The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Commentary on the Raja Yoga Sutras by Sri Swami Satchidananda

The cosmic knowledge is called the Supreme Soul, or Puruṣa.

In case you might think you are ready to practice samādhi right away, you should know that the practice of samādhi only becomes possible after a person has achieved perfection in concentration and meditation.

The great South Indian saint, Thirumular, said, “Where the mind goes, the prāṇa follows.”

So, by all these three ways we get valid knowledge. Of course, whether it is valid or invalid, ultimately you have to set it aside to find your peace. But before we push out all thoughts, we try to analyze them and eliminate one set after another.

By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous and disregard toward the wicked, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness.

Who would not like serenity of mind always? Who would not like to be happy always? Everybody wants that. So Patañjali gives four keys: friendliness, compassion, delight and disregard.

In other words, Īśvara is all-knowing and is knowledge itself.

Remember, our goal is to keep the serenity of our minds. Whether our mercy is going to help others or not, by our own feeling of mercy, at least we are helped.

This itself is Yoga practice—watching our own thoughts and analyzing them.