There are five kinds of changing states of the mind, and they are either detrimental or nondetrimental [to the practice of yoga].

Bryant Commentary:

Patañjali defined yoga in I.2 as citta-vṛtti-nirodha and now dedicates sūtras I.5–12 to discussing the vṛttis and I.13–16 to discussing nirodha. We here get a sense of the systematic nature of the sūtra traditions, in contrast to the more spontaneous but unsystematic nature of the earlier Upaniṣadic corpus from which a number of knowledge systems stemmed. As has been noted, vṛtti is used frequently throughout the Yoga Sūtras essentially to refer to any sensual impression, thought, idea, cognition, psychic activity, or mental state whatsoever. Since the mind is never static but always active and changing, vṛttis are constantly being produced and thus constantly absorb the consciousness of puruṣa away from its own pure nature, channeling it out into the realm of subtle or gross prakṛti. Vijñānabhikṣu compares vṛttis to flames of a fire or waves of the sea. In other words, if the citta is the sea, the vṛttis are its waves, the never-ending but ever-changing temporary forms and permutations produced by the constant flux of the tides, undercurrents, and eddies of the citta. In I.2, Patañjali defined yoga as the complete cessation of all vṛttis. Here, he addresses the consequent question: What are these vṛttis that must be eliminated? There are five categories, pañcatayyaḥ, of vṛttis (which will be discussed in the following sūtras); Patañjali indicates that these can be either akliṣṭa, conducive (at least initially) to the ultimate goal of yoga, or kliṣṭa, detrimental.

Vyāsa states that the detrimental vṛttis are caused by the five kleśas, the impediments to the practice of yoga, ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, and clinging to life, that will be discussed in II.3. The term for detrimental, kliṣṭa, comes from the same root as kleśa (kliś, to trouble or torment). These types of mental states are detrimental to the goals of yoga because they are the fertile soil from which the seeds of karma sprout; the kliṣṭa-vṛttis culminate in bondage. They are essentially the products of rajas and tamas. Akliṣṭa-vṛttis are sāttvic and have the opposite effect; they are born of insight and culminate in liberation. When under the influence of the detrimental vṛttis, the mind becomes attracted or repelled by sense objects drawing its attention. In its attempt to attain that which attracts it, and avoid that which repels it, the mind provokes action, karma, which initiates a vicious reactive cycle.

Karma, from the root kṛ, to do or make, literally means work, but inherent in the Indic concept of work, or any type of activity, is the notion that every action breeds a reaction. Thus karma refers not only to an initial act, whether benevolent or malicious, but also to the reaction it produces (pleasant or unpleasant in accordance with the original act), which ripens for the actor either in this life or a future one. Hence (as will be seen in II.13–14), people are born into different socioeconomic situations, and pleasant or unpleasant things happen to them throughout life in accordance with their own previous actions.

This cycle of action and reaction, or saṁsāra, is potentially eternal and unlimited since not only does any one single act breed a reaction, but the actor must then react to this reaction, causing a rereaction, which in term fructifies and provokes rerereactions, and so on ad infinitum. Thus, since the vicious cycle of action and reaction for just one solitary momentary act is potentially unlimited, and since one has to act at every moment of one’s life (even blinking or breathing is an act), the storehouse of karma is literally unlimited. Since these reactions and rereactions cannot possibly be fitted into one life, they spill over from one lifetime to the next. It is in an attempt to portray the sheer unlimited and eternal productive power of karma that Indic thinkers, both Hindu and Buddhist, use such metaphors as the ocean of birth and death. Thus, karma, which keeps consciousness bound to the external world and forgetful of its own nature, is generated by the vṛttis, and the vṛttis, in turn, are produced by the kleśas.

