Chapter 4
Kaivalya Pada:
Verse 1
janmaushadhi-mantra-tapah-samadhijah siddhayah
janma – birth, particular species; ausadhi –
drugs; mantra – special sound; tapah – physical bodily austerities
in Hatha Yoga; Samadhi – continuous effortless linkage of the
attention to a higher concentration force, object or person; jah –
what is produced from;
siddhayah – mystic skills
The mystic skills are produced through
taking birth in particular species, or by taking drugs, or by
reciting special sounds , or by physical bodily austerities or by
the – continuous effortless linkage of the attention to a higher
concentration force, object or person.
Commentary:
The mystic XE "mystic" skills
are inherent in the subtle body of each creature but the
manifestation of these depends on particular circumstances.
Taking birth in a particular species either as an animal,
angel, or human being, can cause one to express unusual powers.
Taking narcotic drugs or stimulants may cause shifts in
pranic force in the subtle body. This would
activate some paranormal powers. Repeating
special sounds or having these recited on one’s behalf might affect
the pranic arrangement in one’s subtle body, resulting in paranormal
powers. And of course yoga austerities in Hatha
Yoga would definitely cause the development of psychic powers.
Samadhi, which is listed last by Sri Patanjali, is definitely
yielding of paranormal perceptions.
Paul’s
Notation:
Why then do certain individuals choose these different means?
This then is a continuation of my previous comments, in that
why do people go through all of this to achieve that?
In this case we are talking about paranormal or psychic
powers and how they can be achieved. Samadhi as
a means seems simple enough if we only now just picked up the book
and just began reading. But the background
requirements of Samadhi greatly exceed and sometimes include some of
the other methods listed like Hatha Yoga. My
interest here is that different temperaments take up these different
means to achieve a similar desired end. But
again, what is this end that we are really looking for in all of
this, and once obtained, will it ever be enough?
Verse 2
jaty-antara-parinamah prakrity-apurat
jatyantara =jati – category + antara -
other, another; parinamah – transformation;
prakriti – subtle material nature; apurat –
due to filling up or saturation
The transformation from one category to
another is by the saturation of the subtle material nature.
Commentary:
Modern authorities like Timothy Leary and Aldus
Huxley, preferred the use of drugs for the development of higher
perception. But Sri Gorakshanath wanted us to
use the Hatha Yoga austerities. Sri Babaji
Mahasaya recommended the Samadhi continuous effortless linkage of
the attention to a higher concentration force, object or person.
However modern spiritual masters from India usually hawk the
mantra special sounds as the means of perfection.
And some psychics say that a person should be gifted from
birth with mystic abilities.
When a living entity develops a higher quality
and when that expression becomes saturated in his nature, he is
automatically transferred into a higher species of life, either as
an elevated human being, an angelic personality or a divine being.
Sri Babaji Mahasaya gave me a notation for verse
one:
“Each of the methods for developing or
manifesting the mystic skills are listed in order of the particular
efforts made by the yogi. The fist is janma or
birth opportunity. That is based on efforts in the past lives.
Thus in the current life, no effort is required.
Some might take the janma or appearance in higher realms like
in siddhaloka. There, taking a siddha yoga body,
one experiences the result of his previous austerities.
Others take an earthly body again and by the force of their
past penance, experience mystic skills even in another gross body.
Ausadhi means hers, drugs or chemical means of
adjusting the gross and subtle body. This used to be a method in the
Vedic period. This is why one might read about
the soma plant. This does not require much
endeavor, only the acquirement of the particular plant species.
By ingesting that plant in its concentrated form, pranic
energy in one’s subtle body is affected and certain abilities of the
subtle body become manifested. This method was
used by shamans, the religious leaders of primitive people.
The herbal method is a risky one, since the
dosage may be wrong. It might be too high or too
low, too concentrated or too diluted. It might
kill or disable the body. Mantra special sounds
is the general method preferred by most human beings.
This operates confidence energy of the person. By
he may or may not succeed in experiencing something about the
subtle body. This is an easy method requiring
only the working of the vocal chords or silent mental sounding.
This method remained popular for thousands of years due to
human tendency for relying on hope for calling on superior authority
for assistance.
Tapah means the Hatha Yoga austerities which
purify both the gross and subtle bodies. This
includes kundalini yoga for changing bad subtle energy.
This is the classic method for attaining purity of the
intelligence energy of material nature; an energy mentioned in verse
56 of the last chapter:
When there is equal purity between
the intelligence energy of material nature and the spirit, then
there is total separation from the mundane psychology. (Yoga Sutra
3.56)
If that energy is not purified, then the progress
will be erratic causing the yogi to fall to a lower level sooner or
later. The Hatha Yoga austerities are the
definite way for such purity. Study what Krishna said in the chapter
65 verse 12 of His Bhagavd –Gita discourse.
