प्रयत्नशैथिल्यानन्तसमापत्तिभ्याम् — Benefits & How to Chant
प्रयत्नशैथिल्यानन्तसमापत्तिभ्याम्
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting प्रयत्नशैथिल्यानन्तसमापत्तिभ्याम्
Reveals the secret of perfecting any posture: relax the effort and absorb the mind in the infinite.
Teaches that ease in asana comes not from forcing but from letting go of unnecessary tension.
Turns physical posture into a doorway to meditation by resting awareness in the boundless.
Reduces strain and struggle in practice, bringing effortless steadiness and comfort.
Completes Patanjali's teaching on asana (with 2.46), uniting body and mind in stillness.
Cultivates inner expansiveness, calm and one-pointed absorption.
How to Chant प्रयत्नशैथिल्यानन्तसमापत्तिभ्याम्
Instructions
Recite the sutra as you settle into your seat, then apply its two keys: gently release every unnecessary effort in the body, and let the mind rest in something boundless — the infinite sky, vast space, or the limitless Self. As striving dissolves and awareness expands, the posture grows steady and comfortable of its own accord. It is to be practiced directly in the body and mind.
Spiritual Significance
Meditators report that the moment they stop fighting the posture and let the mind dissolve into boundless space, the body settles into a stillness that can last for hours — light, effortless and forgotten — exactly the steadiness and ease Patanjali promised.
Origin & History
Source: Patanjali Yoga Sutras 2.47
Author: Patanjali
This aphorism appears in the Sadhana Pada of Maharshi Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, immediately following the definition of asana as steady and comfortable. Here Patanjali gives the method by which such a posture is perfected — relaxation of effort and absorption in the infinite. Traditional commentators link 'ananta' to the cosmic serpent Ananta-Shesha who effortlessly bears the earth, a perfect image of steadiness without strain.