Pathanjali Yoga Sutra - Ch-1 - V-1

The study of “Pathanjali Yoga Sutra” is not complete without reading directly from the Sanskrit texts, hence let us take the slokas one by one and analyse it.  

Pathanjali Yoga Sutra consists of 51 slokas in Chapter-1.  

Chapter-1 : sloka-1:

अथ योगानुशासनम् ॥ ।१।

“Here is the beginning of instruction in Yoga.”

The word “Yoga” means “Union”, a method of spiritual union. Yoga is a method by which an individual may become united with the Supreme God or the Supreme Reality of this Universe.

In the words of Bhoja, the word Yoga is an effort to separate the Atman (Reality) from the non-Atman (the apparent).  One who practices Yoga is Yogi.