The akliṣṭa nondetrimental mental vṛttis, on the other hand, are produced by the sāttvic faculty of discrimination that seeks to control the influence of rajas and tamas and thereby the detrimental vṛttis that they produce. Vyāsa notes that this type of vṛtti is beneficial even if situated in a stream of detrimental vṛttis. In other words, for the novice struggling to control his or her mind, even if the emergence of sattva occurs only periodically, it is always a beneficial occurrence, and it can be gradually increased and strengthened by a yogic lifestyle. The reverse also holds true, adds Vyāsa: Detrimental vṛttis also can surface periodically in a predominantly sāttvic citta (hence the Gītā’s statement in II.60 that the senses can carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination).

Vācaspati Miśra mentions activities such as the practice of yoga and the cultivation of desirelessness born from the study of scripture as nondetrimental, that is, mental activities beneficial to the goal of yoga. These actions, like any actions, produce seeds of reactions and create saṁskāras (discussed further below), but these seeds are sāttvic and beneficial to the path of yoga and the ultimate goal of samādhi. In time, and with practice, these seeds accumulate such that they eventually transform the nature of the mind. The mind then becomes more and more sāttvic, or illuminated and contemplative, such that the beneficial vṛttis eventually automatically suppress any stirrings of rajas and tamas—the detrimental vṛttis—until the latter remain only as inactive potencies. When the citta manifests its pure sattva potential, it becomes “like” the ātman, says Vyāsa. He means that, becoming aware of the true nature of reality, it no longer distracts the puruṣa with permutations of prakṛti, the world of saṁsāra, but provides it insight into its true nature and reflects puruṣa undistorted, allowing it to contemplate its true nature as per the mirror analogy.

Rāmānanda Sarasvatī notes here that, essentially, the citta mind is nothing but saṁskāras, mental imprints or impressions (not to be confused with saṁsāra, the cycle of birth and death). Saṁskāras are a very important feature of Yoga psychology: Every sensual experience or mental thought that has ever been experienced forms a saṁskāra, an imprint, in the citta mind. Essentially, any vṛtti leaves its copy on the citta before fading away, like a sound is imprinted on a tape recorder or an image on film. The mind is thus a storehouse of these recorded saṁskāras, deposited and accumulated in the citta over countless lifetimes. However, it is important to note that these saṁskāras are not just passive imprints but vibrant latent impulses that can activate under conducive circumstances and exert influence on a person’s thoughts and behaviors. Vyāsa notes that there is thus a cycle of vṛttis and saṁskāras. Vṛttis, that is, sense experiences and thoughts, etc. (and their consequent actions), are recorded in the citta as saṁskāras, and these saṁskāras eventually activate consciously or subliminally, producing further vṛttis. These vṛttis then provoke action with its corresponding reaction, which in turn are recorded as saṁskāras, and the cycle continues.

Memories in Hindu psychology, as we will see in I.11, are considered to be vivid saṁskāras from this lifetime, which are retrievable, while the notion of the subconscious in Western psychology corresponds to other less retrievable saṁskāras (accumulated, in Hinduism, primarily in previous lives), which remain latent as subliminal impressions. Saṁskāras also account for such things as personality traits, habits, compulsive and addictive behaviors, etc. For example, a particular type of experience, say smoking a cigarette, is imprinted in the citta as a saṁskāra, which then activates as a desirable memory or impulse, provoking a repetition of this activity, which is likewise recorded, and so on until a cluster or grove of saṁskāras of an identical or similar sort is produced in the citta, gaining strength with each repetition. The stronger or more dominant such a cluster of saṁskāras becomes, the more it activates and imposes itself upon the consciousness of the individual, demanding indulgence and perpetuating a vicious cycle that can be very hard to break. The reverse, of course, also holds true with benevolent akliṣṭa-vṛttis: One can become addicted, so to speak, to benevolent yogic activities and lifestyle by constant repetition. Kleśas, vṛttis, saṁskāras, and karma are thus all interconnected links in the chain of saṁsāra.

