योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः
Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ
🪔 WORD BY WORD ANALYSIS
| Sanskrit Word | Traditional Meaning |
|---|---|
| Yogaḥ (योगः) | Yoga / Union / State of supreme stillness and communion |
| Citta (चित्त) | Mind / Consciousness / Subtle mind-stuff consisting of intellect, ego, and memory |
| Vṛtti (वृत्ति) | Modifications / Fluctuations / Whirlpools / Waves of thoughts and reactions |
| Nirodhaḥ (निरोधः) | Restraint / Stilling / Cessation / Calming of ripples into absolute clarity |
Imagine your mind is a lake. When wind blows, waves ripple and you cannot see the precious gems at the bottom. The thoughts, anxieties, and distractions are the waves (Vrittis). Yoga is the art of calming the lake until the water is crystal clear and your true peaceful nature shines through.
"Swami Vivekananda: "Yoga is restraining the mind-stuff (Chitta) from taking various forms (Vrittis). Just as the bottom of a lake cannot be seen when the water is agitated by waves, our true Self cannot be seen until the whirlpools of thoughts in the mind are stilled.""
5-Minute Chitta Observation: Sit upright. Do not fight your thoughts. Silently observe each thought rise like a cloud and dissolve without reacting. Become the silent sky behind the clouds.
Observe thoughts rising and fading like clouds without grasping or resisting.
Sanskrit Chant & Pronunciation
Listen to sacred 432 Hz resonance and harmonic overtone vibration of this verse.
Repeat the sacred syllable: ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः (Om Shanti Shanti Shanti)