Chapter 3

Vibhuti Pada: Expériences

Verse 1

 

desha-bandhash chittasya dharana

desa- location ; bandhah- confinement, restriction ; cittasya- of the mento-emotional energy;

dharana- linking of the attention to a concentration force or person

Linking of the attention to a concentration force or person, involves a restricted

location in the mento-emotional energy.

 

Commentary:

For higher meditation, everything is within the mental and emotional energy fields. This is

the psychological environment from which a yogin can break out of this dimension to enter

other parallel worlds which are either subtle, supernatural or spiritual. It is from within the

mento-emotional energy that one breaks out of this world. The paradox of it is this: the very

same mental and emotional energy which caused us to become attached to this world, can also

in turn, cause liberation. The gate for exiting this world is in the same mento-emotional energy

(cittasya).

Many people feel that a yogi enters into his own psyche, develops it, feels powerful as God

and then becomes perfect. Little do they understand that from within his own psyche a yogi

finds entry into parallel worlds. From particular locations, desa, particular limiting or confining

locations (desa bandhah), a yogi finds doorways and peep holes that give him access to other

worlds, places that he might be transferred after permanently leaving his physical body.

 

Paul’s notation:

“The very same mental and emotional energy which caused us to become

attached to this world, can also in turn, cause liberation.”

Now, what is this mental and emotional energy. How is it located, and

identified?

Can we look in ourselves, and point to it and say…”There is the citta? Or is it

the same citta that is giving one the sense of pointing and the sense of being

separate and therefore creating this conflicted sensation of “I” and Citta?

Seems curious that the issue of parallel worlds would be discussed in a text

that is concerned primarily with quieting the mind. For a person like myself

who has difficulty empting the mind or bringing the citta energy to stillness,

thoughts of other worlds and such seem like more agitating imagination and

counterproductive. But both Sri Patanjali and Yogi Madhvacharya know

what they are talking about, so let us as readers and students of yoga be

patient and see where all of this is going.

Now where is this “restricted location”? and how are we to find it? He says it

is within the citta, but where especially is this place to be found? Is it even a

Place?

 

Verse 2

 

tatra pratyayaikatanata dhyanam

 

tatra- there, in that location; prtyaya- conviction or belief as mental content, instinctive interest;

ekatanata- one continuous threadlike flow of attention = eka-one = tana- thread of fiber;

dhyananam- effortless linking of the attention to a higher concentration force or person

When in that location, there is one continuous threadlike flow of ones instinctive interest

that is the effortless linking of the attention to a higher concentration force or person.

 

Commentary:

The key term in this verse is pratayaya. Shivram Apte in his Sanskrit English Dictionary

gave the following meanings: conviction, settled belief, trust, faith, conception, idea, and

notion. I have given instinctive interest as the meaning. In any case, when that (pratayaya)

flows in a continuous threadlike motion at the place of focus, then it is the dhyana, seventh

stage of yoga practice.

The Raj Yogi I.I. Taimni gave stretching or streaming unbrokenly as one, as the meaning

for ekatanata. A student yogi would do well for himself by carefully studying the Sanskrit of

this verse, because it is not sufficient to say that dharana is concentration, dhyana is

contemplation or meditation as we are accustomed to. Such definitions are too vague.

 

Paul’s notation:

Again we are talking about location. This implies that there is someone

situated at a certain point in space / time who is observable and different

from the space itself. But is that yogi different from the space he is in, or is

he merely the product of that same citta? On top of this we are hearing that

one can link ones instinctive interest to the attention of a higher

concentration force or person. What on earth does that mean? Does this

mean, for example, that I imagine myself first of all separate from the

consciousness I find myself amerced in, this citta and then imagine a

particular point or center in all of that, and then imagine another

concentration force or person outside that mind field, or simply another

projection of that same mind? This all seems to be in an imaginary sphere.

So at some point one has to ask if there are several imaginations. The

compulsive thought process which proceeds with or against the will, and

another which makes concepts of what takes place in the brain, mind, body,

emotions.

 

 

Verse 3

tad evarthamatra-nirbhasam svarupa-shunyam iva samadhih

tadeva= tat-that + eva – only, alone; artha- purpose objective; matra – only, merely;

nirbahsam- illuminating; svarupa – own form; sunyam – empty, void, lacking; iva- as if

samadhih- continuous effortless linking o f the attention to a higher concentration force or

person.

That same effortless linkage of the attention when experienced as illumination of the

higher concentration force or person, while the yogi feels as if devoid of himself, is

Samadhi or continuous effortless linkage of his attention to the special Person, object, or

force.

 

Commentary:

Samadhi is not defined here as it is popularly described by so many meditation authorities

by those who dislike it or shun it as being impersonal. There is no word here that says that

Samadhi is a void or that it is sunya. The word sunya occurs in reference to the svarupa or

form of the yogi, and on in the sense while he is in contact with the force, object or person of

his interest, he is so much connected to it that his own forms seems as if it were not there and

that only the force object or other person being contacted was there. The Sanskrit article iva

means “as if”.

When there is continued effortless linkage of the attention to a higher concentration force,

object or person, the yogi’s attention is completely or near completely given over to that higher

reality, so that it feels as if he is not there (iva sunya) and that only the higher reality is present

with illumination (nirbhasam). This gives him a thorough insight into the said force, object or

person.

 

Paul’s notation:

This is a very different translation than we are accustomed to hearing, and

so we must suspend judgment and employ patience to see where the

translator is taking us.

 

 

Verse 4

trayam ekatra sanyamah

trayam- three; ekatra- in one place, all taken together as one practice; samyamah- complete

restraint

The three as one practice is the complete restraint.

 

Commentary:

In Bhagavad-gita, samyama is mentioned in chapter four.

 

srotradini `ndriyany anye

samyamagnisu juhvati

sabdadin visayan anye

indriyagnisu juhvati

 

Other yogis offer hearing and other sensual powers into the fiery power of restraint. Some offer

sound and other sensual pursuits into the fiery sensual power. (Gita 4.26)

 

sarvani'ndriya karmani

pranakarmani capare

atmasamyama yogagnau

juhvati jnanadipite

 

Some ascetics subject the sensual actions and the breath function to self-restraint by fiery yoga

austerities, which are illuminated by experience. (Gita 4.27)

Sam means very, quite, greatly, thoroughly, very much, all, whole, complete.

Yamah means restraint, control.

It is obvious that one has to understand the word according to how it is defined by the

particular writer. Sri Krishna’s use of the term is similar to what Sri Patanjali meant, but Sri

Patanjali is specific in saying that samyama is the combining the three practices of higher yoga

into one discipline. When dharana, dhyana and Samadhi are made into one technique, that is

called samyamah in Sri Patanjali’s vocabulary.

From that perspective, there would be only 6 stages to yoga, namely yama, niyama, asana,

pranayama, pratyahar, and samyamah. In that case samyamah means that one has to do the

three higher stages of yoga as one practice. This actually happens when one masters dhyana

yoga. Sometimes in dhyana, one slips back to the dharana stages and sometimes it progresses

automatically to the Samadhi stage. Thus Sri Patanjali is correct in bridging the three higher

stages when there is success in this, the mento-emotional energy is completely restrained from

its involvement in this world and in the lower subtle world.

 

Paul’s notation:

So three steps have been presented called Samyama.

Linking of the attention to a concentration force or person, involves a restricted

location in the mento-emotional energy.

 

When in that location, there is one continuous threadlike flow of ones instinctive interest that is

the effortless linking of the attention to a higher concentration force or person.

 

That same effortless linkage of the attention when experienced as illumination of the higher

concentration force or person, while the yogi feels as if devoid of himself, is Samadhi or

continuous effortless linkage of his attention to the special Person, object, or force.

 

The three as one practice is the complete restraint.

 

Verse 5

 

Paul’s notation:

Now the word stages. Does this mean every time one practices, one goes

through each of these stages, or does it mean that yesterday I went through

that stage and today I am going through this stage, and tomorrow I will go

through that stage? Or is the whole thing, after much preparation going

through all at one time and is finished?

 

 

Verse 7

trayam antarangam purvebhyah

 

trayam- three; antarangam= antar- internal, psychological, concerning the thinking and feeling

organs + angam- part purvebhyah, in reference to the preliminary stages mentioned before.

In reference to the preliminary stages of yoga, these three higher states concern the

psychological organs.

 

Commentary:

Dharana, dhyana and Samadhi concern the psychological organs. These concern mystic

practice as assisted by the physical and social practices which involve yama, niyama, asana,

pranayama and pratyahar. While in the five preliminary stages there are physical actions, in the

three higher stages, it is mostly mystic actions having to do with controlling, observing and

operating psychological organs in the subtle body.

 

Paul’s notation:

The buddhi organ has been mentioned and we assume this is one of these

organs referred to, but what are the other two organs?

 

 

Verse 8

tad api bahirangam nirbijasya

 

tadapi= that = api – even; bahiranga= bahir- external +angam – part; nirbijasya- not motivated

by the mento-emotional energy

 

Commentary:

Initially a student yogi works for yoga success on the basis of disgust with the subtle and

gross material energy. It is due to the impressions lodged in his mental and emotional energies.

Thus in a sense he cannot strive without being motivated by those very same energies. As Sri

Patanjali told us, the purpose of that energy is to give us experience in the world and also to do

the converse which is to motivate us to strive for liberation.

prakasa-kriya-sthiti-silam bhutendriyatmakam bhogapavargartham drsyam

What is perceived is of the nature of the mundane elements and the sense organs and is

formed in clear perception, action or stability. Its purpose is to give experience or to

allow liberation. (Yoga Sutra 2:18)

While initially the student yogi practices samyama complete restrain under motivations

which comes from the mental end emotional energies, later on , as he advances, he progresses

on the basis of forces objects and personas he encounters in the spiritual atmosphere. Such

motivations are free from flaws. These are termed seedless or lacking urges from this side of

existence.

 

Verse 9

vyutthana-nirodha-sanskarayor abhibhava-pradhurbhavan nirodha-kshanachittanvayo

nirodha-parinamah

 

vyutthana- expression; nirodha – suppression; samskarayoh- of the mento-emotional

impressions; abhibhava- disappearance; pradurbhavau- and manifestation ; nirodha- restraint,

cessation ; ksana-momentarily; citta - mento-emotional energy; anvayah- connection; nirodah- restraint; parinamah-= transforming effects

When the connection with the citta mento-emotional energy momentarily ceases during

the manifestation and disappearance phases when there is expression or suppression of

the impressions, that is the restraint of the transforming mento-emotional energy.

