Four Chapters on Freedom: Commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Sage Patanjali

Introduction

Sutra Chapter One: Samadhi Pada
1 Introduction to yoga
2 What is yoga?
3 The culmination of yoga
4 What happens otherwise to purusha?
5 Vrittis – main classification
6 Five kinds of vrittis
7 (i) Pramana – sources of right knowledge
8 (ii) Viparyaya – misconception
9 (iii) Vikalpa – unfounded belief
10 (iv) Nidra – state of sleep
11 (v) Smriti – memory
12 Necessity of abhyasa and vairagya
13 Abhyasa means constant practice
14 Foundation of abhyasa
15 Lower form of vairagya
16 Higher form of vairagya
17 Definition of samprajnata samadhi
18 Definition of asamprajnata samadhi
19 Past merits needed for asamprajnata samadhi
20 Otherwise, merits needed for asamprajnata samadhi
21 Quicker is intensity of eagerness
22 Three degrees of eagerness
23 Or by devotion to Ishwara
24 Definition of Ishwara
25 Attribute of Ishwara
26 Ishwara is the jagatguru
27 Pranava is verily Ishwara
28 Sadhana for Ishwara
29 Result of this sadhana
30 Obstacles in the path of yoga
31 Other obstructions
32 Removal of obstacles by one-pointedness
33 (ii) Or by cultivating opposite virtues
34 (iii) Or by controlling prana
35 (iv) Or by observing sense experience
36 (v) Or by inner illumination
37 (vi) Or by detachment from matter
38 (vii) Or by knowledge of dream and sleep
39 (viii) Or by meditation as desired
40 Fruits of meditation
41 Oneness of chitta with object
42 Savitarka samadhi
43 Nirvitarka samadhi
44 Other forms of samadhi
45 Extent of samadhi
46 Samadhi with seed
47 Then spiritual light dawns
48 Cosmic experience
49 Characteristics of this experience
50 Dynamic form of consciousness in samadhi
51 Then one attains samadhi without seed

Sutra Chapter Two: Sadhana Pada
1 Discipline for sadhana
2 Why discipline?
3 Causes of pain
4 Avidya is the root cause
5 (i) Avidya – ignorance
6 (ii) Asmita – ‘I-feeling’
7 (iii) Raga
8 (iv) Dwesha
9 (v) Abhinivesha – clinging to life
10 Kleshas can be reduced
11 By meditation
12 Karmashaya and reincarnation
13 Fruits of karmashaya
14 Fruits depend on past merits
15 Pleasure and pain are both painful
16 Future pain avoidable
17 Cause of heya
18 Properties of nature
19 Four stages of the gunas
20 The seer defined
21 Prakriti is only for purusha
22 Prakriti after liberation
23 Why union?
24 Avidya is the cause
25 Definition of hana
26 The means for hana
27 Stages of enlightenment
28 Necessity of yoga practice
29 Eight parts of yoga discipline
30 The five yamas
31 The great disciplines
32 The five niyamas
33 Way to remove disturbances
34 Their degree and nature
35 Fruits of (i) ahimsa
36 Fruits of (ii) satya
37 Fruits of (iii) asteya
38 Fruits of (iv) brahmacharya
39 Fruits of (v) aparigraha
40 Fruits of (vi) shaucha
41 Shaucha
42 Fruits of (vii) santosha
43 Fruits of (viii) tapas
44 Fruits of (ix) swadhyaya
45 Fruits of (x) Ishwara pranidhana
46 Asana
47 How to master asana
48 Result of this mastery
49 Pranayama
50 Three kinds of pranayama
51 Fourth kind of pranayama
52 Removal of the veil
53 Mind becomes fit for dharana
54 Pratyahara
55 Mastery over the senses

Sutra Chapter Three: Vibhooti Pada
1 What is dharana?
2 What is dhyana?
3 What is samadhi?
4 What is samyama?
5 Result of samyama
6 Its application
7 These three are internal
8 Yet external to nirbeeja samadhi
9 Nirodha parinama
10 Fruits of nirodha parinama
11 Samadhi parinama
12 Ekagrata parinama
13 Application of these parinamas
14 Dharmi – the common substratum
15 Cause of difference
16 Knowledge of past and future
17 Knowledge of all speech
18 Knowledge of previous births
19 Knowledge of others’ minds
20 But not of the mental image
21 Invisibility
22 Disappearance of the tanmatras
23 Knowledge of time of death
24 Powers of friendliness, etc.
25 Attainment of strength
26 Hidden knowledge
27 Knowledge of the solar system
28 Knowledge of the stars
29 Knowledge of their movements
30 Knowledge of the body
31 Cessation of hunger and thirst
32 Power of steadiness
33 Spiritual vision
34 Intuitive knowledge
35 Awareness of chitta
36 Knowledge of purusha
37 Intuitive perception
38 Psychic powers are obstacles
39 Entering another’s body
40 Levitation
41 Aura
42 Divine hearing
43 Moving through space
44 Univeral state of mind
45 Mastery of the bhutas
46 Attainment of anima, etc.
47 Perfection of the body
48 Mastery of sense organs
49 Conquest of prakriti
50 Omnipotence and omniscience
51 Vairagya and knowledge
52 Causes of downfall
53 Awareness of ultimate reality
54 Knowledge of distinctions
55 Transcendental knowledge
56 Attainment of kaivalya

Sutra Chapter Four: Kaivalya Pada
1 Sources of siddhis
2 Fundamental transformation
3 Instrumental cause
4 Created mind
5 Natural mind directs
6 And is free from impressions
7 Influence of karma
8 Manifestation of vasanas
9 Memory and impressions
10 Source of vasanas
11 Disappearance of vasanas
12 Past and future exist
13 Factor of existence
14 Essence of object
15 Theory of perception
16 Mind and object
17 Reflection of object
18 Purusha knows the mind
19 Chitta not self-illuminative
20 Limitation of mind
21 Confusion of memories
22 Knowledge of its own nature
23 Apprehension of mind
24 It works for purusha
25 Cessation of distinction
26 Heading to kaivalya
27 Pratyayas still arise
28 Their removal
29 Dharmamegha samadhi
30 Freedom from kleshas
31 Infinity of knowledge
32 Gunas retire
33 Krama apprehensible
34 Kaivalya

Appendices
A: Phonetic Pronunciation Guide
B: Freedom in a Nutshell (Sanskrit)
C: Freedom in a Nutshell (Transliteration)

Glossary

Index