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Part 3 of description of the essence of pranayama in sutras 2.49-53 and 1.41 of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, translated and with commentary by Vasyl Vernyhora


   Sutra 2.53 states that this non-physical pranayama, described in sutras 2.51-52, makes the mind suitable for dharanas-concentrations (yes, the word "dharana" is here, for some reason, given in the Sanskrit plural). But the logical inconsistency here is that this non-physical pranayama is itself a consequence of the practice of dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Thus, sutra 2.53, which disrupts the sequence of presentation, appears to be a late insertion. The fact that in this sutra the word "dharana" is given in the Sanskrit plural (not even in the Sanskrit dual) in the locative case (dhāraṇāsu) may also indicate that this sutra was added later to the text of the "Yoga Sutras", while Patanjali tends to use it in the singular (for example, in sutra 3.1).

   Furthermore, the mention of mind-manas after what was said in the two previous sutras also appears inconsistent. Most likely, this sutra 2.53 was added later to create the appearance that the previous several sutras allegedly spoke only of physical pranayama, that is, supposedly only about breathing exercises, the details of which, for some reason, are not described. And that supposedly such pranayama is performed as a preparatory exercise before the practice of dharana, although the next sutra, 2.54, speaks of pratyahara, not dharana, which is discussed even later, in sutra 3.1. This may indicate that sutras 2.54-55, the last ones in the second chapter, were also added later—after the addition of sutra 2.53.

   If we accept that the original version of the Yoga Sutras fragment spoke of pranayama only as the energetic/luminous ("prakasha") effect of samadhi practice, and that pranayama in the form of physical breathing exercises was added later, then we can conclude that the asana and pranayama parts, as well as the mention of pratyahara, were added to the text of the Yoga Sutras later, by different "co-authors" and at different times. Moreover, the eight limbs of yoga can also be viewed as stages, which is explained in subchapter 2.4, "An overview of the eight parts of the 'Yoga Sutras' practice in the form of steps" of my book "Meditation in raja yoga, Buddhism and according to neurophysiology: A practical guide".

   Moreover, judging by the only listing of the eight limbs (or stages) in sutra 2.29, that is, in the middle of the second chapter of four (and this is not counting the fact that the entire fourth chapter was clearly added even later) and the absence of their mention as parts (or stage numbers) of the eight-limbed yoga in the rest of the text, this very design of the various aspects of yoga practice (including such a far-fetched idea to single it out as a separate part, like the sitting position of the body—asana—for the practice of samadhi, mentioned in only one sutra, and what's more, borrowed from the text of the Sankhya-darshana) in the form of the "eight-part" yoga of the "Yoga Sutras"—this is a later addition to the original version of the text, which was several times shorter than the current one, consisting of 195 or 196 sutras (in different The number of these varies in different editions), contained in four chapters.

   This book examines the 195-sūtra version of the Yoga Sutras. The additional sutra in some editions is the verse added after sutra 3.21: "Just as described regarding vision (3.21), one can suspend the body's ability to be heard, touched, tasted, or smelled".

   It's possible that there was some original ancient teaching (or source text) that served as the basis not only for the original version of the Yoga Sutras, but also for the formulation of the original version of the Noble Path of Buddhism (Buddhologists believe this occurred after the Buddha's passing), which is currently found in the Pali Canon in various eightfold versions, as well as a tenfold version. This source may have included the requirement to observe moral precepts to avoid accumulating new negative karma that hinders the practice of samadhi/shamatha, as well as the actual description of this practice and its aspects.

   In the history of spiritual teachings and religions, the existence of such a common source is not unique, and the hypothetical Q source in Christianity is an example. In the 19th century, based on the fact that a significant portion of the common material between the Gospels of Matthew and Luke—though absent from the Gospel of Mark, which they also used to write their Gospels—consists of sayings ("logia" in ancient Greek, λόγια) of Jesus, the existence of a certain primary source was proposed, which is now commonly referred to in biblical scholarship as the "Q source" (from the German Quelle, meaning "source"). In my book, "A Commentary on the Gospel of Thomas in the Context of the Practice of Samadhi Meditation", I showed that Jesus, using the language of quite obvious parables and analogies, spoke about the practice of samadhi/shamatha and its aspects such as ekagrata, distractions and submersion of the mind, the guardian efforts of smriti and samprajnata to prevent and end distractions and submersion of the mind, about reincarnation, and also quoted ancient Upanishads. Jesus learned all this during his stay in India during the "lost years"—from the ages of 14 to 28.

   The trends of editing and the inevitable distortions of teachings—both deliberate and due to a misunderstanding by religious theorists of these texts intended for practitioners of spiritual teachings—are always the same. The most important practical aspects are gradually being emasculated from the teachings, the results of which are not achieved in a short time, and therefore theorists do not realize their significance. This applies first and foremost to the practice of samadhi/shamatha itself, with its aspects of ekagrata and the guardian efforts of smriti and samprajnata.

   In Buddhism, the original names of these guarding efforts—vitarka and vichara—have since acquired new, distorted meanings, such as "reflection" and "development of thought (contemplation)", and their primordial meanings are now conveyed by the new terms "smriti" and "samprajnata". In yoga, these guarding efforts have faded into the background, remaining only implicitly as descriptions of distractions and the mental absorption in sutra 1.30, which sutra 1.32 suggests the meditator overcome only by continuing the practice of single-pointed concentration. These sutras will be examined in detail later. Also the names of the guardian efforts "vitarka" and "vichara" are preserved in sutra 1.17, but this issue will also be looked upon later. From Christianity, all of Jesus' teachings on the practice of samadhi/shamatha (and, at the same time, on reincarnation) were completely removed in the 6th century by the high priests-treasurers, remaining in the form of parables and analogies only in the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas, the only partially preserved papyrus copy of which was hidden around the 2nd-3rd centuries and discovered in Egypt in 1945. These teachings of Jesus have also come down to us in certain partially lost Gnostic texts.

     The full version of the book "The True Practical Essence of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" with a translation of all 196 sutras of the Yoga Sutras with commentaries on all important and/or complex sutras: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G6GT6M8B.