Yoga Sutra 1.31: duḥkha-daurmanasya-aṅgamejayatva-śvāsa-praśvāsāḥ vikṣepa-sahabhuvaḥ

After identifying the nine obstacles (antarayas) in Yoga Sutra 1.30, Patañjali explains how these challenges express themselves in Sutra 1.31:
duḥkha-daurmanasya-aṅgamejayatva-śvāsa-praśvāsāḥ vikṣepa-sahabhuvaḥ.

What Yoga Sutra 1.31 Means

While the previous sutra described what pulls a practitioner off the path, Sutra 1.31 reveals how these disturbances show up in our mind, body, and breath. This teaching is deeply practical, not theoretical.

Patañjali lists four clear indicators of imbalance:

• duhkha – sorrow or discomfort
  

• daurmanasya – negativity or low mood
  

• angamejayatva – restlessness or trembling in the body
  

• svasa-prasvasah – disturbed breathing, either irregular or labored
  

Together, these symptoms accompany viksepa, the scattered state of mind.

This sutra teaches us that spiritual imbalance is not abstract—it becomes visible in our emotions, posture, and breath. By recognizing these signs early, a practitioner becomes aware of when they are “off-center within,” and can consciously guide themselves back into balance.

Sanskrit Text, Transliteration, and Translation

Sanskrit:
दुःखदौर्मनस्याङ्गमेजयत्वश्वासप्रश्वासा विक्षेपसहभुवः ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration:
duḥkha-daurmanasya-aṅgamejayatva-śvāsa-praśvāsāḥ vikṣepa-sahabhuvaḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

• duhkha – pain, distress, suffering
  

• daurmanasya – despair, dejection, negative thinking
  

• angamejayatva – physical restlessness or trembling
  

• svasa-prasvasah – irregular or agitated breathing
  

• viksepa-sahabhuvah – symptoms that accompany mental distraction; companions of disturbance

Complete Translation

“Pain, dejection, restlessness of the body, and disturbed breathing arise as natural companions of a distracted mind.”

duḥkha-daurmanasya-aṅgamejayatva-śvāsa-praśvāsāḥ vikṣepa-sahabhuvaḥ — Unveiled

Yoga Sutra 1.31 describes the outward signs of an inwardly distracted mind. When the mind is unsettled, it does not remain hidden. Instead, it expresses itself through clear emotional, physical, and respiratory symptoms.

These manifestations include:

• Emotional suffering (duḥkha) – feelings of dissatisfaction, sadness, or inner turmoil.
  

• Dejection (daurmanasya) – lack of enthusiasm, negativity, or a tendency towards low mood.
  

• Physical restlessness (aṅgamejayatva) – nervous movements, instability, or agitation in the body.
  

• Disturbed breathing (śvāsa-praśvāsa) – shallow, uneven, or irregular breathing patterns.

Together, these signs highlight the profound interconnection of mind, body, and breath. When one becomes disturbed, the others naturally follow. Recognizing these symptoms helps practitioners identify when they have drifted off-center and gently guide themselves back to balance.

Historical Interpretations

Vyāsa’s Commentary

Vyāsa, the earliest and most revered commentator on the Yoga Sutras, explains that these symptoms arise naturally when the mind is distracted (vikṣepa). When the mind loses its steadiness, the vital force (prāṇa) also becomes unregulated, leading to instability in both the body and the breath.

Vācaspati Miśra

Vācaspati Miśra (9th century) emphasizes the psychological dimension of these manifestations. According to him, internal mental disturbances can give rise not only to emotional instability but also to visible external reactions, such as trembling of the body or irregular, gasping breaths.

Bhoja Rāja

Bhoja, in his commentary Rājamārtaṇḍa, describes these disturbances as warning signs for the practitioner. When a yogi notices such symptoms, it indicates that their practice is being obstructed. Bhoja recommends responding with remedies such as devotion, breath regulation, and contemplation of uplifting thoughts to restore balance.

