Patanjali
Maharishi Patanjali
c. 2nd century BCE • Indian
Compiler of the Yoga Sutras — the foundational text of classical yoga. In 196 terse aphorisms he mapped the structure of the mind, the eight limbs of practice, and the path to samadhi. His work has shaped two millennia of yogic practice.
Key Works
- Yoga Sutras (trans. Vivekananda 1896)
- Yoga Sutras (trans. Woods 1914)
112
quotes in library
Quotes by Patanjali
112 quotes“Disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sense-craving, false perception, failure to attain stages, and instability — these are the obstacles.”
obstaclesYoga Sutras 1.30
“Suffering, depression, restlessness, irregular breath — these accompany the obstacles.”
obstaclesYoga Sutras 1.31
“To remove these, meditate on a single principle.”
focusYoga Sutras 1.32
“By undisturbed flow of consciousness on a single object, samadhi follows.”
samadhiYoga Sutras 1.45
“In a purified mind, the truth-bearing wisdom arises.”
wisdomYoga Sutras 1.48
“This wisdom is different in kind from that gained by inference and testimony — it knows directly.”
direct-knowingYoga Sutras 1.49
“The impression born of this wisdom obstructs all other impressions.”
wisdomYoga Sutras 1.50
“On the suppression of even this — all is suppressed, and one rests in seedless samadhi.”
samadhiYoga Sutras 1.51
“Yoga is action without anxiety.”
yogaYoga Sutras 2.1 (Vivekananda commentary)
“Tapas — austerity — burns away impurity.”
austerityYoga Sutras 2.43
“Svadhyaya — self-study — leads to communion with the higher self.”
studyYoga Sutras 2.44
“All this is for the purpose of attaining samadhi and minimizing the afflictions.”
purposeYoga Sutras 2.2
“Habitual practice and dispassion are the means.”
practiceYoga Sutras 1.12
“Both are essential — practice without dispassion leads to attachment to results.”
balanceYoga Sutras 1.12
“Dispassion without practice leads to inaction.”
balanceYoga Sutras 1.12 (Vivekananda commentary)
“As soon as one ceases to identify with the body and senses, the seer rests in itself.”
selfYoga Sutras 4.4 (Vivekananda)
“That which is real is unborn, undying, untouched.”
realityYoga Sutras 4.18 (Vivekananda)
“In silence the mind grows still and the seer shines forth.”
silenceYoga Sutras (Vivekananda commentary)
“What disturbs the mind disturbs the seer through identification.”
identificationYoga Sutras (Vivekananda commentary)
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