Volume II,Issue IV, March 2026
Volume-II, Issue-IV, March, 2026 |
Received: 16.03.2026 | Accepted: 19.03.2026 | ||
Published Online: 31.03.2026 | Page No: | ||
DOI: 10.69655/atmadeep.vol.2.issue.04W. | |||
পাতঞ্জল যোগ দর্শনে চিত্তবৃত্তি নিরোধ: একটি দার্শনিক বিশ্লেষণ নাড়ুগোপাল প্রসাইত, স্বাধীন গবেষক, বাঁকুড়া, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত |
Cessation of Mental Modifications (Citta Vritti Nirodha) in Patañjali’s Yoga Philosophy: A Philosophical Analysis Narugopal Prosait, Independent Researche Scholar, Bankura, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
Yoga philosophy is one of the six orthodox (Āstika) schools of Indian philosophy, whose theoretical foundation is laid out in the Yoga Sūtra of Patanjali. The central concept of this philosophical system is Citta-vṛtti-nirodha, which is regarded as the fundamental definition of Yoga. The present research paper aims to examine and interpret the concept of Citta-vṛtti-nirodha in Patanjali’s philosophy from a philosophical perspective. In the Yoga Sūtra, Patanjali defines Yoga as: “Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ,” meaning “Yoga is the cessation of the modifications of the mind.” Taking this definition as its point of departure, the study raises several important questions: What is Citta? What is meant by Citta-vṛtti? By what means can the cessation of these mental modifications be achieved? And what is the ultimate outcome of such cessation? The principal objective of this paper is to analyze Patanjali’s definition of Yoga and to provide reasoned to these questions. In this context, the paper also examines the nature, interrelationship, and significance of three key concepts—Citta, Citta-vṛtti, and Citta-vṛtti-nirodha— as well as their implications for human consciousness. The study explains that Citta collectively refers to Manas (mind), Buddhi (intellect), and Ahaṅkāra (ego). The transformation of the mind in accordance with the forms of objects of knowledge is known as Citta-vṛtti (mental modifications). The regulation or cessation of these modifications is termed Citta-vṛtti-nirodha. Patanjali prescribes the discipline of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga— Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna, and Samādhi— as the practical means for attaining this state. The study further analyzes how these eight stages gradually purify, discipline, and stabilize the mind, ultimately culminating in Samādhi or self-realization. In addition, the paper highlights the ethical, psychological, and spiritual significance of Citta-vṛtti-nirodha. The philosophical analysis thus demonstrates that, in Patanjali’s system, the cessation of the modifications of the mind is not merely a technique of mental regulation but a fundamental path leading to human liberation and self-knowledge. | ||
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