Sutra 14 from Patanjali’s Yogaustras

स तु दीर्घकालनैरन्तर्यसत्कारादरासेवितो दृढभूमिः ॥१४॥

पदविभाग: (separating individual words): सः, तु, दीर्घ-काल-नैरन्तर्य-सत्कार-आदर-आसेवितः, दृढभूमिः

अन्वय: (Rearranging in logical prose sequence): सः तु दीर्घकालनैरन्तर्यसत्कारादरासेवितः (सन्) दृढभूमिः (भवति)

प्रतिपदार्थ: (word-by-word meaning): सः = That (practice), तु = indeed / however, दीर्घ-काल = for a long time, नैरन्तर्य = without interruption / continuously, सत्कार-आदर = with sincere devotion and earnest respect, आसेवितः = when diligently cultivated / attended to, दृढभूमिः = (becomes) firmly grounded / a solid foundation

तात्पर्यम्: (final translation): That practice, however, becomes firmly grounded only when it is diligently cultivated for a long time, without interruption, and with earnest devotion and respect.

Further context on the 14th Sutra from Patanjali’s Yogasutras

Patanjali says in achieving the goal of Yoga, we need to bring a सत्कार-आदर. It’s the most crucial element. You can sit perfectly still every single day for ten years, but if you do it mechanically, resentfully, or with a bored mind, it will not yield results. Satkāra implies reverence, faith, and a joyful, earnest dedication to the process. Satkara word breaks down into Sat (सत्) and Kāra (कार): meaning action of treating as true and good. And Aadar means reverence.

It must be strictly uninterrupted and done with patience for a long time. If you practice deeply for a month, and then skip a week, the old habits of the mind will aggressively rush back in like water filling a hole. The heat of the practice must be maintained daily.

Again, the focus here is on the quality of the practice and not quantity. Consistency, devotion, and respect are but the outward manifestations of our Abhyasa of stabilizing the mind.