Over the years, in the many workshops I’ve had the privilege to attend, senior teachers have shared profound insights drawn from the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar and from their own understanding and practice.
What follows is a collection of reflections that show how yoga philosophy can manifest through practice. Many of these insights come from the teachings of my esteemed teacher Birjoo Mehta, as I understood them.

Consciousness and Its Components

Consciousness (chitta) comprises three aspects: intelligence (Buddhi), ego (Ahamkara), and mind (Manas).
Consciousness is an inner essence that pervades the entire body, though it may lie dormant. To be aware is to awaken consciousness.

For example: when someone calls your name, Manas receives the sensory stimulus. Since a new response must be created, it passes the message to intelligence, which consults the ego—the sense of “I”—and its store of memory to recognize that the call is directed at oneself. Intelligence then decides on the appropriate response: to turn toward the speaker or to ignore the call.
True awareness arises only when all three aspects—manas, buddhi, and ahamkara—function harmoniously.

Intelligence, Habit, and Conscious Action

When we act habitually, it is the manas that operates. For instance, a secretary who has learned to use office software performs her tasks almost automatically. Habitual action involves the cerebellum, whereas responding to something new activates the cerebral cortex—the seat of intelligence.
Intelligence is what allows us to meet new challenges, learn new behaviors, evaluate, compare, and make conscious decisions. It is intelligence that can discern between right and wrong, appropriate and inappropriate.

Yoga, according to Patanjali, is the exploration of consciousness—its study and eventual quieting. This exploration requires awakening the intelligent aspect of consciousness, and that happens only when we face a fresh challenge. Therefore, yoga cannot be habitual or mechanical; it must remain alive and exploratory.

The Nature of Manas, Ego, and Intelligence

The manas can focus only on one point at a time; intelligence flows freely, like water. Just as H₂O can exist as water, ice, or vapor, consciousness can take the form of ego, manas, or intelligence—one predominating at the expense of the others.
Ice symbolizes the ego: rigid and resistant to change (“this is who I am,” “I always do it this way”).
The manas is restless and fluid, like water.
Intelligence is expansive and subtle, like vapor spreading through space.

A perhaps more accurate metaphor for intelligence is light or energy. Intelligence flows through the body as energy. When the flow of intelligence is obstructed, manas takes over—just as damming a stream creates a stagnant lake.

Errors in judgment do not arise from a lack of intelligence—we all possess intuitive discernment. The difficulty lies either in perception (input, from the senses to intelligence) or in execution (output, from intelligence to the organs of action).
Since manas is responsible for transmitting these messages, when it becomes quiet, such distortions disappear.

The ego—a bundle of memories and habits—prevents us from seeing freshly. We must be able to step outside ourselves and view the landscape from another angle, not only from the one we are accustomed to.

The Flow of Awareness in Asana

An action that arises from the manas is localized and effortful. An action that arises from intelligence radiates through the whole body, like sunlight.
In standing poses, for instance, the feet form the foundation. They must remain long and broad. When the soles are pressed firmly into the floor, an energetic current ascends through the pelvis to the chest, then spreads through the arms and head.

When a teacher tells beginners to “lift the kneecaps,” their manas goes to the knees and performs the action—but since the mind cannot stay in one place for long, the kneecaps soon drop again.
When we observe the body holistically and sense the flow of buddhi, the pose remains steady and effortless. Then the posture can be held with both stability and ease (sthira and sukha).
The sukha aspect—comfort and lightness—is essential, for feeling requires relaxation and a free flow of breath. The throat, especially, must remain soft, since tension in the throat translates immediately to tension in the brain.

When we sense a blockage in the flow—say, the tailbone protruding backward—an adjustment is needed. Drawing the tailbone in and moving the thighs back restores the flow along the legs, and the knees respond correctly.

Yoga as Inner Suspension

The practice of yoga serves as an inner suspension system, insulating us from the fluctuations of prakriti (nature).
We work on chitta, the aspect of being closest to purusha (the Self), so that the purusha remains steady even as prakriti vibrates. Like a car with good shock absorbers, the ride becomes smooth even on a rough road.
Thus, practice should cultivate tolerance and equanimity—freedom from the pull of opposites. If this is not happening, something in the practice is off course.