Through the practice of yoga, the yogī attempts to supplant all the rājasic and tāmasic saṁskāras with sāttvic ones until these, too, are restricted in the higher states of meditative concentration. This is because while sāttvic saṁskāras, the nondetrimental vṛttis, mentioned by Patañjali in this sūtra, are conducive to liberation, they nonetheless are still vṛttis and thus an external distraction to the pure consciousness of the ātman. Of course, as Vijñānabhikṣu points out, all vṛttis, including sāttvic ones, are ultimately detrimental from the absolute perspective of the puruṣa, as they bind consciousness to the world of matter, so the notions of detrimental and nondetrimental are from the relative perspective of saṁsāra; the detrimental (rājasic and tāmasic) vṛttis cause pain, and the nondetrimental (sāttvic) ones at least lead in the direction of liberation, even though they too must eventually be given up. Vijñānabhikṣu quotes the Bhāgavata Purāṇa here to make the point: “Other things [the obstacles to yoga] must be eliminated by sattva, and [then] sattva is eliminated by sattva” (XI.25.20). Also, vṛttis that are truly and literally akliṣṭa, not subject to any ignorance at all, can point only to the state of jīvanmukta, liberated while still embodied. This verse thus gives a clear indication that it is possible to act in the world in one’s prākṛtic body and mind from an enlightened perspective free from ignorance.

(jeezus Edwin, what body is not prakritic? dude, use your brain)

They Fall Into Five Varieties Of Which Some Are ‘Klista’ And The Rest are ‘Aklista’.

There are five types of patterns, including both hurtful and benign.

The vacillations are of five types, which may be either painful or not painful.

The modifications of the mind are five-fold and are painful or notpainful.

Taimini Commentary:

After indicating the essential nature of Yogic technique the author then proceeds to classify the Vrttis. He classifies them in two ways. Firstly, in relation to our feelings whether they are painful, pleasurable or neutral in their character. And secondly, according to the nature of the Pratyaya which is produced in our consciousness.

Let us consider first the reaction of these Vrttis on our feelings. This reaction according to Patanjali is either painful or not-painful. This will appear to a superficial student a rather strange way of classifying the mental modifications. Of course, there are certain modifications which are of a neutral character, i.e. they do not produce any pleasurable or painful reaction in our mind. When, for example, we notice a tree while walking, it is a mere sensuous perception which does not arouse any pleasurable or painful feeling within us. The vast majority of our sensuous perceptions which result in the modification of the mind are of this neutral character. They have been classed as ‘not-painful’.

But there are other modifications of the mind which do arouse a pleasurable or painful feeling within us. For example, when we taste some palatable article of food, or see a beautiful sunset or smell a rose there is a distinct feeling of pleasure. On the other hand, when we see a horrible sight or hear a cry of anguish the resulting transformation of the mind is definitely painful. Why has then Patanjali classified all such modifications of the mind which arouse some feeling within us as painful? The reason for this is given in II-15 in connection with the philosophy of Klesas. It will suffice to mention here that according to the theory of Klesas upon which the Yogic philosophy is based, all pleasurable and painful experiences are really painful to the people who have developed the faculty of discrimination and are not blinded by the illusions of the lower life. It is our ignorance, caused by these illusions, which makes us see pleasure in experiences which are a potential source of pain and therefore makes us run after those pleasures. If our inner eyes were open we would see the ‘potential’ pain hidden within these pleasures and not only when the pain is present in an ‘active’ form. We would then see the justification for classifying all experiences which involve our feelings and thus give rise to Raga and Dvesa as painful. This may appear to the student a rather pessimistic view of life but let him withhold his judgment until he has studied the philosophy of Klesas in Section II.

