# **Vritti Sarupyam Itaratra** The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali is a profound text that explains the nature of the mind, and one of its most important sutras is “[Vritti Sarupyam Itaratra](https://www.yogkulam.org/blog/yoga-sutra-1-4-vritti-sarupyam-itaratra)”. This phrase means that in the absence of true awareness or self-realization, the consciousness takes the form of the mental modifications, or vrittis. In simpler terms, it suggests that when we are not established in our pure state of being, our identity becomes entangled with the fluctuations of the mind—thoughts, emotions, memories, and imaginations. This constant identification with the mind creates confusion, restlessness, and suffering because we lose connection with our true self. By practicing yoga, meditation, and self-awareness, we begin to witness these vrittis without becoming them, gradually realizing that we are not the mind but the eternal witness beyond it. The sutra Vritti Sarupyam Itaratra highlights the essence of spiritual practice, reminding us that liberation comes when we disidentify from mental patterns and rest in our pure consciousness.