YS II.33 Pratipaksa bhavanam - The Opposite Side

Sutra II.33 in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali says:

YS II.33 vitarkabadhane pratipaksabhavanam

Principles which run contrary to yama and niyama are to be countered with the knowledge of discrimination.

vitarka - questionable or dubious matter, doubt, uncertainty, supposition
badhane - pain, suffering, grief, obstruction, obstacles
pratipaksa - the opposite side, to the contrary
bhavanam - affecting, creating, promoting, manifesting, feeling

The yamas and niyamas are the universal and individual code of conduct in astanga yoga.  They describe the do's and don't and are a moral and ethical code of conduct.  One may find that it is not always easy to follow this.  This sutra is there to say that when this arises one needs to counter those thoughts with right knowledge and awareness.

In Mr.Iyengar's translation of Patanjali's yoga sutras he writes that "when the mind is caught up in dubious ideas and actions, right perception is obstructed.  The sadhaka has to analyse and investigate these ideas and actions and their opposites; then he learns to balance his thoughts by repeated experimentation."

Mr.Iyengar says though that to just think the opposite of what you do think does not always work.  I know sometimes when maybe I am angry, and know maybe I shouldn't be I can think this opposite and say I am not angry, but deep down, I still am angry.  The idea is to analyse the opposite and also investigate the root of that feeling.  Like drugs that give relief by just masking a symptom, the actual problem does not go away.

Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, by B.K.S. Iyengar says that paksa means to take one side or espouse one view, and pratipaksa conveys the idea of taking the opposite view.  Putting them together the result is paksa pratipaksa which brings equipoise, stability and balance in all areas of life as the dualities are no longer there.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
http://www.plnyoga.vpweb.com/