Upanishads · Yogakuṇḍalinī 1.61
॥
Devanāgarī
अलब्धिर्योगतत्त्वस्य दशमं प्रोच्यते बुधैः । इत्येतद्विघ्नदशकं विचारेण त्यजेद्बुधः
Transliteration (IAST)
alabdhiryogatattvasya daśamaṃ procyate budhaiḥ | ityetadvighnadaśakaṃ vicāreṇa tyajedbudhaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अ-लब्धिः योग-तत्त्वस्यa-labdhiḥ yoga-tattvasyanon-attainment of the essence of yoga
दशमं प्रोच्यते बुधैःdaśamaṃ procyate budhaiḥis proclaimed the tenth by the wise
इति एतत् विघ्न-दशकंiti etat vighna-daśakaṃso this decade of hindrances
विचारेण त्यजेत् बुधःvicāreṇa tyajet budhaḥby examination shall the wise man abandon
Translation
"Non-attainment of the essence of yoga is proclaimed the tenth by the wise. So this decade of hindrances shall the wise man abandon by examination".
Version
382d9a4b1824 · published Aug 7, 2026, 7:25:06 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The tenth hindrance is named: alabdhi yoga-tattvasya, "non-attainment of the essence of yoga" — that is, when a man does something a long time and gets nothing. This hindrance is placed last and heaviest, and rightly so. All the rest — laziness, sleep, doubt — are overcome by effort; but here effort does not help: the man does everything as commanded and gets nothing, and this drains strength more surely than laziness does.
One remedy is named for all ten: vicharena, "by examination." Vichara means "analysis, deliberation, inquiry"; and what is proposed is not to endure, not to pray, not to strive harder, but to sort it out. This advice is, I think, excellent and sober. Against hindrances, not effort but understanding is proposed: look at exactly what is happening to you, name it, and it will lose half its power.
The Vaishnava side knows this remedy but places it second, and first — the company of those walking. The Bhagavatam says everything begins with sadhu-sanga, "association with those walking" (1.2.16); and the explanation is simple. It is hard to sort oneself out precisely when a hindrance is strong: a doubter cannot resolve doubt with a doubting mind. But one who has passed through this place names it in two words — and thereby renders a help that a man cannot render himself.