Patangali Yog Sutra

Discover your gunas

The sutra for this week is Drashta drushimatraha shuddopi pratyayanupashyaha meaning the self is pure consciousness, although it get covered when mixed with intellect.

The self, though pure, is a mere witness. But when it becomes one with the buddhi or intellect, it gets coloured. People who are stuck in their intellect, stick to their thoughts and ideas as though they are their own. They suffer as the self becomes the centre of their creation.

Moving on to the next sutra — Tadartha eva drushyasyatma, which means for the unenlightened only the world exists.

Though this world does not exist for the enlightened one, it exists for the one who is not enlightened. To them, the world continues to exist with its opposites. For the one who is awakened to knowledge, there is no more suffering. The world appears different. For the enlightened one, every inch of creation is filled with bliss. But for others it exists as the seed. So, though the enlightened one has realised this world and sees it as separate, but a part of the self, it does not exist for them.

The next sutra says Kruthartham prati nashtamapyanashtamtadanyasadharanatvat, which means that for the enlightened one the world is destroyed even though for others the world is not destroyed. Consider travelling in a bus. The journey may be over for you but the plane keeps moving or the bus keeps going. The bus still goes because it has to take the other passengers elsewhere.

Swaswamishaktyoho swarooppopalabdhihetuhu samyogaha is the next sutra and it means the power of nature is the cause and when united with the seer brings about its effects.

Your body is made up of three gunas — sattva, rajas and tamas and the three act according to the circumstances. When the tamasic guna dominates it creates lethargy. When rajasic guna dominates, you feel restless. When the mind is dominated by sattva, then you are alert. Observe the tendencies that come up in you without thinking that you are those tendencies.