35 Inspirational Patanjali Quotes On Success

Patanjali, some practitioners believe he lived around the second century BCE and also wrote significant works on Ayurveda (the ancient Indian system of medicine) and Sanskrit grammar, making him something of a Renaissance man. But based on their analyses of the language and the teaching of the sutras, modern scholars place Patanjali in the second or third century CE. May his quotes inspire you to live a life of calmness and action so that you may live your dreams.

1. “Be happy for those who are happy, have compassion towards the unhappy, and maintain equanimity towards the wicked.” Patanjali

2. “Here is, in truth, the whole secret of Yoga, the science of the soul. The active turnings, the strident vibrations, of selfishness, lust and hate are to be stilled by meditation, by letting heart and mind dwell in spiritual life, by lifting up the heart to the strong, silent life above, which rests in the stillness of eternal love, and needs no harsh vibration to convince it of true being.” Patanjali

3. “The longest journey begins with a single step.” Patanjali

4. “A mind free from all disturbances is yoga.” Patanjali

5. “Yoga takes you into the present moment, the only place where life exists.” Patanjali

6. “For those who have an intense urge for Spirit and wisdom, it sits
near them, waiting.” Patanjali

7. “Chanting is one of the most traditional and first Yoga practices. It helps to open the throat area and is a great way to learn some Sanskrit and the Yoga Sutra.” Patanjali

8. “If you can control the rising of the mind into ripples, you will experience yoga.” Patanjali

9. “The way to eliminate ignorance is through steady, focused discrimination between the observer and the world.” Patanjali

10. “There is always a light within us that is free from all sorrow and grief, no matter how much we may be experiencing suffering.” Patanjali

11. “The obstacles that distract thought are disease, apathy, doubt, carelessness, indolence, dissipation, false vision, failure to attain a firm basis in yoga, and restlessness.” Patanjali

12. “In deep meditation the flow of concentration is continuous like the flow of oil.” Patanjali

13. “Asanas bring perfection in body, beauty in form, grace, strength, compactness, and the hardness and brilliance of a diamond.” Patanjali

14. “The activities of the liberated soul transcend the pairs of opposites.” Patanjali

15. “Aversion is a form of bondage. We are tied to what we hate or fear. That is why, in our lives, the same problem, the same danger or difficulty, will present itself over and over again in various prospects, as long as we continue to resist or run away from it instead of examining it and solving it.” Patanjali

16. “The wisdom obtained in the higher states of consciousness is different from that obtained by inference and testimony as it refers to particulars.” Patanjali

17. “Just as the pure crystal takes color from the object which is nearest to it, so the mind, when it is cleared of thought-waves, achieves sameness or identity with the object of its concentration.” Patanjali

18. “Peace can be reached through meditation on the knowledge which dreams give. Peace can also be reached through concentration upon that which is dearest to the heart.” Patanjali

19. “It is only when the correct practice is followed for a long time, without interruptions and with a quality of positive attitude and eagerness, that it can succeed.” Patanjali

20. “Success is nearest to those whose efforts are intense and sincere.” Patanjali

21. “Yoga is the practice of quieting the mind.” Patanjali

22. “Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.” Patanjali

23. “When there is firm conquest over covetousness, they who have conquered it wake up to the how and why of life.” Patanjali

24. “The cause of suffering is that the unbounded Self is overshadowed by the world.” Patanjali

25. “Yoga is the settling of the mind into silence. When the mind has settled, we are established in our essential nature, which is unbounded Consciousness. Our essential nature is usually overshadowed by the activity of the mind.” Patanjali

26. “The heart and mind can find peace and harmony by contemplating the transcendental nature of the true self as supreme effulgent life.” Patanjali

27. “When you are steadfast in your abstention of thoughts of harm directed toward yourself and others, all living creatures will cease to feel fear in your presence.” Patanjali

28. “Sloth is the great enemy — the inspirer of cowardice, irresolution, self-pitying grief, and trivial, hairsplitting doubts. Sloth may also be a psychological cause of sickness. It is tempting to relax from our duties, take refuge in ill-health and hide under a nice warm blanket.” Patanjali

29. “Yoga is the cessation of the movements of the mind. Then there is abiding in the Seer’s own form.” Patanjali

30. “It is not enough to have intuitions; we must act on them; we must live them.” Patanjali

31. “Victory over mind and its modifications can also be gained through complete surrender to God, the inner guide.” Patanjali

32. “The characteristics of an object are presented differently depending on the various states of mind of the observer.” Patanjali

33. “When the mind is clear, empty of memories and knowledge, things are seen exactly as they are.” Patanjali

34. “Egotism is but the perversion of spiritual being. Ambition is the inversion of spiritual power. Passion is the distortion of love. The mortal is the limitation of the immortal. When these false images give place to true, then the spiritual man stands forth luminous, as the sun, when the clouds disperse.” Patanjali

35. “When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations; your conscious expands in every direction; and you find yourself in a great, new and wonderful world.” Patanjali