Vision, Strategy, and Tactics in Yoga

Using a metaphor from the business world—vision, strategy, tactics, and methods:

• Vision: to reduce the (dukkha) suffering inherent in human existence.
• Strategy: to quiet the fluctuations of consciousness (chitta vritti nirodha).
• Tactic (of Iyengar Yoga): precision and alignment—the hallmarks of the Iyengar method.
• Methods: the detailed instructions and techniques that bring about alignment and precision.

At first, technique is paramount. Later, we understand that it is merely a means to serve the greater aim of alignment, which in turn brings calmness, clarity, balance, and serenity—ultimately leading to a reduction of existential suffering.

From Effort to Ease

When santosha—contentment and ease—arises, one no longer wishes to leave the pose; everything else becomes secondary. There is no more struggle with raga (attraction) and dvesha (aversion)—they fall away naturally.
Worldly temptations lose their appeal in the face of the deep quiet and satisfaction that practice brings. Thus, the kleshas (afflictions) dissolve. Correct alignment fosters knowledge, diminishes attachment and fear, and makes striving unnecessary.

At this stage, one wants to perform the pose again and again—not out of ambition but out of curiosity and inner joy. The impulse becomes internal, not externally imposed.

Working with Awareness

Wherever there is contact (sparsha), there can be awareness. We use contact with the floor—or even a light tap on a body part—to bring attention there.
Awareness can be moved through the body by squeezing the joints, like pressing a tube of toothpaste —from one joint to the next.
In Trikoṇāsana, for instance, pressing on the metatarsals spreads awareness to the toes and ankles, then through the knee, hip joint, pelvis, sides of the spine, shoulder blades, elbows, and wrists.

From the point where awareness is concentrated, spread it like butter—not shifting it side to side like a see-saw, but distributing it evenly.
When awareness is spread evenly throughout the body, quietness arises: there is harmony, openness, and innocence—chitta vritti nirodha, the stilling of the fluctuations of consciousness. The work is on the chitta, not on the body.

Through work with awareness, one can generate all instructions and discover new ones. We need not act from memory but from feeling—with freshness and receptivity to new sensations.

When clarity fades, we need guidance and instruction. “Enlightenment” means that when light is present, the path is seen directly—no need to remember or rely on scripture. But in darkness, we must recall the way from memory to avoid obstacles.

The Meaning of Asana

Asana is a bodily posture that brings stability and ease—or joy.
If, after performing an asana, one does not feel calmer or happier, something was off. Seek the feeling of quiet and contentment as you come out of the pose.
Conversely, never hold a posture with strain, struggle, or aggression.

The Four I’s: The Journey from Ignorance to Innocence

The evolution of understanding passes through four stages:

Ignorance → Information → Intelligence → Innocence

1. A child plays the piano without knowledge.
2. A student learns, gathering information.
3. The learner applies the information with judgment and discernment.
4. A composer, having absorbed the rules, transcends them—creating anew from simplicity and openness.

The composer no longer acts from ignorance but must retain innocence.

In the information stage, knowledge must be clear and consistent. Beginners need firm, unambiguous instructions—no alternatives or interpretations.
In the stage of intelligence, one can handle contradiction and multiplicity, analyze and discern.
In innocence, unity reappears; opposites dissolve, and one perceives the underlying wholeness beyond them.

To learn, we must leave space for the unknown—allow for the possibility that something new will emerge.
It takes courage not to cling to known rules and to remain in that emptiness, for only from it can something new arise. Arjuna, in his despair, reaches the point of acknowledging his own ignorance—and that recognition allows him to learn from Krishna, which may represent the voice of wisdom within.

From Will to Surrender

Focused concentration (ekagrata) is valuable and an essential part of practice, but it is not the summit of the spiritual path. In ekagrata, the will still plays a role, which can foster pride and ego.
The deeper spiritual quality is humility. At a certain stage, one must act without willpower.

In asana, this transition can be felt clearly.
In the beginning, we use effort and muscular force. Later, we move through intelligence rather than brute strength, and eventually through the subtle power of prana.
Then a moment comes when we simply wish to remain in the pose—without any external reason. There is no need for willpower, nor do we wait for the teacher to say, “Come out.” Watch your reaction when the teacher says, “come out of the pose” to know if you absorbed. I recall Prashant Iyengar saying, “Often the teacher is a great disturbance, when you want to come out of a pose, he tells you to stay. When you want to stay, he tells you to come out.” I often feel that way.