 

Commentary:

Sri Patanjali is respect by all advanced yogis who are aware of these yoga sutras. Only

persons who do no yoga and who are ignorant of the techniques, make a joke of the detailed

work of Sri Patanjali. One can only admire his genius.

There are many who become masters of kriya yoga. Most of them do not take detailed

notes of the preliminary and advanced practices. This is because those yogis are to liberated

and do not see the need to keep a record for review. However Sri Patanjali saw the need. This

is a detailed study of his practices. I offer respects to him.

A student yogi should note what is emotional and what is mental energy. He should note

that the two energies are interchangeable under certain psychological circumstances.

Furthermore even though the mental energy hold to its own integrity, showing a distinction

between itself and the emotions, still the two energies do communicate with each other.

Beyond that, a student should note how impressions arise and subside. Anyone who has done

concentration, contemplation or meditation, knows very well that the impressions come and go

of their own accord. But Sri Patanjali spoke of the interval (ksana) between the expression of

an idea in the mind and the suppression of that very same idea. At first this sounds easy. But

let us think of it again.

When an idea arises in the mind, depending on it’s value to the emotions, it may be

expanded or it may be dissipated immediately. If it is expanded, what really takes place? If it is

expanded the idea ceases for a split second. The memory in conjunction with the imagination

creates another idea which is associative to the one which disappeared. Sri Patanjali wants us

to focus on that split second cessation (nirodhaksana ). He wants us to extend that split second

to a longer, much longer period. If we could keep the mind in that state for long we would

enter into samadhi.

Of course such a feat is easier said than done. Sometimes effortlessly, the mind remains for

five or ten seconds in that blank state. Expert yogis hold the mind in that state for minutes and

some do so for hours at a time. This is their accomplishment of samadhi. One will find that if

he can hold the mind there, the imagination faculty will change into being spiritual vision, an

actual illuminating sight, an eye. With the help of Lord Krishna, Arjuna had some experiences

of this at Kuruksetra. When again Arjuna wanted that insight, Sri Krishna with mild

disappointment, declined. He said, in the Anugita, that He could not again impart it to Arjuna

because it involved a yoga siddhai which Krishna expressed at Kurukshetra for a specific

purpose.

By careful study of this verse, one will get an idea of what is required for yoga success,

which is the prolonging of the momentary blankness which occurs in the mind between the

expression within it of one idea and another. The whole problem with meditation has to do

with this.

For success, a yogi must be prepared to spend years if necessary noticing that momentarily

blankness and practicing to hold the mind there. Initially, it will seem that it is impossible to

stop the mind there, but by regular practice for a long time, the period for holding the mind in

that state is extended.

 

 

Verse 10

tasya prashanta-vahita sanskarat

tasya- of this; prasanta- spiritual peace; vahita- flow; samskarat- from the impressioins derrived

Concerning this practice of restraint, the impressions derived cause a flow of spiritual

peace.

 

Commentary:

When the yogi repeated practices to keep his mind in a condition of restraining, causing the

transformations of the mento-emotional energy to cease, then his memory is accredited with

quieting impressions, which bring on the uninterrupted flow of spiritual peace.

 

 

Verse 11

sarvarthataikagratayoh kshayodayau chittasya samadhi-parinamah

 

sarvarthata - varying objective; ekagratayoh - of the one aspect before the attention;

ksaya – decrease; udayau- and increase; cittasya – of the mento-emotional energy;

samadhi- the continuous effortless linkage of the attention to the higher concentration force,

object or person; parinamah - transforming effects, change

The decrease of varying objectives in the mento-emotional energy and the increase of the

one aspect within it, is the change noticed in the practice of continuous effortless effor of

linking the attention to higher concentration forces, objects or persons.

 

Commentary:

We are reminded that the samadhi stage will come after long practice. It will come gradually

over time of practicing Samyama, as Sri Patanjali defined, being the practice of dharana which

progressed into dhyana, which then changes into samadhi.

As one tries to practice samadhi, he will find that there is a decrease in the minds many

objectives and an increase of its tendency for one focus as dictated by the practice. This one

focus is not a focus on a deity but rather it is the focus mentioned in verse 9 of this chapter,

which is the restraint of the transformations of the mento-emotional energy.

It has nothing to do with any object or any person, divine or ordinary. It is a battle within

the psychology of the yogi, for control of the psyche. It is an internal private war in the

battlefield of the mind and emotions.

When the yogin notices that his mind’s habits change, so that it desires more of that peace

attained when it is in a void state, then he knows that he is making progress. This is not a void

in the world nor in the subtle world but rather a void in his own psyche, whereby his memory

does not discharge ideas which burst in the mind environment into impressions which trigger

other impressions and thoughts and which torment the yogi and frustrate his efforts and psyche

control.

 

 

Verse 12

tatah punah shantoditau tulya-pratyayau chittasyaikagrataparinamah

 

tatah- then; punah – again; santoditau = santa -tranquilized, settled, subsided + uditau - and

agitated, emerging; tulya – similar; pratyayau - conviction or belief as mental content, instinctive

interest; cittasya - of the mento-emotional energy; ekagrata- of what is in front of one aspect

before the attention; parinamah- transforming effects, change

Then again, when the mind’s content is the same as it was when it is subsiding and

when it is emerging, that is the transformation called “having one aspect in front before

the attention”.

 

Commentary:

This condition of mind is related to everything which was described in this chapter so far.

As the yogin gets to the stage where his mind content is no longer dominated by memories, he

is able to keep before his attention in a quiescent state, (prasanta - vahita verse 9). However

this is maintained only by keeping the expressive and depressive restraining gyration of the

mind out of contact with the memory.

At any time, when the mind is allowed to contact the attention is allowed to contact the

memory, either by accident or as induced or deliberately, the mind content will be altered to

accommodate various images and sounds (sarvathata, verse 11). That is counter productive,

being regretted by the yogi, since it puts him at odds with his objective, which is to cease such

mental operations completely.

The subsiding and emerging nature of the mind cannot be changed but a yogi can get relief

from it by his assumption of a focus into other dimensions and by his freezing the mind by

pranayama practice. But as soon as it is possible, the mind will be found to have reverted back

to its essential nature. This is in a sense disgusting and it causes the yogin to feel that

somehow he has got to get rid of such a mind.

It is not easy to have just one aspect in front of the attention. By nature the mind seeks to

change its position by an in and out sising and falling, creating and disintegrating function.

This is the natural condition of the normal mindal stage. This is why it is necessary to do

pranayama. By regulating the breath and by surcharging the mind with a high pressure charge

of prana, it slows down or abandons lower diversions altogether. But then again as soon as the

higher pressure charge dissipates, the mind returns to its normal gyrations, except in the case of

those yogins who have developed a yoga siddha body. Skeptics therefore suspect that yoga is

a waste of time. They feel that no one can overcome the gyrating nature of the mind.

For the mind content to be the same when the mento-emotional energy is moving to create

images as to disintegrate the same and for the mind to remain consistently blank like this for

sometime, the yogin has to master the dharana, sixth stage of yoga practice, whereby he can

link the mind to a consistent concentration force and at the same time hold on to or look

through his attention energy.

The technique used for this is the one where the yogi keeps his attention locked to the subtle

sound which comes in from the chit akash. Usually that is heard in the vicinity of the right ear.

As a yogi hears this, he also focuses on diffused light in front of him (ekagrata). There is no

visual object before his attention at this time. It is merely a listening to the naad sound in the

vacinity of the right ear, while looking forward through his attention which makes a slight

contact with the mento-emotional energy (citta). When his looking action relaxes of its own

accord, he sees a diffused light before him.

Sri Patanjali already mentioned that diffusion as a covering of light. That was in Verse 52

of the last chapter.

tatah ksiyate prakasa-avaranam

From that is dissipated, the mental darkness which veils the light. (Yoga Sutra 2.52)

The diffused light which is actually light mixed with cloudy energy or misty force, will be

separated such that the misty force or cloudy energy will disappear, leaving only light. When a

yogi attains this practice, it is understood that he mastered the seventh state of yoga called

dhyana.

Some people think that this practice includes imagining a deity, a supernatural, or spiritual

being, or imaging a subtle primal force, but that is incorrect. The yogi only needs to get his

supernatural and spiritual visions to be operative. Then he sees everything in the chit akash, the

sky of consciousness. He does not need to imagine anything super-subtle or divine objects.

 

 

Verse 13

etena bhutendriyeshu dharma-lakshanavastha-parinama vyakhyatah

 

etena- by this; bhuta – the various states of matter; indiryesu- by the sensual energy;

dharma- quality; laksana – shape, characteristic; avastha-condition; parinamah – changes,

transformation; vyakhyatah – is described

By this description of the changes, the quality, shape, changing conditions of the

various states of mater and the sensual energy was described.

 

Commentary:

The whole subtle and gross material energy is effectively dealt with th this yoga practice, in

the efforts of the yogi to get his psychology under control. The whole controlling effort has to

do with the developing a complete disinterest in the gross and subtle material energy, which is

called bhutendiriya in this verse. Our response to the mundane energy is out down fall. When

we learn how to control that response and how to eventually cease responding altogether, we

will get the control which we so desperately seek.

 

 

Verse14

shantoditavyapadeshya-dharmanupati dharmi

 

aanta – collapsed; udita- emergent; avyapadesya – what is not to be defined, what is latent;

dharma – law, sustaining force; anupati – reach full retrogression; dharmi – most basic

condition

When the collapsed, emergent and latent forces reach full retrogression, that is the most

basic condition.

 

Commentary:

Most commentators attribute dharmi as the prakriti energy, or the most subtle form of

material nature. This is correct. However, in the case of the yogi, his research into it has to do

with finding a technique for abandoning it once and for all, for complete detachment and

independence from it. Thus the assessment of it occurs within his psyche within the mentoemotional

energy. Once he gets down to its most basic condition, or to the ultimate substratum

of material nature, he can take a good look at it with supernatural vision and make his decisions

for not responding to it anymore. Once he sees the course of its progression into

manifestation, and retrogression out of manifestation, he will no longer be afraid of it or be

attracted to it. Then it served its purpose for him and he becomes liberated quickly and

definitely.

Obviously we have got some desire to be in touch with material energy. Thus it is

necessary that we understand our attraction to it and eliminate that fondness for it or eradicate

and dismember whatever it is that influenced us to embrace it.

