Yoga Darśana illumines the jīva’s disciplined ascent—guided by Īśvara, amidst the shifting forms of jagat. It is not merely a technique or philosophy, but a śāstra: a structured revelation that leads the seeker toward abiding in svarūpa—his own luminous nature, distinct from the fluctuations of mind and world.

Though distinct in method, Yoga resonates with Sāṅkhya’s puruṣa–prakṛti dualism and Vedānta’s vision of consciousness as the unchanging witness. Yet its roots lie deeper—not in Pātañjali’s innovation, but in the eternal, apauruṣeya Veda. Yogic principles are revealed across several Upaniṣads, including Śvetāśvatara, Taittirīya, and others, where they are invoked as pathways for the jīva to realize the Self.

The Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (2.4) affirms this contemplative orientation through a luminous mantra:

युञ्जते मनः उत युञ्जते धियो विप्राः विप्रस्य बृहतो विपश्चितः | विहोत्रा दधे वयुना विदेक इनमही देवस्य सवितुः परिष्टुतिः ||

yunjate manaḥ uta yunjate dhiyo viprāḥ viprasya bṛhato vipascitaḥ | vihotrā dadhe vayunā videka inmahī devasya savituḥ pariṣṭutiḥ ||

“The wise align their minds and intellects to the vast, discerning light of the seer. Through refined insight and sacred invocation, they uphold the praise of the divine Savitṛ.”

This mantra affirms dhyāna as a Vedic discipline—where manaḥ and dhī are attuned toward the realization of one’s svarūpa. It portrays the jīva’s inward movement toward the Self, guided by refined cognition and the luminous presence of Savitṛ. Patañjali’s codification of Yoga as citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ echoes this ancient orientation: a turning inward, a stilling, and a recognition of svarūpa.

Drawing from this perennial stream, Patañjali systematizes the Yoga Sūtras—not as originator, but as codifier—offering a precise architecture that defines the nature of Yoga (lakṣaṇa), prescribes the path of disciplined practice (sādhana), and describes the fruit of attainment (phalam). Structured into four pādas—Samādhi, Sādhana, Vibhūti, and Kaivalya—the text offers a complete map of yogic discipline.

Having situated Yoga within its Vedic and epic lineage, we now turn to the textual form through which its discipline is preserved—the sūtra, whose compactness reflects the very restraint and inwardness that Yoga cultivates.

The Sūtra Style and Transmission

The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are composed in the classical sūtra style—an aphoristic mode of expression revered across śāstric traditions for its precision, brevity, and layered suggestiveness. The Mahābhāṣya of Patañjali, in defining a sūtra, cites the well-known verse:

अल्पाक्षरम् असन्दिग्धम् सारवद् विश्वतोमुखम्। अस्तोभम् अनवद्यं च सूत्रं सूत्रविदो विदुः॥

alpākṣaram asandigdham sāravad viśvatomukham | astobham anavadyaṃ ca sūtraṃ sūtravido viduḥ ||

This verse outlines six defining qualities of a sūtra: alpakṣaram (concise in syllables), asandigdham (unambiguous), sāravat (rich in essence), viśvatomukham (universally applicable), astobham (free from redundancy), and anavadyaṁ (flawless in construction). Patañjali’s text embodies these qualities with remarkable clarity. These are not merely literary virtues; they mirror the very ethos of Yoga—restraint, inwardness, and clarity of experience.

The Yoga Sūtras comprise 195 aphorisms, distributed across four pādas: Samādhi (51), Sādhana (55), Vibhūti (55), and Kaivalya (34). Each aphorism is crafted not for discursive argument but for contemplative unfolding, designed to be recited, remembered, and expounded by a teacher. Their compactness reflects the yogic ideal itself—economy of expression, directness of vision, and an inward movement of thought.

To unlock this condensation, tradition turns to the Vyāsa Bhāṣya, the earliest and most authoritative commentary. Vyāsa does more than explain; he unfolds the terse formulations, situating them within Sāṅkhya philosophy, elaborating their practical application, and ensuring doctrinal continuity with earlier yogic sources. His exposition is considered the pramāṇa for studying the Yoga Sūtras, preserving their depth against the risk of oversimplification.

Thus, the sūtra style itself becomes a mirror of yogic discipline—minimalist in form yet expansive in insight, not seeking to multiply words but to direct the seeker inward. It is a textual embodiment of nirodha: the restraint of excess, the distillation of truth, and the quiet turning of awareness toward the Self.

The Threefold Structure of Yoga Philosophy

Just as the sūtra’s terse form embodies disciplined clarity, the Yoga Sūtras themselves unfold along a threefold philosophical trajectory, guiding the jīva from understanding to practice to fruition. Every śāstra reveals its subject through lakṣaṇa (the defining nature), sādhana (the means to attain it), and phalam (the fruit of realization). Pātañjali Yoga adheres to this structure with remarkable precision.

The first pāda, Samādhi Pāda, serves as the lakṣaṇa-pāda. It defines Yoga as citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ, the stilling of mental fluctuations, and describes the seer (draṣṭā) abiding in its own form (svarūpa), pointing directly to the experiential state Yoga reveals.

The second and third pādas—Sādhana Pāda and Vibhūti Pāda—together constitute the full spectrum of sadhana (practice), encompassing both external and internal disciplines. Sādhana Pāda outlines the external disciplines (bahiraṅga sādhanā) of aṣṭāṅga yoga—yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, and pratyāhāra. Vibhūti Pāda presents the internal disciplines (antaraṅga sādhanā) —dhāraṇā, dhyāna, and samādhi, leading to deeper absorption and inner mastery.