Contrast of Yoga Sutra 1.31 with Other Yogic Literature

Bhagavad Gītā:
In Chapter 6 (Dhyāna Yoga), Krishna describes the qualities of a yogi and the interruptions that disturb steady meditation. Much like Patañjali, he warns that restlessness of the body and fluctuations of the mind—and even unsteady breath—can disrupt one’s inner focus.

Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā:
This classical text places breath control (prāṇāyāma) at its core. It teaches that regulating the breath stabilizes the mind, while disturbed breathing reflects inner distraction. This aligns closely with Patañjali’s assertion in Sutra 1.31 that mental agitation and irregular breathing are intertwined.

Yoga Vāsiṣṭha:
In the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha, the roots of sorrow (duḥkha) and dejection (daurmanasya) are traced to attachment and ignorance. This perspective resonates with Patañjali’s teaching that psychological imbalance is both a cause and a symptom of deeper inner disturbances.

Modern Applications

Patañjali offers a timeless understanding of how the mind responds to disturbance. In today’s context, we can view it as a cycle: agitated thoughts lead to emotional discomfort, which then manifests as physical restlessness, irregular breathing, and heightened mental activity. Yoga provides practical tools to interrupt this cycle and restore balance in daily life.

Practical Applications

1. Self-Awareness:
Recognizing imbalance becomes easier when we observe early warning signs. Instead of ignoring agitation, we can pause and ask, “Is my breath shallow? Is my body restless?” This simple check-in builds awareness.

2. Breath Work:
Prāṇāyāma harnesses the breath as a direct pathway to calming the mind. Smooth, steady, and mindful breathing helps soothe emotional turbulence, ease shallow respiration, and quiet internal restlessness.

3. Cultivating Positive Feelings:
Practices such as mantra chanting (japa), devotion (bhakti), or aligning with one’s dharma uplift the heart and replace negativity with clarity and inner strength.

4. Physical Practice:
Āsana channels physical restlessness into purposeful movement. Over time, the body becomes a stable foundation for meditation, allowing the mind to settle naturally.

5. Stress Management:
Patañjali’s insights offer a powerful framework for dealing with modern stress and anxiety. Establishing a regular routine—especially in breath, movement, and meditation—helps manage distractions and maintain emotional equilibrium.

Therapeutic Applications:

Mental Health: Sutra 1.31 describes that anxiety disorders are most often linked with shallow breathing, agitation, and hopelessness. Both yoga therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) draw on these yogic principles as their basis.

Workplace Stress: Pressure situations often lead to physical restlessness, breathlessness and hopelessness in work places. Mindful breathing will also serve to lessen these symptoms and enhance productivity.

Therapeutic Integration: Yoga therapy can be applied more extensively by Mental Health Integration Therapists to counter depression and anxiety. Patanjali's breathing techniques was discovered 2,000 years ago, and therapists apply the same to remove the symptoms by instructing their clients to focus and control breathing.

Step-by-Step Reflection on Yoga Sutra 1.31

Exercise:

• Pause: Take a moment to acknowledge when you feel stuck or agitated.
  

• Breathe: Inhale deeply and ask yourself, “Am I experiencing sorrow, sadness, or restlessness?”
  

• Release: If you notice tension, gently ease it through soft stretching or mindful movement.
  

• Re-anchor: Return to a point of focus—use a meditative tool such as mantra chanting, breath awareness, or a supportive object to center yourself again.

Final Thoughts on Sutra 1.31

Yoga Sutra 1.31 is far from abstract philosophy—it is profoundly practical. It teaches the yogi to recognize the early signs of imbalance and to gently apply corrective practices before distraction takes over.

By bringing these symptoms into conscious awareness, we reclaim responsibility for our inner state and gain the power to interrupt the cycle of distraction. Whether in meditation, work, or relationships, Patañjali reminds us that the body, breath, and mind are inseparable. Calming one naturally calms the others.

When observed with mindfulness and addressed with steady practice, these disturbances no longer hinder the yogic journey. Instead, they become signals guiding us back to balance, clarity, and the highest aim of yoga — inner freedom.

Join Rishikesh Yogkulam to study Sutra 1.31 and the entire Yoga Sutras of Patañjali in depth, and begin your sacred journey into yogic wisdom today.