很多瑜伽课程开始前，老师都会和大家一起进行唱诵。
但对于我们唱诵致敬的对象，帕坦伽利——这位伟大的瑜伽圣哲，他本人，以及他与瑜伽哲学之间深刻的联系，我们或许还并不太了解。
今天小幸福为大家带来一份独特的礼物。我们独家翻译、整理了Geetaji的这篇重要文章，并将中英文对照版本免费提供给大家。这篇文章为我们详细介绍了帕坦伽利的造像及其背后的伟大人格。
当理解了我们眼前所看到的，或许，当我们再次唱起开篇唱诵时，会有更深刻的体会吧。
感恩Geetaji为我们带来如此深刻、形象的讲解
原文：Geeta S. Iyengar
The full transcript of this talk is published in Yogadhara. this text is from www.iyengaryogaamsterdam.com, teachers training program document 2009.pdf
这是一篇来自Geetaji现场讲话的转录文稿。文章来自网站www.iyengaryogaamsterdam.com上艾扬格教师培训课程2009年的学习材料。
Now let me tell you about the Patanjali invocation and the meaning of the invocation and their symbolism. The invocation begins with Āum. Āum is the first primordial sound, an adi nada, a melodious, sonorous and sublime sound. The three syllables Ā, U, M represent the entire range of sound and creation. They represent the waking dream and sleep states of consciousness. The crescent symbolizes the transcendental state. Āum is pranava which means exalted, unsurpassable praise of the supreme principle, the divinity. According to Patanjali it symbolises Isvara, the divinity “tasya vacakah pranavah.” Being the source of all energies Āum is uttered as an auspicious beginning. No sacred activity will be complete, profound and perfect without effecting the supreme grace and Āum is the greatest invocation to seek that grace.
现在，让我们来谈谈帕坦伽利唱诵，以及这些唱诵辞和符号的意义。
这篇唱诵从Āum（ॐ）开始。Āum是原初的声音（梵文：ādi nada，ādi：原初的，nada：瑜伽中用鼻音发出的声音，代表神圣的符号，译者注），是一个悦耳的，浑厚的，精微的声音。
这三个音Ā，U，M代表了整个音域以及创造的全过程。他们代表着觉知、觉醒与沉睡的状态。
而ॐ中的这个月牙形的符号，代表着超越日常经验的状态。
Āum就是pranava——就是崇高的、对于至高原则——神性，不可逾越的赞颂。根据帕坦伽利的阐述，Āum就象征着Isvara——宇宙神性（瑜伽经三摩地篇第27句：“tasya vacakah pranavah”）。
作为所有能量的源泉，我们唱诵Āum，自然是一个吉祥的开始。如果没有从至高神性处获益，任何行为都将是不完整、不深刻、不圆满的。而Āum就是寻求至高神性福祉的最好唱诵。
The invocation we chant first is as follows:
To the noblest of sages, Patanjali, who gave us yoga for serenity of mind, grammar for purity of speech and medicine for the perfection of the body, I salute.
在开篇唱诵中，我们首先唱诵的是：
我向最伟大的圣哲——帕坦伽利致敬。他赐予我们瑜伽让意识平静，他赐予我们语法，净化我们的语言；他赐予我们医药，康健我们的身体。
The second part describes the statue of Patanjali:
I salute before Patanjali whose upper body has a human form, whose arms hold a conch, and disc and a sword, who is crowned by a thousand headed cobra. Oh incarnation of Adisesa my humble salutations to thee.
唱诵的第二段，实际上是对帕坦伽利塑像的描述：
我向帕坦伽利顶礼。他的上半身是人的形象，手臂握着海螺、圆盘与一把剑，头顶是千头巨蟒。噢！蛇王Adisesa的化身啊，我以最谦卑的方式，向您致意。
The authors of these invocation are actually unknown. It was never the custom in those days to mention the name of oneself as an author or a writer. However, some traditional books mention that abahu purusakaram was written by King Bhojadeva in 1,100 AD, author of Rajamartanda Vrtti, a commentary on the Yoga Sutras.