 

 

Verse 15

kramanyatvam parinamanyatve hetuh

 

krama – sequence; anyatvam- otherness, difference; parinama- transformation change;

anyatve – in difference; hetuh – cause

The cause of a difference in the transformation is the difference in the sequential

changes.

 

Commentary:

A student yogi may become preoccupied with the various changing scenes which occur

when the mento-emotional energy (citta) goes through its numerous operations. Thus he

becomes bewildered, but sooner or later he will get help from a senior yogin, such that he will

no longer follow the sequential changes but will instead observe the operations of the energy.

The content of the operations is not important. He has to grasp this fact, if he is to acquire

supreme detachment and get leverage over the transformations which occur in his mind and

emotions and which keep him from achieving the supernatural and spiritual insights.

Some student yogins like infants, become spell bound by their imagination faculty and its

picturizations. They make little progress in higher yoga and talk about it to their teachers. They

need to understand that a fascination with the differences, in the various transformations is

caused only by differences in the sequential changes and not from any thing substantial or

meaningful. Whatever occurs in their sill little minds is of no consequence really. It is not the

content of the mind (pratyaya), nor the conviction or moody appetite of the mind that is relevant

but rather the way the mind operates.

A person entering a film theater usually becomes enthralled in what show is on the screen.

But that is childish. He should be interested in the projector mechanism which causes the

movie to be shown in the first place. It is the working of that mechanism that is important, not

the content of the various movies which are shown through it. When a student yogi gets this

understanding, he becomes freed. So long as one is attracted primarily to the mind content, one

will not adhere to the instructions for higher yoga, but will instead, complain about the

disciplines just as how a child cries if his parent takes him out of a movie theater before a film

is finished.

The parent wants to show the child the projection apparatus and the operator of that

mechanism, but the child finds the projection room to be dull and boring and not as stimulating

as the film show it produces. He feels that it is not interactive with him. So the student yogi

usually fights tooth and nail with advanced teachers who come down from siddhaloka to free

them.

The difference in the sequential change of ideas and images in the mind occur because of

how the memory and imagination interact with the information which comes in a compressed

form from the senses from the subtle and gross world. This admixture is bewildering.

Advanced yogis advise us to forgo them, to just ignore them. Their policy is that instead of

looking at those impressions, we should just avoid them all together. This avoidance is

disempowered them and weakens their grip on us.

The analogy of the boy in the movie house would help in this case. The more and more he

stays out of the movie house, the more detached and disinterested he may become, the more he

goes to it, the more his nature reacts in response to it and the more attached and interested he

becomes. But in that case his interest is being abused, being needlessly exploited by fiction.

This is why in India, there was a period of history where many leading yogis condemned

human consumption of name and forms. If we become enthralled again and again with names

of things and with the forms of things, it will cause us to become more and more fascinated

with this world and that will push us away from liberation.

According to the sequence of the various film slides, the movie shows in particular ways

which may invoke our interest, either to cause happiness, distress or indifference, and

according to how the memory, imagination, reasoning and sensual intake interact, we become

fascinated with the differences in the transformation within our minds and emotions. Thus the

important thing is to understand how the mind operates, not what the content of it comprises.

Even though this is the solution, this is easier said than done. When one becomes

determined to follow this advice, he discovers that somehow he is enthralled by the content of

the mind. That itself entraps him. At least that is how a student yogin will feel. But again, he

should study the operation of the entrapment mechanism.

The boy in our analogy must study how the movie building was constructed with a small

door for entry on a back street and a large attractive door for entry on a main street. The very

construction of the place is bewildering and causes the body to go into the theater through the

front door, which leads into the gallery where the movie is showing. Once the boy

understands this he can avoid that door and find his way to the small door on the back street

which leads to the projection room where he will be able to study something that is of vital

importance to him, which is the way the projection apparatus operates.

Sometimes a student yogi finds that he repeatedly finds himself in front of a series of

images which are projected by the imagination faculty or which were released from the memory

or from the sensual organs which collect information. Before he can realize it, or be objective

to it, he finds himself looking, analyzing, interacting with these images. This procedure,

though impulsive must be stopped by the student yogin.

Paul’s notation:

This is perhaps the most interesting commentary thus far in that it informs

the reader of a very vast implication. Take the analogy of the little boy in the

theater, for starters. The author tells us that a person going to the theater

should not be interested in the movie, but rather the projection room. How

many people do you know, who attend a movie are interested in the

projection room? More on this later.

 

Verse 16

parinama-traya-sanyamad atitanagata-jnanam

 

parinama – transformation change; traya - threefold; samyamat- from the complete restraint of

the mento-emotional energy; atita – past; anagata- future; jnanam- information

From the complete restrain of the mento-emotional energy in terms of the three-fold

transformations within it, the yogi gets information about the past and future.

 

Commentary:

This set of verses regarding the perfectional skills or siddhis gained by certain practices,

have caused Sri Patanjali to be criticized by those religious leaders who feel that the siddhi

perfectional powers are a distraction either from liberation or from attaining love of God.

However, the accusation is ungrounded, because Sri Patanjali very realistically informs us

about the course of our development, alerting us to what lies ahead. These perfectional skills

cannot be avoided by anyone who advances in spiritual disciplines. We need training in how

not to be charmed by these powers of the lower and higher subtle bodies.

Everything about the past in microscopic and atomic impressions is in our individual

memories and in the cosmic memory pool. Any of this information can be retrieved by the

Supreme Being.

 

sri bhagavan uvaca

bahuni me vyatitani

janmani tava ca'rjuna

tanyaham veda sarvani

na tvam vettha paramtapa

 

The Blessed Lord said: Many of My births transpired, and yours, Arjuna. I recall them all.

You do not remember, O scorcher of the enemies. (Gita 4.5)

Everything about the future is potential present in the existence right now. The parameters

which will cause the formation of the future are present. The Supreme Being can look at it and

accurately gage the probabilities.

On should not interpret this verse to mean that a yogi can know just about everything. A

yogi can know much if he applies himself sufficiently and can enter into the cosmic memory

and decipher its impressions. First of all, he must be allowed to do that. This allowance is not

always grated to a yogi by the Supreme Being. However a yogi does not need the permission

of the Supreme Being to enter his own limited memory bank. His ability to do that relies on his

expertise in the complete restrain of his mento-emotional energy.

A great yogin, Shrila Yogeshwarananda can decipher the cosmic parameters which will

control what happens in the future of this universe. Therefore it is possible but only a rare

yogin can do this. The complete conquest of the mento-emotional energy is a feat reserved for

a select few great yogis like him. The important achievement is to get your own memory under

control. When this is done one can check on the relationship between one limited memory and

the cosmic reservoir of past impressions.

Some people feel that if a yogi reaches a stage of knowledge about the past and future, he

would be omniscient, but that is an exaggeration. Such information will not affect the course of

history nor change any of the probability, nor affect how the Supreme Being relates to the

limited personalities. Its value is in the potency to convince the yogi to make an exit from these

gross and subtle mundane histories. But that is not all, because a yogin has to acquire

permission to do that. That permission must be gained from the Supreme Being, who might

not grant it to a particular yogin.

 

Verse 17

shabdartha-pratyayanam itaretaradhyasat sankaras tat-pravibhagasanyamat

sarva-bhuta-ruta-jnanam

 

sabda – sound; artha – meaning; pratayayam – pertaining to the mind content, convictions, idea;

itaretara = itara -it + tara = one for the other; adhyasat- resulting from the super-imposition;

sankarah – intermixture; tat – their; pravibhaga – differentiation, sorting, classification, mental

clarity; samyamat – from the complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy; sarva – all;

bhuta – creature; ruta – sound, cry, yell, language;

jnanam- information, knowledge

From the complete restraint of the mento emotional energy

In relation to mental clarity, regarding the intermixture resulting from the

superimposition one for the other, of sound, it’s meaning and the related mentality,

knowledge about the language of all creatures is gained,

 

Commentary:

When a student yogin simplifies his mentality by sorting out the various parts of it, and

when he detaches his imagination faculty from it’s involuntary connection to the memory, as

well as when he consistently retracts his sensual energies from the gross and lower suble

worlds, he gains a certain mental clarity, by which his buddhi organ instanteously sorts the

sound, it’s meaning and related idea which was made by any other creature.

 

 

Verse 18

sanskara-sakshatkaranat purva-jatijnanam

 

samskara- the subtle impressions stored in memory; sakstkaranata- fear causing to be visibly

present, direct intuitive perception; purva- before, previous; jati - status, life;

jananam- knowledge

From direct intuitive perception of the subtle impressions stored in the memory, the yogi

gains knowledge of previous lives.

 

Commentary:

A yogi may know his own or some past lives of others. He can intuit into the memory the

impressions and pull up from there the compressed information, which can be instantly

translated by his purified buddhi organ.

 

Verse 19

pratyayasya para-chitta-jnanam

 

pratyayasya – of the mind content; para- of others; citta – of the mento-emotional energy

jnanam- information

A yogi can know the contents of the mental and emotional energy in the mind of others.

 

Commentary:

Even though a student yogi might experience this, he must check the purity of his buddhi

organ to be sure that his intuition has interpreted accurately. He should not inform others that

he has this ability. Unless he gets directions from Lord Shiva or from an advanced yogi, he

should not disclose to others anything about his intuitions.

Generally, a yogi should not interfere with the lives of others, for he should be aware of the

supervision of the supernatural persons like Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu.

Paul’s notation:

Other translations read: 19. Through samyama the image occupying

another's mind can be known.

 

Verse 20

na cha tat salambanam tasyavishayi-bhutatvat

 

na- not; ca- and; tat – that; salambananam- leaning on, resting on, support; tasya – of that;

avisayi- not an object of anything , imperceptible; bhutavat- the actual object

And he does not check a factor which is the support of that content, for it is not the

actual object in question.

 

Verse 21

kaya-rupa-sanyamat tad-grahya-shakti-stambhe chakshuhprakashasanprayoge

'ntardhanam

 

kaya- body; rupa – form; samyamat- from the complete restraint of the mento-emotional

energy; tat – that; grahya- approiating, grasping, sensual perceptiveness; sakti- power, potency,

energy; stambhe- on the suspension; caksuh- vision; prakasa – light; samprayoge – on not

contacting; antardhanam+ antardhanam= invisibility

From the complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy in relation to the shape of

the body, on the suspension of the receptive energy, there is no contact between light

and vision, which results in invisibility.

 

Commentary:

The mento-emotional energy emanates a psychic light which is called an aura. Now if this

aura is restrained or if it loses its expressiveness the particular form cannot be seen by another.

