Yoga Sūtra 4: On Inner Freedom (kaivalya)

The fourth chapter begins with siddhi and transformed perception and finally leads to inner freedom, kaivalya, the culmination of the path of yoga.

Dr. Ronald Steiner

Laura von Ostrowski 03.02.2020

Yogaśāstra 4.1: Birth, Herbs, Mantra, Tapas, Samādhi

Siddhis arise from birth, medicinal herbs, mantras, asceticism, or samādhi; for the path to liberation, the ability born of samādhi is especially significant.

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.1

janmauṣadhi-mantra-tapaḥ-samādhi-jāḥ siddhayaḥ ||1||

Supernatural powers (siddhayaḥ | nom pl) arise through birth, medicinal herbs, mantra, asceticism, or Samādhi (janmauṣadhi-mantra-tapaḥ-samādhi-jāḥ | nom pl).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.2–3: The Fullness of Prakṛti

Prakṛti rearranges body and senses into another life form. External causes only remove obstacles, as a farmer opens a dam; they do not create the forces of...

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.2

jāty-antara-pariṇāmaḥ prakṛty-āpūrāt ||2||

The transformation into another form of existence (jāty-antara-pariṇāmaḥ | nom sg) [arises] from the fullness of Prakṛti (prakṛty-āpūrāt | abl sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.3

nimittam aprayojakaṃ prakṛtīnāṃ varaṇa-bhedas tu tataḥ kṣetrikavat ||3||

The external cause (nimittam | nom sg n) does not bring forth (aprayojakam | nom sg n) the forces of Prakṛti (prakṛtīnām | gen pl). Rather (tu), from it (tataḥ) [comes] the breach of a dam (varaṇa-bhedaḥ | nom sg), as with a farmer (kṣetrikavat).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.4–5: Many Cittas, One Director

From asmitā, the yogin creates several cittas for different bodies; a single directing citta coordinates their different activities.

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.4

nirmāṇa-cittāny asmitāmātrāt ||4||

The Cittas created [by the yogin] (nirmāṇa-cittāni | nom pl) [arise] solely from I-am-ness (asmitā-mātrāt | abl sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.5

pravṛtti-bhede prayojakaṃ cittam ekam anekeṣām ||5||

Amid the diversity of activities (pravṛtti-bhede | loc sg), one Citta (cittam ekam | nom sg) is the impelling [Citta] (prayojakam | nom sg n) of the many [created Cittas] (anekeṣām | gen pl).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.6: Without Karmic Residue

Among the created cittas, only the one born of dhyāna is without karmāśaya, because it acts free of passion, delusion, and the pursuit of merit.

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.6

tatra dhyāna-jam anāśayam ||6||

Among these [created Cittas] (tatra), the [Citta] born from meditation (dhyāna-jam | nom sg n) is without karmic deposit (anāśayam | nom sg n).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.7–8: Karma and Vāsanā

The yogin's karma is neither white nor black; that of others is black, mixed, or white. As it ripens, only the corresponding vāsanās become manifest.

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.7

karmāśuklākṛṣṇaṃ yoginas trividham itareṣām ||7||

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.8

tatas tad-vipākānuguṇānām evābhivyaktir vāsanānām ||8||

From this [threefold karma] (tataḥ), there is only (eva) the manifestation (abhivyaktiḥ | nom sg) of those Vāsanās (vāsanānām | gen pl) which correspond to the fruition of that [karma] (tad-vipākānuguṇānām | gen pl).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.9–11: Across Birth, Place, and Time

Memory and saṃskāra preserve karmic continuity across births, places, and times. Vāsanās are beginningless because of the desire to exist and end with their...

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.9

jāti-deśa-kāla-vyavahitānām apy ānantaryaṃ smṛti-saṃskārayor ekarūpatvāt ||9||

Even (api) when [the Vāsanās] are separated by birth, place, and time (jāti-deśa-kāla-vyavahitānām | gen pl), there is continuity (ānantaryam | nom sg), because memory and impression (smṛti-saṃskārayoḥ | gen du) have the same form (eka-rūpatvāt | abl sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.10

tāsām anāditvaṃ cāśiṣo nityatvāt ||10||

And (ca) the beginninglessness (anāditvam | nom sg) of these [Vāsanās] (tāsām | gen pl f) [follows] from the permanence (nityatvāt | abl sg) of the desire [to continue to exist] (āśiṣaḥ | gen sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.11

hetu-phalāśrayālambanaiḥ saṃgṛhītatvād eṣām abhāve tad-abhāvaḥ ||11||

Since [the Vāsanās] are held together (saṃgṛhītatvāt | abl sg) by cause, fruit, substrate, and object (hetu-phalāśrayālambanaiḥ | ins pl), in the absence (abhāve | loc absl sg) of these [four supports] (eṣām | gen pl), there is the absence of those [Vāsanās] (tad-abhāvaḥ | nom sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.12–14: Past and Future

Past and future exist as states of the guṇas; an object's reality persists through the unity of its transformations. Change does not make the world unreal.

