Sutra 31 from Patanjali’s Yogasutras

दुःखदौर्मनस्याङ्गमेजयत्वश्वासप्रश्वासाः विक्षेपसहभुवः ॥३१॥

पदविभाग: दुःख-दौर्मनस्य-अङ्गमेजयत्व-श्वास-प्रश्वासाः, विक्षेप-सहभुवः। 

अन्वय: दुःख-दौर्मनस्य-अङ्गमेजयत्व-श्वास-प्रश्वासाः विक्षेपसहभुवः। 

प्रतिपदार्थ: दुःख = Grief, दौर्मनस्य = despair / depression / mental anguish (from dur-manas – a bad or frustrated state of mind), अङ्गमेजयत्व = trembling of the body / unsteadiness in the limbs, श्वास = erratic inhalation / disturbed incoming breath, प्रश्वासाः = erratic exhalation / disturbed outgoing breath, विक्षेप = (of the) distractions / the scattered states of mind (referring to the 9 obstacles from 1.30), सहभुवः = co-existing / accompanying symptoms / companions (saha = together, bhuvaḥ = arising/existing).

तात्पर्यम्: Grief, mental despair, trembling of the body, and erratic breathing are the accompanying symptoms of not being able to concentrate.

Further context on the 31st Sutra from Patanjali’s Yogasutras

This verse feels like it’s referring to the psychosomatic connection, which is the link between mental agitation and physical dysregulation. Patanjali lists four symptoms that accompany a scattered mind:

1. दुःख (Duḥkha – Pain): This is the sheer internal friction of a scattered mind. It is the suffering that arises when the yogi feels completely disconnected from their true nature, manifesting as physical aches or deep psychological sorrow.
2. दौर्मनस्य (Daurmanasya – Despair): The literal translation is “bad-mindedness,” referring to the frustration, pessimism, and depression that hit when desires are thwarted or when meditation practice feels like a failure.
3. अङ्गमेजयत्व (Aṅgamejayatva – Physical Trembling): Aṅga means limbs, and ejaya means shaking. When the mind is unstable, the nervous system shows it in shaking of the legs, fiddling, twitching, or the literal tremors that accompany intense anxiety.
4. श्वास-प्रश्वास (Śvāsa-Praśvāsa – Erratic Breathing): Śvāsa is the jagged inhalation, and praśvāsa is the forced exhalation. Breath is connected to us and we are connected to breath. Hence, control the breathing and we control the mind.

When a practitioner observes these four symptoms, it means the mind has fallen into the nine obstacles of 1.30, and it is time to return immediately to the anchor of practice (like Īśvara-praṇidhāna or the one-pointed focus Patanjali prescribes in the next sutra).