Here are seven ways to explain this sūtra from seven different, respected, and renowned authorities known for their work with Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras.

T.K.V. Desikachar: Yoga is the ability to direct the mind exclusively toward an object and sustain that direction without any distraction.

B.K.S. Iyengar: Yoga is the cessation of movements in the consciousness.

Sri Swami Satchidananda: The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga.

Chip Hartranft: Yoga is to still the patterning of consciousness.

Gregor Maehle: Yoga is the suspension of the fluctuations of the mind.

Swāmi Hariharānanda Āranya: Yoga is the suppression of the modifications of the mind.

I.K. Taimni: Yoga is the inhibition of the modifications of the mind.​​