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.12

atītānāgataṃ svarūpato 'sty adhva-bhedād dharmāṇām ||12||

The past and future (atītānāgatam | nom sg n) exist (asti | 3p sg act pres) in their own form (svarūpataḥ), because of the difference in temporal phases (adhva-bhedāt | abl sg) of the properties (dharmāṇām | gen pl).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.13

te vyakta-sūkṣmā guṇātmānaḥ ||13||

These [properties] (te | nom pl m) are manifest or subtle (vyakta-sūkṣmāḥ | nom pl m) and have the Guṇas as their essence (guṇātmānaḥ | nom pl m).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.14

pariṇāmaikatvād vastu-tattvam ||14||

The essence of an object (vastu-tattvam | nom sg) [rests] on the unity of its transformations (pariṇāmaikatvāt | abl sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.15–17: Reality Independent of Citta

The same object is apprehended differently by different cittas but depends on no single citta; it becomes known when it colors citta.

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.15

vastu-sāmye citta-bhedāt tayor vibhaktaḥ panthāḥ ||15||

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.16

na caika-citta-tantraṃ vastu tad-apramāṇakaṃ tadā kiṃ syāt ||16||

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.17

tad-uparāgāpekṣitvāc cittasya vastu jñātājñātam ||17||

An object (vastu | nom sg) is known or unknown (jñātājñātam | nom sg n) to the Citta (cittasya | gen sg), because [its being known] depends on the Citta’s being colored by it (tad-uparāgāpekṣitvāt | abl sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.18–21: Citta Is Not Self-Luminous

Citta is a changing, visible organ of prakṛti, neither self-luminous nor its own final knower. The unchanging puruṣa always knows all its vṛttis.

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.18

sadā jñātāś citta-vṛttayas tat-prabhoḥ puruṣasyāpariṇāmitvāt ||18||

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.19

na tat svābhāsaṃ dṛśyatvāt ||19||

That [Citta] (tat | nom sg n) is not (na) self-luminous (svābhāsam | nom sg n), because it is perceptible [as an object] (dṛśyatvāt | abl sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.20

eka-samaye cobhayānavadhāraṇam ||20||

And (ca), at one and the same time (eka-samaye | loc sg), [there is] no apprehension of both [forms: that of Citta itself and that of an object] (ubhayānavadhāraṇam | nom sg n).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.21

cittāntara-dṛśye buddhi-buddher atiprasaṅgaḥ smṛti-saṃkaraś ca ||21||

If [one Citta] were seen by another Citta (cittāntara-dṛśye | loc absl sg), [there would be] an infinite regress (atiprasaṅgaḥ | nom sg) from cognition to cognition (buddhi-buddheḥ | gen sg) and (ca) a confusion of memory (smṛti-saṃkaraḥ | nom sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.22–24: Colored by Seer and Seen

Citta assumes the form of objects and of the power of consciousness. Colored by seer and seen, this composite mirror organ, marked by vāsanās, serves puruṣa.

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.22

citer apratisaṃkramāyās tad-ākārāpattau sva-buddhi-saṃvedanam ||22||

When [Citta] assumes that form (tad-ākārāpattau | loc absl sg)—the form of [Puruṣa’s] non-transferring power of consciousness (citer apratisaṃkramāyāḥ | gen sg)—[there is] awareness of its own Buddhi (sva-buddhi-saṃvedanam | nom sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.23

draṣṭṛ-dṛśyoparaktaṃ cittaṃ sarvārtham ||23||

Citta (cittam | nom sg n), colored by the Seer [Puruṣa] and the seen [the object] (draṣṭṛ-dṛśyoparaktam | nom sg n), [is] directed toward every object (sarvārtham | nom sg n).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.24

tad asaṃkhyeya-vāsanābhiś citram api parārthaṃ saṃhatya-kāritvāt ||24||

Although (api) that [Citta] (tat | nom sg n) is variegated (citram | nom sg n) by countless Vāsanās (asaṃkhyeya-vāsanābhiḥ | ins pl), it [exists] for the sake of another [namely, Puruṣa] (parārtham | nom sg n), because it functions as a composite (saṃhatya-kāritvāt | abl sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.25–26: The End of Self-Confusion

One who distinguishes citta from puruṣa no longer takes citta as the self; citta now inclines toward viveka and flows toward kaivalya.

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.25

viśeṣa-darśina ātma-bhāva-bhāvanā-nivṛttiḥ ||25||

For one who sees the distinction [between Citta and Puruṣa] (viśeṣa-darśinaḥ | gen sg), reflection on one’s own being ceases (ātma-bhāva-bhāvanā-nivṛttiḥ | nom sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.26

tadā viveka-nimnaṃ kaivalya-prāgbhāraṃ cittam ||26||

Then (tadā), Citta (cittam | nom sg n) inclines toward discrimination [between Citta and Puruṣa] (viveka-nimnam | nom sg n) and descends toward Kaivalya (kaivalya-prāgbhāram | nom sg n).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.27–28: Interruptions of Viveka

In gaps in discriminative knowledge, old saṃskāras produce other cognitions; like the kleśas, they must be eliminated by counteraction and cessation of their...