这篇唱诵的原作者，已经无法确切考证。在古代，人们并不习惯称自己是某篇文章或著作的作者。然而，一些经典著作认为， abahu purusakaram这一句是瑜伽经评注著作Rajamartanda Vrtti的作者，公元11世纪的Bhojadeva国王写下的。
Each aspect of the statue of Patanjali carries meaning like the intricately worded sutras.
帕坦伽利塑像的每一个方面，就如同他写下的那些复杂深奥的经文一样，饱含深意。
When one gazes at the idol of Sage Patanjali one sees the three and a half coils below the navel. The three coils indicate the Pranava Aum, a mystical symbol conveying the concept of God as generator, organizer and destroyer. It signifies him as omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. Aum is composed of three syllables, A, U and M with a crescent and a dot on the top.
当你仔细观察帕坦伽利圣像，你就能看到他肚脐下方盘卷的三圈半的蛇身。
这三圈就象征着神圣的符号pranava ॐ——这个神秘的符号，意味着神就是创造者、维持者与毁灭者（印度教中对神“三位一体”的哲学理解，即表现为梵天、毗湿奴与湿婆三位主要的神祗——译者注）。
Aum也代表着神是全在、全能、全知的。从形象上看，Aum是由三个符号：A、U和M，以及顶上的一个新月形和圆点构成的。
The three completed coils symbolize the syllables and the half coil, the crescent. It also represents the three gunas of prakrti, namely sattva, rajas and tamas and an aspirant aiming at the trigunatita state, which is a transcendent state. Sage Patanjali invites our attention towards the three types of afflictions, namely adhyatmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika, which are to be conquered by following the path of yoga. The three coils indicate that he is a master of Yoga, Grammar and Ayurveda. The half coil indicates the reaching of the state of kaivalya.
所以，帕坦伽利肚脐下盘绕的这完整的三圈，象征着AUM的这三个符号A、U、M，而剩下的这半圈，就代表着ॐ顶上的月牙与圆点。这也象征着自然的三德：悦性（sattva）、激性（rajas）与惰性（tamas），以及超越三德（梵文：trigunatita，tri：三，guna：自然属性，atita：超越）的状态。
The conch, in the left hand, signifies the state of alertness, attentiveness and readiness to face obstacles, which are inevitable in the practice of Yoga. In olden days the conch was blown as a warning call to get ready to face disaster or calamities as it is done nowadays with sirens. It is also a symbol of jnana.
帕坦伽利的左手，握着一只海螺，这代表着意识的警觉、专注，并准备好迎接瑜伽习练中不可避免的困难与挑战。在古代，人们吹响海螺，来预警即将到来的灾难，就如同拉响高音喇叭的警报一样。同时，海螺也是智慧（jnana）的象征。
The disc, in the right hand, signifies the destruction of ignorance with supreme effort and is a symbol of protection. The sword, tucked in the waist, indicates the cutting of the ego, pride or sense of “I” which is the main obstacle covering pure being. It is a sword of jnana to vanquish jnana. These three weapons also indicate the restraint of mental fluctuations, removal of obstacles and the eradication of afflictions through the practice of Yoga.
帕坦伽利右手握着的是一只圆盘，这象征着以最大的努力，对无知的摧毁，因此也是一种对于瑜伽士保护的象征。而帕坦伽利腰间挂着的剑，则象征着对“小我”的宣战。而“小我”，正是挡在我们与纯净真我之见的最大障碍。这也是一把战胜无知的“智慧之剑”。
海螺、圆盘与剑，这三种武器也代表着对于意识波动的控制、对阻碍的克服，以及对挚爱的祛除，而这些重要的成就，正是通过瑜伽的习练实现的。
The hood above the head is an assurance of protection from Adisesa, King of serpents. This protection always remains for the practitioner, provided he surrenders to the Lord, which is signified in the atmanjali mudra, hands folded in namaskara.
