Verse by verse · Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
YS 2.1
Discipline, self-study and surrender to the divine are the yoga of action.
Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 21 September 2026
Sanskrit, in transliteration
tapaḥ svādhyāya-īśvara-praṇidhānāni kriyā-yogaḥ
Our own plain rendering, checked against the standard published translations.
What the verse says
Kriyā-yoga here means the yoga of doing — three practices available to anyone, in any life. Note that kriyā in this verse has nothing to do with any modern branded technique of that name.
In practice
These same three reappear as the last three niyamas in 2.32, which is a good sign of how central Patanjali thought them.
How it gets misquoted
Because a modern lineage uses the words "Kriya Yoga" as a proper name, this verse is often read as referring to that specific initiation. In the Sutras it is a general description.
This verse sits in Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, chapter 2 — read our commentary on the whole chapter.