is like a white screen that becomes coloured by:

• Manas – the mind and its sensory and mental functions
• Buddhi – the intellect and power of discrimination
• Ahamkara – the ego, the sense of “I”

Chitta acts as a memory bank, storing impressions (Samskaras) from present and past lives. Depending on the dominance of the three Gunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas), the mind exists in one of five Chitta Bhumis or “platforms”:

• Moodha (Tamasic) – Laziness, dullness, lethargy, low self-esteem
• Kshipta (Rajasic) – Restlessness, confusion, hypersensitivity
• Vikshipta (Rajasic–Sattvic) – Curious, disciplined, yet fluctuating
• Ekagra (Sattvic) – One-pointed, focused, concentrated
• Nirodhah (beyond Gunas) – The state of no-mind; liberation and pure awareness

Chitta Vikshepas

– Distractions of the Mind

Patanjali describes nine obstacles (Chitta Vikshepas) that disturb concentration:

1. Physical disease (Vyadhi)
2. Mental lethargy (Styana)
3. Doubt (Samsaya)
4. Misplaced priorities (Pramada)
5. Physical laziness (Alasya)
6. Attachment to sensory pleasure (Avirati)
7. Delusion or misunderstanding (Bhranti Darshana)
8. Irregular practice (Alabdha Bhumikatva)
9. Instability of mind or knowledge (Anavasthitatva)

These obstacles manifest through symptoms such as:

• Dukha – Pain or unhappiness
• Daurmanasya – Despair or depression
• Angamejayatva – Physical tremors
• Shvasaprashvasa – Irregular breathing

Chitta Prasadana

– Cultivating a Clear and Sattvic Mind

To maintain a clear, balanced, and Sattvic state of mind, Patanjali prescribes four attitudes (Bhavanas):

• Maithri – Friendliness towards the happy
• Karuna – Compassion towards the unhappy
• Mudita – Joy towards the virtuous
• Upeksha – Equanimity towards the non-virtuous

By practising these attitudes, the Gunas remain balanced, and the mind becomes a tranquil vessel for inner awareness.

2. Vritti – Modifications of the Mind

Vrittis are the movements or modifications of Chitta, mental responses to internal and external experiences.

Sutra 1.5 states:
“Vrittayah Pancha Tyyah Klishta Aklishta”
“The five Vrittis are either painful (Klishta) or not painful (Aklishta).”

Sutra 1.6 lists the five types of Vrittis:

1. Pramana – Right Knowledge
   • Direct perception (Pratyaksha)
   • Inference (Anumana)
   • Testimony (Agama)
2. Viparyaya – Wrong Knowledge
   Misconceptions or false understanding.
3. Vikalpa – Imagination or Fantasy
   Mental constructions without basis in reality.
4. Nidra – Deep Sleep
   The absence of mental content, yet still a modification of mind.
5. Smriti – Memory
   Recollection of past experiences and impressions.

These thought waves are generated by the intellect and become sources of Samskaras (mental imprints). When the ego identifies with them, suffering arises.

The Practice to Still the Mind

Sutra 1.12 gives the method:
“Abhyasa and Vairagya” – Repeated practice and detachment.

Sutra 1.13–1.15 explain that:

• Practice must be sustained over a long time,
• Performed regularly,
• With devotion and a peaceful mind.

Detachment means acceptance — the ability to disengage from the senses and remain aware of the Gunas in one’s mental activities.

3. Kleshas – The Roots of Suffering

According to Sutra 1.5, all Vrittis are linked to Kleshas, the mental afflictions that cause suffering.
They are inborn tendencies that distort perception and generate pain.

Kleshas manifest in four degrees:

• Prasupta – Dormant, from past lives
• Tanu – Weakened or subtle
• Vicchinna – Oscillating
• Udara – Fully active or abundant

Patanjali recommends Kriya Yoga and meditation to weaken (Tanu) the Kleshas.

The Five Kleshas

1. Avidya – Ignorance
   The absence of true knowledge. It is the root of all other Kleshas and the mistaken belief that the self and soul are the same.
2. Asmita – Ego
   The sense of individuality and separation, the “I”-feeling that opposes oneness.
3. Raga – Attachment
   Attraction to pleasure and desire, rooted in longing and affection.
4. Dvesha – Aversion
   Repulsion toward pain, discomfort, or anything unpleasant.
5. Abhinivesha – Fear of Death
   The deep, instinctive clinging to life and resistance to change.

When ignorance (Avidya) is dissolved, all other afflictions fade away.
The ultimate aim of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga is Kaivalya — a state of absolute freedom and pure awareness, beyond suffering and mental fluctuations.