A yogi may also suspend this energy from operating. In that case, others who send out

psychic feelers to find him, discover to their dismay that he is missing. Sometimes when this

happens, the persons who are trying to find that yogi know that he is in the vicinity or that he is

where they think he is, therefore they become annoyed and attribute the lack of contact to his

anti-social tendency.

The lack of contact (samprayoga) between the light and vision has to do with the light

coming from the yogi’s form and vision beam which emanates from the person who searches

psychicly or physically for him. Sometimes a yogi can sit right next to a person and that

person cannot realize that the yogi is by his side. One of my gurus, a certain Rishi Singh

Gherwal was hired by the British government to find himself. Being employed as a spy to find

a spy he remained in the services of the British for many years. He was a mahayogi but was

unknown because of his great humility and resistance to popularity.

 

Verse 22

etena sthabdady antardhanam uktam

 

etena – by this; sabdadi = sabda – sound+ adi- and the related sensual pursuits

andardhanam- invisibility, non- perceptibility; uktam – described

By this method, sound and the related sensual pursuits, may be restrained, which

results in the related perceptibility.

 

Commentary:

A yogi may use a mystic process to cause imperceptibility in any or all aspects of sensual

energy, so that he may not be detected by others. But this might only be done for the sake of

yoga practice progression, and not otherwise. If a yogi uses these mystic skills for other

reasons, it will distract from yoga practice and cause a long or short lapse in progression.

Sometimes people send out thoughts to attract a yogi. They do this by thinking. These

thoughts are transmitted from their hearts just like radio waves being transmitted from a radio

station. These thoughts are usually disruptive to yoga practice and are usually meant to engage

a yogi in cultural activities which do not accelerate, but which rather decelerate yoga. Thus a

yogi has to protect his practice by causing such thoughts not to reach him. There are many

ways of doing this. The yogi uses a method, which he is allowed according to the level of his

practice.

Just as a yogi might sit next to someone on a bus or train and travel miles with that person,

without the person recognizing him, even though he is the very same person whom that

searcher seeks, so a yogi might stay out of reach of the others even though he might be right

next to them or even though they might know him so well that their thoughts instantly reach his

psyche.

 

Verse 23

sopakramam nirupakramam cha karma tat-sanyamad aparanta-jnanam

arishtebhyo va

 

sopakrama-set about, undertaken, already operative; nirupakramam- dormant-destined;

ca- and; karma- cultural activities; tat- that; samyamad= samyamat-from the complete restraint

of the mento-emotional energy; aparanta- of the other end, of death entry into the hereafter;

jananam- knowledge; aristebhyo+ aristebhah- from portents; va- or

Complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy in relation to current and destined

cultural activities results in knowledge of entry into the hereafter. Or the same result is

gained by the complete restraint in relation to portents.

 

Commentary:

Both the current and the future cultural activities are the result of destiny, which is a

combination of several forces. These destined energies work now, they worked in the past.

They will work in the future. By restraining the mento-emotional energy in relation to the

confusing impressions which we take in now, and the ones which are stored in our memory we

may derive intuitive or direct supernatural perceptions into the subtle world to see when it

would be necessary for any of us to leave a material body. By this process, a yogi can leave

his body and enter the dimensions of the hereafter where civilizations are currently taking place.

Each person who is about to leave his or her body experiences portents. Most persons

cannot properly interpret the indications. A yogi can accurately gage those signs and messages.

 

Verse 24

maitry-adishu balani

 

maitri- friendliness; adisu- and by related qualities; balani- power

By complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy in relation to friendliness he

develops that very same power.

 

Commentary:

When the yogi detaches himself from the cultural prejudices which were cultivated in this

and in some past lives, he develops universal friendliness which is applied evenly without

biases which come up from the subconscious memory as predispositions. However, being

aware of those attitudes in his memory, he can know what sort of friendly or antagonistic

relationship he had with others in past lives.

 

Verse 25

baleshu hasti-baladini

 

balesu- by strength; hasti- elephant; bala- strength; adina- and the same for other aspects

By complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy in relation to strength, the yogin

acquires strength of an elephant. The same applies to other aspects.

 

Commentary:

A yogi develops certain mystic perfections during practice. This cannot be avoided. A yogi

must stick to his objectives as shared with him by advanced teachers. Then he is not distracted

by the mystic perfection, but observes their development and notes the various powers of the

subtle and super-subtle bodies.

 

Verse 26

pravritty-aloka-nyasat sukshma-vyavahita-viprakrishta-jnanam

 

pravrttyalokanyasat= pravrtti- destined activity, the force of cultural activity+ aloka –

supernatural insight + nyasat – from placing or applying; suksma – subtle; vyavhita- concealed;

viprakrsta- concealed; viprakrsta- remote; jnanam – knowledge

From the application of supernatural insight to the force producing cultural activities, a

yogi gets information about what is subtle, concealed and what is remote from him.

Commentary:

Sometimes it is necessary to side step destiny and to see what will happen if one takes one

kind of action or if one stays in a particular dimension or world. Then a yogi might apply

supernatural vision to peer into the future, so that he can make a decision to remain in one

dimension or be transcribed into another. A yogi can only find out what he is allowed to by the

Supreme Being, but that allowance is very wide. He may get special insight from Lord Shiva

or from some other diving being.

 

Verse 27

bhavana-jnanam surye sanyamat

 

bhuvana- the solar system; jnana- knowledge; surye- on the sun-god or the sun planet

samyamat- from the complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy

From the complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy in relation to the sun god or

the sun planet, knowledge of the solar system is gained.

 

Commentary:

If for some reason or the other, a yogi wants to know about the jurisdictional influences of

the sun-god or sun planet, he may find out if he applies his spiritual sight to the spiritual,

supernatural, or gross influences of the sunlight. The sun god’s influence abounds physically,

supernaturally, and spiritually as well. This is why Sri Krishna described the paths used by

proficient yogis at the time of death.

 

yatra kale tv anavrttim

avrttim cai 'va yoginah

prayata yanti tam kalam

vaksyami bharatarsabha

 

O bullish man of the Bharata family, I will tell you of the departure for the yogis

who do or do not return. (Gita 8.23)

 

agnir jyotir ahah suklah

sanmasa uttarayanam

tatra prayata gacchanti

brahma brahmavido janah

 

The summer season, the bright atmosphere, the daytime, the bright moonlight, the

six months when the sun appears to move north; if at that time, they depart the

body, those people who know the spiritual dimension, go to the spiritual location.

(Gita 8.24)

 

dhumo ratris tatha krsnah

sanmasa daksinayanam

tatra candramasam jyotir

yogi prapya nivartate

 

The smoky, misty or hazy season, as well as in the night-time, the dark-moon time,

the six months when the sun appears to move south; if the yogi departs at that time,

he attains moonlight, after which he is born again. (Gita 8.25)

 

suklakrsne gati hy ete

jagatah sasvate mate

ekaya yaty anavrttim

anyaya'vartate punah

 

The tight and the dark times are two paths which are considered to be perpetually

available for the universe. It is considered so by the authorities. By one, a person

goes away not to return; by the other he comes back again. (Gita 8.26)

 

Verse 28

chandre tara-vyuha-jnanam

candre- on the moon or moon-god; tara- stars; vyuha- system; jnanam- knowledge

By complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy, in reference to moon or moon-god,

the yogi gets knowledge about the system of stars.

 

Commentary:

This is in the case of a yogi who has an interest of going beyond the jurisdiction of the solar

deity. To relieve himself of reliance on this person, a yogi must get permission for transference

to another zone of some other deity. All places are controlled. Thus a yogi needs permission

both to leave this realm as well as to enter any other.

A yogi’s desire for something is not guaranteed that he will acquire it. It all depends on if

he is permitted and if he qualified by the required austerities. Yogis who are spiritually linked

to a local deity like the sun-god or moon-god, cannot relinquish their spiritual connection, even

though they may get permission for a change of services or for a relocation to another zone that

is controlled by the same deity.

 

Verse 29

dhruve tad-gati-jnanam

 

dhruve- on the Pole ?Star; tat- that; gati – course of heavenly planets and stars; jnanam- knowledge

By the complete restrain of the mento-emotional energy in relation to the Pole Star, a

yogi can know of the course of planets and stars.

 

Commentary:

Some yogis do develop whimsical interest and inquiries which satisfy their curiosity. But

other yogis who are serious about it and who hope to migrate from this planet to other superior

places do check on the other zones before leaving their bodies, to be sure that their conceptions

of these places perfectly match the actual situations there. Such yogis use their higher astral

bodies to move from sphere to sphere checking the various living conditions in the other

places.

 

Verse 30

nabhi-chakre kaya-vyuha-jnanam

 

nabhi – navel; cakre- on the energy gyrating center; kaya- body; vyuha – arrangement, lay out;

jnanam- knowledge

By complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy in relation to the focusing on the

navel energy gyrating center, the yogi gets knowledge about the layout of his body.

 

Commentary:

It is necessary in the course of kundalini yoga to energize the energy gyrating centers or

chakras. These are located on the spinal column in the subtle body. This corresponds to the

central nervous system in the gross form. The navel chakra point extends to the front of the

body, to the solar plexus region. In the case of student yogis, it may also point downward.

But in advanced celibate yogis it points upwards.

A yogin may enter the navel chakra of his own body or that of others, from the front of the

body, from the navel, where the umbilical cord was connected while that body was in the

womb of the it’s mother. From there a yogi can see the entire layout of the body, including its

life spans, its potential for disease and its maximum capacity for helping the soul in the quest

for liberation.

In some cases, a person cannot be liberated in his present body. When a yogi sees this he

does not waste time with that person. He directs that person to earn more conducive birth

opportunities. In yogic terminology the navel chakra is called manipuraka. It is the third major

chakra when counting these from the bottom of the spine. By completing the course of hatha

yoga, a yogi curbs this chakra.

 

Verse 31

kantha-kupe kshut-pipasa-nivrittih

 

kantha- throat; kupe – on the gullet; ksut- hunger; pipasa- thirst; nivrttih- cessation,

suppression

By the complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy in focusing on the gullet, a yogi

causes the suppression of hunger and thirst.

 

Commentary:

The practice of suppressing hunger and thirst is part of Hatha yoga. The purpose of this is

to get the life force to cease its independent activities. A hatha yogi endeavors to bring the life

force under his control, not to stop it from functioning but to cease its independent activities

which are counter productive to the aims of yoga. Thus one, by one, a yogi surcharges and

subsequently purifies the energy gyrating centers (chakras) one by one, beginning at the base

of the spine.