The last method which is the best is Samadhi, the
continuous effortless linkage of the attention to a higher reality.
This is the choice method. However this
is merely an advancement of the tapah or Hatha Yoga austerity
method. It does not stand alone.
One cannot attain Samadhi without doing the Hatha Yoga
austerities proficiently.
In summary, janma means efforts in a past life.
Ausadhi means eating, drinking, smelling or otherwise
ingesting chemicals which affects the sublet body.
Mantra means using ones faith or confident energy. Tapah
means physical austerities which eradicate impurities in the subtle
form. Samadhi means using ones psychic force to
reach higher realities.
Paul’s
notation:
So here we see in this last sentence, “To
reach higher realities”.
All of these different means to “To reach higher realities”.
And what might we ask does the conditioned soul think it will
gain if and when it reaches these higher realities?
How does he hope to profit? Each Sunday in
America where I currently live the churches fill up with people with
hope of something or perhaps fear of something. It seems as if most
of them do not really know why they are there. In the east people go
to temples and mosques for similar reasons…looking for hope, trying
to make sense out of their lives, looking for something better than
what they are faced with each day. Again, is
taking place yet another “unholy war” a religious war between the
Jews and Moslems and Christians. The Hindus will
also be involved. The whole world is being
involved, and some people are trying to make sense of it?
The people who live in a place like Baghdad for example will
have a difficult time finding a way to practice yoga and meditation
as a means to escape being very much involved in avoiding being
blown up, in having their homes destroyed and their government
stripped away and replaced with a different kind of totalitarian
regime called democracy. So one would think that
for a man in a war zone, a higher reality would be one that did not
mean living on a plane of raw survival.
Some translators refer to these
Yoga Sutras as Raja (royal, or yoga for kings)Yoga.
It is understandable that a person in a kingly position would
be free to consider reality in this way. Would
have the luxury to not have to deal with the realities of the common
man, and would be free to explore these “higher realities” in a more
direct way, than say a person who had a family to support and an
office to go to every day. Now this may seem
contradictory seeing that the author of this book did not live in
that way, and was not afforded those luxuries.
In fact during the time I have known him I have personally seen him
go to a nine to five job, come home to a family, help with chores
around the house, raise children and STILL have time to practice
Yoga, teach others and write these books. Anyone
who uses the argument that there isn’t time for such practice is
deceiving himself. A better question would be
“How do I learn to use the time I do have more constructively? “
And so what are we really
talking about here? If Yoga is the suspension of
the mental emotional energies, then how do we go on with our lives
between the time we begin this practice and the time that there is
no further need to “practice”?
Verse 3
nimittam aprayojakam prakritinam varanabhedas tu tatah kshetrikavat
nimittam – cause,
motive, apparent cause ; aprayojakam – not used, not
employed, not causing; prakrtinam – of the subtle material energy;
varana – impediments, obstacles;
bhedah – splitting, removing,
disintegrating; tu – but , except; tatah – hence; ksetrikavat – like
a farmer
The motivating force of the subtle
material energy is not used except for the disintegration of
impediments, hence it is compared to a farmer.
Commentary:
Even though a yogin is assisted by material
nature, which exhibits powerful motivating forces from time to time,
still his spiritual progress is not really caused by nature.
It is just that sometimes nature removes its own forces which
acted as impediments to the efforts of the yogi.
Even though a farmer does so many things to facilitate the
growing of seeds, still that does not mean that any of his actions
are the real causes of plant growth. The
development from seeds to plant has more to do with the potential
within the seed that it does with the farmer’s efforts.
Similarly material nature does not cause a yogi’s
development, even though nature may facilitate that progression.
Verse 4
nirmana-chittany asmita-matrat
nirmana – producing, creating, measuring,
fabricating; cittani – regions within in the mento-emotional energy;
asmita – sense of identity which is developed in relation to
material nature; matrat – from that only
The formation of regions within the
mento-emotional energy, arises only from the sense of identity which
is developed in relation to material nature.
Commentary:
Even though the spirit’s attention is one only,
still because of the mento-emotional energy, there appears to be
various regions within the mind and feelings of a personality.
A yogi by mystic research in kriya yoga, within his psyche,
traces all these mental regions and emotional moods to the sense of
identity which he experiences anytime his attention goes in the
direction of the gross or subtle material nature.
Thus eventually he develops a disgust (virvedah), and becomes
very serious about spiritual progression. He no
longer wants to be entertained by the various imaginings within the
mind.
Paul’s
notation:
It’s interesting, is it not, that he/they would wait to tell us
this in chapter four. But what does this mean
“all these mental regions and emotional moods to the sense of
identity which he experiences anytime his attention goes in the
direction of the gross or subtle material nature.”
