Yoga Sutras
  • Chapter 1
  • Chapter 2
  • Chapter 3
  • Chapter 4
    • 4-1
    • 4-2
    • 4-3
    • 4-4
    • 4-5
    • 4-6
    • 4-7
    • 4-8
    • 4-9
    • 4-10
    • 4-11
    • 4-12
    • 4-13
    • 4-14
    • 4-15
    • 4-16
    • 4-17
    • 4-18
    • 4-19
    • 4-20
    • 4-21
    • 4-22
    • 4-23
    • 4-24
    • 4-25
    • 4-26
    • 4-27
    • 4-28
    • 4-29
    • 4-30
    • 4-31
    • 4-32
    • 4-33
    • 4-34

< 4-34

puruṣa-artha-śūnyānāṃ guṇānāṃ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṃ svarūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citi-śaktiḥ iti

पुरुषार्थशून्यानां गुणानांप्रतिप्रसवः कैवल्यं स्वरूपप्रतिष्ठा वा चितिशक्तिरिति

Thus the attributes of nature, empty of purpose, going back to their origin is abstraction or, foundation in the own character of the animating principle is the power of awareness


puruṣa - animating principle, self, consciousness, spirit; a person, man, a human being; people

artha - purpose, aim; meaning; thing, object

śūnya - empty

guṇa - attributes of nature; qualities

pratiprasava - going back to their origin

kaivalya - independence, freedom, solitude, separateness, abstraction, not connected with anything else; uncompounded, unmingled

sva - own; one's self

rūpa - any outward appearance or phenomenon or colour; form, shape, figure; aggregate

pratiṣṭha - established

vā - or

cit - awareness, to cause to comprehend, to observe, perceive

śakti - power, energy; ability, capability; strength; might, effort;

iti - thus; in this manner; something that has been said or thought; having so said; (it is used like a quotation mark)


Commentary by Paul Harvey:

Cit or awareness is at the heart of Yoga. Neither full nor empty, nor mine nor yours. Awareness is as it is and is as it isn’t.

Awareness is a quality not a quantity.