If all experiences involving our feelings are painful then it is logical to classify the remaining experiences which are of a neutral character and do not affect our feelings as not-painful. It will be seen, therefore, that the primary classification of Citta-Vrttis as painful and not-painful is not without reason and from the Yogic point of view perfectly logical and reasonable. The other point of view from which the Citta-Vrttis have been classified is the nature of the Pratyaya produced in the Citta. The object of classifying them in this manner is to show that all our experiences in the realm of the mind consist of mental modifications and nothing else. The control and complete suppression of these modifications, therefore, extinguishes our lower life completely and leads inevitably to the dawning of the higher consciousness. When classified in this manner the Vrttis or modifications are stated to be of five kinds as shown in the next Sutra.

The movements of consciousness are fwefold. They may be cognizable or non-cognizable, painful or non-painful.

Iyengar Commentary:

Fluctuations or modifications of the mind may be painful or non-painful, cognizable or non-cognizable. Pain may be hidden in the non-painful state, and the non-painful may be hidden in the painful state. Either may be cognizable or non-cognizable.
When consciousness takes the lead, naturally the seer takes a back seat. The seed of change is in the consciousness and not in the seer. Consciousness sees objects in relation to its own idiosyncrasies, creating fluctuations and modifications in one’s thoughts. These modifications, of which there are five, are explained in the next sutra. They may be visible or hidden, painful or not, distressing or pleasing, cognizable or non-cognizable.

The previous sutra explains that the consciousness involves the seer with the objects seen by it, and invites five types of fluctuations which can be divided and subdivided almost infinitely.

Thoughts, when associated with anguish, are known as painful (klista) conditions of the mind and consciousness. For example, a live coal covered with ash appears to be ash. If one touches it, it burns the skin at once. The live coal was in an incognizable, or aklista state. The moment the skin was burned, it became cognizable, or klista. As anguish predominates in pain, the pleasing state cannot be identified with it, though it exists side by side. The pleasure of sex ends in the agony of labour pain at the time of delivery, to be followed by all the cycles of joy, worry and sadness associated with parenthood.

Even highly evolved souls, who have reached a certain spiritual height, as in 1.18 which describes a non-painful, blissful state, are cautioned by Patañjali in 1.19. He warns that, though the yogi remains free while the virtuous potencies continue to be powerful, the moment they fade away he has to strive again, a painful end to the attainment of the spiritual pinnacle. Alternatively, the pains may be hidden, and may appear as non-painful for a long time, until they surface. For example, cancer can remain undetected for a long time until it reaches a painful and tormenting state.
Cognizable pains and anguishes are controlled or annihilated by the practice of yoga, and by willpower. Incognizable pains are prevented from rising to the state of cognition by freedom from desires (vAsanas) and by non-attachment (vairagya), in addition to yogic sadhana.

In II.12, Patañjali uses the words drsta (visible) and adrsta (unperceived, invisible). These may be compared to klista and aklista. Nature causes the five fluctuations to appear in their affictive klista forms, whereas purusa tends to bring them to the aklista state. For example, the klista form of memory is bondage in psychological time, the aklista form is the function of discrimination. Both the painful and non-painful states can be visible or hidden. The known, visible pains and pleasures can be reduced or eradicated. In painful states the ‘non-pains’ may be hidden, and consequently the virtues are difficult to recognize or perceive. Both these states must be stopped by yogic practice and renunciation. In sutras I.23, 27, 28, 33–39, and in II.29, Patañjali underlines the means of reaching the zenith of virtue, which is freedom and beatitude.

The citta acts as the wheel, while klista and aklista states are like the two spokes of the wheel which cause fluctuations and modulations in one’s self. The vrttis in their klista and aklista manifestations are not separate parallel entities, but feed and support each other. For example, the dullness which is the negative aspect of sleep supports the wrong perception of the other modulations of consciousness, whereas the positive experience of sleep (the passive, virtuous state experienced immediately on waking, when the ‘I’ is silent) gives a glimmer of a higher state, encouraging the efforts of right knowledge and discrimination. If the wheel is at rest, the spokes remain steady, and the citta becomes free from vrttis.

There are five kinds of mental modifications which are either painful or painless.

