Sage Patanjali: The One Who Brought Stillness to the Storm

This, to me, says everything. That he did not just focus on physical health or spiritual escape. He worked holistically. Body, mind, and the way we express ourselves. All three matter. All three must be clear if we are to truly live consciously.

Patanjali didn’t just write. He organized. He refined. He channeled what many sages had practiced silently in forests and caves and made it accessible—threaded like beads into 196 Yoga Sutras.

Each one of those threads is short. Precise. Some just four or five words. But they go deep, like seeds. You may not grasp them at first. But if you water them with practice and silence, they begin to bloom.

"Yogas chitta vritti nirodhah."

Yoga is the cessation of fluctuations of the mind.

This single sutra—just a few words—contains the entire goal of yoga. When the waves of thought calm down, the Self is seen clearly. Not something to be added. Just something to be remembered.

His teachings are not mystical riddles. They are step-by-step guidance rooted in lived experience. He outlines what we call Ashtanga Yoga, or the Eight Limbs:

• Yama: How we treat others—non-violence, truth, non-stealing, moderation, and non-possessiveness.
• Niyama: How we treat ourselves—cleanliness, contentment, discipline, self-study, and surrender.
• Asana: Steady and comfortable posture—not gymnastics, but poise.
• Pranayama: Control and awareness of the breath—the bridge between body and mind.
• Pratyahara: Withdrawing the senses inward, just as a turtle draws its limbs.
• Dharana: Focus. One thought at a time.
• Dhyana: Meditation. A stream of awareness uninterrupted.
• Samadhi: Absorption. Oneness. No longer observer and observed—just being.

As a teacher, I often tell my students: you don’t need to master all eight. You begin where you are. Sometimes that’s with the breath. Sometimes it’s with self-study. Eventually, the path takes you inward, if you keep walking.

The Form We Remember

In many traditional depictions, Patanjali is shown with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a coiled serpent, crowned in white and holding a conch, a chakra, and a In many traditional depictions, Patanjali is shown with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a coiled serpent, crowned in white and holding a conch, a chakra, and a book.

• The conch symbolizes sacred sound, the vibration that purifies.
• The chakra represents clarity of action and dharma.
• The book—knowledge. The kind that leads to freedom.

"Abahu purushakaram, shankha chakra asi dharinam,
sahasra shirsam svetam, pranamami Patanjalim."

To the one with the human form above and serpent below, holding sacred symbols, with a thousand radiant heads—I bow to Patanjali.

This image reminds us: Patanjali is not just a philosopher. He is a bridge—between body and spirit, sound and silence, action and rest.