Patanjali Yoga Sutra Transcribed from Parisamvad at The Yoga Institute.
Chapter 1, Sutra 20
Sraddha – Virya – Smrti – Samadhi – Prajna – Purvakah – Itaresam
Others (Who Follow the Path of Prescribed Efforts) Adopt The Means of Reverential Faith, Energy, Repeated Recollection, Concentration and Real Knowledge (and Thus Attain Asamprajnata Samadhi).
Sraddha : unconditional faith, belief , certainty
Virya : energy, strength of will
Smrti : memory , intentful remembrance , mindfulness
Samadhi : deep absorption of meditation
Prajna : wisdom , discernment
Purvakah : preceding , coming before , prerequisite
Itaresam : of other people
“Some persons are lucky to have an inherent kind of intuition of a higher life. This can happen in case of those who are born for a little while and then they reach the highest. For the others, there are certain steps. Faith, enthusiasm and energy, memory are the techniques. Unless we are blessed with that kind of deep interest, efforts will have to be made.
Faith is the most important. Reading of the Yoga Sutras can go on. It can be an endless affair. There are those who, right at the time of their birth, have a clarity of aim of life and automatically can go into a state of stoppage of the mind. These are difficult things for an ordinary individual. At the lowest level faith is important. Nowadays we lack faith, we have been reading the Yoga Sutras but we don’t believe a single word out of it. So we don’t start. In case of a true Yogi, he has full faith and keeps on the efforts. That can be said about Paramhamsa Madhavdasji. He didn’t do too much of thinking, reading but he had faith. In ordinary individuals whatever can help in generating the faith should be done. It takes time. Company of right kind of people, listening to good discourses, good experiences – many such factors can help. Unless the preparatory work is done , that urge doesn’t come. Abhyasa and Vairagya occurs when the person is ready. So these are the steps to create that readiness.”
“The earlier Sutras spoke of persons who take birth just for the sake of finishing their Karmas. They are a different type. For the ordinary people who are going through the ups and downs of life, there are steps. First Sraddha – faith in the path of Yoga. When that is strong then there is Virya – energy, strength, will is built up. Mind starts functioning perfectly. Then the mind can be put to concentrate on something. With that comes knowledge – Pragna – of everything. So the beginning is Sraddha – faith in the path. One becomes aware of oneself, one’s thinking, one’s behavior. Faith should never become weak. One should not feel that I am working for so long, yet there is no progress. There is internal progress which we may not see. When one is progressing on this path, one feels more energetic, more positive.”
About Parisamvad
On every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, The Yoga Institute, Santacruz holds Parisamvad sessions – Free interactive sessions that are open to all. These session begin at 7:20 am and end around 7:45 am.
The Friday Parisamvad is dedicated to explanation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by our esteemed Gurus, Dr. Jayadeva and Smt. Hansaji.
All are welcome to attend.
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