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