Yoga-sutras (with Bhoja’s Rajamartanda)
by Rajendralala Mitra | 1883 | 103,575 words
The Yoga-Sutra 2.53, English translation with Commentaries. The Yogasutra of Patanjali represents a collection of aphorisms dealing with spiritual topics such as meditation, absorption, Siddhis (yogic powers) and final liberation (Moksha). The Raja-Martanda is officialy classified as a Vritti (gloss) which means its explanatory in nature, as opposed to being a discursive commentary.
Sūtra 2.53
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 2.53:
धारणासु च योग्यता मनसः ॥ २.५३ ॥
dhāraṇāsu ca yogyatā manasaḥ || 2.53 ||
53. The mind’s fitness for steadiness.
The Rajamartanda commentary by King Bhoja:
[English translation of the 11th century commentary by Bhoja called the Rājamārtaṇḍa]
[Sanskrit text for commentary available]
“Steadiness” (dhāraṇā) will be defined presently (B. IUII, A. I.) The mind (manas), divested of its defects through the instrumentality of these forms of regulation of breath, remains fixed to whatever it is applied, and does not suffer from distractions.
(Here the word manas has been used as a synonym of citta, thinking principle).
He gives the definition of abstraction.