Patanjali Yoga Sutra - Samadhi Pada - 14
Katha Vivekananda Kendra
ॐ ॐ ॐ
The 14th Sutra, Samadhipada of the Yoga Darshan is a further description, exposition of abhyāsa. Very important Sutra, a well-known Sutra. How to stabilize, how to strengthen, how progress can come in our practices. A very nice, easy, simple and most important suggestion, an important point in the Yoga Sutras and the Sutra No. 14 -
स॒ तु दी॒र्घकालनै॒रन्तर्यस॒त्कारा॒सेवि॒तो दृ॑ढभू॒मिः ॥ १.१४॥
Satu dīrghakāla nairantarya satkārāsevita dṛḍhabhūmiḥ || 1.14||
Satu dīrghakāla nairantarya satkārāsevita dṛḍhabhūmiḥ.
Ddīrghakāla nairantarya satkārā asevita dṛḍhabhūmiḥ - Means, very simple, that is the practice gets dṛḍhabhūmiḥ, gets strong, grounded, dṛḍhabhūmiḥ, grounded, stabilized. In Hindi we say pakka. So the practice becomes dṛḍhabhūmiḥ, strong. How it becomes strong? dīrghakāla, a long time, practicing for a long time. Nairantarya, without interruptions, without breaks. dīrghakāla, nairantarya, satkāra - the attitude is of love, reverence. Means the practice should not be something very irritating, not something very disturbing, not something very, too much of dynamism. It is very lovable practice. The practice is very comfortable practice. And the practice is with devotion. The practice is to be done with a devotion, with a sense of acceptance and reverence. That is the satkāra. Then, āsevitā. That is how it is used, utilized, employed. Then the practice gets dṛḍhabhūmiḥ. So an abhyāsa becomes firm. We say in English, firmly grounded. That is dṛḍhabhūmi. That firmly grounded is called dṛḍhabhūmiḥ.
The practice becomes firmly grounded or a sādhaka, a practitioner becomes firmly grounded in practice or practice becomes stronger by these three important dimensions. One is the practice should be for a long time, dīrghakāla. And the practice should be uninterrupted, without breaks. And the attitude towards the practice, or while practicing, during the session of practice, during the time of practice, it should be a sense, an attitude of love, an attitude of acceptance, an attitude of comfort. And that is very important. With what mood, with what attitude we do the practice. And that is how these four important components of practice, makes the practice firm. That is why there are no shortcuts. There is no fast results, immediate results, quick results. Nowadays we keep on listening that are there any practices which will give quick results? Fast results, quick results, immediate results.
But we should remember Yoga Sadhana because the aim is citta vṛtti nirodha. The practice has to be long, no hurry. And that length of the practice, towards that length, it should be uninterrupted. If a practice is chosen, and that chosen practice should be regular, and it should be for a long time, how beautiful suggestion it is.
Suppose if one has to practice, say for example, few āsanas, and there are breaks, some two days practice is done, and the third day cannot do it, fourth day could not do it, say one or two weeks is gone, break, then again you repeat the practice. And while repeating the practice also, by doing the same practice, same set of things are not able to do it. Or sometimes people learn from many institutions, many methods, or commonly known as many gurus. It seems each one will be different, each practice timing will be different, each practice method of practicing will be different.
But Patañjali says it, that the practice should be same, for a long time, and there should not be any break. And that attitude towards, to be like a reverence, oh, this practice is so good, it gives good result to me. There is no speed, a comfortable, asevitā it is called.
These points are very important, especially all of us, all of those who take up yoga practices, or who teach yoga practices, whether it is a prāṇāyāma practice, whether it is a kriyā practice, whether it is a dhyāna practice, whether it is a nāma-japa practice, or practice of āsanas, sūrya-namaskāra, anything. A specific practice is done at a specific time, and for a long duration. Maybe from this idea of Maharishi Patañjali, the word called as “practice makes perfection”, the word comes.
And attitude also is very very important, that somebody has told, I am doing it. Or there is a restriction within the body, the mind is disturbing, and you are continuing with the practice, that may not give a proper result. Allow the mind to calm down, let the body come to a cooperative level. These slight adjustments, but no adjustment with the length of the time, and the duration. Maybe because of these limitations, which may come during our practices, maybe physical limitations, psychological limitations, the practice becomes — dīrghakāla but it should be nairantarya. So let us, let all our yoga practices be without any breaks, without any interruptions, let it be for a long time.
That’s why, beautifully in Haṭhapradīpikā it is said - न हठात् न बलात् (na haṭhāt na balāt), that is the dimension of āsevitā - there are no quick remedies, there are no fast results. A patience, regularity, a systematic approach, that makes the practice take its ground-dṛḍhabhūmiḥ. And that is a very important dimension, Maharshi Patañjali gives to us.
So abhyāsa, dṛḍhabhūmi is achieved in abhyāsa, by the practice, satu dīrgha kāla, practicing for a long time, duration, time and duration, and without any break and interruptions, and with an attitude of reverence, and that gives a new value, added dimension to the practice. So let us correct ourselves, whether we are practicing in such way, without any hurry, and let us be prepared, that to get that result of citta vṛtti nirodha, praśānta vāhitā manasaḥ, the practice is going to be long. And with that patience, with that concern, let us take up the practices, and continue our practices, remembering that there are no shortcuts, it is going to be a long, long, and long practices.
Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ.
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः||
To Be Continued..
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These are transcription of session delivered by Vice-President of Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra, Sri M. Hanumantha Rao Ji.
Audio Link - https://youtu.be/KX6ytLJ29Ls?si=yiRdGUnTN2mjJIZa
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मुक्तसंग्ङोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित:।
सिद्धयसिद्धयोर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥१८.२६॥
Freed from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with courage and enthusiasm and unperturbed by success or failure, the worker is known as a pure (Sattvika) one. Four outstanding and essential qualities of a worker. - Bhagwad Gita : XVIII-26