Yoga Sutras, 2.1

2.1:Tapah svadhyaya ishwara pranidhanani kriya yogah, Accepting pain as help for purification, study, and surrender to the Supreme Being constitute Yoga in practice.

Tapas, svadhyaya, and ishwara pranidhana (discipline{I prefer this translation of tapas}, study, and surrender to God) are kriya yoga. They are also listed in sutra 2.32 as the last three components of Niyama-usually translated as personal conduct-which is the second limb of Pantanjali's formal eight limbed path. Because they are also listed later in the chapter, there are different interpretations. One school of thought interprets kriya yoga as preliminary to the eight limb path. I.K. Taimni in his commentary on this sutra says, "A preparatory period of self-training in which he (the yogi/yogini) gradually assimilates the Yogic philosophy and its technique and accustoms himself to self-discipline makes the transition from the one life to the other easier and safer." He goes on to say later in the same sutra, "This preparatory self-discipline is triple in its nature corresponding to the triple nature of a human being. Tapas is related to his will, Svadhyaya to the intellect and Isvara pranidhana to the emotions."

The other interpretation is that kriya yoga is not preliminary but simply the essence of Patanjali's yoga practice. In sutra 1.2 Patanjali defines yoga as the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind. Later in sutra 1.12 he tells us that practice and non attachment are used to still the fluctuations of the mind. In the next sutra, 1.13 he defines practice as effort towards steadiness of the mind. In this chapter titled Sadhana, spiritual practice, he tells us that discipline, study, and surrender to God constitute yoga in practice (kriya yoga).

Now let's talk about what this involves. Tapas, translated by Satchidananda as accepting pain as help for purification, is the first ingredient. I like Satchidananda's translation of the Yoga Sutras (Y.S.) but I don't care for this definition of tapas. Usually tapas is translated as discipline, auserity, or zeal for practice. Tapas comes from the root tap which literally means to burn. In most of the older books on yoga, yogis frequently would withdraw from society to do their tapas. In this context it could mean intense meditation practice or special yogic purification techniques such as fasting or internal cleansing techniques or pranayama (breathing techniques). The reason for tapas being the purification of the body/mind in order to be more receptive to God.

Svadhyaya, study, consists of two methods. The first is self study through recitation of mantras and internalization of awareness. The second is study of scripture-the intellectual approach.

Ishwara pranidhana is the third and last technique of kriya yoga. This is a practice of devotion. It consists of offering up all of one's actions to the Supreme Being.

B.K.S. Iyengar, in his commentary on this sutra says, "This sutra represents the three great paths:karma, jnana, and bhakti. The path of action (karma-marga), is the discipline (tapas) of the body, senses, and mind. The path of knowledge (jnana-marga, pronounced gee-ahn-ah), is the study of the self (svadhyaya) from the skin to the core and back again. The path of love of God (bhakti-marga) is surrender (pranidhana) of all to God."