Samkhya-Yoga-Kundalini
Yoga-aṅga-anuṣṭhānād-aśuddhi-kṣaye jñāna-dīptir-ā-viveka-khyāteḥ
Performing or practicing the limbs of yoga. The eight limbs are the methods the yogi employs to bring about the elevation of consciousness.
Diminution or elimination of impurities. The aspiring yogi seeks consciousness in a state of pure sattva, which is everything that is good, such as love, wisdom, righteousness, prosperity, happiness. To achieve that, he/she must eliminate from his/her thoughts and actions those things that are un-sattvic in nature. Several limbs describe what these things are and the methods for their removal.
Illumination of understanding, or perhaps enlightenment. Several limbs describe the meditation techniques that are used to achieve this.
The illumination of understanding leads to viveka-khyāteḥ, translated here as discriminative knowledge. “Discriminative knowledge” is an important concept, but difficult to understand. An alternative translation might be “knowledge derived from the ability to discern the true nature of things”. At the highest level, discrimination is the ability to discern the difference between the self and the not-self. When the yogi can do this continuously, then he abides in his own true nature. For the yogi who is not yet at the highest level, he/she must first learn to discern right from wrong, good from bad, truth from falsehood, and to choose that which is right, good, and true.
From practicing the limbs of yoga, [results] illumination of understanding leading to discriminative knowledge and the diminishing of undesirable traits.
This sutra presents a kind of chicken and egg dilemma. What comes first, elimination of impurities, illumination of understanding, or discriminative knowledge? As translated here, illumination leads to discrimination, which in turn leads to elimination of impurities or undesirable traits. But we know that some undesirable characteristics must be corrected before illumination can occur. The practice of yoga is not necessarily a linear process. Some things can develop in parallel, others are progressive and recursive. It starts with right conduct. Once undesirable conduct has been sufficiently eliminated, the yogi can begin the practices leading to enhanced understanding and discriminative knowledge, which in turn allow him to identify and eliminate the more subtle types of imperfection. In this way, the practice of the Eight Limbs constitutes an intentional and purposeful evolution of conciousness.
Yama-niyama-asana-prāṇāyāma-pratyāhāra-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhayo’ ṣṭā-vaṅgāni
The Eight Limbs (ṣṭā-vaṅgāni) are:
The eight limbs can be classified based on Sutra 2.28. The physical practices, asana and pranayama, are common to both the elimination of undesirable traits and illumination of understanding. The other limbs fall into two groups:
Each of the limbs will be discussed individually.