Patanjali Yoga Sutras (MP3 Music)

Patanjali defined yoga as “Chitta Vritti Nirodha”, which means that if you can still the modifications and activity of the mind, you are in yoga.
This chant, an excerpt from Patanjali’s yoga sutras is composed and sung by Sounds of Isha to celebrate the International day of Yoga.

Lyrics and Meaning:

योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः

yogaś-citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ Yoga is to still the patterning of consciousness

तदा द्रष्टुः स्वरूपेऽवस्थानम्

tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe-‘vasthānam Then, pure awareness can abide in its very nature

वृत्ति सारूप्यमितरत्र

vṛtti sārūpyam-itaratra Otherwise, awareness takes itself to be the patterns of consciousness

वृत्तयः पञ्चतय्यः क्लिष्टाक्लिष्टाः

vṛttayaḥ pañcatayyaḥ kliṣṭākliṣṭāḥ There are five types of patterns, including both hurtful and benign

प्रमाण विपर्यय विकल्प निद्रा स्मृतयः

pramāṇa viparyaya vikalpa nidrā smṛtayaḥ They are right perception, misperception, conceptualization, deep sleep, and remembering

प्रत्यक्षानुमानागमाः प्रमाणानि

pratyakṣa-anumāna-āgamāḥ pramāṇāni Right perception arises from direct observation, inference, or the words of others

विपर्ययो मिथ्याज्ञानमतद्रूप प्रतिष्ठम्

viparyayo mithyā-jñānam-atadrūpa pratiṣṭham Misperception is false knowledge, not based on what actually is

शब्दज्ञानानुपाती वस्तुशून्यो विकल्पः

śabda-jñāna-anupātī vastu-śūnyo vikalpaḥ Conceptualization derives from linguistic knowledge, not contact with real things

अभावप्रत्ययालम्बना तमोवृत्तिर्निद्र

abhāva-pratyaya-ālambanā tamo-vṛttir-nidra Deep sleep is a pattern grounded in the perception that nothing exists

अनुभूतविषयासंप्रमोषः स्मृतिः

anu-bhūta-viṣaya-asaṁpramoṣaḥ smṛtiḥ Remembering is the retention of experiences

अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः

abhyāsa-vairāgya-ābhyāṁ tan-nirodhaḥ Both practice and non-reaction are required to still the patterning of consciousness