Patanjali Yogasutra 2.15
परिणामतापसंस्कारदुःखैर्गुणवृत्तिविरोधाच्च दुःखमेव सर्वं विवेकिनः।
"To the discriminating, all is, as it were, painful on account of everything bringing pain, either in the consequences, or in apprehension, or in attitude caused by impressions, also on account of the counter action of qualities."
In this Sutra, Patanjali emphasizes the pervasiveness of suffering (duḥkha) in the life of a discerning or wise person (vivekinah). The term "vivekinah" refers to one who has developed discrimination and clarity in perception. Such a person perceives suffering not just in apparent discomforts but also in what might typically be considered pleasurable. This broader perception of suffering is derived from several sources: change (pariṇāma), anxiety or agitation (tāpa), latent impressions (saṁskāra), and the inherent conflicts among the three gunas—sattva, rajas, and tamas.
Change (pariṇāma) refers to the inevitable transformation and transience of life and material objects. Even pleasurable experiences lead to suffering because they are impermanent and ultimately change. This transient nature creates a sense of loss and unfulfillment, leading to sorrow.
Anxiety or agitation (tāpa) arises from the anticipation of future sufferings or the recollection of past pains. This mental state causes distress and discomfort, even when one is not experiencing immediate physical suffering. The anticipation of loss or change in favorable conditions can lead to anxiety.
Latent impressions (saṁskāra) are the subconscious imprints from past experiences that shape an individual's reactions and responses. These impressions perpetuate cycles of craving and aversion, binding individuals to continuous cycles of suffering. Even neutral or pleasant experiences can trigger these latent impressions, leading to dissatisfaction.
The gunas' activities (guṇa-vṛtti-virodha) represent the natural tendencies and conflicts within the human psyche and nature. The three gunas—sattva (clarity), rajas (activity), and tamas (inertia)—are constantly in flux, creating internal and external conflicts. This inherent contradiction within nature itself becomes a source of suffering for the discerning person, who perceives the limitations and struggles inherent in all worldly experiences.
Swami Vivekanand said:
"The Yogis say that the man who has discriminating powers, the man of good sense, sees through all these various things, which are called pleasure and pain, and knows that they are always equally distributed, and that one follows the other, and melts into the other; he sees that men never succeed in fulfilling their desires. There was never a love in this world which did not know decay. The great king Yudishthira once said that the most wonderful thing in life is that every moment we see people dying around us, and yet we think we shall never die. Surrounded by fools on every side, we think we are the only exceptions, the only learned men. Surrounded by all sorts of experiences of fickleness, we think our love is the only lasting love. How can that be? Even love is selfish, and the Yogi says that, in the end, we shall find that even the love of husbands and wives, and children and friends, slowly decays. Decadence seizes everything in this life. It is only when everything, even love, fails, that, with a flash, man finds out how vain, how dream-like is this world. Then he catches a glimpse of Vairagyam (renunciation), catches a glimpse of the beyond. It is only by giving up this world that the other comes; never through building on to this one. Never yet was there a great soul who had not to reject sense pleasures and enjoyments to become such. The cause of misery is the clash between difference forces of nature, one dragging one way, and another dragging another, rendering permanent happiness impossible."
Contextual Comparison with Other Vedic Texts
Bhagavad Gita 8.15
मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम्।
नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः॥
"After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection."
In this verse, the Bhagavad Gita echoes the Yogasutra's sentiment by describing the material world as "duḥkhālayam" (abode of suffering). The temporary nature of the world and the inherent suffering in the cycle of birth and death highlight a similar understanding of life's transient and unsatisfactory nature.
Mundaka Upanishad 3.2.6
भिद्यते हृदयग्रन्थिः छिद्यन्ते सर्वसंशयाः।
क्षीयन्ते चास्य कर्माणि तस्मिन् दृष्टे परावरे॥
"When the knot of the heart is cut, all doubts are dispelled, and all his karma is exhausted, then the mortal becomes immortal, and here attains Brahman."
This verse from the Mundaka Upanishad relates to the Yogasutra's idea of transcendence from suffering. The Upanishad suggests that liberation from the cycles of karma and the knots of ignorance (avidya) leads to ultimate freedom (moksha), akin to the Yogasutra's liberation from suffering through viveka (discrimination).
Yoga Vashishta 6.1.26
संसारः स्वप्नसदृशो मोहग्रन्थिसमाकुलः।
अनादिनिधनः कालः क्रीडति प्राणिनां यदा॥
"The world is like a dream, full of attachments and delusions, bound by the knot of ignorance. Time, without beginning or end, plays with living beings."
This verse from the Yoga Vashishta illustrates the illusory and dream-like nature of the world (samsara), which is filled with attachments and delusions, similar to Patanjali's description of the causes of suffering. It emphasizes the concept of ignorance (avidya) as a binding force, keeping beings entangled in the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
These texts highlight the shared understanding across various Vedic traditions of the inherent suffering in worldly existence and the importance of knowledge, discrimination, and liberation to transcend this suffering.
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