Some people feel that they can use raja yoga to purify the chakras from the top downwards,

from the brow or crown chakra. Actually this cannot be done, except in a person’s

imagination. One has to do kundalini yoga by a vigor practice like bhastrika pranayama. By

charging the body with prana and pushing it down into the passages which are filled with

apana, one causes purification from the base chakra upwards. It takes a certain amount of

practice according to the extent of impurities.

A yogi does cause his hunger and thirst to be suppressed initially when he sets out to

control those urges, but over a time of practice, his subtle body changes and the urges for solid

and liquid food go away. This is because the attitude of the throat chakras become changed

permanently.

Of course a yogi can be degraded, because whatever low habits or vices he acquired in the

past, he can again take up in the future if he is not careful, or if he is not transferred into a

dimension where such sordid aspects are unavailable.

 

Verse 32

kurma-nadyam sthairyam

 

kurma- tortoise, a particular subtle nerve; nadyam –on the nadi or subtle nerve;

sthairyam- steadiness

By the complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy in focusing on the kurmanadi

subtle nerve, a yogi acquires steadiness of his psyche.

 

Commentary:

This has to do with being ready to enter Samadhi which is continuous effortless linkage of

one’s attention to a higher concentration force, object or person. Unless one can keep his body

in a steady pose, preferably the padmasana lotus posture, and also have the bodily urges like

hunger quelled completely, he cannot enter into samadhi. Sri Patanjali brings this to our

attention at this point.

The kurmanadi is supposed to be located below the gullet. In other words if one has not

stilled the gross and subtle nerves in this area, having mastered Hatha Yoga, one will not be

able to enter samadhi. When those nerves are stilled, the life force gives up its effort to protect

and overly maintain the lower part of the body, the part which is lower than the neck. Unless

the life force can be relieved from its creature survival duties, it does not allow the person to

enter samadhi.

 

Verse 33

murdha-jyotishi siddha-darshanam

 

murdha – the head; jyotisi- on the shinning light; siddha- the perfected being; darsanam- the

view of

By the complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy as it is focused on the shinning

light in the head of the subtle body, a yogi gets views of the perfected beings.

 

Commentary:

Murdhajyotish is known otherwise as jnanadipa or jnanadiptih or jnanachaksu. It is a light

seen in the front central head of the subtle body. This light is the energized buddhi organ. In its

normal stage in a human being, it is dark and cloudy, like a filament of a light bulb which gets

insufficient current. The insufficient current warms the filament but does not cause it to glow

noticeable. When the yogi masters pranayama and perfects himself in the disciplines of

kundalini and celibacy yoga, his buddhi organ gets sufficiently charged. It glows with shining

light (jyotisi), otherwise it remains dull but is felt as the centre of the mind, as ones ability to

understand, analyses, plan and draw conclusions.

When a yogi develops himself to the extent that his buddhi organ begins to glow in his

lower subtle body even, then he perceives the perfected beings, the siddhas like Sri Babaji

Mahasya, Sri Gorakshanath, and other Mahayogins. Sometimes fortunately he sees Lord

Shiva at Kailash in the other dimensions. Once a yogin sees the siddhas, it is understood that

he is blessed. If he accelerates the practice further, he will develop a yoga siddha body. He can

take advices and get rare kriya yoga practices from those siddhas whom he is allowed to

perceive. Such a yogin does not rely on physical contact with a yoga guru. Hence he does not

have to have a guru who uses a physical form. He takes initiation either physically or subtle

from these teachers.

 

Verse 34

pratibhad va sarvam

 

pratibhat- resulting from Samyama on the shinning organ of divination; va- or; sarvam- everything, all reality

By complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy while focusing on the shining

organ of divination in the head of the subtle body, the yogin gets the ability to know all

reality.

 

Commentary:

This pratibha is the brahmarandra development in the head of the subtle body of a yogi. At

first a yogi develops the top part of the subtle body which is known as the brahmarandra. Sri

Patanjali used the terms, pratibha which literally means relating to divination or genius. A yogi

who has developed his brahmarandra is said to be liberated even while using a gross body.

Such a yogi can select which of the dimensions he would live in after he sheds his material

body, but of course again, since he is a limited being in the conditioned and liberated stages, he

has to get approval from higher authorities like Lord Shiva or Lord Krishna.

 

 

Verse 35

hridaye chitta-sanvit

 

hrdaye- on the samyam on the causal body; citta- mento-emotional energy; samvit- thorough

insight

By the complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy as it is focused on the causal

body in the vicinity of the chest, the yogi gets thorough insight into the cause of the

mental and emotional energy.

 

Commentary:

For all these practices, one should have mastered the samyama procedure described before

by Sri Patanjali as a development from dharana, to dhyana and to Samadhi. Once this is

mastered, one can apply himself to the practices described. Stated differently on who mastered

samdhi can use Samadhi.

A person whose mind is jumpy, whose emotions are reactive and who is still linked to the

cultural affairs of this world, cannot develop Samadhi. It is as simple as that. In fact such a

person cannot go beyond attempts at dharana, which is effortful linkage of the attention to a

higher concentration force, object or person. This is because the mento-emotional energy will

remain unstable, locking and unlocking unto various ideas and images which emerge from the

memory, come in through sensual perception or are developed by the dull darkish non-glowing

buddhi organ.

Until the mento-emotional energy is established by a complete pratyahara sensual

withdrawal procedure, the attention will not be freed to focus on the void which occurs before a

split second interval between locking and unlocking of the mento-emotional energy. All these

factors must be properly mastered before one can get to the dhyana effortless linkage of the

attention to higher concentration force, object or person. And when that is mastered by regular

practice, then one can do Samadhi which is the contentious effortless linkage of the same.

 

Verse 36

sattva-purushayor atyantasankirnayoh pratyayavishesho bhogah pararthat svarthasanyamat

purusha-jnanam

 

sattva – intelligence energy of material nature; purusayah- of the individual spirit; atyanta- excessively, extremely, very; asamkirnayoh – of what is distinct or separate;

pratyayah – mental content, awareness within the psyche; avisesah – not distinct, inability to

distinguish; bhogah – experience; pararthatvat – what is apart from another thing;

svartha – one own, self interest; samyamat - from the complete restraint of the mentoemotional

energy; purusa – individual spirit; jnanam – knowledge

Experience results from the inability to distinguish between the individual spirit and the

intelligence energy of material nature, even though they are very distinct. By complete

restraint of the mento-emotional energy while focusing on self-interest distinct from the

other interest, a yogi gets knowledge of the individual spirit.

 

Commentary:

To understand this verse we must go back to chapter 2 verses 20 – 25 as follows:

 

 

Verse 20

The perceiver is the pure extent of his consciousness but his conviction is patterned

by what is perceived.

 

Verse 21

The individual spirit who is involved in what is seen exists here for that purpose

only.

 

Verse 22

It is not effective for one to whom its purpose is fulfilled but it has a common effect

on the others.

 

Verse 23

There is a reason for the conjunction of the individual self and his psychological

energies. It is for obtaining the experience of his own form.

 

Verse 24

The cause of the conjunction is spiritual ignorance.

 

Verse 25

The elimination of the conjunction which results from the elimination of that

spiritual ignorance is the withdrawal that is the total separation of the perceiver

from the mundane psychology.

This verse which defines experiences, as being the inability to distinguish between the

individual spirit and the intelligent energy of material nature, is the heart of the matter of self

realization. It causes us to bow down very low to the Maharishi Mahayogi Sri Patanjali. In a

very rare and precise declaration, he out rightly condemns our experiences (bhogas) in material

nature.

They come to us because of our ability to distinguish between our spirits and the intelligent

energy of material nature. This otherwise called spiritual ignorance or avidya. The implication

is this: If we could distinguish between our spirits and the intelligence energy of material

nature, then we would not have to take the course of experience (bhogah) through material

nature, through the various species of life, in and out of the various subtle and gross

dimensions, which are produced in and are formed of subtle and gross material nature.

However, there is a way out, which is the focusing on the spirit itself apart from the other

interests, which is material nature. Sri Patanjali earmarked, not just material nature but its sattva

features or its highest most sensitive and intelligent energy.

This verse 36 is perhaps the most dangerous verse in these sutras. At this point serious

students of yoga can close the book and think over what happened. Since they met Patanjali in

the form of these sutras, which are his words echoing down the centuries to reach us. It is as if

he introduced himself with a very promising statement about giving an explanation of yoga.

But then after leading the students down a dark tunnel in which there appeared to be a light, in

the distance they found themselves in a dead-ended room with Sri Patanjali pointing a gun at

their heads, drawing the trigger dispassionately and letting a bullet in their brains at point blank

range.

Sri Patanjali, it appears wants to take away the very life of the living entities, their

experiences as they know it, since he claims that experiences only occur because we of the

inability to distinguish between one’s spiritual self and one’s psyche or the spiritual self and the

psychology on instinctively possessed from material nature. To some students Sri Patanjali

recommends a form of death, because they do not know themselves except as that very

psychology which they derived from material nature.

Paul’s notation:

Is Sri Patanjali actually “condemning our experiences in material nature, or is he simply

pointing out the mechanics of the way the Universe operates? Do other readers find this

kind of” either - or dualistic-analysis, fatiguing? The tension between the speculative

ideal and the actual fact of our day to day experience creates a tension that seems

unnecessary, as if to say that before we (as human beings) came to read the Yoga Sutras,

we had many problems, many vices, many things to struggle with…economically,

politically, socially, sexually, mentally, emotionally, and in every other way imaginable,

and NOW all of a sudden, we have only this one problem, that if we could only solve it,

if we could only focus in and solve this one problem, then all the other problems would

automatically be solved…but I think there is a flaw in that thinking, in that all those

other problems don’t go away because the ego has found a new problem to roll up it’s

sleeves and deal with . It’s all still part of the same movement. And even though on this

level, this might very well be the crux of it, and it may seem very logical and simple and

matter-of-fact, the reality of ones individual existence, and the sheer momentum of the

past will continue to impact the individual apart from his new philosophy or ideals.

