Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 23 & 24

Surrender to God

Ishwara Pranidhanat Va

Klesha Karma Vipaka Ashayai Hi Aparamrushtah Purusha Vishesha Ishwaraha

Patanjali understands the human mind so beautifully and does not allow the scope for the least confusion. In the 23rd Sutra he says, another way for reaching the state of Samadhi or supreme tranquility of mind is by surrendering one's actions, words, feelings and thoughts and one's whole being to God.

He is quick to explain who or what is God in the very next line. God is the special being that is free from any afflictions, free from seeds that give birth to activity born out of desire and is something that is untouched by anything that is experienced by the senses, emotions or thoughts.

To bring in a modern-day understanding, God is one's consciousness, awareness. Surrendering here means being fully aware of one's thoughts and actions. This leads to Samadhi, which is nothing but the experience of consciousness, an experience of God, being with the creator - the Purusha. - Swahilya Shambhavi (swahilya.soulmate@gmail.com)

(Picture: Ganga at Rishikesh, spreading beneath the Ram Jhoola).

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 21

Mild, moderate or intense?

Mridhu Madhya Adhimatrathvat Tatah Api Viveshaha


Intensity is the key to reaching the goal of Samadhi. Just as reaching to any target in our day-to-day life, the intensity of our effort matters. Intensity here is not to be confused with speed. It is the focussed conscious effort that is thrown into the practice which generates the heat of Tapas. That dissolves the being and removes the mental barrier that comes in between the inner and outer consciousness.


I had an experience of intensity at a recent meditation programme in which I participated on duty as Editor/Columnist of the Spirituality and Fitness pages for The New Indian Express. I was among 2000 participants gathered at the Anna University grounds and was simply breathing chaotically for about 10 minutes. It was so intense that the simple act of breathing in and out caused profuse sweating in a very short while.


Intensity generates heat. Heat burns and destroys. At the end of the process of burning, there is just the remnant ash which gets easily dissolved and the consciousness shines through in its brilliance. - Swahilya Shambhavi (swahilya.soulmate@gmail.com)

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 20

Intensity yields results

Tivra Samveganam Asannaha

With intense practise, the goal of Yoga, merging of the individual consciousness with the cosmic consciousness is achieved. This merging, or a state of Samadhi happens when the mind is functioning in tune with the cosmic consciousness and not broken into vrittis or individual thought waves. The means of practise to reach the state of Samadhi has been outlined in the many sutras in the next part of the Patanjali Yoga Sutra, called the Sadhana Padaha. - Swahilya Shambhavi

(The New Indian Express, E-paper, Expresso - Page 6, Fitness, Monday, May 12)

Patanjali Yoga Sutra 19

The need to practise

Shraddha Virya Smriti Samadhi
Pragnya Poorvaka Itaresham



Some are born great. Some achieve greatness. Some have greatness thrust upon them. There are some who are born with the experience of Samadhi very early in age. Samadhi is endowed by nature on some others at different stages of their lives. Samadhi here simply means an equanimity of vision and a personal experience of connectedness with the Unverse. It is important that Samadhi is not or rather need not be some fantastic experience or imaginary expeditions of the mind. It simply means a working knowledge of the interconnectedness applied moment to moment.


There are however a large segment of people who are neither born with it nor can they hopefully wait for such an experience to happen. Those persons, Patanjali says, can reach the Samadhi state of mind with Shraddha - faith in a glimpse of truth that has been revealed to them and holding on to it, Veerya - dynamic energy and enthusiasm, Smriti - constant remembrance of the state of oneness and extending the periods of awareness of a glimpse of any experience that one may have had.


For instance, if one has tasted sugar, there is a remembrance of the taste and a hope to taste it sometime again. Samadhi can happen in very ordinary states of absorbption - while eating a chocolate, while spending silent moments alone watching a gurgling brook, while intensely hugging someone dear to you - a state where you are not there, but the experience is.


(Trekkers' progress: An arduous climb up Parvathamalai.)
(Articles on health, fitness, spirituality including two columns About You, and Zenith on April 28 and May 1 issues on Expresso - Page -6 in the epaper of The New Indian Express)