The fourth pāda, Kaivalya Pāda, is the phala-pāda. It describes the fruit of Yoga—kaivalya, the aloneness of puruṣa free from prakṛti’s influence. This structure is not merely pedagogical; it mirrors the lived journey of the jīva, moving from fragmentation to clarity, from effort to abiding.

The triad of lakṣaṇa, sādhana, and phalam finds its structural embodiment in the four pādas of the Yoga Sūtras, each unfolding a stage of the jīva’s disciplined journey toward svarūpa.

The Four Pādas of the Yoga Sūtras

a. Samādhi Pāda – Lakṣaṇa of Yoga

The journey of Yoga begins with a clear definition: yogaḥ citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ (Sūtra 1.2)—the stilling of mental modifications (vṛtti). This Pāda elucidates the nature of the seer (draṣṭā), resting in its own form (svarūpa) (Sūtra 1.3), highlighting that the Self is distinct from the ever-changing contents of mind.

Foundational orientations such as abhyāsa (persistent practice), vairāgya (dispassion), and Īśvara-praṇidhāna (devotional surrender) provide the practical footholds for this insight. The Pāda also introduces the two modes of absorption—samprajñāta (with cognitive content) and asamprajñāta (beyond cognition)—which clarify the experiential spectrum of nirodha. These states are not merely meditative attainments but reflections of the jīva’s progressive disengagement from vṛtti and its abiding in svarūpa.

This understanding of the seer resonates with Vedāntic ātman as pure consciousness. The Samādhi Pāda thus establishes the lakṣaṇa—the essential nature of yoga—as both a state to be recognized and a principle to guide disciplined practice.

b. Sādhana Pāda – Bahiraṅga Sādhana

The second Pāda introduces kriyā yoga—a preparatory discipline consisting of tapaḥ (Inner refinement), svādhyāya (self-study), and Īśvara-praṇidhāna (devotional dedication). These three principles serve as purifiers of the body–mind complex and orient the practitioner toward disciplined engagement.

Following this, Patañjali unfolds the eightfold path of Yoga—aṣṭāṅga yoga—which begins with five limbs of bahiraṅga sādhana, or external disciplines—yama (ethical restraints), niyama (observances), āsana (posture), prāṇāyāma (regulation of breath), and pratyāhāra (withdrawal of senses). These cultivate ethical clarity, somatic steadiness, and sensory restraint, preparing the practitioner for subtler, internal work.

The remaining three limbs—dhāraṇā (concentration), dhyāna (meditation), and samādhi (absorption)—form the antaraṅga sādhana, the inner disciplines, which are elaborated in the Vibhūti Pāda. Thus, the Sādhana Pāda lays the groundwork for the jīva’s inward movement, establishing the outer architecture through which inner stillness becomes accessible.

c. Vibhūti Pāda – Antaraṅga Sādhana

Having established external discipline, Yoga now turns inward through the three internal limbs of antaraṅga sādhana: dhāraṇā (concentration), dhyāna (meditative absorption), and samādhi (unitive awareness). These inner disciplines refine attention, deepen stillness, and draw the jīva toward its own svarūpa.

As absorption intensifies, siddhis—extraordinary faculties—may arise. Yet these are not goals; they are incidental outcomes of concentrated awareness and should neither distract nor define the path. The true fruit of sustained absorption is viveka-khyāti—discriminative insight—which dissolves confusion and reveals the distinction between puruṣa and prakṛti.

The Vibhūti Pāda thus bridges disciplined effort with experiential realization, highlighting the subtle interiority of yoga and preparing the ground for final release.

d. Kaivalya Pāda – Phalam of Yoga

The culmination of the yogic path is articulated in the fourth Pāda: Kaivalya—the aloneness of puruṣa, utterly free from the influence of prakṛti. In this state, citta dissolves into its causal essence, and the jīva abides in its own svarūpa, untouched by fluctuation or entanglement.

puruṣārtha-śūnyānāṁ guṇānāṁ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṁ svarūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citi-śaktir iti || (Sūtra 4.34)

“When the guṇas cease to serve the purpose of puruṣa, they dissolve into their source. This is kaivalya—either as the establishment of consciousness in its own svarūpa, or as the inherent power of pure awareness itself.”

This sūtra marks the final release: not a new attainment, but the cessation of entanglement. The guṇas—having fulfilled their role—recede, and citi-śakti abides in its own nature. It is the still point where Yoga, Sāṅkhya, and Vedānta converge: the jīva resting in svarūpa, untouched, unbound, and luminous.

This phalam is the natural fruition of the yogic journey—a movement from engagement with jagat to abiding in one’s own pure, luminous nature. It completes the arc begun in Samādhi Pāda, fulfilling the promise of citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ through sustained sādhana and discriminative insight.

Conclusion

Pātañjala Yoga emerges as a structured discipline, guiding the jīva through sādhana toward the realization of kaivalya. Its architecture is not merely theoretical but designed for direct experience—each sūtra, pāda, and practice serving as a precise pointer toward inner stillness and clarity.

By tracing the path from understanding (lakṣaṇa), through disciplined practice (sādhana), to fruition (phalam), the Yoga Sūtras offer a roadmap for disengaging from vṛtti while abiding in one’s own svarūpa. In navigating jagat while anchored in Īśvara, the jīva glimpses the cessation that is Yoga—not as an escape, but as a return.

 

Acknowledgements

I thank Prof. G. Narahari Sastry for his guidance in balancing traditional thought with contemporary insight. I’m grateful to Mrs. G. Songeeta for her philosophical clarity, and to my daughter Ms. Akanksha Garikapati for her subtle contributions to the contemplative tone of this work.