Neither the author nor the commentator have paused to explain
this to us. What makes up this “identity”?
and is the “identity “ the product of the material nature…?
Is it different than it? Is it a separate entity
or is it part of a larger process, which happens to see, think and
feel that it is separate? Man, throughout his
lifetime has many identities. He is a son to his
parents, a father to his son, and employee to his boss, and a
brother to his brother a husband to his wife and so on. Each role
requires a certain kind of response based on a sense of conditioning
in each of those stations. But who is it that
has been conditioned? And does that identity have any reality to it?
Where is it located? Is it a thing and if
so how can it be located? Does it have any kind
of actual existence? What is the imagination
itself? How are these images created?
Is the mind I think is mine different than the mind you regard as
yours?
Verse 5
pravritti-bhede prayojakam chittam ekam anekesham
pravrtti – frantic activity, disperal of
energy; bhede – in the difference; prayojakam – very, much used or
employed; cittam – the mento-emotional energy; ekam – one;
anekesam – of what is numberless
The one mento-emotional energy is that which is very much
used in numberless different dispersals of energy?
Commentary:
With this in mind, a yogi takes steps to stop the
innumerable impulsive operations of the mind.
Paul’s
notation:
With WHAT in mind? What does this verse mean?
When I look at the simple book by Alistair Shearer that I picked up
for the sake of simplicity and some need for balance in relation to
this translation…he translates this verse in this way:
“All these expressions of individuality however
highly developed , are the impulses of the force of evolution.
All the same, what does this mean and why is he giving this
information at this stage of the text? What
Alistair is calling the force of evolution must be this chitta…this
mind, this mento–emotional energy in some kind of primal state.
How can a grain of sand in relation to the cosmos stand up
and try to overpower this titanic force?
Verse 6
tatra
dhyanajam anashayam
tatra – there, in that case; dhyanajam –
produced by the effortless linkage of the attention to a higher
reality; anasayam – without harmful emotions
In that case only subtle activities which
are produced from the effortless linkage of the attention to a
higher reality are without harmful emotions.
Commentary:
Asayam is the seat of feelings, the place in the
mento-emotional energy with which is derived endearing but harmful
emotions. This location is difficult to tract
since it is in a mystic domain. Until a yogi
gets clarity of consciousness he cannot transcend his feelings.
He is continually fooled by them. When he
masters the effortless linkage of the mind to higher realities, then
he gains objectively and can sort out the endearing but harmful
feelings, even the memory which is a storehouse of these.
Paul’s
Notation:
There always seems to be a catch…always a carrot for the donkey
mind to persure…be it a mystical object or a beautiful woman on the
street. These considerations are fatiguing.
Verse 7
karmashuklakrishnam
yoginas trividham itaresham
karma – cultural activity; asukla – not
white, not rewarding; akrsnam – not black, not penalizing; yoginal –
of the yogis; trividham – three-fold; irtaresam - for others
The cultural activity of the yogis is
neither rewarding nor penalizing, but others have three types of
such action.
Commentary:
An advanced yogi who has mastered the dhyana
effortless linkage of the mind to a higher reality, may perform
cultural activities, just as others do but for him, these do not
result in rewarding, penalizing nor fruitless results.
What then does the yogi gain from cultural
activities? He gains absolutely nothing,
because his detachment allows the reactions to fall back into
material nature without a claimant.
Paul’s
notation:
We see the words cultural activity stated again.
What other activity is there and why is not all activity the
same. At one time the word Karma was translated
and carried the meaning, that what you sew you reap, or for every
action there is an equal an opposite reaction.
But now in this translation, we see a very different meaning given…a
very specific meaning implied.
Verse 8
tatas
tad-vipakanugunanam evabhivyaktir vasananam
tatah – subsequently; tad – that, those;
vipaka – development, fruition; anugunanam – of the corresponding
features; eva - only, alone; abhivyaktih – manifestation; vasananam
– of tendencies within the mento-emotional energy
Subsequently from those cultural
activities there is development according to corresponding features
only, bringing about the manifestation of the tendencies within the
mento-emotional energy.
Commentary:
Everything in the material creation works
according to innate tendency, manifesting according to time and
place. Sometimes it takes thousands of years
before something can manifest or be given any type of satisfaction.
In terms of the time of the earth, modern
civilization is very recent. Still we see that
the majority of people feel comfortable within the modern world.
This is due to latent desires, which are being fulfilled
under the present circumstances.
Because a yogi has mystic insight, he understands
how numberless different dispersals of energy arise in the
mento-emotional force by its proximity to the spirits sense of
identity. Thus withdraws that sense and
de-activates the mundane consciousness, freeing himself from being a
slave to desires which arise in the seat of feelings.
