When Stephanie, the editor of this auspicious newsletter, told me that the theme of this issue would be the Pearl, she expressed some concern about the fit of this metaphor with the Yoga-Sûtra of Pataõjali. Her point was well taken. Yoga is really about a simplicity that is so complete that it defies description in English, and yet, the Pearl is appropriate in an ironic way.

What is the Yoga-Sûtra of Pataõjali? The Vedic Civilization of ancient India devised and grew with six fields, or schools, of inquiry that comprised Orthodox Philosophy. One of these fields was Yoga.

The Yoga-Sûtra of Pataõjali is the central text of practical theory and guiding instruction of all Yoga disciplines and traditions. As such, it defines and delineates the technical, meta-psychological, and meditative premises that underlie all Yoga traditions. It is one of humanity's most impressive treatises on consciousness in what is now known as the field of transpersonal psychology. The great sage, Pataõjali, composed the Yoga-Sûtra, in Sanskrit, at least fifteen hundred years ago.

In the process, he compiled, condensed, edited and synthesized thousands of years of pre-existent material in the field of Yoga. With his own substantial and original contributions, the Sûtra effectively superseded all previous technical works.

All of the schools of Indian Orthodox Philosophy had one or two central texts that organized their study. These books were composed in the sûtra style of exposition. The term sûtra refers to a traditional Indian pedagogical device. It is a Sanskrit word derived from the root-verb siv (to sew), which literally translates into English as “thread.” Our English word suture is related to it.

A sûtra can be either an excruciatingly brief, terse statement or a complete volume composed of these statements. The intent of both is to present a topic or subject completely but with the utmost succinctness possible. In the form of a very intense phrase, a single sûtra embodies a complete concept statement that is integral to a series of sûtras. These statements combine to form a text that unfolds a complete understanding of a field of inquiry. The Yoga-Sûtra comprises 196 sûtras, which comprehensively address every area of consideration in Yoga. When sûtra refers to a volume of sûtras it receives the lyrical description: "a single thread unadorned by a single bead," reflecting both the distillate quality of each statement and the unbroken continuity in the relationship of the discreet statements. The rigorous simplicity imposed by the sûtra methodology reveals the essence of the subject under examination - free from the distractions of even a diamond bead - or a pearl. This compression can be so extreme as to take a form closer to a hint or an indication than discourse as ordinarily presented. Translating sûtras is more challenging than translating poetry or jokes. It is not unusual for a sûtra to be so laconic that it is incomprehensible without commentary.

For the student who chooses to delve more deeply in yoga disciplines, The Yoga-Sûtra of Pataõjali is the key to unlocking the secrets of this ancient art and science.

In the months to come this column will present perspectives on Pataõjali’s Yoga-Sûtra. Let’s begin with a necessarily brief biography of Pataõjali himself.

Who Was Pataõjali? One of the tasty mysteries so often served up by scholars of Indian literary and philosophical history is: how many Pataõjalis were there: one, two—or more? Six monumental works in Indian philosophy and literature are attributed to Pataõjali, the best known being the Yoga-Sûtra. While details of Pataõjali’s existence can be debated, there is no question that he is a historical figure. However, the range and depth of his authority are of such profundity that he transcends the historical and merges into the mythical.

Mythologies surrounding Pataõjali abound. He is so intimately associated with the serpent manifestation of Viæñu, called Âdiåeæa, that one legend asserts that Pataõjali actually was an incarnation of Âdiåeæa. Other stories relate that when he was born, he fell (pat) into the hollow of the hand or the hands in prayer (aõjali) of Pâñini, Åiva, or his mother Goñikâ, in the shape of a little snake. Statues and bas-reliefs of Pataõjali continue the Âdiåeæa symbology. He is represented with the upper body of a man, the lower body of a serpent, and with the five hoods of Âdiåeæa spread over him. His incarnation came to a close when he was swallowed by a python. If nothing else, Pataõjali's life is a parable of consistency.

