Yoga Sutra 1.4: Vritti Sarupyam Itaratra

Have you ever truly reflected on the power of the mind? The Patanjali Yoga Sutras—a cornerstone of ancient Indian wisdom dating back over 5,000 years—explore this power through the lens of yoga as a path to self-realization. At the heart of this tradition lies the practice of focusing the mind on the Atma (the true Self) to transcend the fluctuations of thought and discover one’s inner nature.

This exploration draws upon both classical and modern commentaries—from Vyasa, a foundational voice in the Vedanta and Sankhya schools of philosophy, to the contemporary insights of Osho—to bring clarity to the Yoga Sutras.

After establishing the essence of yoga in the first three sutras, Yoga Sutra 1.4 states:

"Vritti-sārūpyam itaratra"
“At other times, the Seer identifies with the fluctuations of the mind.”

In simpler terms, when we are not rooted in Self-awareness, we become our thoughts. We lose the ability to remain present, and instead, our identity merges with the content of the mind—whether that’s fear, anger, joy, or desire.

You can observe this energetically. Imagine getting caught in a spiral of negative thinking. That single thought quickly colors your words, your mood, and even your body language. You begin to embody the energy of that thought. The same happens with happiness—your mind, speech, and actions reflect that joy. But here’s the catch: even happiness is impermanent. It arises and passes, just like any other mental state.

Yoga doesn’t ask us to reject these experiences but to become aware of them—to witness the fluctuations without being consumed by them. The path is not about suppressing thought but about recognizing that you are not your thoughts. You are the Seer behind them.

Translation of Yoga Sutra 1.4: Vritti Sarupyam Itaratra

"Vṛtti" (वृत्ति): the mental processes, actions, or activities. (These include ideas, emotions, perceptions, and so on).

Sārūpyam (सारूप्यं): "Having the form of" and "identification with."

Itaratra (इतरत्र): "at other times" or "otherwise".

Ancient and Modern Interpretation of Yoga Sutra 1.4

"Vritti-sārūpyam itaratra"
“At other times, the Seer identifies with the fluctuations of the mind.”

In this powerful sutra, Patañjali answers a fundamental question:
What happens to puruṣa (the Seer or true Self) when it is not established in its own nature (svarūpa)?

Patañjali tells us that when citta-vṛttis—the modifications of the mind—are not in a state of cessation (nirodha), the Seer becomes entangled with them. Instead of resting in its pure form, it takes on the identity of whatever thought, emotion, or impression arises in consciousness. The Self forgets itself and becomes the mind’s content.

Taimni’s Analogy: The Light Beneath the Surface

Philosopher I.K. Taimni illustrates this beautifully through the image of a lit electric bulb submerged in still water.

• When the water is calm, the bulb is clearly visible.
  

• But when the water is disturbed, the ripples and waves distort the light, creating shifting, fragmented patterns. The bulb may even appear to vanish.
  

In this analogy, the light is puruṣa, and the water represents the mind. When the mind is agitated, the light of the Self gets distorted or lost in the mental activity. But when the mind becomes still, the light of the Seer shines through clearly and steadily.

Osho on Sutras 1.3 and 1.4

Modern spiritual teacher Osho discusses sutras 1.3 and 1.4 together, emphasizing the contrast between pure witnessing and identification:

“The witness is then proven in its own right, and in other states, there is identification with the mental changes.”

When the mind is still, the witness is revealed, and peace prevails. In all other states, we fall into identification—with our roles, emotions, achievements, failures, and stories. This identification is the root of suffering, and it gives rise to the illusion that we are our thoughts or experiences.

Osho reminds us that the world is built on identities, but spiritual freedom arises when the practitioner (sādhaka) sees beyond these shifting masks. Misery comes from identification, and liberation begins the moment we transcend it. When this happens, the seeker becomes a siddha—one who has mastered the inner world.

Self-Realization and the State of Puruṣa

When the citta becomes completely peaceful, puruṣa, the observer of all mental modifications, settles into its true and original state. This is the moment of Self-realization.

Up until this point, the sādhaka had identified with countless mental impressions—emotions, beliefs, desires, fears—believing them to be the self. But now, the seeker awakens to the truth:
The real self is sat (existence), cit (consciousness), and ānanda (bliss)—unchanging, eternal, and radiant.