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.27

tac-chidreṣu pratyayāntarāṇi saṃskārebhyaḥ ||27||

In the gaps of that [discriminative cognition] (tac-chidreṣu | loc pl), other ideas (pratyayāntarāṇi | nom pl) [arise] from the Saṃskāras (saṃskārebhyaḥ | abl pl).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.28

hānam eṣāṃ kleśavad uktam ||28||

The elimination (hānam | nom sg) of these [ideas] (eṣām | gen pl) has been described (uktam | nom sg n) as in the case of the Kleśas (kleśavat).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.29–32: The End of Kleśas and Karma

Dispassion even toward highest insight leads to dharmamegha-samādhi: kleśas and karma cease, knowledge becomes nearly limitless, and the guṇas end their...

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.29

prasaṃkhyāne 'py akusīdasya sarvathā vivekakhyāter dharma-meghas samādhiḥ ||29||

For one who, even (api) at the highest insight (prasaṃkhyāne | loc sg), seeks no gain [from that insight] (akusīdasya | gen sg), the Samādhi (samādhiḥ | nom sg) [called] Dharma Cloud (dharma-meghaḥ | nom sg) [arises] from discriminative knowledge (viveka-khyāteḥ | abl sg) in every respect (sarvathā).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.30

tataḥ kleśa-karma-nivṛttiḥ ||30||

From that (tataḥ) [follows] the cessation of Kleśa and Karma (kleśa-karma-nivṛttiḥ | nom sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.31

tadā sarvāvaraṇa-malāpetasya jñānasyānantyāj jñeyam alpam ||31||

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.32

tataḥ kṛtārthānāṃ pariṇāma-krama-samāptir guṇānām ||32||

Thereafter (tataḥ), for the Guṇas (guṇānām | gen pl), whose purpose [for this Puruṣa] has been fulfilled (kṛtārthānām | gen pl), [comes] the completion of their sequence of transformations (pariṇāma-krama-samāptiḥ | nom sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Yogaśāstra 4.33–34: Kaivalya

When the guṇas no longer have a purpose for puruṣa, they return to their source; their sequence of transformations ends, and the power of consciousness rests...

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.33

kṣaṇa-pratiyogī pariṇāmāparānta-nirgrāhyaḥ kramaḥ ||33||

The sequence (kramaḥ | nom sg) is the correlate of the moment (kṣaṇa-pratiyogī | nom sg m) and is apprehensible at the final limit of a transformation (pariṇāmāparānta-nirgrāhyaḥ | nom sg m).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 4.34

puruṣārtha-śūnyānāṃ guṇānāṃ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṃ svarūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citi-śaktir iti ||34||

Kaivalya (kaivalyam | nom sg) [is] the involution [into their origin] (pratiprasavaḥ | nom sg) of the Guṇas (guṇānām | gen pl), which are devoid of purpose for Puruṣa (puruṣārtha-śūnyānām | gen pl), or (vā) the power of consciousness (citi-śaktiḥ | nom sg) established in its own form (sva-rūpa-pratiṣṭhā | nom sg f)—thus (iti) [it is stated].

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

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Dr. Ronald Steiner

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The "Yoga Doc" - Dr. Ronald Steiner is the founder of the AYI method. This method links traditional Ashtanga Yoga with innovative Yogatherapy and living Philosophy. This forms a practice that is personal for each and... more ›

Laura von Ostrowski

Ich bin 2004 das erste Mal mit Yoga in Berührung gekommen und habe seitdem unendlich viele Facetten kennengelernt. Einerseits die vielfältigen praktischen Seiten von Yoga - in Form verschiedener Ausbildungen (500 h... more ›

Yoga Sūtra 4: On Inner Freedom (kaivalya)

Yogaśāstra 4.1: Birth, Herbs, Mantra, Tapas, Samādhi

Yogaśāstra 4.2–3: The Fullness of Prakṛti

Yogaśāstra 4.4–5: Many Cittas, One Director

Yogaśāstra 4.6: Without Karmic Residue

Yogaśāstra 4.7–8: Karma and Vāsanā

Yogaśāstra 4.9–11: Across Birth, Place, and Time

Yogaśāstra 4.12–14: Past and Future

Yogaśāstra 4.15–17: Reality Independent of Citta

Yogaśāstra 4.18–21: Citta Is Not Self-Luminous

Yogaśāstra 4.22–24: Colored by Seer and Seen

Yogaśāstra 4.25–26: The End of Self-Confusion

Yogaśāstra 4.27–28: Interruptions of Viveka

Yogaśāstra 4.29–32: The End of Kleśas and Karma

Yogaśāstra 4.33–34: Kaivalya

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