Âdiåeæa symbolizes manifold functions. It represents the force of gravity in the Hindu cosmology as well as the "coiled" cosmic energy latent in human beings, the kundalini, which is called the serpent-power. Kundalini might be said to be the energy in matter—a relationship with tremendous potential for release of light—that we know as atomic energy. The statues depicting Pataõjali's body configuration may be graphic and emphatic representations of his utter mastery of the kundalini and mastery of the physical plane as symbolized by gravity. Furthermore, the five hoods of Âdiåeæa symbolize mastery of the five senses.

Pataõjali is occasionally represented in groups of sages and demigods in temple statuary of southern India. He is one of the two sages to whom Åiva manifested himself as Naøarâja (Lord of the Dance) in His cosmic dance of Creation that spun the universe into motion. The Anantîåvara shrine in the southern Indian city of Cidambaram (where Lord Åiva is reputed to have revealed Himself as Naøarâja), has a special bond with Pataõjali, and he is well represented in the Naøarâja temple complex in that town.

Pataõjali’s Opus The best known of the six studies attributed to Pataõjali is the Yoga-Sûtra. It is here that debate emerges; framed around the question of whether one man, or several working under one name, produced them all. As is usual in these matters, unanimous agreement is unthinkable. However, an army of formidable scholars contends that before undertaking the penultimate description of human psychology and spiritual potential (the Yoga-Sûtra), Pataòjali wrote the Mahâbhâæya on the Aæøâdhyâyî of Pâñini. The Aæøâdhyâyî (The Work in Eight Chapters [on the Discipline of Words]) is Pâñini's comprehensive Sanskrit grammar.

The Maha (great) bhâæya (commentary) on the Aæøâdhyâyî, elaborates on Pâñini's original treatise. In the process, Pataõjali greatly clarified Sanskrit and no doubt cleared the way for his subsequent volume. It is a rare luxury for a scholar to be able to define his language of use at a cultural level before beginning his main work—in this case the Yoga-Sûtra.

In addition to the Yoga-Sûtra and the Mahâbhâæya, Pataõjali has been credited with a number of works yet to be translated into Western languages. Among them:

the Pataõjala, a treatise on alchemy; the Adhira-kârikâ on the Sâñkhya;
the Nidana-Sûtra on liturgical music;
Piõgala's Candah-Sûtra on metrics, and the
Caraka-saähitâ, an exposition on anatomy and medicine.

Various sûtras in the Yoga-Sûtra and the Mahâbhâæya provide clues in the debate about when and where Patanjali lived. The widest agreement spans from 150 B.C.E. to 200 C.E. (though it is not wise to completely disregard authorities who place him around 1000 B.C. or earlier).

Pataõjali is not the founder of Yoga itself. The most commonly held theory is that he compiled and edited existent material. Some textual analysts argue that some sutras in both volumes attributed to Pataõjali were actually later contributions. The debate centers around certain linguistic structures characteristic of different periods. In a sense, the more we endeavor to establish him historically, the more mythical he becomes.

Whatever his manifestation and whatever the “facts” about his life, Pataõjali was one of the most gifted humans ever to grace this planet. The treasures he bestowed on humanity are so profound that it is unlikely that we have more than glimpsed their full measure.

The Unadorned Thread of Yoga The Yoga-Sûtra of Pataõjali offers us the ultimate body of consideration of every obstacle to be faced and every tool needed in the Quest for Yoga. In the months to come, this column, The Unadorned Thread of Yoga, will explore it with you.

May your consciousness become as a single thread unadorned by a single bead—even a pearl.

Salvatore began teaching Yoga in 1968 with the Sivananda Yoga Centers in Chicago and Val Morin, Canada. Salvatore is currently on staff at the Samadhi Yoga Center in Seattle, where he teaches anatomy, meditation, and the Yoga Sûtras of Pataõjali.

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