Dharma and Equanimity

Dharma is any action that brings greater harmony and peace, both within and without. One must act according to one’s own dharma regardless of comfort, reward, or personal benefit.

How can we learn in asana the meaning of Bhagavad Gita II.48, which defines yoga as equanimity (samatvam)?
We need to develop mental stability. For instance, in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog), begin with the weight forward and sense the pressure on the finger pads. Then move back into the pose without letting that pressure lessen—not even slightly. You will learn balance and stability.
Alternatively, start from Uttanasana, with your body’s weight on the heels, slowly shift your pelvis forward, until you sense the point of perfect balance, where your legs are absolutely vertical. Your mind will become even and neutral.

It doesn’t matter how far we “go” in the pose—the outer achievement is irrelevant. What matters is adherence to our dharma!

In the retreats I conduct in Bab Zouina, Morocco, we are fortunate to have a student, Sonali Sibal, who grew up in India and studied the Indian tradition. She shares with us knowledge about the Chakras that she learnt from her Guru, Gurukal K.P. Suresh. We study the characteristics of each Chakra, including its location, color, symbol, corresponding Element, message, and the Bija (seed) mantra associated with it. We learn to chant these seed Mantras and feel the vibrations manifested in the body.

Sonali very kindly allowed me to share this knowledge, so I am sharing the PDF file, which contains information about the Chakras.

What is Yoga Kuruṇṭa?

Yoga Kuruṇṭa means using ropes for the practice of yoga asanas. It was introduced to the modern world by the legendary Yogacharya Tirumalai Krishnamacharya who taught this art to his two disciples: K. Pattabhi Jois and B.K.S. Iyengar. These two renowned teachers had spread this teaching. At the Iyengar center in Pune (RIMYI), wall and ceiling ropes were installed at the inception of the center in 1975. 

The Yoga Koruṇṭa – or Yoga Kuruṇṭha is a 5,000 years old text on yoga, said to have been written in Sanskrit by an otherwise unknown author, Vamana Rishi, allegedly discovered by Tirumalai Krishnamacharya in the National Archives of India in the early 20th century, and supposedly lost when Krishnamacharya’s only copy was eaten by ants.

I studied the basic variations of rope practice in many classes with Prashant and Geeta Iyengar (B.K.S. Iyengar’s children) at RIMYI. Later, I learned more about this subject in Geeta’s book Yoga a Gem for Women. In that book, Geeta introduced six major variations (see section VIII). At the beginning of the section, she writes:

“Kuraṇṭi is a puppet, a doll made of wood. Puppet-shows are known all over the world, to children as well as to grown-ups. In yoga Kuruṇṭa, one learns to manipulate oneself in the various yoga postures by means of a suspended rope as if one were a puppet. Here, the puppeteer and the puppet are one, performing their own puppet show”. (p. 225)

Many of the variations in this book are more than just being suspended as a puppet, but require active work – with the help of the ropes.

In an interview documented in 70 Glorious Years of Yogacharya B. K. S. Iyengar (see p. 392), Iyengar explains ‘Yoga Kuruṇṭa’:

“My Guru had a handwritten book on yoga called ‘Yoga Kuruṇṭa’ in Sanskrit. In that book, there was a mention of wall ropes, like step-ladders. Except for one or two asanas, it was not as helpful as our ‘loose’ ropes which give more flexibility and scope for adjustments… The full range of action through loose ropes was my idea… By the way, Kuruṇṭi means puppet, a wooden doll. Puppet-show is well known all over the world. So ‘Yoga Kuruṇṭa’ is a method in which one learns to manipulate one’s own body in various yoga postures by means of suspended rope as if one were a puppet. Here the puppeteer and the puppet are one, performing their own puppet show.”

The Benefits of Using Ropes

Indeed, Yoga Kuruṇṭa teaches to use gravity in order to open and extend the body and improve its flexibility while it is suspended and supported. Normally, gravity pulls us down, making us shorter and less spacious. Yoga aims to reverse, or at least slow down this process by creating lightness, space, and ease of movement. Using ropes, gravity extends and expands the inner cavities of our body, thus increasing the freedom of movement without exhaustion.

