PRATYAHARA-प्रत्याहार-WITHDRAWAL OF THE SENSES

SUBHASHITHANI:254
Pratyāhāra( प्रत्याहार)or 'withdrawal of the senses' is the fifth element among the Eight stages of Patanjali 's Ashtanga Yoga.Pratyahara is considered important in yoga because it forms a bridge between the external focus of the previous limbs of yoga and the internal focus of the subsequent limbs, which move the practitioner into concentration, meditation and, eventually, to the goal of samadhi (union with the Divine). By withdrawing the focus from the senses and the external environment, the mind can turn inward, deepening yogic practice. A beautiful example of a tortoise withdrawing its limbs is presented in the Bhagavad Gita:

यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वश: |
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ||BG 2.58||

yadā sanharate chāyaṁ kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśhaḥ
indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā

"Just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs, so too when a man withdraws his senses

 from the sense objects, his wisdom becomes steady." -Bhagavad Gita
Thirukkural also brings out the need for 'prathyahara' for men of wisdom:

சென்ற இடத்தால் செலவிடா தீதொரீஇ
நன்றின்பால் உய்ப்ப தறிவு. Kural -422

Wisdom restrains, nor suffers mind to wander where it would;
From every evil calls it back, and guides in way of good.
 Pathanjali covers the subject of Pratyahara in just two sutras. To understand and appreciate them we need to go through a proper guru. This blog is intended as a cursory introduction to the great subject. 
Withdrawing the senses:( Patanjali Sutra 2.54)

 Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses (indriyas) of cognition and action from both the external world and the images or impressions in the mind field (2.54). The senses are said to follow the mind in the same way the hive of bees follows the queen bee. Wherever she goes, they will follow. Similarly, if the mind truly goes inward, the senses will come racing behind.

स्वविषयासम्प्रयोगे चित्तस्य स्वरूपानुकार इवेन्द्रियाणां प्रत्याहारः॥५४॥
Svaviṣayāsamprayoge cittasya svarūpānukāra ivendriyāṇāṁ pratyāhāraḥ||54||

2.54 When the mental organs of senses and actions (indriyas) cease to be engaged with the corresponding objects in their mental realm, and assimilate or turn back into the mind-field from which they arose, this is called pratyahara, and is the fifth step.
Gaining mastery over the senses: ( Patanjali Sutra 2.55 )
Our senses seem to drag us around in the external world, whether pursuing material objects, food, or circumstances related to professional, social, or economic life. Through the routine practice of pratyahara at daily meditation time, we gradually gain positive control (2.55) over the mind being obsessively drawn towards all of those objects. 

ततः परमा वश्यतेन्द्रियाणाम्॥५५॥
Tataḥ paramā vaśyatendriyāṇām||55||

2.55 Through that turning inward of the organs of senses and actions (indriyas) also comes a supreme ability, controllability, or mastery over those senses inclining to go outward towards their objects
Practice reduces sensory inclinations: The repeated practice of pratyahara at meditation time brings a generalized lessening of the inclination of the senses being drawn towards and into the objects of the mind field. As the tendency towards the mental objects decreases with practice, the degree of mastery (vashyata) increases to its highest (parama) level. 

I thought it would be appropriate to include a small excerpt from Swami Vivekananda's Raja Yoga -chVI-Pratyahara and Dharana.

"How hard it is to control the mind! Well has it been compared to the maddened monkey. There was a monkey, restless by his own nature, as all monkeys are. As if that were not enough some one made him drink freely of wine, so that he became still more restless. Then a scorpion stung him. When a man is stung by a scorpion, he jumps about for a whole day; so the poor monkey found his condition worse than ever. To complete his misery a demon entered into him. What language can describe the uncontrollable restlessness of that monkey? The human mind is like that monkey, incessantly active by its own nature; then it becomes drunk with the wine of desire, thus increasing its turbulence. After desire takes possession comes the sting of the scorpion of jealousy at the success of others, and last of all the demon of pride enters the mind, making it think itself of all importance. How hard to control such a mind!

The first lesson, then, is to sit for some time and let the mind run on. The mind is bubbling up all the time. It is like that monkey jumping about. Let the monkey jump as much as he can; you simply wait and watch. Knowledge is power, says the proverb, and that is true. Until you know what the mind is doing you cannot control it. Give it the rein; many hideous thoughts may come into it; you will be astonished that it was possible for you to think such thoughts. But you will find that each day the mind’s vagaries are becoming less and less violent, that each day it is becoming calmer. In the first few months you will find that the mind will have a great many thoughts, later you will find that they have somewhat decreased, and in a few more months they will be fewer and fewer, until at last the mind will be under perfect control; but we must patiently practice every day. As soon as the steam is turned on, the engine must run; as soon as things are before us we must perceive; so a man, to prove that he is not a machine, must demonstrate that he is under the control of nothing. This controlling of the mind, and not allowing it to join itself to the centres, is Pratyahara. How is this practised? It is a tremendous work, not to be done in a day. Only after a patient, continuous struggle for years can we succeed."  -Swami Vivekananda

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH