Sutras of Patanjali / Shlokas of the Bhagavad Gita
The aphorisms (Yoga Sutras of Patanjali) touch the mind, the verses (Shloka in the Bhagavad Gita) also the soul.
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali / Bhagavad Gita
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Yoga Philosophy) are expressed in aphorisms (Sutras), while the Bhagavad Gita does so in verses (Shlokas). Which marks an important difference between the two.
Aphorism comes from the Greek (aphorisms), meaning “delimitation”, “distinction” or “definition”, that is, it is a concise expression of a general truth or principle. Therefore each Sutra is like a brief rule, a principle condensed into very few words. Aphorisms are often passed down from generation to generation. The Tao Te Ching is also written with aphorisms.
The Yoga Sutras are written almost as a scientific doctrine, and due to their concise nature, they must follow certain rules defined in the Vayu Purana (500 BC), these are: concise, unambiguous, containing only the essence of the subject in question, that it covers everything, that it has neither fillers nor repetitions and that it is irrefutable.
We could say that the Yoga Sutras are a concise scientific doctrine in the form of aphorisms, which appeal directly to the mind. Furthermore, as it is expressed in such concise aphorisms, it would be almost impossible to understand them without the commentators of the Yoga Sutras.
The aphorisms (Yoga Sutras of Patanjali) touch the mind, the verses (Shloka in the Bhagavad Gita) also the soul
The Bhagavad Gita is focused on both the mind and the heart.
The Bhagavad Gita is a “Song of the Lord”, it is the poetic words of the Lord incarnated in Sri Krishna, expressed in wonderful poetry revealed for all humanity. The Anglo-American poet TS Elliot thus reflected on the Bhagavad Gita:
«If we learn to read poetry correctly, the poet will never lead us to believe anything. What we learn from Dante, or the Bhagavad Gita, or any other religious poetry, is what it feels like to believe in religion»
The Bhagavad Gita is set in the great Hindu epic of the Mahabharata. It is written in the form of a dialogue in verses between Sri Krishna, the Lord (Vishnu) incarnated on earth, and the despondent prince Arjuna. The dialogue takes place on the battlefield, just before the beginning of the battle of Kurukshetra, where the Dharma is in danger, and therefore the Lord incarnates in Krishna to transmit the supreme knowledge: Atman-Jnana (Self-knowledge) and Brahma-Jnana (Liberation).
Once the mind has been purified with Karma Yoga, the Bhagavad Gita proposes Dhyana Yoga to meditate and realize Atman, and then explains two paths that the seeker will follow depending on his character: Bhakti Yoga (Devotion) and Jnana Yoga (Knowledge), even Krishna says that Karma Yoga itself is a path of liberation.
That is, it shows various paths for self-knowledge and liberation, that is, the Bhagavad Gita is a Moksha-Shastra and a Yoga Shastra.
The Bhagavad Gita, in general, is not dogmatic, for example in the last chapter (Moksha Sannyasa Yoga), Krishna tells Arjuna:
“I have explained the supreme knowledge to you, now meditate, and then act as you wish.”
Aforismos (Yoga Sutras) Versus (Shlokas Bhagavad Gita)
(c) Gita Institute
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