Yoga Kuruṇṭa also develops orientation in 3-dimensional space. It allows us to place the body in unfamiliar positions and experience the surrounding environment from new angles. This develops a sense of direction and courage. The ropes offer many options and variations to manipulate the body, thus adding interest to the practice and promoting creativity and innovation.

One of the first books to present variations of Yoga Kuruṇṭa is Yoga – A Gem for Women by Geeta Iyengar. In section VIII of the book Geeta continues to present the advantages of using the ropes:

“Performing Yogāsanas with the aid of a rope has many advantages. Difficult āsanas can be practiced with ease… The method is ideal for women who are heavy in the region of the thighs, the buttocks, the stomach, and for those who have become flabby after one or two deliveries.

By using ropes, the spine becomes supple, and even difficult āsanas can be done easily and safely. No jerking is felt, and a sense of direction is developed by regular practice. Old people can do Yoga Kuruṇṭa a without injuring themselves.”

Geeta explained in an interview how ropes can help the practice of backbends. Backbends take us to the unseen and unknown, which is behind us. People who do not practice yoga rarely bend backward. Yoga Kuruṇṭa is very helpful in this respect since it gives confidence to perform backbends.

Yoga Kuruṇṭa is very helpful in restorative inversions. Inverted poses are extremely important and their unique effects cannot be replaced by other poses.  People with neck or shoulder injuries, who must avoid loading the neck, can still enjoy the benefit of inverted poses by hanging from a rope. When hanging from a rope, one feels lightness and experiences a celestial feeling of not being subject to gravity.

In my regular practice, I often imagine several helpers pulling strings connected to my skeleton in various positions, helping me to extend my limbs in the desired directions. We all know that helpers can often change the experience of the pose. An external pull teaches us to direct our actions and energy in a given direction. Using imagination in this way, I can benefit from this idea even when I practice on my own (which is usually the case…).

One advantage of imaginary helpers is that one can place any number of ‘helpers’, anywhere in space, even on the ceiling… This is helpful for several reasons; first, one needs to feel the exact location at which it is best to attach each string. Second, one needs to determine the direction and the force in which each string should be pulled. This develops awareness of the directions of the extension and expansion of the body in the pose.

When absorbed in this contemplation, one’s muscles are working on their own to move the body in the desired direction with much less effort.

Using ropes, you can develop this ability since you are either suspended or supported in ways that are impossible without ropes.

Ropes may also be used to prepare for Prānāyāma. For example, in rope-Śīrṣāsana the spine is extended and the rib cage is open and free to move. The rope enables one to remain for a long time in this position without effort, concentrate exclusively on the breath, and manipulate it in otherwise difficult ways.

To summarize, Yoga Kuruṇṭa can:

• Use gravity to open and extend the body
• Allow you to enjoy staying effortlessly in poses that are otherwise challenging or impossible (due to injury or movement limitations)
• Improve the awareness of breathing and expand its capacity
• Develop a sense of direction and courage
• Improve the ability to handle unfamiliar situations
• Improve flexibility
• Prepare the body and mind for advanced poses, especially backbends and inversions

We are all very grateful to Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar for introducing ropes into our practice and for developing innovative ways of using them!

Or: From Chitta Vritti Nirodha to Kaivalya

Chapter 3 and 4 of Patanjali’s yoga sutras take the Sadhaka (the spiritual aspirant) to the zenith of yoga – to the state of Kaivalya- emancipation, or Ultimate Liberation.

These last two chapters are theoretical and more challenging to comprehend. In The Tree of Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar explains in simple words the transformation that one has to go through in order for the Chitta to be ready for Kaivalya.

He uses the metaphor of clay to explain the transformations of the mind:

“Consider the nature of clay. The earth powder is the primary cause of which various forms or designs are made… If you want to change the form, you have to break the one you have and return to the original powder before you can make a new design”

(Tree of Yoga, from the chapter Energy and Devine Grace).

This metaphor is also used in his interpretation of Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Similarly, if you want to ‘redesign’ your mind, you need to bring it back to its original, virginal, pristine state. For this, the Vrittis – the movement of consciousness, all the thought waves, all the noise we create in our mind – must be restrained and stopped.

This is Chitta Vritti Nirodha. However, as Iyengar continues:

“Now, ’Chittavritti-nirodha’, restraining the movement of the mind – according to Patanjali, is not yoga, it is just the beginning. of yoga. ’Chittavritti’ means the movements of the consciousness – the various forms consciousness can take, like the clay taking various shapes”.