Neither will the nature of the very environment we live in let up because we have these

new ideal. Social, political, economic, sexual, emotional mental pressures continue…the

nature of matter and energy is to be active…the body is active…the heart doesn’t stop

pumping..it can be slowed down greatly, but the breath continues, the movement

continues, the sex within the billions of organisms within the body continue. The breath

moves in cycles in and out. Thoughts and emotions move with the breath. This

imaginary “I” that needs liberation is but a miniscule fragment in an infinitely vast

superstructure that has little or no regard for it’s pathetic demands for liberation….and

where will it be liberated to? Where will it go and what will it do there and what will

stop it from returning to the world of “Experiences”. The world where there are “others”

who share the same futile experiences. Still the Imaginary sense of self persists as if real,

and maybe it is real. If there is an actual “I” that in fact NEEDS to be liberated, then one

would think the Universe would set it free when it’s cause for liberation, it’s crime, if

you will, would have been paid for. When a man is put in prison, it is for some crime

he has committed or for a crime that someone else committed, that for one reason or the

next he is being punished. One would think, if the Universe in the largest sense of that

word…ALL REALITY, would know when the vengeance had been extracted from that

little “I”, one would then hope at least, that IT would then see fit to let the creature go…

But where…? Where can it go? Into some other imaginary world? Into some self created

reality where he imagines himself as god? How much boredom can a soul withstand

before it wants “experience” and perhaps that is simply another aspect of our dualistic

conditioning… to see experience as one thing and Liberation as another…maybe they are

like breaths and move in cycles, in and out…one then other…not opposites or opposed

to one and other, but moving together as part of the whole process?

If we look to material nature and to what we can observe, we see a world on conflict and

survival and we see a language based on that develop by the intellect. That language

itself is a barrier because it was created out of the raw materials of a dualistic

environment. It’s an “either- or” language…this OR that? And there is something flawed

right within that kind of language, because like it or not, there is still a WHOLE of Life.

There is one sky we live under and there is Life…not your life or my life, but just Life

as a whole, of which we are but parts, big parts or small parts. Parts that can imagine

amazing things and impact others to further imaginings.

I don’t think Sri Patanjali care about any of that. I don’t think the Yoga sutras are that

complicated…and surely not as complicated as some commentators would have us

believe. “Yoga means stopping the process of conceptualization, and then the one who

does that (or who that happens to) rests in his native existence”. And when he’s not

doing that, he’s off imagining this and that and creating heavens and hells for himself

and others. The reasons and methods he uses to do this are tremendously complicated,

perhaps as many as there are hearts of men…analyzing each of them makes the drama

complicated, but when all is said and done he still tells us to give up, by hook or by

crook, the conceptualization process.

To further complicate things, Krishna says in the Gita, that he is represented by the

Ability in Man….what then is the “Inability in Man?”

What is this amazing inability….and can it really be condemned? And if you need to

complicate things even further, is it really an inability, or is it a disability in man that

prevents him from making this distinction and by what faculty would he make that

distinction? Would it be the same faculty that imagines and remembers and

conceptualizes? What then is the point?

 

Verse 37

tatah pratibha-shravana-vedanadarshasvada-vartta jayante

 

tatah- thence, therefore, from that focus; pratibha- the shining organ of divination; sravana- hearing; vedana- touching; adarsa- sight; asvada- taste; vartah- smell;

jayante-is produced

From that focus is produced smelling, tasting, seeing, touching and hearing, through

the shining organ of divination.

 

Commentary:

Now all of a sudden, after putting the student through the horror, Sri Patanjali continues

with some promising statement about yoga development. The student will have to review sutra

36 of this chapter at a later date. It is vital that he understands the implications of it, which is

nirvana or the blowing out of the subtle and gross material existence.

From complete restraint of the mental and emotional energy and the focusing on the self

interests of the spirit, leaving aside completely the interests of material nature, the yogi becomes

occupied applying his organ of divination, his developes brahmarandra to all his sensual

pursuits. Then, instead of senseing through the mento-emotional energy (citta), he senses

directly through by spiritual energy. This was recommended before:

drastr-drsyayoh samyogo heya-hetuh

The cause which is to be avoided is the indiscriminate association of the observer

and what is perceived. (Yoga Sutra 2.17)

The idea that the individual spirit will merge into the absolute and will then be without

senses is not given in Patanjali’s sutras, even through many yogis and yogi philosophers seem

to think so.

Paul’s notation:

It’s difficult to really tell if the author gets so totally involved in Sri Patanjali

and his view of life, and forgets the objects that Patanjali is talking about. In

Patanjali’s own text, he remains transparent, and the focus remains on the

practice, but in this translation

the focus constantly shifts back and forth from the man to the object, to the

practice. It’s difficult to continually be shifting back and forth, but I guess

one would hope by this stage of the book, one would have some degree of

concentration to not be swayed by all the twists and turns and bombardment

of dualistic philosophy.

 

 

Verse 38

te samadhav upasarga vkyutthane siddhayah

 

te- they, those abilities; samadhau- in Samadhi continues effortless linkage of the attention to a

higher concentration force, object or person; upa sargah- impediments;

vyutthane- in expressing, going outwards, rising up; siddhayah- mystic perfectional skills

Those divination skills are obstacles in the practice of continuous effortless linkage of

the attention to a higher concentration force, object or person. But in expressing, they

are considered as mystic perfect ional skills.

 

Commentary:

A yogi is stalled if he is distracted for exhibitions of the perfect ional skills which are

manifested as he progresses. Those student yogis who cannot resist such exhibitions are

doomed. They become premature gurus of a very gullible and stupid public.

 

 

Verse 39

bandha-karana-shaithilyat prachara-sanvedanach cha chittasya parashariraveshah

bandha- bondage; karana- cause; saithilayat – due to relaxation, collapse; pracara- channel flow;

samvedanat – from knowing; ca – and; cittasya – of the mento-emotional energies; para –

another; sarira – body; avesah – entrance, penetration

The entrances into another body is possible by slackening the cause of bondage and by

knowing the channels of the mento-emotional energy.

 

Commentary:

The slackening of the cause of bondage is done by a yogi, when he reaches the causal level

mentioned in verse 35. From the causal place, he is able to slacken the cause of his having to

take his current body. Then he leaves that body temporarily while it stays in hibernation in

Samadhi. He enters forms of others. A spiritual master may do this after his body dies. He

enters into the forms of his disciples on earth and speaks to small or large audiences, giving

instructions. This prevents him from having to take a new material form. In that way he

remains in the astral world for many years, avoiding physical rebirth.

Some great yogis like Sri Adi Shankaracarya and Mahayogin Sri Matsyendrana entered the

bodies of others, while their disciples maintain their gross body. They did this for special

purposes. Over all, a student yogi should not endeavor for this parasariravesah siddhi since it

is very dangerous. It is said that recently in our era, T. Lobsang Rampa who was a Tibetan

mystic yogi in his past life, entered into an Englishman’s body after the said occupant agreed to

give over his body in exchange for some merits of Lobsang. Generally such a course is not

recommended for a student yogin.

If one gets in the causal plane and stays there long enough one may develop an ability to

adjust one’s resultant reactions which are left in a particular dimension and which would

forestall one’s liberation. Thus one may do so and not have to exhibit the parasarairvesah

siddhi. It is not recommended.

If one enters the form of another, one has to go through the channels of his mento-emotional

energy. That entails adopting part of his nature and assuming some of his responsibilities.

That is dangerous since one may forget oneself, and begin to feel as if one is the other person,

all because of becoming too familiar in identity to that person’s psyche. Sri Matyendranath

even though he was a siddha at the time, was rescued by his most advanced disciple, the

mahayogin Sri Goraksnatha. Matsyendranatha entered the body of another person and forgot

his identity after adopting the strangers psyche. In the case of Sri Adi Shankaracarya, he did

not forget himself, but the queen of the King’s body she wanted him to stay on as her husband

and not to return to his body. There are dangers in adopting the body of another.

It is interesting that a great yogin as Sri Adi Shankara had to enter the almost dead body of a

king, just to experience sexual intercourse with a female, because after all a yogi can get such

experiences on the astral planes which are near to this world or he may enter a parallel world

and get such experiences. It is not necessary to enter any other person’s physical body to get

such experiences. We must conclude therefore that destiny plays hard cards against a certain

yogin at specific stages of his advancement, in order to force him to do certain dangerous and

risky things.

Sri Adi Shankaracharya is rated as an incarnation of Lord Siva. From what I learned in the

association of the siddhas in the higher astral world, he is Skanda Kumara, the celibate son of

Lord Shiva. They claimed that due to his insubordination to Devi, Lord Shiva’s wife, he had

that difficulty in that incarnation. If one plans to be celibate, one should not expect much help

from Goddess Durga, but all the same, She is in a position to cause disruptions in one’s yoga

practice.

 

 

Verse 40

udana-jayaj jala-panka-kantakadishvasanga utkrantisth cha

 

udana – air which rises from the throat and enters the head; jayat – from the conquest of;

jala – water; panka – mud; kantaka – thorns; adisi – and similar aspects; asangah – non contact;

utkrantih – rising above; ca – and

By mastery over the air which rises from the throat into the head, a yogi can rise over or

not have a contact with water, mud or sharp objects.

 

Commentary:

Udana vayu is the air which moves up from the throat area to the top of the head. Initially a

yogi controls that in kundalini yoga practice, when he is able to force the apana air, the lowest

most polluted air in the body, up and out of the body through the spinal column. Sometimes

for connivance sake, one is able to cross water or mud or sharp objects, miraculously even

though one may not willfully exhibit such perfect ional power, which was demonstrated by

many great yogis before and by Lord Jesus Christ.

Certain animals have the natural power since the spirit uses forms which are able to

suppressed and regulate the udana vayu. Of course, a yogi’s exhibition of that siddhi is

something different. The expression of miracles, even though it helps a yogi on the occasion

and cause impediments under other conditions. These exhibitions are not recommended. Sri

Patanjali lists these to not encourage their use but to alert student yogis of what will happen as

they advance through the practice.

 

 

Verse 41

samana-jayaj jvalanam

 

samana- digestive energy ; jayat- conquest ; jvalanam- shining , burning, blazing, with firey

glow

By conquest of the samana digestive force, a yogi’s psyche blazes or shines with a fiery

glow.

 

Commentary:

Conquest of the samana digestive force comes by the practice of kundalini yoga which

entails various asanas combined with pranayama, especially bhastrika pranayama. By that a

yogi gets control over diet. He purifies the navel region of the body. This sets the stage for

purification of the sexual functions which opens a gate for the yogi to attack the muladhar anal

region. After this is achieved in the downward course, it must be archived in the upward

course, as the prana is pushed down and forces the apana energy to move upwards through a

subtle tubing called the sushumana nadi. When a yogi on the upward purification course,

purifies his navel region, he experiences frontal kundalini. It is then that he achieves conquest

over the samana digestive fire. His subtle body then appears with an orangish fiery glow.

