Abhyasa-vairagyabhyam tan-nirodhah (in Sanskrit)
As you remember from the previous posts, Patanjali defines yoga as citta-vrtti-nirodha, or the restraint of the changing states of the mind. Having explained what constitutes a vrtti in the previous sutras, he now brings his attention to nirodhah, restraint. How exactly our charging states of the mind can be restraint? In this sutra, Patanjali describes two main components necessary for such restraint: the practice of yoga and dispassion (renunciation) or Abhyasa-vairagyabhyam in Sanskrit.
There is a certain narrative structure throughout the Yoga Sutras. Patanjali first lists the components in one sutra and then explains them in subsequent sutras, so we will delve deeper into his definitions of practice and dispassion when we review the following sutras. In the meantime, I would like to point out here that according to Patanjali, yoga practice and dispassion are crucial for the mind to achieve upliftment and access to higher knowledge.
Namaste
