Today’s on My Daily Thread our verse brings us to a powerful turning point in our journey through the Sādhana Pāda. The snippet of wisdom comes from Yoga Sūtra 2.28, and it holds a special place in my heart.
So far, we’ve explored how the path of yoga helps us cultivate clarity and viveka-khyāti—discriminative wisdom—to see through confusion and recognize our true Self. That Self is described so beautifully in YS 1.3:
tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe ’vasthānam
Then the seer abides in their own true nature.
And when we truly glimpse this reality—even for a moment—it becomes clear: it doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing. It doesn’t matter what chaos is going on in the world. The taste of svarūpa—our essential nature—is so satisfying and liberating that we stop chasing the external and instead turn inward again and again.
Now, let’s look at YS 2.28, which shifts us into the practical tools of the yoga path:
yogāṅgānuṣṭhānād aśuddhi-kṣaye jñāna-dīptiḥ āviveka-khyāteḥ
By sustained practice of the limbs of yoga, the impurities are destroyed and the light of knowledge shines, leading to discriminative discernment.
This is the first mention of the aṣṭāṅga yoga—the eight limbs of yoga that Patañjali will soon detail. For many of us, the first doorway into yoga may have been the āsana practice, as it was for me through the Ashtanga Yoga of Sri Pattabhi Jois. That āsana practice took me to India, but it was the more profound teachings of Patanjali’s eightfold path, especially as shared by M.A. Jayashree and Prof. Narasimhan, that kept me going back.
This sutra offers a beautiful and hopeful promise: consistent effort in the eight limbs will purify us. It will remove the aśuddhi—the impurities, obstacles, and misconceptions that cloud our perception. And when that happens, jñāna-dīptiḥ—the light of knowledge—rises. This inner light isn’t intellectual trivia; it’s viveka-khyāti, the deep intuitive wisdom that lets us see clearly.
To be clear, I don’t mind if you never do a yoga pose. This isn’t about touching your toes or acing a handstand. What I do care about—and deeply wish for you—is that the light of viveka, this discerning inner clarity, begins to shine forth in your life.
This sutra reminds us: transformation is possible. And it’s not magic. It’s the fruit of committed, consistent practice.
Next week, we’ll begin our exploration of Patañjali’s aṣṭāṅga yoga—the eight limbs. These are the timeless, practical tools handed down to help us walk this path.
Until then, stay steady, stay soft, and may the light grow brighter in you.
Oṁ. Peace out.