Yoga quotes from the sources

योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः ॥

yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ ||

Yoga is the stilling of the movements of the mind.

अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः ॥

abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṃ tan-nirodhaḥ ||

They are stilled through practice and non-attachment.

स तु दीर्घकालनैरन्तर्यसत्कारासेवितो दृढभूमिः ॥

sa tu dīrgha-kāla-nairantarya-satkārāsevito dṛḍha-bhūmiḥ ||

And it becomes firmly grounded when it is cultivated for a long time, without interruption, and with care.

मैत्रीकरुणामुदितोपेक्षाणां सुखदुःखपुण्यापुण्यविषयाणां भावनातश्चित्तप्रसादनम् ॥

maitrī-karuṇā-muditopekṣāṇāṃ sukha-duḥkha-puṇyāpuṇya-viṣayāṇāṃ bhāvanātaś citta-prasādanam ||

The mind becomes clear by cultivating friendliness towards the happy, compassion towards those who suffer, gladness towards the virtuous, and equanimity towards those who do wrong.

हेयं दुःखमनागतम् ॥

heyaṃ duḥkham anāgatam ||

Suffering that has not yet come is to be avoided.

वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम् ॥

vitarka-bādhane pratipakṣa-bhāvanam ||

When harmful thoughts press, cultivate their opposite.

स्थिरसुखमासनम् ॥

sthira-sukham āsanam ||

The seat is steady and comfortable.

तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम् ॥

tatra pratyayaika-tānatā dhyānam ||

Meditation is the single, unbroken flow of awareness there.

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः । आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥

mātrāsparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ | āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṃs titikṣasva bhārata ||

Contacts with the world, son of Kuntī, bring cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go, they do not last: endure them, Bhārata.

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदा चन । मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥

karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadā cana | mā karmaphalahetur bhūr mā te saṅgo 'stv akarmaṇi ||

Your right is to action alone, never to its fruits. Do not let the fruit of action be your motive, and do not cling to inaction either.

योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनंजय । सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते ॥

yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā dhanaṃjaya | siddhyasiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṃ yoga ucyate ||

Established in yoga, do your work, Dhanaṃjaya, letting go of attachment, the same in success and failure. Evenness is called yoga.

बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते । तस्माद्योगाय युज्यस्व योगः कर्मसु कौशलम् ॥

buddhiyukto jahātīha ubhe sukṛtaduṣkṛte | tasmād yogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam ||

One whose understanding is yoked leaves behind, here and now, both good and evil deeds. So yoke yourself to yoga: yoga is skill in action.

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् । आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥

uddhared ātmanātmānaṃ nātmānam avasādayet | ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ ||

Lift yourself by yourself; do not let yourself sink. You alone are your own friend, and you alone your own enemy.

युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु । युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा ॥

yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya karmasu | yuktasvapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkhahā ||

For one who is moderate in food and recreation, measured in effort at work, measured in sleep and waking, yoga destroys sorrow.

यथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता । योगिनो यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मनः ॥

yathā dīpo nivātastho neṅgate sopamā smṛtā | yogino yatacittasya yuñjato yogam ātmanaḥ ||

A lamp in a windless place does not flicker: that is the image given for the yogi of mastered mind, practising the yoga of the self.

असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम् । अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥

asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam | abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate ||

No doubt, mighty-armed one, the mind is restless and hard to restrain. But by practice, son of Kuntī, and by detachment, it is held.

अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च । निर्ममो निरहंकारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ॥

adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca | nirmamo nirahaṃkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ||

Without hatred for any being, friendly and compassionate, free of mine and of ego, the same in sorrow and joy, patient.

एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति

ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadanti

What is one, the inspired poets call by many names.

आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु । बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥

ātmānaṃ rathinaṃ viddhi śarīraṃ ratham eva tu | buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragraham eva ca ||

Know the self as the rider in the chariot and the body as the chariot. Know the intellect as the charioteer and the mind as the reins.

तां योगमिति मन्यन्ते स्थिरामिन्द्रियधारणाम् । अप्रमत्तस्तदा भवति योगो हि प्रभवाप्ययौ ॥

tāṃ yogam iti manyante sthirām indriyadhāraṇām | apramattas tadā bhavati yogo hi prabhavāpyayau ||

That steady holding of the senses is what they consider yoga. Then one becomes vigilant, for yoga is both arising and passing away.

प्रणवो धनुः शरो ह्यात्मा ब्रह्म तल्लक्ष्यमुच्यते । अप्रमत्तेन वेद्धव्यं शरवत्तन्मयो भवेत् ॥

praṇavo dhanuḥ śaro hy ātmā brahma tal lakṣyam ucyate | apramattena veddhavyaṃ śaravat tanmayo bhavet ||

Om is the bow, the self is the arrow, brahman is called the target. It must be pierced with unwavering attention; one should become one with it, like the arrow.

स य एषोऽणिमैतदात्म्यमिदं सर्वम् । तत्सत्यम् । स आत्मा । तत्त्वमसि श्वेतकेतो ॥

sa ya eṣo 'ṇimaitad ātmyam idaṃ sarvam | tat satyam | sa ātmā | tat tvam asi śvetaketo ||

That finest essence: the whole world has it as its self. That is the real. That is the self. You are that, Śvetaketu.

असतो मा सद्गमय । तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय । मृत्योर्मामृतं गमय ॥

asato mā sad gamaya | tamaso mā jyotir gamaya | mṛtyor māmṛtaṃ gamaya ||

From the unreal lead me to the real. From darkness lead me to light. From death lead me to the immortal.

युवा वृद्धोऽतिवृद्धो वा व्याधितो दुर्बलोऽपि वा । अभ्यासात्सिद्धिमाप्नोति सर्वयोगेष्वतन्द्रितः ॥

yuvā vṛddho 'tivṛddho vā vyādhito durbalo 'pi vā | abhyāsāt siddhim āpnoti sarva-yogeṣv atandritaḥ ||

Young, old or very old, sick or weak: whoever practises all the yogas without sloth attains success through practice.

क्रियायुक्तस्य सिद्धिः स्यादक्रियस्य कथं भवेत् । न शास्त्रपाठमात्रेण योगसिद्धिः प्रजायते ॥

kriyā-yuktasya siddhiḥ syād akriyasya kathaṃ bhavet | na śāstra-pāṭha-mātreṇa yoga-siddhiḥ prajāyate ||

Success comes to the one who practises; how could it come to one who does not? Success in yoga is not born from merely reading the books.

चले वाते चलं चित्तं निश्चले निश्चलं भवेत् । योगी स्थाणुत्वमाप्नोति ततो वायुं निरोधयेत् ॥

cale vāte calaṃ cittaṃ niścale niścalaṃ bhavet | yogī sthāṇutvam āpnoti tato vāyuṃ nirodhayet ||

When the breath moves, the mind moves; when the breath is still, the mind is still, and the yogi becomes as steady as a post. So one should restrain the breath.

सलिले सैन्धवं यद्वत्साम्यं भजति योगतः । तथात्ममनसोरैक्यं समाधिरभिधीयते ॥

salile saindhavaṃ yadvat sāmyaṃ bhajati yogataḥ | tathātma-manasor aikyaṃ samādhir abhidhīyate ||

As salt dissolved in water becomes one with it, so the oneness of the self and the mind is called samādhi.

यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया । यत्र चैवात्मनात्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति ॥

yatroparamate cittaṃ niruddhaṃ yoga-sevayā | yatra caivātmanātmānaṃ paśyann ātmani tuṣyati ||

When the mind comes to rest, stilled by the practice of yoga, and when, seeing the self by the self, one is content in the self.