帕坦伽利造像顶部的千头蛇冠，则象征着来自蛇王Adisesa的护佑。只要瑜伽习练者以双手合掌的致敬手印，臣服于神，则帕坦伽利的庇佑与恩泽则会降临。
The Bhagavatam narrates the story of the birth of Lord Krsna. Since Vasudeva was alerted by the Gods in heaven, that his eighth child Krsna will be killed by Kamsa, he takes the infant Krsna from Mathura to Gokul to protect him for the demon Kamsa. The river Yamuna was flooded as it was raining cats and dogs. At that juncture Adisesa protected Vasudeva and the infant Krsna by holding the hood over them like an umbrella and made a way, right in the middle of the river, so that Vasudeva could cross the river easily. Lord Patanjali indicates with his hood, that he is our protector, provided we destroy the evils hidden within us by the sword of Yoga, purifying ourselves with yogic Sadhana.
关于帕坦伽利头顶的千头蛇冠，还有一个动人的传说。典籍《薄伽瓦檀》讲述了黑天克里希纳诞生的故事。当时，克里希纳的生父瓦苏戴夫（Vasudeva，雅度族的王子，也是毗湿奴神第八个化身黑天克里希纳及其长兄，大力罗摩Balarama的生父——译者注）收到天神的警告，恶魔Kamsa即将杀死他的儿子克里希纳。
于是，瓦苏戴夫就带着还是婴儿的克里希纳从Mathura迁往Gokul，希望避开这场杀戮。
由于天降暴雨，亚穆纳河河水暴涨，瓦苏戴夫无法携带幼子过河。就在这个关键的时刻，蛇王Adisesa用自己的千头蛇冠形成了一个保护伞盖，护佑着瓦苏戴夫与年幼的克里希纳，顺利度过了洪水汹涌的亚穆纳河。
通过头顶的千头蛇冠，帕坦伽利也向我们暗示着，只要瑜伽习练者能通过瑜伽净化自我，用瑜伽习练之剑斩除内在的邪恶，则帕坦伽利就将永远成为我们的“保护者”。
幼年克里希纳与哥哥大力罗摩，他们杀死了囚禁他们父母的恶魔Kamsa，解救了双亲
The thousand headed cobra, sahasra sirasam svetam, indicates that Patanjali guides us in a thousand ways by showing us the several methods of practice and the approach to find the Soul within.
这一千个蛇头，sahasra śirasaṁ śvetaṁ（开篇唱诵的一句），其实就像征着帕坦伽利通过向我们展示出几种不同的习练的方法、以及向内在灵魂探寻的途径，来展示出引导我们前进的上千种可能的路径。
The idol of Patanjali shows him as half-man and half-serpent. The human form indicates the individuality of man, since he has been endowed with intelligence to use his own efforts to reach the goal. The form of the serpent suggests the motion and continuity of Sadhana, which cannot end until the goal is reached.
帕坦伽利的造像，显示出他是“半人 - 半蛇”的形象。人类的一半形象，显示出帕坦伽利作为“人”的一面，因为他具备了足够的智慧，用自己的努力实现目标。
而帕坦伽利另一半“蛇身”，则意味着习练的持续，不达目标，习练不止。
Patanjali guides us to move like a serpent, intensely, silently and fast on the path of Yoga and to be a tivrasamvegin, the ultimate type as a pupil. If you have understood the significance, offer your prayers with a mind of prayerfulness so that you know what Sage Patanjali means by tajjapah tadarthabha-vanam, that means – recite the prayers knowingly, repeatedly, devotedly.