Satchidananda Commentary:

Patañjali says there are five kinds of vṛttis, and again these are grouped into two major categories. One variety brings us pain; the other does not. Notice that he does not divide the thoughts into painful and pleasurable. Why? Because even a so-called pleasurable thought might ultimately bring us pain. And, again, we cannot easily know in the beginning whether a particular thought will bring pain or not. Some thoughts begin with pain but end leaving us at peace. Others appear to be pleasurable but bring pain. For example, our pity at another’s suffering certainly causes us pain, but ultimately it expands our hearts and minds, gives us more understanding and leaves us in peace.

Instead of these terms, “painful” and “painless, ” we might be able to understand this point better if we use two other words. Call them “selfish” thoughts and “selfless” thoughts. The selfish thoughts ultimately bring pain. For example, to love something or somebody is pleasurable. But many of you have experienced how the very same love brought you a lot of unhappiness, pain, hatred, jealousy and so on. Why? Because that love was not just a pure love but was based on some expectation in return. There was selfishness in it. The expectation may be anything: a little financial comfort, some publicity or a little physical pleasure. With this expectation, love seldom lasts long. So love, though it appears to be a painless thought, ultimately ends in pain if it is based on selfishness.

On the other hand, a thought like anger might bring pain in the beginning. The anger of a selfless person has no personal motive behind it. Although that anger may cause somebody to feel bad in the beginning, ultimately it helps that person to correct himself or herself and to lead a better life. For example, a little strictness on the part of the classroom teacher is needed to reform the children and make them understand their responsibilities. Whatever the thought is, if there is no selfishness behind it, it can never really bring pain to the person concerned. The result is neither pain nor pleasure, but peace. Seeing this truth, we should analyze all our motives and try to cultivate selfless thoughts. That is our first and foremost duty.

Some people say, “I thought that in the name of meditation and Yoga, we were supposed to make the mind blank and without thoughts.” But you can’t make the mind thoughtless immediately. Many people try, but it is impossible. Once you make the mind thoughtless you have attained the goal. But it is not that easy. Many people say, ”I have made my mind vacant.” How did they know the mind was vacant? They were aware of it. Is not that type of awareness a thought? You have removed all other thoughts and retained this one thought of having made the mind vacant. That is not the real thoughtlessness.

That is why we use the trick of developing certain positive thoughts while removing negative ones. We say to the mind, “All right. If you want to create some thought forms, go ahead. But if you create thoughts that will bring you pain, you are the one who will suffer. If you are selfish, you will suffer later on. I don’t want to kill you. I am your friend. I am interested in your welfare and peace, so please listen to me: do not create thoughts that will rebound on you. Forget your selfishness, make others happy, and you will be the happiest person.” By seeing others happy, you can’t be unhappy. But by making everybody unhappy, you can never be happy yourself. So, at least for your happiness, bring happiness to others. If you really want to be selfish, be selfish in the idea of retaining your peace. There is no harm in that selfishness because by that you are not going to harm anybody. Instead, you will be bringing the same peace to others also. If the mind says, “I can’t be selfless; I must be selfish, ” tell it, “All right. Go to the other extreme and be selfish in refusing to disturb your own peace.”

In our daily lives we always work with these two categories of thoughts. Now we know that selfish thoughts will bring misery and selfless ones leave us in peace. How are we to know whether our thoughts are selfless or not? We have to watch carefully the moment a thoughtform arises in the mind. We become analysts. This itself is Yoga practice—watching our own thoughts and analyzing them.

There are five classes of modification, painful and not painful.

These then, the five-fold modifications of the mind, painful and not-painful, are to be restrained, being many. The painful are those that cause the afflictions and become the field for the growth of the vehicle of actions (karmasaya). The not-painful are those that have discrimination for their object and which oppose the functioning of the “qualities.” They remain not painful even though fallen into the stream of the painful. They are not-painful even in the intervals of the painful. The painful also remain in the intervals of the not-painful. Potencies (Faculties of the same class are generated by the modifications themselves ; and the modifications are caused by the potencies. Tims the wheel of mental modifications and potencies turns round and round. Such is the mind which when its objects have been attained, rests unmoving like the self, or disappears.