 

 

Verse 42

shrotrakashayoh sanbandha-sanyamad divyam shrotram

 

srotra-hearing sense; akasayoh – of space; sambandha- relationship; samyamat- from the

complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy; divyam- divine, supernatural; srotram- hearing sense

By the complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy, while focusing on the hearing

sense and space, a yogin develops supernatural and divine hearing.

Commentary:

Each yogi masters a particular mystic skill, all depending on the force of practice, on

association while progressing and because of his cultural background from many previous

lives. By this, particular skills attract his attention. However, if he has the superior association

of Lord Shiva, and other mahayogis, he will not invest time in using the mystic skills but will

stay focused on the objective of psyche purification; something from which he could quickly

gain spiritual perfection.

 

Verse 43

kayakashayoh sanbandha-sanyamat laghu-tula-samapattesth

chakashagamanam

 

kaya – body; akasayoh- of the sky, atmosphere; samyamat- from the complete restraint of the

mento-emotional energy; laghu – light; tula- cotton fluff; samapatteh – of meeting, of linking;

ca- and; akasa- atmosphere; gamanam- going through, passing through

By the complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy, which, linking the mind to the

relationship between the body and the sky and linking the attention to being as light as

a cotton fluff, a yogi acquires the ability to pass through the atmosphere.

Commentary:

This does not necessarily mean levitation of the physical body. It can mean that the use of

the subtle body. Since every user of a physical body, already has a subtle form which can pass

through the atmosphere with ease, it is not necessary to focus on making the physical body as

buoyant as a cotton fluff which can float easily in the air, as if too deny the power of gravity.

In addition, a yogi who can see or hear from afar, would not require that his gross body be

moved from one place to another merely to perceive through it, what he can divine from a

distance.

 

 

Verse 44

bahir akalpita vrittir maha-videha tatah prakashavarana-kshayah

 

bahir- outside, external; akalpita- not manufactured, not artificial, not formed; vrittih- operation;

maha- great; videha – bodiless state; tatah- thence, from that, resulting from that; prakasa- light;

avarana – covering, mental darkens; ksayah – dissipation, removal

By the complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy which is external, which is not

formed, a yogi achieves the great bodiless state. From that the great mental darkness

which veils the light is dissipated.

 

Commentary:

The great bodiless state, mahavideha, is a special accomplishment of great yogis, who go

beyond the causal plane but who do not get an exception to leave this solar system. Because

they fail to obtain the exemption for whatever reason, they remain in the unformed, untapped

pure mental energy which was not parceled out to individual spirits. They remain free of

involvements. Such yogins hardly interact in the cultural world which is so important to a

human being. For those great yogis the mental darkness which human beings consistently

experience, do not exist. They moved beyond the subtle negative influences of material nature.

 

 

Verse 45

sthula-svarupa-sukshmanvayarthavattva-sanyamad bhuta-jayah

 

stula- gross form; svarupa – real nature; suksma –subtle; anvaya – following, connection,

distribution; arthavatava – purpose, value; samyamat – from the complete restraint of the

mento-emotional energy; bhuta – states of matter; jayah – conquest

By the complete restraint of the mento-emotional energy,

while linking the attention to the gross forms, real nature, subtle distribution and value

of states of matter, a yogi gets conquest over them.

 

Commentary:

Some yogins are diverted from their progression by too much research into the material

nature. However, for them that diversity is necessary, until they reach a stage of more

resistance to the material energy. The main asset of a yogi is to keep in touch with more

advanced yogins so that even if the student yogin becomes fascinated or stalled somewhere in

the practice, his advanced teachers can guide him away from degradation.

 

 

Verse 46

tato 'nimadi-pradurbhavah kaya-sanpat tad-dharmanabhighatash cha

tatah – thence, from that; anandi = anima- minuteness +adi- and the related mystic skills

pradurbhavah – coming into existence, manifesting; kaya – subtle body; sampat – wealth,

prosperity, perfection; tad – tat= of that; dharma – attributes, functions; anabhighatah- non–obstruction; ca- and

From minuteness and other related mystic skills come the perfection of the subtle body

and the non-obstructions of its functions.

 

Commentary:

When the yogi develops the mystic skills, he finds that the subtle body is perfected to such a

degree that the nadis, subtle tubes within it carry a subtle fluid which is as crystal clear as pure

water. From certain dimensions this appears to be liquid light traveling through the subtle body

of the yogi. Some of this purity filters into the gross body and the yogi is said to perform

miracles.

The obstructions a common man experiences, and those a neophyte yogi are fascinated with,

are removed from the perfected yogin, because his subtle form is completely purified. The way

of operation of the subtle body is obstructed by impurities which arise by attachments to the

material energy. When a yogi completes this pratyahar, fifth stage of yoga and when he ceases

interactions with the citta mento-emotional energy, thus resting his buddhi organ from

involvements and calculation regarding cultural activities, then he reaches the required purity.

 

 

Verse 47

rupa-lavanya-bala-vajra-sanhananatvani kaya-sanpat

rupa – beautiful form; lavanya – charm; bala – mystic force; vajra - diamond-like, infallible;

samhananatvani – definiteness, hardness; kaya – subtle body; sampat – perfection

Beautiful form, charm, mystic force, diamond-like definition come from the perfection of

the subtle body.

 

Commentary:

Most commentators give kaya as the physical body. However, in advanced yoga practice,

kaya is the subtle body, the temporary but long lasting body which the yogin must perfect

before he can attain liberation.

When the subtle body is upgraded by the practice of kundalini yoga, it attains beauty of

form, mystic force and diamond-like definition. It attains clarity in it. Its colors become free

from cloudiness and vague. It moves into the higher pranic force. It is experienced as a sattva

guna body, a form of the mode of pure goodness.

 

 

Verse 48

grahana-svarupasmitanvayarthavattva-sanyamad indriya-jayah

grahana – sensual grasping; svarupa – own form; asmita –identification; anvaya – connection,

association; arthavatva – value, worth; samyamat – from the continuous effortless linkage of

the attention; indriyajayah- the mastery of the sensual energy by psychological control

From the continuous effortless linkage of the attention to sensual grasping, to the form

of the sensual energy, to its identifying powers, to its connection instinct and to its

actual worth, a yogi acquires conquest over his relationship with it.

Commentary:

It is important to understand and to accept for oneself, that these achievements occur after

prolonged practice. Those who feel they can achieve these overnight will definitely be

frustrated. Yoga practice matures and remains firm only after long practice, and not just for one

life but through a succession of lives, until the practice becomes an instinct.

A yogin must study his own sensual energy. He must also take hints from the way others

use their sensual powers. It takes time to accomplish this. The sensual energy is subtle and

moves at a rapid rate to execute its functions. It is mostly involuntary, which means that it

operates on its own. This makes it difficult to track. However, after long practice, a yogin

gets a foothold in these achievement described by Sri Patanjali. One must study how the

sensual energy appropriates or grasps subtle phenomena. This is indicated by the term anvaya.

One must study how the energy connects with and associates with various types of subtle and

gross objects. One must know the form of the sensual energy, its swarupa. This is its form

when it does not assume the identity of other objects. One should understand its nature for

identification as well as its worth to the self. When all this is achieved, then the yogi gains

mastery over his relationship to that sensual force.

 

 

Verse 49

tato manojavitam vikarana-bhavah pradhana-jayash cha

tatah- subsequently; manojavitwam = manah –mind + javitwam – swiftness, rapidity;

vikaranabhavah = parting away from, dispersing + karana-creating, making + bhavah- mentoemotional

energy, feeling; pradhanah – subtle matter; jayah – conquest; ca – and

Subsequently, there is conquest over the influence of subtle matter and over the parting

away or dispersion of the mento-emotional energy, with the required swiftness of mind.

 

Commentary:

These aspects are on the mystic place. This is attained after long practice at dharana. At

first a yogi practices dharana, feeling that he mastered the pratyahar sensual restraint.

Thereafter he discovers that he only mastered particular phases of such restraint. Under

direction of higher yogis, he goes back to his restraint practice. Then he again returns to

dharana. This occurs frequently, until at last his perception of the subtle realities develop fully.

What was subtle becomes gross; what was gross fades away completely. He purifies himself

even further and grasps more higher reality which used to affect him in lower stages.

 

Verse 50

sattva-purushanyata-khyati-matrasya sarvabhavadhishthatritvam

sarvajnatritvam cha

 

sattva – clarifying perception of material nature; purusa – the spiritual personality;

anyata – other than distinct from; khyatimatrasya = khyati – the discriminating faculty of the

intellect + matrasya – only; sarva – all; bhava – states of feelings and perceptions;

adhisthatratvam – authority, complete disaffection; sarvajnatritvam = sarva –all + jnatritvam –

knowledge, intuition; ca – and

Only when there is distinct discrimination between the clarifying perception of material

nature and the spiritual personality, does the yogi attain complete disaffection and all

applicative intuition.

 

Commentary:

Khyati means the well-develop truth yielding discrimination of the buddhi organ. But this is

attained after long practice only. When this is developed, then the yogi sees clearly at all times

the distinction between his spiritual person and the clarifying influences of material nature,

influencing from which he took assistance all along.

In advanced yoga, or kriya yoga, one has to maintain the distinction between oneself and the

perceiving instruments of the subtle body, even through initially one must take help from those

truth yielding perceptions. Adhisthatrtvam means complete or full disaffection from the subtle

influence of material nature, even from the clarifying powers which are so helpful.

 

 

Verse 51

tad-vairagyad api dosha-bija-kshaye kaivalyam

 

tadvairagyat = tad (tat) – that + vairagyat – from a lack of interest; api – also, even;

dosabijaksaye = dosa - fault, defect + bija- seed, origin, source + ksaye – on elimination;

kaivalyam - the absolute isolation of the self from what is lower than itself, isolation of the self

from the lower psyche of itself

 

Commentary:

Kaivalyam, which is a popular word in yoga and meditation circles, is greatly mistranslated

and misinterpreted. Its meaning is not that the yogi would become one with God. For

Patanjali, the master of yoga, never says that in these verses. Kaivalya is the isolation of the self

from its lower psyche, such that the subtle mundane instruments of the psyche are separated

from the self or atma. The atma becomes freed from it’s reliance to those useful domineering

subtle tools.

