Citta

The mental field encompassing mind, intellect, and memory. In yoga philosophy, citta includes all psychic functions: perception, thought, emotion, and recollection.

Patañjali defines yoga as citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ — the cessation of citta’s fluctuations. In Sāṃkhya, citta encompasses manas (thinking mind), ahaṅkāra (ego), and buddhi (intellect). This doesn’t mean destroying the mind, but stilling its automatic movements so it can reflect reality without distortion.

Citta is the instrument through which consciousness ([[purusa|puruṣa]]) perceives the world. It is the mirror in which puruṣa is reflected — and also the veil that obscures it when identified with its own modifications. When agitated, it produces confusion; when serene, it reveals the true nature of being.