So how does the yogi reach a total restraint of the Vrittis? How the mind can come back to its original, undisturbed form?

The answers are given in Chapters 3 & 4, first by the transformations that the Chitta must go through, and then by defining the concept of Kaivalya – total liberation from the bondage of the world, from our conditioning (Samskaras) and from the world of Samsara.

So, let’s first on the means to restrain the Vrittis that Patanjali gives (in sutra I.12) -Abhyasa and Vairagya..

Abhyasa & Vairagya

I wrote about Abhyasa and Vairagya in a few posts, especially in: From Kriya Yoga to Ashtanga Yoga; Means for Quieting the Fluctuations of Consciousness and in: Intention and Attitude: Abhyasa (Practice) & Vairagya (Renunciation). Here I’ll just mention briefly how these elements contribute to Kaivalya.

Each of these two means is described by two sutras.

Abhyasa

In I.13 Patanjali defines it as “the effort to still the fluctuations in the consciousness“, but he doesn’t give any guidance or technique of practice.

He just states in I.14 what kind of effort will bear fruits:

“Long, uninterrupted, alert practice is the firm foundation for restraining the fluctuations.”

More guidance will be given with the exposition of the Ashtanga Yoga in Chapter 2.

After presenting the Yamas and Niyamas, Patanjali offers (in sutra II.33) some clues. He states that negative thinking that is contrary to the Yamas should be overcome by fostering the opposites (Pratipaksa Bhavanam).

He then explains (in II.34) why fostering the opposites is so important:

“vitarkah himsadayah krita karita anumoditah lobha krodha moha purvakah mridu madhya adhimatrah dukha ajnana ananta phala iti pratipaksha bhavanam”

Which was translated by Iyengar to:

II.34 Uncertain knowledge giving rise to violence, whether done directly or indirectly or condoned, is caused by greed, anger or delusion in mild, moderate or intense degree. It results in endless pain and ignorance.”

By saying: Himsadayah (violence, injury, and so forth) he must have been referring also to the other four Yamas, and not only to Himsa.

But how to foster the opposites? Again, no practicing guidelines are given.

What do you do when you are obsessed with envy, rage, revenge, jealousy, or cruelty?

How can one foster their opposites?

Actually, part of the answer was already given in I.33. So, the opposite of wishing bad is wishing well or friendliness (Maitri); the opposite of cruelty and revenge is compassion (Karuna); the opposite of looking down at yourself and feeling guilty is fostering happiness (Mudita); and the opposite of acting out of hatred and anger is Upeksha (mental stability, equanimity)

Vairagya

The first sutra defines Vairagya as renunciation or detachment:

I.15 Renunciation is the practice of detachment from desires.

The second talks about a much deeper vairagya; it defines ultimate Vairagya as overcoming the Gunas and perceiving the soul:

I.16 The ultimate renunciation is when one transcends the qualities of nature and perceives the soul.

Or as Ravi Ravindra puts it:

I.16 The higher Vairagya arises from a vision of the Transcendent Being (Purusha) and leads to the cessation of craving for the things of the world.

So, if Pratyahara (see II.54-5) is a withdrawal of the senses from the objects of the world; ultimate renunciation (Para Vairagya) is the withdrawal of the mind from the objects of the world.

We’ll see later that this resonance with the concept of Kaivalya, but first we need to see how Patanjali suggests transforming the Chitta, such that it will be ready for total liberation.

Transforming the Mind

Three transformations of silencing the mind are spoken about in sutras III.9-III.12. All of them have to do with the impressions coming from outside and the underlying stillness of the mind. The three are Nirodha, Samadhi and Ekagrata:

III.9 Study of the silent moments between rising and restraining subliminal impressions is the transformation of consciousness towards restraint (nirodhaparinamah).

III.10 The restraint of rising impressions brings about an undisturbed flow of tranquility.

III.11 The weakening of scattered attention and the rise of one-pointed attention in the citta is the transformation towards samadhi.

III.12 When rising and falling thought processes are in balance, one-pointed consciousness emerges. Maintenance of awareness with keen intensity from one-pointed attention to no-pointed attentiveness is ekagrata parinama.

B.K.S. Iyengar explains, in Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, that “Through the inner quest, the inner aspects of desire, attraction, and aversion are brought to an end.”