Previously Sri Patanjali described Kailvayam in this way:

“The elimination of the conjunction which results from the elimination of that spiritual

ignorance is the withdrawal that is the total separation of the perceiver from the mundane

psychology.”

It is amazing how so many translators, following the one-ness craze completly distorted Sri

Patanjali by giving so many misleading and totally out-of-context meanings for the term

kaivalyam. Vaman Shivram Apte in his practical Sanskrit-English dictionary gives the

following plain means for these terms; perfect isolation, soleness, exclusiveness, individuality,

detachment of the soul from matter, identification with the Supreme Spirit, final emancipation

or beatitude.

As it is with all words, we must seek out the meaning of an author by his definitions and

usage. Vaman Shivram Apte hinted at the root of the word from which kaivalyam is derived.

He gives this in parenthesis:

 

“deva kevalasya bhavah syan”

 

He gives Kevalah as peculiar, alone, sole, isolated, whole perfect, absolute, pure simply.

 

Verse 52

sthany-upanimantrane sangha-smayakaranam punar anishtaprasangat

 

sthani – person from the place a yogi would then attain if his material body died;

upanimantrane – on being invited; sanga – association; smaya – fascination, wonderment;

akaranam - non-responsiveness; punah – again; anista – unwanted features of existence;

prasangat – due to association, due to endearing friendliness

On being invited by a person from the place one would attain if his body died, a yogi

should be non-responsive, not desiring their association and not being fascinated,

otherwise that would cause unwanted features of existence to arise again.

 

Commentary:

A perfect example of a person who implemented this advice of Sri Patanjali, long before

Patanjali took his material body to write the yoga sutras, is Mugala, who in the Mahabharata

rejected proposals for transference to the Swarga angelic world. Mugal had reached a stage of

progression where he was eligible to live in a special palace of the lord of the angelic world.

He was visited by Matali the lord’s charioteer, but when questioned by Mudgala, Matali

admitted that there were defects in the angelic world, even for great yogins who would go

there. They would again (punah) have to revert back to this world after sometime of enjoying

paradisiacal enjoyments. Thus Mudgal said that he did not want to go to such a place but

would continue his austerities to go somewhere which was devoid of all unwanted features of

existence (anista).

For others, who are not as strong and determined as Mudgala, it is easier said than done.

They may not avoid the temptation of the angelic world. By developing endearing friendless

(prasangat), they will succumb to angelic association and the fascinations of such a world. Just

as governments of the developed countries skim off the intelligent people from the lesserdeveloped

lands, so the angelic people attract the higher minds of the early planets.

 

Verse 53

kshana-tat-kramayoh sanyamad vivekajam jnanam

 

ksana – moment; tat- that; kromayoh – on the sequence; samamat- due to the continuous

effortless linkage of the attention; vivekajam – the distinction caused by subtle discrimination;

jnanam - knowledge

By the continuous effortless linkage of the attention to the moment and to the sequence

of the moments, the yogi has knowledge caused by the subtle discrimination.

 

Commentary:

Every word in these text must be understood within the content of Patanjali and not just for

our own fancy according to our stage of development, agenda of or spiritual mission. To

understand Patanjali and to get the most benefit from his sutras, we have to stay with his

meanings only, and then try to see where we have progressed to and where we should advance

onwards.

When a yogi can observe subtle mystic moments and see how they flow on one to another,

he develops a very subtle insight which gives definite knowledge of things. Viveka means

every subtle insight and jam means what is caused or produced from the super-knowledge of

that yogi.

 

Verse 54

jati-lakshana-deshair anyatanavachchedat tulyayos tatah pratipattih

 

jati – type genius, genus, general category; laksana – individual characteristics; desaih – by

what location; anyata – otherwise, in a different manner; anavacchedat- due to or resulting from

lack of definition; tulyayoh – of two similar types; tatah – hence, subsequently; patipattih –

perception

Subsequently, the yogi has perception of two similar realties which otherwise could not

be sorted due to a lack of definition in terms of their general category, individual

characteristic and location.

 

Commentary:

Persistence in higher yoga brings on more definition. Things which before, seemed to be

on or seem to be merged, appear clearly by their category, individual characteristics and

locations. This begins by his sorting out his buddhi intellect organ, its various parts, as well as

the sense of identity. A yogi thus develops mystic clarity.

 

 

Verse 55

tarakam sarva-vishayam sarvatha-vishayam akramam cheti vivekajam

jnanam

 

tarakam - crossing over transcending; sarva – all; visayam - subtle and gross mundane objects;

sarvatha – in all ways; visayam – subtle and gross mundane object; akramam – without

sequential perceptions; ca- and; iti- thus, subsequently; vivekajam- the distinction caused by

subtle discrimination; jnanaam – knowledge

The distinction caused by subtle discrimination is the crossing over or transcending of

all subtle and gross mundane objects in all ways they are presented, without the yogi

taking recourse to any other sequential perceptions of mind reliance.

 

Commentary:

Sri Patanjali highlights the culmination of yoga, so that as a yogi we can gage ourselves to

know where we are on the course of crossing over the mundane reality which keeps us so

occupied when we try to transcend it.

 

Verse 56

sattva-purushayoh shuddhi-samye kaivalyam

 

sattva – intelligence energy of material nature; purusaya- of the spirit; suddhi- purity;

samye- on being equal; kaivalyam – total separation from the mundane psychology

When there is equal purity between the intelligence energy of material nature and the

spirit, then there is total separation from the mundane psychology.

 

Commentary:

Readers should check the following verses to understand Sri Patanjali’s use of the terms

sattva, purusayoh and kaivalyam (verse 3.36 and verse 2.25). Obviously the key term in this

verse is sattva. What is sattva? It is clear however that for the aspiring yogi, he must use sattva

to become self-realized. This being established, all questions as to why he is to depend on

nature is irrelevant. It is not why he has to depend, but rather how he can project himself or

cause himself to be situated in alliance with the material nature in its primal purity (suddhisamye).

What will happen to him thereafter? Is there something higher? Where will he go after

that? What will be his status? Is there a world to which he will escape if he attains that? Will

that world have the same purified sattva –energy (intelligence energy of material nature)? Is

there any place or world where he could encounter only energy like his spirit (purusah).

These are the questions to be considered by the yogin.

Paul’s notation:

Perhaps other readers have been waiting like me for practical definitions of

these terms such as sattva throughout the text. But how long can one hold

the breath waiting? Meanwhile we are confronted with questions which

perhaps could be considered at the onset of the text. For a person like

myself, with very limited background and skills in yoga, I read this and find

myself longing for simpler terms and simpler approach that I could apply to

my actual life experience, what I find however is something totally different.

Something about which I have no knowledge or understanding…and I

wonder if the whole effort is worth it.

So these questions now, at this station of the text…Is there something

higher, where will I go, what will my status be after I’ve burned every

bridge and killed every love I have for everyone and every thing I

know..NOW WHAT? But even these questions seem periferial to the real

question….What was it I was looking for in the first place? What was it I

was missing in life that I created this tremendous elaborate system of

thought to escape or liberate myself from…and what “Self” are we talking

about here? Is there really a separate self that even CAN be “ liberated”,

From what.? And what does this have to do with the heart of this text which

came in the second verse…Yoga is the cessation of mental and emotional

operations”….and so after all of this….these questions of speculation are

still present in the text? Can these operations be stopped? Really, can they

come to an end…and who will be there when they stop…the same

confused,

conditioned, sorrowful man who set out on this self aggrandizing quest? I

wonder? Did this conditioned soul just put on another face and deceive

itself in yet another way? This yoga seems to be about a very self-centered

activity, and from this center is this forceful assertion to a very obscure ideal

state…and now we ask…well is this state that we have projected this ego

into an environment that will finally satisfy him? Will ANYTHING ever be

enough for THAT “I”…IF there even is a separate I…apart from thought,

apart from conditioning, apart from experience…It’s once thing to make

these divisions between this world and that, this material body and that

subtle body and all of these wonderful concepts but what is the reality of

our own limitations? And what is our actual experience in all of this? What

is it we were looking for at the onset? What is the actual goal we have in

mind…and how solid a thing is that. How much of that goal is based on

hearsay and the assumption that the grass really is greener on the other side?

Isn’t that, after all what all of this text assumes? Doesn’t it assume that the

grass is greener in another world in another state, after much austerity and

sacrifice and tremendous acrobatic effort.? And all of that desire, and

ambition to reach that ideal state, creates this conflict within us, agitates this

mind we are desperately trying to quiet and put us in a very stressful

condition? Isn’t that what is happening?

When all the while, for the mind to be quiet, thought must be still? Can

thought even be still…and is the thinker different than the thought? Is the

thinker really just the creation of the thought, and does he even exist apart

from thought? We ASSUME that the thinker, is generating the thought, but

this might be a total deception. And this mind that we are trying to control

seems to have no boundaries…it’s not contained in the head like the

physical organ of the brain and central nervous system. How can that be

measured? Where does it begin and end? And this mind…is it also a

product of the culture and environment it lives in…created by that culture in

every sense. This thing we call citta may in fact be a collective experience or

a collective process. We are conditioned to view the Mind and body as an

object, when in fact they may not be objects at all…they maybe be really

processes, things that develop and express along a certain

Pattern like a river or a tree or some other aspect of Nature. Simply a Part of

vast network of experience creating and destroying itself again and again..

And all these individual “I’ arise so filled with self importance and so

serious about trying to save themselves and trying to survive have this built

in separate sense that may have no basis in reality at all.

And so what is it we are looking for? Who am I ? in all this vast

network

Of ideas and ideals and energy, time and space? Am I this separate thinker

with a separate will and life force doomed to spend the rest of my existence

struggling to survive in a hostile environment, be it physical or mental or

emotional or on some higher platform? What is the difference? What about

Peace? Or Love…there is no mention of Love in this text. Love in fact is

the problem here…Love equates to Lust , and the closest thing to Love in

this Yoga is Interest, and Interest again, is part of the problem…it drives the

yogi outward and away from his focus…and so practically speaking it is

dismissed as having no ultimate worth. OK…so no Love…no interest, no

thought ..what is left than? What are we looking for in all of this? In the

film Wall Street…Mr. Geko played by Michael Douglas advises his fine

young friend to forget love and friendship, and that if he really needs them,

to “get a dog”. He was very serious about making money and accumulating

power. So what are we after here? It’s time, it seems for some serious neti

neti….It’s not love,

It’s not peace

It’s not siddhis power,

It’s not…….

What is it?