What is the significance of Patanjali’s Sutra 2.1 ?

What is the significance of Patanjali’s Sutra 2.1 ?

Image source:  http://earthyogi.blogspot.com/2011/01/patanjali-you-optimist-or-when-learning.html

The second chapter (Sadhana Pada) of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras begins with the statement “Yoga in the form of action has three parts: 1) training and purifying the senses (tapas), 2) self-study in the context of teachings (svadhyaya), and 3) devotion and letting go into the creative source from which we emerged (ishvara pranidhana)” (English translation, Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati).  There are a wide range of translations of this Sutra.  For example, Sri Swami Satchidananda’s states “Accepting pain as help for purification, study of spiritual book, and surrender to the Supreme Being constitute Yoga in practice,”  whereas B.K.S. Iyengar’s translation reads “Burning zeal in practice, self-study and study of scriptures, and surrender to God are the acts of yoga.” 

What does Patanjali mean by the the “yoga in the form of action has three parts”?

• Tapas -Training the senses-  means literally “to blaze or burn”, tapas refers to purifying action and self discipline, particularly in the practice of yoga, that helps us remove blocks, tensions and illness in the body and the mind.  Hot yoga is an excellent form of tapas, as it keeps the body fit via heat and cleansing sweat.

•Svadhyaya - Sva =self, and Adhyaya = inquiry, so Svadhyaya refers to the regular practice of self- reflection and personal growth in the context of sacred texts, mantra, and meditation. 

•Isvhara Pranidhana – Ishvara = creative source, god, etc. and Pranidhana = devotion.  This concept refers to surrendering the fruits of yoga to the divine.

These three practices work together.  For example, when in your yoga practice you are spending 60 to 90 minutes training your senses, exploring within, and letting go of physical and mental attachments and aversions to your body and thoughts.  As you move from asana to asana, focusing on your breath and staying present in each moment of your yoga practice, you enact the three principles of Kriya Yoga: Heating and cleansing the body (tapas), noting and letting go of mental thoughts and physical reactions to the yoga practice and the heat (svadhyaya), and with the closing Namaste at the end of each class, recognizing the light and beauty in self and others (ishvara pranidhana).

Sources:  http://swamij.com/yoga-sutras-20109.htm, http://www.athayoganusasanam.com/index.php?zone=browse_sutras&pada=2&sutra=1&action=display, http://earthyogi.blogspot.com/2011/01/patanjali-you-optimist-or-when-learning.html