Yoga Sūtra-s of Patanjali
Interpretation by Śrī Sadāśiva Brahmendra Sarasvati
Yoga Sudhākara
Pāda II: Sādhana Pāda
Sūtra 1
In the first Pāda [one of the four chapters is called Pāda], The Samādhi [the internal practices for cultivating focussed state of mind] was explained along with the description of the difference between various categories, methods of internal practice and their after effects. Now for those who are not capable of involving in the above mentioned internal practices and for those whose organs are not yet ready for serious practices, the External Sādhana called Kriyāyoga is explained: [Here, the word 'external' refers to the priliminary and practice oriented method.]
Sūtra 1:
tapaḥ, svādhyāya and īśvarapraṇidhāna practised together is called Kriyāyogaḥ.
The acceptance of healthy and fresh food in controlled quantities, is called Tapaḥ. [Only a practical definition of Tapas, considering it a Kriya, is given here. The one who wants to build up the habit of Tapas may start with food control. The qualitative defition of Tapas involves physical, verbal as well as psychological disciplines. Food control can be considered as involved in the physical category.] The repeated chanting of Praṇava and other divine Mantra-s is called Svādhyāya. [Again, Svādhyāya is explained as a Kriya here. The study of scriptures is also considered as Svādhyāya.] Special and complete devotion expressed physically, verbally and mentally, in the beautiful form of īśvara (God), who has taken birth on earth as part of His Games and who is the ultimate Guru through His teachings in Bhagavad Gita etc. is called Īśvarapraṇidhāna. [The representation of Īśvara in a physical form is necessary for a beginner to feel love and devotion towards Him. That is why Īśvara is described here as an embodied One. The Kriyas of devotion are given priority here as part of Kriyāyoga.]
These three practices are three forms of actions (Kriya-s); [therefore, they are defined here as Kriya-s; in fact Tapaḥ, Svādhyāya and Īśvarapraṇidhāna all three are the special awareness and management in the psychological level.] They prepare the individual for involvement in the focussed Yoga process. Therefore, Kriya is also considered as Yoga, because of the above mentioned similarity between them. This is like the name of an Ayurvedic medicine, "Āyurghṛtam". [Ghṛtam, a kind of medicinal ghee protects Āyuḥ, the health; hence the name for the medicine. Similarly Kriya cultivates Yogic skills in an individual; therefore this item of initial practice is called Kriyāyoga.]
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पातन्जलयोगसूत्राणि
श्री सदाशिव ब्रह्मेन्द्र सरस्वत्या विरचितः
योगसुधाकरो वृत्तिः
द्वितीयो साधनपादः
परापश्यन्त्यादि भेदभिन्नामेकां निसर्गतः
चिदानन्दमयीं नित्यां वाचं काचिदुपास्महे॥
पूर्वम् सावान्तरभेदं सान्तरङ्गसाधनं सफलं समाधिमभिधाय, अधुना पूर्वाभिहितसाधनेऽप्रवर्तमानमानसं अपक्वकषायकरणं प्रति बहिरङ्गसाधनं क्रियायोगमाह-
तपस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोगः॥१॥
हितमितमेद्ध्याशनं तपः। परमपवित्रप्रणवादि मन्त्रजपः स्वाध्यायः। ईश्वरे लीलया स्वीकृतातिमनोहराङ्गे परमगुरौ कायवाङ्मनोभिः निर्वर्तितो भक्तिविशेषः प्रणिधानम्।
तानि क्रियारूपत्वाद्योगसाधनत्वाच्च क्रियायोग इति शुद्धसारूप्यलक्षणाश्रयणेन निरूप्यन्ते, “आयुर्घृतम्” इतिवदित्यर्थः।