Yogash Chitta-Vritti-Nirodhah (Yoga Sutra 1.2) — Word-by-Word Meaning
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः
Every Sanskrit word explained in English
Word-by-Word Breakdown
योगः
yogah
Yoga (union, the state of yoga)
चित्त
chitta
The mind-stuff; consciousness in its totality (manas, buddhi, ahamkara)
वृत्ति
vritti
Modifications, fluctuations, whirls or activities of the mind
निरोधः
nirodhah
Restraint, cessation, stilling, mastery
चित्तवृत्ति
chitta-vritti
The modifications of the mind-stuff — the thought-waves
वृत्तिनिरोधः
vritti-nirodhah
The stilling of the fluctuations
योगः चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः
yogah chitta-vritti-nirodhah
Yoga is the stilling of the modifications of the mind
निरोध
nirodha
The root concept of Patanjala Yoga — controlled cessation of mental activity, not suppression but mastery
Complete Translation
Yoga is the stilling (restraint) of the modifications of the mind.
Origin & History
Source: Patanjali Yoga Sutras 1.2
Author: Patanjali
Period: Classical (c. 2nd century BCE – 4th century CE)
This is the second aphorism of the Samadhi Pada, the first chapter of Maharshi Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. After the opening sutra 'Atha yoganushasanam' (Now, the teaching of yoga), Patanjali immediately gives the definition that has guided practitioners for two millennia: yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind. It establishes the entire purpose and method of Raja Yoga.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the meaning of Yogash Chitta-Vritti-Nirodhah?▼
From Patanjali's Yoga Sutras 1.2, it means 'Yoga is the stilling of the modifications of the mind.' Chitta is the mind-stuff, vritti is its fluctuations or thought-waves, and nirodha is their restraint or cessation. It is the most fundamental definition of yoga.
Why is this sutra so important?▼
It is the very definition of yoga given by Patanjali himself in the opening of the Yoga Sutras. Every other teaching in the text — the eight limbs, the practices, the goal — flows from this single statement that yoga means mastering the activity of the mind.
What are the vrittis (modifications of the mind)?▼
In the very next sutras, Patanjali lists five vrittis: right knowledge (pramana), error (viparyaya), imagination (vikalpa), sleep (nidra) and memory (smriti). Yoga is the stilling of all these fluctuations so the true Self can be realized.
What happens when the mind is stilled?▼
According to the next sutra (1.3), 'Tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam' — then the seer abides in its own essential nature. The cessation of mental fluctuations allows the pure consciousness (Purusha) to rest in itself, which is the goal of yoga.
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