Mistaken Identity

The mind is a powerful yet unreliable instrument. It reacts to the world not with objectivity, but with preference:

• When it favors an object, it experiences pleasure.
  

• When it disapproves, it experiences pain.
  

This duality—born of mental conditioning—binds and deludes us, drawing us away from the divine Self within and into a world of distractions and false identities.

When the mind is restless, the soul loses connection with its true nature. Awareness, instead of remaining the silent witness, identifies with the mind's modifications. But the mind, though flawed, is not the enemy—it is the instrument through which awareness explores itself.

However, an unstable mind constantly wanders from one object to another. In doing so, consciousness becomes outwardly entangled and inwardly blind. It forgets its origin. Once that happens, awareness becomes dependent on the mind, which drags it into an endless cycle of craving, aversion, and confusion.

This fragmented mind struggles to stay with any one object long enough to truly understand it. It darts restlessly from one experience to another, barely touching the surface of things. For one with such a scattered mind, life remains a perplexing riddle, never fully seen, never fully known.

One unique trait of the mind is that it takes the shape of what it perceives.

• When it thinks of God, it becomes that idea—shaped by its own conditioning. A Christian mind imagines a Christian God; a Hindu mind imagines a Hindu God.
  

• When the mind meets an object with agreeable feelings, it finds joy; when it meets it with resistance, it suffers.
  

But when the mind is free from self-imposed bias, it reflects reality with neutral clarity. It no longer reacts—it simply registers what is, becoming a calm, pure vessel. Such a mind does not bind consciousness; it liberates it. In this stillness, the mind becomes the resting place of the soul.

When the mind loses this clarity—when it becomes caught in its own projections, desires, and fears—it pulls awareness into its illusions. Consciousness, once infinite, becomes imprisoned in fantasy. This mistaken identification is the root of suffering.

Yogic wisdom teaches:

Do not identify with the mind's modifications.

Instead, discipline the mind—make it single-pointed. And then, turn it inward. A focused, inward-facing mind becomes illumined by the undying light of pure awareness. That light is your true Self—always present, always free.

Application in Daily Practice

As you journey through the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, you’ll begin to see how deeply beneficial this wisdom is in helping us understand—and ultimately overcome—the fluctuations of the mind. But to overcome anything, we first need to understand what we’re working with.

In Sanskrit, the term samsara refers to the material world—what we experience as birth, life, and death in a continual cycle. In Vedic traditions such as Yoga, Hinduism, and Buddhism, samsara is understood to be transient and ever-changing, often filled with suffering due to our attachments and misidentifications.

This world, as we currently know and inhabit it, is samsara. In Buddhism, this fact forms the very foundation of practice—the Dharma. Whether or not one believes in the concepts of God or soul, the Yoga Sutras offer universal insights into how we relate to ourselves, to one another, and to the world around us.

You can think of it like viewing life through an Instagram filter—sometimes everything is blurry, other times it's overexposed. But rarely do we see reality clearly, as it truly is. Our perceptions are colored by the vrittis—our mental modifications.

Yoga Sutra 1.4 explains that when we are not in a state of yoga, the Seer identifies with the fluctuations of the mind. In this state, the outside world dominates, distracting the mind and becoming the origin of suffering. This follows from Sutra 1.2, which reminds us that yoga is the cessation of those fluctuations.

When we stop identifying with every thought or emotion, we begin to observe them for what they really are: temporary movements of the mind. This small shift—stepping back and witnessing—can have a profound impact.

You’ll start to notice:

• When you're clinging to a thought or belief
  

• When you're caught in emotional reactivity
  

• When your words and actions are being shaped by unconscious patterns
  

By becoming the Seer, you no longer drown in the experience—you observe it. This awareness creates space. And in that space, you become less reactive, more grounded, and better able to see your life—and your mind—with clarity and compassion.

Conclusion

The physical practice of asana is far more than movement—it's a doorway to deeper self-awareness. It helps you connect more intimately with the Seer within—the silent witness beyond thoughts, emotions, and ego.

When you anchor yourself in the breath, become present in your body, and gently quiet the mind, something powerful begins to unfold. You start to notice subtle shifts. The noise softens. Clarity arises. And with time, the truth of who you are becomes more visible in daily life.

This is the transformation yoga offers—not just on the mat, but in how you live, feel, and show up in the world.