~ Rāma Prasāda translation.

Yogasūtrabhāṣyavivaraṇa
or the Pātañjalayogaśāstravivaraṇa
by Śaṅkara

Patañjali Sūtra I.5

The mental processes are of five kinds; they are tainted or pure

The tainted are caused by the five taints (kleśa); they become the seed-bed for the growth of the accumulated karma seed-stock. The others are pure and are the field of Knowledge. They oppose involvement in the guṇa-s. They remain pure even if they occur in a stream of tainted ones. In gaps between tainted ones, there are pure ones; in gaps between pure ones, tainted ones. It is only by mental processes that saṃskāra-s corresponding to them are produced, and by saṃskāra-s are produced new mental processes. Thus the wheel of mental process and saṃskāra revolves. Such is the mind. But when it gives up its involvement, it abides in the likeness of self (ātman) or else dissolves.

The mental processes are to be inhibited, though they are many. In the extraverted state, Puruṣa conforms to them as has been explained. Why are they to be inhibited? The sūtra says, They are tainted or pure.

(Opponent) They are too many to be inhibited.

(Answer) To this the sūtra says, They are of five kinds. Though there is an infinity of them, tainted and pure, still they are of only five kinds, of five classes, five groups. Only by recourse to practice and detachment, which oppose them en bloc, does inhibition succeed; their mere number does not make inhibition impossible, though there is no effective means of inhibiting them one by one.

The tainted are caused by the five taints, for mind, impelled by Ignorance and the other four taints, again and again invites the self, and they become the seedbed for the growth of the accumulated karma seed-stock. Karmas are favourable, unfavourable, and mixed, and they are referred to as karma seed-stock inasmuch as they have a latent drive towards producing fruits. The mass of them is held together, each sometimes predominating and sometimes auxiliary to others. With that mass of karma seed-stock as cause, Ignorance and the other taints become the seed-bed for tainted mental processes. When these last appear, the karma seed-stock is near to ripening.

The pure are the field of Knowledge, they are the seats (āspada) of Knowledge. They oppose involvement activity of the saṃskāra-s with the guṇa-s sattva, rajas, and tamas. It is because they are directed towards the field of Knowledge that they are pure, since Knowledge brings about release (apavarga).

When pure thoughts arise in the midst of a mass of tainted ones, do they themselves become tainted – like drops of water thrown into a pot of milk? And do the tainted, caught in a current of pure ones, themselves become pure? What would follow if they did? If pure ones that happened to be in a current of tainted ones were to become tainted, it would mean that memory, which conforms to the saṃskāra of the thought which produced it, and on whose accuracy life in the world depends, would be unreliable, for the thoughts would be inherently uncertain. So he says In gaps between tainted ones, there are pure ones which remain pure, and in gaps between pure ones, the tainted are still tainted. And this being so, it is only by mental processes (vṛtti) that saṃskāra-s corresponding to them are produced. Though the taints and so on do set up saṃskāra-s, it happens only through the medium of mental processes, and this is the force of the word only. And by saṃskāra-s, mental processes corresponding to them are produced; so the wheel of process and saṃskāra continuously incessantly revolves.

Such is the mind, characterized by having processes and saṃskāra-s each causing the other; but when it has given up its involvement (adhikāra) when the activity caused by Ignorance has ceased and it rests in the causal state alone it rests in the likeness of self (ātman) in the likeness of Puruṣa, as pure Knowledge alone, for a time conforming to the remainder of the saṃskāra-s which have already begun to function (prārabdha), or else dissolves when the saṃskāra-s have come to an end.

The mental processes, tainted or untainted, are of these five kinds: