This is one of the important sutras of Patanjali's Yoga Darshana. This sutra has four words and all these words need proper explanations to understand this sutra.
Yoga simply means union. It means that there must be more than one objects/ subjects whose union has to be happened. In Hindu Philosophy, it is the union of Soul (self or jivatama) with the Supreme Soul (Parmatma). Else, it is also integration of body, mind and soul.
Chitta is a medium or instrument through which the jivatama materializes his individual world, lives and evolves in the world until he has become perfected and united with the Parmatama. Broadly, chitta corresponds to the mind of modern psychology and it is confined to the expression of only thought, volition and feeling. Rather, Chitta is fundamentally of the nature of consciousness which is immaterial but affected by matter. In fact it may be called a product of both, consciousness and matter, or Purusa and Prakriti, the presence of the both being necesary for its functioning. It is like an intangible screen which enables the light of consciousness to be projected in the manifested world.
Let's understand this way - mind is chittakasha and supreme mind is chidaakasha. Akasha is vast ocean or sky in the sense that is very expansive and endless. It is anant. The individual mind (chittakasha) is covered by desire, and fear and hence it is polluted. When it becomes absolutely pure, it ceases to be mind and becomes pure consciousness. The individual consciousnes of the jeevatma and the parmatama becomes one in a state of samadhi (Yoga). Mind is matter, it is a finer subtle body like the sub-atomic particles of electrons within the physical body. Behind the mind is the intellect that gains its light from Prajnya or Consciousness. In fact, it is reflection of the light of the Soul. Man is both matter and spirit-body and mind are material. Mind is not prajnya or consciousness, mind is not intellect, mind is not the soul. Mind is all vibration. Mind as chitta vrittis is all vibration.
Mind has four faculties in its functional aspect:
- Manas (Mind) is that modification (vibration) of the internal instrument (Mind) antahkarana that considers pros and cons of a subject.
- Buddhi (intellect) is that modification (vibration) of the internal instrument (Mind) that determines (discrimination).
- Chitta (Thought) is that modification (vibration) of the inner instrument (Mind) that remembers (memory).
- Ahankara (Ego) is that modification (vibration) of the inner instrument (Mind) that is characterised by self-consciouness.
