वृत्तयः पञ्चतय्यः क्लिष्टाSक्लिष्टा:
vrittayah panchatayah klista-klistah
प्रमाणविपर्ययविकल्पनिद्रास्मृतयः
pramana- viparyaya - vikalpa- nidra- smritayah
While defining yoga, Maharshi Patanjali talked about various modes of consciousness. I did not address this issue while discussing about the definition of yoga as per Patanjali. But I had promised that I would discuss it in a subsequent post. So here it is.
There are five modes of consciousness. Each of these can be a painful experience or may not be so depending upon the effect each produces.
The first one is pramana. The word pramana literally means proof. However Patanjali uses it in the sense of knowledge or truth as different from falsehood. In the subsequent sutra Patanjali says that there are three types of pramana – direct experience, inference, and what is written in authoritative books. All our knowledge does not come form direct experience. Some come from the inferences we draw even though we have not directly seen it. But that inference has to be logical. Knowledge may come from written records. But, everthing written in books may not be true. One has to be careful. The world has been subject to disasters after disasters because some people took some written words as absolute truth.
The second mode is viparyaya. If pramana is right knowledge, viparyaya is wrong knowledge based on falsehood or because of drawing illogical conclusions from facts.
The third mode vikalpa is about creating alternate reality in one’s mind. It is all about day dreaming or fantasising. Vikalpa literally means alternative. Words may do this magic. By hearing or reading one may get transported to a fictitious land. It is all words but the land described by those words does not exist in reality.
The fourth mode is nidra or sleep which is fairly easy to understand. In this state one is devoid of awarenss about the surroundings.
The fifth one is smriti which literally means memory. One remembers things past and the consciousness goes and dwells there. If the memory is pleasant one is happy If the memories are unpleasant one is unhappy. Same is for other modes. Knowledge of truth can give one happiness or it may be painful.
The consciousnesses changes from one state to another. Quite often we are helpless and we do not have any control over it. We somehow feel that it is not ok to constantly think of past and keep on regretting it. But we don’t know how to come out of it.
And yoga is about having mastery over the modes of consciousnesses. A yogi can easily bring his awareness to the present state and not allow it to stray into past or future or fantasy or sleep. In case the direct present experience is too painful, a yogi can detach himself from the pain. A yogi gets established in the state of witness consciousness and does not drown his chitta in the happenings.
This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026
This year my theme is – Yoga A2Z
PEBBLES AND WAVES 