“The precious psychological moments of intermission (nirodhaksata) where there is stillness and silence are to be prolonged into extra-chronological moments of consciousness, without beginning or end.”

Kaivalya

What is Kaivalya?

Kaivalya is not freedom in the usual sense of personal or social freedom, such as freedom of movement, freedom of choice, and freedom of speech. It goes beyond the phenomenal world, beyond the spheres of the mental and emotional worlds, beyond what we consider as ‘I’. In this state the yogi isn’t disturbed anymore by the vicissitudes of the world, all the attractions and aversions that we are subject to, can’t touch him. He may still be living in the world, but he isn’t of the world.

Ravi Ravindra describes Kaivalya as follows:

“Time sequence and spatial distance are transcended in the state of Kaivalya, and all happenings are present to Purusha … simultaneously. The insight gained in the state of Kaivalya is comprehensive, eternal, and nonsequential. All events are present at once. Above all, this insight is liberating, for it is free of all bondage and free of Kleshas”

Enlighted beings like the Buddha and Ramana Maharishi give us an example of Kaivalya.

Defining Kaivalya

Kaivalya is defined in Wikipedia as follows:

Kaivalya (Sanskrit: कैवल्य) is the ultimate goal of aṣṭāṅga yoga and means “solitude”, “detachment” or “isolation”, a vrddhi-derivation from kevala “alone, isolated”. It is the isolation of purusha from prakṛti, and liberation from rebirth, i.e., moksha.

Let’s look at the definitions given by Patanjali.

Five sutras define Kaivalya: II.25, III.51, III.56, IV.26 & IV.34 (which is the final sutra in this treatise). Let’s look at them.

II.25 and III.51 define Kaivalya as the destruction of Avidya (ignorance, bondage) and total renunciation.

II.25 The destruction of ignorance through right knowledge breaks the link binding the seer to the seen. This is kaivalya, emancipation.

Or as Ravi Ravindra puts it:

II.25 With the disappearance of ignorance, the misidentification no longer exists. Then pure seeing alone remains.

In that sense Kaivalya means aloneness.

III.51 also brings back the concept of Vairagya – deep renunciation. The yogi needs to renounce even the subtle and fine discernment he has achieved. The discernment between Purusha and – not even Prakriti – but the most refined part of Prakriti -Sattva:

III.51 By destruction of the seeds of bondage and the renunciation of even these powers, comes eternal emancipation.

II.56 offers a different approach:

III.56 When the purity of intelligence (sattva) equals the purity of the soul, the yogi has reached kaivalya, perfection in yoga.

The above sutra talks about purification (Saucha) in its deepest sense. The yogi purifies his consciousness to such an extent that Sattva is equal to the purity of the soul – Purusha.

The fact that Purusha and Sattva are equal in purity, doesn’t mean that they are the same. On the contrary, although they may look the same, in fact, they are totally different (Sattva is part of the phenomenal world – Prakriti).

In III.54 states that the accomplished yogi has a keen discernment:

III.54 By this knowledge the yogi is able to distinguish unerringly the differences in similar objects which cannot be distinguished by rank, qualitative signs or position in space.

Then the Chitta is drawn to Purusha:

IV.26 Then consciousness is drawn strongly towards the seer or the soul due to the gravitational force of its exalted intelligence.

From the above sutras, we can see that Kaivalya is a retreat from the phenomenal world and coming back to the original form of consciousness (Svarupa) before it was stained by the Vrittis. In Kaivalya the Chitta returns to its original empty (Sunyata) and transparent nature.

Sutra IV.34 -concludes discourse by offering two definitions, the first in terms of overcoming Prakriti (the aims of life and the Gunas); or (va) in terms of Purusha, where the power of the pure consciousness Citishakti folds into itself or involuted (pratiprasava):

IV.34 purusartha sunyanam gunanam pratiprasavah kaivalyam svarupapratistha va citisaktih iti

Which translates to:

IV.34 Kaivalya, liberation, comes when the yogi has fulfilled the purusarthas, the fourfold aims of life, and has transcended the gunas. Aims and gunas return to their source, and consciousness is established in its own natural purity.

References

The Wisdom of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Ravi Ravindra, Shaila Press 2015

Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, B.K.S. Iyengar, HarperCollins, 1993