chapters are written by way of definition and classification shows that the materials were already in existence and that Patanjali systematized them.  There was no missionizing zeal, no attempt to overthrow the doctrines of other systems, except as far as they might come in by way of explaining the system.  Patanjal is not even anxious to establish the system, but he is only engaged in systematizing the facts as he had them.  Most of the criticism against the Buddhists occur in the last chapter.  The doctrines of the Yoga are described in the first three chapters, and this part is separated from the last chapter where the views of the Buddhist are

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[Footnote 1:  The Yoga writer Jaigi@savya wrote “Dharanas’astra” which dealt with Yoga more in the fashion of Tantra then that given by Patanjali.  He mentions different places in the body (e.g. heart, throat, tip of the nose, palate, forehead, centre of the brain) which are centres of memory where concentration is to be made.  See Vacaspati’s Tatparya@tika or Vatsyayana’s bha@sya on Nyaya sutra, III. ii. 43.]

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criticized; the putting of an “iti” (the word to denote the conclusion of any work) at the end of the third chapter is evidently to denote the conclusion of his Yoga compilation.  There is of course another “iti” at the end of the fourth chapter to denote the conclusion of the whole work.  The most legitimate hypothesis seems to be that the last chapter is a subsequent addition by a hand other than that of Patanjali who was anxious to supply some new links of argument which were felt to be necessary for the strengthening of the Yoga position from an internal point of view, as well as for securing the strength of the Yoga from the supposed attacks of Buddhist metaphysics.  There is also a marked change (due either to its supplementary character or to the manipulation of a foreign hand) in the style of the last chapter as compared with the style of the other three.

The sutras, 30-34, of the last chapter seem to repeat what has already been said in the second chapter and some of the topics introduced are such that they could well have been dealt with in a more relevant manner in connection with similar discussions in the preceding chapters.  The extent of this chapter is also disproportionately small, as it contains only 34 sutras, whereas the average number of sutras in other chapters is between 51 to 55.

We have now to meet the vexed question of the probable date of this famous Yoga author Patanjali.  Weber had tried to connect him with Kapya Pata@mchala of S’atapatha Brahma@na [Footnote ref l]; in Katyayana’s Varttika we get the name Patanjali which is explained by later commentators as patanta@h anjalaya@h yasmai (for whom the hands are folded as a mark of reverence), but it is indeed difficult to come to any conclusion merely from the similarity of names.