II. Sādhana Pāda · Thinning the afflictions (2.10–2.14)
2.14 · Joy and Sorrow
These bear joy or sorrow, from merit or demerit.
Word by word
- te
- they (birth, life, experience)
- hlāda
- joy, delight
- paritāpa
- sorrow; literally, burning all round
- phalāḥ
- having as their fruit
- puṇya
- merit, good action
- apuṇya
- demerit, harmful action
- hetutvāt
- because of being caused by
Where it fits
The fruits named in 2.13 are felt as joy or sorrow, according to merit or demerit. This is the ordinary moral view, stated before the text goes further. Vyāsa already adds that for the yogi, even pleasure from objects carries pain (Woods p. 131), the claim 2.15 sets out to justify.
Reading
The fruits of karma are joy or sorrow, depending on whether the action that sowed them was good or harmful. It is a simple moral law, and Patañjali states it plainly before the next sūtra turns it inside out: for one who discerns, even the joy carries sorrow inside it.
Vyāsa
“Those caused by merit bear pleasure as their fruit; those caused by demerit bear pain. And just as pain by its nature goes against us, so for the yogi, even in the moment of pleasure from objects, there is pain that goes against him.”
Vyāsa's Yoga-bhāṣya, the oldest commentary. New translation from the Sanskrit, with reference to Woods (1914), p. 131.
Practice
Tonight, write down three moments of joy from today and three of sorrow. Beside each, note any action of yours that helped to cause it.
A question to sit with
What are you sowing?