The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter Four

Series

1. The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter One
2. The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter Two
3. The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter Three
4. The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali Chapter Four (This post)

The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali
Aphorisms on Yoga compiled by Patañjali

Below you will find a verse by verse translation of each Sūtra, from Saṃskṛta into English, based on my many personal Yoga lessons with my Sūtra teachers TKV Desikachar (1979-2003) and S Ramaswami (1979-1985).
In addition a sample word by word index is included for the first 4 verses.

A Sūtra study workbook with a verse by verse translation and word by word index for all the verses in this chapter is included as part of the Course Manual for all students participating in cYs Foundation Sūtra Study Courses or cYs Postgraduate Training Programmes.

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four Title
kaivalya-pādaḥ |
kaivalya- abstraction
pādaḥ- section
“The section on Abstraction.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 1
janma-oṣadhi-mantra-tapaḥ samādhi-jāḥ siddhayaḥ |
janma- birth
oṣadhi- blessed herbs
mantra- sacred formulae
tapaḥ- self-discipline
samādhi- integration
jāḥ- arise
siddhayaḥ- accomplishments
“Accomplishments arise from birth, blessed herbs, sacred formulae, self-discipline and integration.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 2
jāti-antara-pariṇāmaḥ prakṛti-āpūrāt |
jāti- birth
antara- other
pariṇāmaḥ- transformation
prakṛti- process of matter
āpūrāt- flow
“The transformation into other births is due to the flow from the process of matter.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 3
nimittam-aprayojakaṃ prakṛtīnāṃ varaṇa-bhedaḥ tu tataḥ kṣetrikavat |
nimittam- instrumental cause
aprayojakam- not the initiator
prakṛtīnām- process of matter
varaṇa- surrounding
bhedaḥ- divides
tu- but
tataḥ- hence
kṣetrikavat- like a farmer
“The instrumental cause is not the initiator of the process of matter, but divides the surrounding, hence like a farmer.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 4
nirmāṇa-cittāni-asmitā-mātrāt |
nirmāṇa- created
cittāni- psyches
asmitā- sense of ‘I’ am-ness
mātrāt- only
“Psyches are created only from the sense of ‘I’ am-ness.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 5
pravṛtti-bhede prayojakaṃ cittam-ekam-anekeṣām |
“Although division in finer cognition, one psyche is the initiator of many.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 6
tatra dhyāna-jam-anāśayam |
“Of these, what is born from meditation is without seeds.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 7
karma-aśukla-akṛṣṇaṃ yoginaḥ trividham-itareṣām |
“The actions of one who has Yoga is neither white nor black, of others it is three fold.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 8
tataḥ tat-vipāka-anuguṇānām-eva-abhivyaktiḥ vāsanānām |
“From that, indeed the manifestation of latent impressions that have similar qualities to the result.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 9
jāti-deṣa-kāla-vyavahitānām-api-ānantaryaṃ smṛti-saṃskārayoḥ eka-rūpatvāt |
“Even though separated by state of life, place and time, there is a succession because memory and tendencies are of one character.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 10
tāsām-anāditvaṃ cā-āśisaḥ nityatvāt |
“And the beginninglessness of these is due to the eternality of primordial desire.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 11
hetu-phala-āśraya-ālambanaiḥ saṃgṛhītatvād-eṣām-abhāve tat-abhāvaḥ |
“Held together by cause, fruit, correspondence, support, the non-appearance of these the non-appearance of that.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 12
atīta-anāgataṃ svarūpataḥ asti-adhva-bhedāt-dharmāṇām |
“In their own character, past and yet to come exists due to divisions in the way of nature.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 13
te vyakta-sūkṣmāḥ guṇa-ātmānaḥ |
“These attributes of nature have visible and subtle essences.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 14
pariṇāma-ekatvāt-vastu-tattvam |
“From the uniqueness of transformation the principle of a substance.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 15
vastu-sāmye citta-bhedāt tayoḥ vibhaktaḥ panthāḥ |