帕坦伽利引导我们像蛇一样，在瑜伽的道路上坚定地、平静地、快速地前进，以成为一名tivrasamvegin，终极的境界就是回归学生的状态。
如果你已经理解了这种状态的重要性，请带着崇敬的心态，献出你的进奉（双手合掌），这样你就理解透过了tajjapah tadarthabha-vanam这句经文，『圣哲帕坦伽利』这个词代表着什么。
所以，请带着觉知，不断地带着敬意，唱诵帕坦伽利唱诵吧！
Let me now give you some of the qualities of Patanjali, according to his works. Patanjali is an immortal, versatile personality, a master of diverse knowledge with divine qualities. He is a dharmin, virtuous and pious in deeds, a tapasvin, a bhaktin, a sannyasin and a devout practitioner. He is an artist, a skilled dancer, a scientist, a mathematician, an astronomer, a scholar, a physicist, a psychologist, a biologist, a neurologist, a surgeon, a skilled physician and an educationist par excellence. He is an incarnation of glorious qualities, in sraddha, virya and vairagya. He is an expert in psychological and chronological time, as well as in the science of gravity. He transcends the puru-sarthas namely, dharma, artha, kama and moksa, as well as prakṛti. He has unsurpassable memory and is well versed with nature and its functions. Yet he remains a pure being, a perfect siddhan, a realized Soul. All these qualities suffuse the life of Patanjali.
让我来通过他的伟大工作，跟你介绍一些帕坦伽利的特点吧。
他有着不朽、全能的人格，知识丰富、心灵神圣。他是一位正法遵循者（dharmin），行为高尚纯洁，也还是一位苦行者（tapasvin）、奉爱者（bhaktin）、弃世行者（sannyasin）以及热忱的习练者。
他还是一位艺术家，一位技法纯熟的舞者，一位科学家、数学家、天文学家、学者、物理学家、心理学家、生物学家、神经学家、外科手术医生，一位医术高超的医师，以及一位优秀的教育学家。
他是在敬奉（sraddha）、力量（virya）与弃绝（vairagya）三方面都具备光辉品质的化身。他是心理和自然时间、以及重力科学领域的专家。
他超越了人类的四大追求（Puruṣārtha）——即道德（正法，dharma）、经济（artha）、感官享受（kama）与解脱（moksha）以及原质三德（Prakṛti）。
他记忆力超群，洞悉自然及其运行规律。
然而，即便有上述这般成就，他依旧保持纯粹、完全的解脱，拥有完全自我实现的灵魂。所有这些品质，共同形成了帕坦伽利的人生。
This is not an exaggeration. The siddhis mentioned in the Vibhuti Pada, relate to various aspects of existence, cosmos, body, mind and bear the stamp of his authentic and profound experience. Let me conclude this immortal journey, dear sadhakas, with an anjali, a sublime offering. The faith in ourselves should grow with understanding. When the ego begins to dissolve, the eyes begin to see the greatness of the inspired teachings of one of the most original thinkers who ever lived. We are mortals and Patanjali is an immortal Soul. Just as a river does not retain its identity while merging into the sea, let us through our practices merge into the river of burning light of Yoga, passed onto us by Sri Patanjali.
这些并非夸大之辞。在《瑜伽经》成就篇（vibhuti pada）中的那些神迹（siddhis），都与帕坦伽利在身心灵等方面真实而深刻的体验相关。
亲爱的瑜伽习练者们，让我们双手合掌，以最崇高的敬意，来总结一下这不朽的旅程。
随着理解的深入，我们内在的信仰也将不断增强。当“小我”逐渐消融散去，我们的双眼也将见证伟大的教诲，这一教诲，来自人类历史上曾经存在过的最具原创性的思想家。作为凡人，我们终将死去，但帕坦伽利却是不朽的灵魂。
一条河流，汇入大海时，将不再执着地保留其自身的特性。让我们也如同这条河流，通过瑜伽的习练，汇入这条从圣哲帕坦伽利传承而下、闪耀着瑜伽之光的神圣河流吧！
Hari om tat sat. ॐ
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