Vairāgyam

State of Yoga can be reached through practice and detachment.

This sutra talks about how one can reach the state of yoga. The advice has just two words. Practice and detachment. Practice or abhyasa (as in astanga), one must do. One  must also practice detachment of the results. To be detached does not mean that the practice is done with any less enthusiasm. My teacher mentioned in the class that one needs to be detached from the distractions to the state of yoga. I think that is true, but I think Patanjali is saying that one needs to be detached from the goal too. Why is detachment so important?

When one is on the path of yoga, we need to train our mind not to be affected by things, positive or negative. The word indifference can be used here. That is the attitude of being detached. One should not be caught up in the restlessness caused by events. This takes us away from where we want to go. At the same time, there should be no need to worry about the results after the practice has been done. Worrying over the goal creates all the unwanted Vrttis in the mind. The state of yoga has no place for Vrttis. These Vrttis are beneath it.

I also think that so much importance was placed on being detached, simply to protect the person taking on this huge task. It could take a long time before one starts to see the light or the summit. There is so much scope for falling off. I read in a book that getting on the spiritual path is like setting to climb a huge mountain. I immediately pictured climbing Everest. It requires tremendous willpower, a strong purpose and unflinching determination. Detachment is like saying, it is okay if you don’t make the summit, but you tried. Unlike climbing a mountain, state of yoga must be maintained after the reaching the summit. So, it is not just climbing this uphill task, but also staying put there. Practice and detachment are some of the toughest things to do for a long time. No matter what, this is what is required to reach yoga.

This is the sutra that got me thinking if Bhagavad Gita was written after the Yoga Sutras or before. I did hope this powerful idea was Yoga Sutra’s original. Bhagavad Gita was written a few centuries ahead of Sutras. There is an overlap of ideas between Gita and Yoga Sutras at a few places.

This sutra is probably what inspired Pattabhi Jois to say- Do your practice, all is coming.

abhyāsavairāgyābham tannirodhah

abhyāsa – Practice, from abhi + as is to apply oneself
vairāgya – detached, dispassion, from vai ‘dis’ + root word raj is to be attracted, excited + ya
tad – that, here
nirodha – restriction

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