“The sameness of substance, the divisions of psyche, separate paths of both.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 16
na ca-eka-citta-tantraṃ cet-vastu tat-apramāṇakaṃ tadā kiṃ syãt |
“And substance not dependent on one psyche, if so then how could this be when not perceivable?”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 17
tat-uparāga-upekṣitvāt-cittasya vastu jñāta-ajñātam |
“That expectation which colours the psyche, a substance may be known or not known.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 18
sadā jñātāḥ citta-vṛttayaḥ tat-prabhoḥ puruṣasya-apariṇāmitvāt |
“The movements of the psyche always known due to the non-transformation of the master, that animating principle.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 19
na tat-svābhāsaṃ dṛśyatvāt |
“That, not own luminosity, due to the quality of the seen.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 20
eka-samaye ca-ubhaya-anavadhāraṇam |
“And both not ascertained at one juncture.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 21
citta-antara-dṛśye buddhi-buddheḥ atiprasaṅgaḥ smṛti-saṃkaraḥ ca |
“One psyche seen by another is an infinite coming together and a confusion of memory.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 22
citeḥ apratisaṃkramāyāḥ tat-ākāra-āpattau sva-buddhi-saṃvedanam |
“Assuming that form of non-changing awareness, total knowledge of own intellect.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 23
draṣṭṛ-dṛṣya-uparaktaṃ cittaṃ sarva-artham |
“The all purpose psyche is coloured by the seer and the seen.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 24
tat-asaṃkhyeya-vāsanābhiḥ citram-api para-arthaṃ saṃhatya-kāritvāt |
“That, speckled with innumerable latent impressions, also having quality of activity combined for a higher purpose.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 25
viśeṣa-darśinaḥ ātma-bhāva-bhāvanā-nivṛttiḥ |
“One who has seen the distinction ceases from the cultivation of becoming the essence.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 26
tadā viveka-nimnaṃ kaivalya-prāgbhāraṃ cittam |
“Then, inclined towards discrimination, the psyche has a propensity for abstraction.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 27
tat-chidreṣu pratyaya-antarāṇi saṃskārebhyaḥ |
“In the breaks between that, other psychic activities, due to tendencies.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 28
hānaṃ eṣāṃ kleśavat-uktam |
“It is said the giving up of these is as for the afflictions.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 29
prasaṃkhyāne-api-akusīdasya sarvathā viveka-khyāteḥ dharma-meghaḥ samādhiḥ |
“Even disinterested in gaining omniscience, recognition of discrimination at all times is integration of cloud pouring integrity.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 30
tataḥ kleśa-karma-nivṛttiḥ |
“From that cessation of afflicted action.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 31
tadā sarva-āvaraṇa-mala-apetasya jñānasya-ānantyāt-jñeyam-alpam |
“Then, all dust removed off, little to be known due to endlessness of knowledge.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 32
tataḥ kṛta-arthānāṃ pariṇāma-krama-samāptiḥ guṇānām |
“From that the purposes of the attributes of nature is done, the sequence of transformation is concluded.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 33
kṣaṇa-pratiyogī pariṇāma-aparānta nirgrāhyaḥ kramaḥ |
“The moment corresponding to the sequence is permanently grasped when transformation ends.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 34
puruṣa-artha-śūnyānāṃ guṇānāṃ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṃ svarūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citi-śaktiḥ iti ||
“Thus the attributes of nature, empty of purpose, going back to their origin is abstraction or, foundation in the own character of the animating principle is the power of awareness.”

Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four Closing Verse
iti pātañjala yoga darśane kaivalya-pādaḥ ||
Thus Patañjali’s view of Yoga in the section on Abstraction.

Available as a Downloadable PDF or referenced as a resource within Dharma Downloads offering a full translation for Kaivalya 
Pādaḥ or Book Three of Patañjali‘s 
Yoga 
Sūtra
 with English translations drawn from Paul Harvey’s many one to one lessons with his teacher TKV Desikachar over 20 years.

- updated December 23rd 2012

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