Patanjali, who lived in the early centuries CE, systematized classical yoga in his seminal text, the Yoga Sutras. His philosophy offers a comprehensive framework for mental and spiritual discipline, moving far beyond the physical postures that dominate modern perceptions of yoga. The ultimate purpose is not physical fitness or stress reduction, but a profound spiritual and mental transformation. The goal is to achieve permanent mental clarity that reveals the practitioner’s true, unchanging nature.
The Core Definition of Yoga
Patanjali provides the immediate goal of the practice in the second sutra: Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodhah, translated as “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.” This defines yoga as fundamentally a method for achieving mental stillness. The mind, referred to as Chitta, encompasses the entire mental field, including consciousness, intellect, ego, memories, and emotions.
The mental fluctuations, or thought-waves, are called Vritti, and they constantly disturb the mind’s stillness. These Vrittis include all forms of mental activity, such as correct knowledge, error, imagination, memory, and deep sleep. Like ripples on a lake, these fluctuations distort the mind’s ability to perceive reality clearly. The goal of Nirodhah, or cessation, is to stop identifying with these thought patterns.
When the mind is no longer agitated, Patanjali states that the observer—the true Self—can rest in its own nature. This state of mental clarity allows the practitioner to see things as they truly are, without the distortion of personal biases or ego-driven interpretation. This mental mastery is the prerequisite for achieving the highest spiritual aim of the yogic tradition.
The Ultimate Attainment
The highest purpose of Patanjali’s system is Kaivalya, which translates to “absolute freedom.” This state is the final result achieved once the fluctuations of the mind are permanently stilled. Kaivalya represents the ultimate liberation from suffering and the continuous cycle of birth and death (samsara).
This freedom is rooted in the philosophical realization of the absolute distinction between the true Self, Purusha, and all matter, Prakriti. Purusha is pure, unchanging consciousness, the eternal observer. Prakriti is everything else, including the mind (Chitta), the body, and the material world.
The problem is the false identification of Purusha with Prakriti—the mistake of believing consciousness is defined by the mind or body. Kaivalya dissolves this fundamental error, allowing Purusha to stand alone, disentangled from material influences. It is a permanent state of non-attachment, where consciousness is established in its own purity and independence.
The Path to Achieving the Goal
Patanjali prescribed a systematic, eight-fold path to achieve mental cessation and Kaivalya. This framework is known as Ashtanga Yoga (ashta means eight, anga means limb). The eight limbs are stages that build upon one another, moving the practitioner from outward moral discipline toward inward meditative absorption.
The path begins with the ethical guidelines, Yama (social conduct) and Niyama (personal observances). These moral foundations prepare the mind by removing causes of agitation. Following these are Asana (physical postures) and Pranayama (breath control), which stabilize the body and regulate the life force.
The inward journey begins with Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), which trains the mind to disengage from external stimuli. The final three limbs—Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (absorption)—are grouped together as Samyama, the internal discipline that leads directly to the goal. These internal practices refine the mind’s focus until the mental fluctuations cease.