Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.8 (Parisamvad)

Patanjali Yoga Sutra Transcribed from Parisamvad at The Yoga Institute.

Chapter 2, Sutra 8

Dukha-Anusayi-Dvesah

Dukha: pain, sorrow, suffering
Anusayi: sequential attraction to, closely following
Dvesah: aversion, hatred

Aversion Is That Which Dwells Upon Pain.

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Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra:

“Pleasure makes us run after it. We love it. We want more and more of it. As soon as pain comes- we run away, we don’t like it. This is the cycle. We have to learn to take both of them together- that we can’t do. We are always on the wait and that is why there is so much suffering. That is what this sutra tells us.”

Smt. Hansaji J. Yogendra:

“These are all sutras about the Klesas which are vitiating factors, which are going to cause pain and suffering in life, something which we have to work hard to remove from our system. We don’t blame anybody for causing pain to us. It is our inherent tendencies – Klesas from within, which make us take pain. And so keeping this in mind, the entire approach in life should be to wok on yourself and to see that the self becomes free from these weakening factors, these factors which can cause nothing else but harm.

Nobody wants pain. But if you don’t want it, you have to work for it. But we blame everybody else for giving us pain. Nobody can give us pain if we don’t want to take it. In any situation you can be happy or unhappy. It’s totally our choice.

In spirituality, there are three types of pain that are talked about. These three types should be understood and overcome. One type of pain is called Adi Daivik – all pain that is created from calamities – excessive heat or cold, excessive rain, flood, storms. Many people die, get wounded, this is painful. But these are natural calamities, humans cannot do anything about it. So what can we do? Accept it as God’s will.

Another type of pain is called Adi Bhoutik which is because of infections, mosquito bites, you are standing and suddenly somebody knocks you down and you die or get wounded. Again you are not creating it, this is the material world’s game and here, whatever you can do, you do, like maintain hygiene, etc. but still things are not in your hands. You just have to accept.

There is a third type of pain called Adhyatmik pain, the pain which we create for ourselves. Pain because of our nature, habits, bad routines, bad management with diet, and when we are not alert and aware about it.

So certain things we have to accept and not crib about it and change things that we can change. We can work hard for it. And do not allow hatred, jealousy and such negative feelings to come. We have no right to hate anything as everything has its own place. So somehow we have to understand that we should choose not to take pain from this world.”