Others however must comply with the urges.
Verse 9
jati-desha-kala-vyavahitanam apy anantaryam smriti-sanskarayor
ekarupatvat
jati – status; desa – location; kala – time;
vyavahitanam – of what is placed apart or separated; api – even,
also; anantaryam – timeful sequence; smrti – memory; samskarayoh –
of the impressions formed of cultural activities; ekarupatvat – due
to one form
Even though circumstances are separated by
status, location and time, still the impressions form cultural
activities and the resulting memories, are of one form and operate
on a time full sequence.
Commentary:
This has to do with why past lives affect the
present one, even though the individual may or may not recall his
past. A different status, a different place and
a different time, though separated from a cultural activity of the
past, is in fact time full and in sequence according to how it was
laid into the memory within the mento-emotional energy of the
individual concerned. Something that makes
sense subjectively may seem totally misappropriate to the conscious
mind which takes into account only what it can grasp about the
present. Irrespective of the present
circumstances, the memory and the urges from past lives, operate in
timeful sequence.
Verse 10
tasam anaditvam
chashisho nityatvat
tasam – those; anaditvam – what is without
beginning, primeval; ca – and; asisah – hope and desire energies;
nityatvat – what is eternal
Those memories and impressions are
primeval, without a beginning, hope and desire energies are eternal
as well.
Commentary:
When a yogi sees that the hope and desire energy
is eternal, he makes a decision to let it be and to detach himself
from the urges. He must, by all means, get
himself separated from the mento-emotional force or remain a victim
of it. The memories and the circumstance-forming
impressions will be there for all eternity. A
yogin has no choice but to extract his existence from the realm of
it.
Verse 11
hetu-phalashrayalambanaih sangrihitatvad esham abhave tad-abhavah
hetu – cause; asraya – storage place, causal
plane supportive base; alambanaih – by what supports or lifts;
sangrhitatvat – what holds together; esam – of those, these; abhave
– in what is not there; tad – them; abhavah – not existing
They exist by what holds them together in
terms of cause and effect, supportive base and lifting influence.
Otherwise if their causes are not there, they have no
existence whatsoever.
Commentary:
For a yogi, his involvement is the supportive
element which makes the subtle material nature exist for him and
engage him or use his consciousness. Thus if he
detaches himself the supportive element being removed, material
nature no longer affects him.
Verse 12
atitanagatam svarupato
'sty adhva-bhedad dharmanam
atita – the past; anagatam – the future;
svaruptah – true form; asti - there is, it exists;
adhvabhedat – due to different courses or
events; dharmnam – of the characteristics
There is a true form of the past and
future denoted by the different courses of their characteristics.
Commentary:
Sri Patanjali establishes that the past and
future are real existences, having contents, which cause the
present. Time is not an illusion.
It is real in that sense. Because of
definite characteristics, there is a certain course which time takes
from the past into the present and into the yet-emerging future.
The inherent characteristics (dharmanam) from the past mold
the future. The changes which come about in the
present are stockpiled by time as the basis for slight or major
differences which are to come.
Verse 13
te vyakta-sukshmah
gunatmanah
te – they; vyakta – gross; suksmah – subtle;
gunatmanah = guna – subtle material nature + atmanah – of itself
They are gross or subtle, all depending on
their inherent nature.
Commentary:
The three phases of time, the past, present and
future, are perpetual, having a relationship one with the other.
They are reliant of their inherent energies which comprise
the subtle and gross material nature. A limited
being cannot permanently affect these, even though he may take part
in their operations according to how he is positioned in time and
place.
Verse 14
parinamaikatvad vastu-tattvam
parinama –
transformation, change ; ekatvat – singleness,
uniqueness; vastu – object
tattvam – essence, actual composition
The actual composition of an object is
based on the uniqueness of the transformation.
Commentary:
Each object no mater how similar, has certain
unique qualities which are based on the particular transformations
which caused its production. The varieties in
material nature are researched by a yogi.
Underlying all this, he finds the manifesting force of time along
with the inherent qualities of material nature, mixed in various
ways.
Verse 15
vastu-samye
chitta-bhedat tayor vibhaktah panthah
vastu – object; samye – in the same; citta –
mento-emotional energy; bhedat – from the difference; tayoh – of
these two; vibhaktah - separated, divided; panthah - ways of
viewing, prejudices
Because of a difference in the mento-emotional energy of
two persons, separate prejudices manifest in their viewing of the
very same object.
Commentary:
Separate prejudices lie dormant in the
mento-emotional energy of each living entity. When viewing the same
object which has the same composition, persons react differently.
These prejudices are sponsored in material nature by the time
which regulates itself in past, present and future.
Verse 16
na
chaika-chitta-tantram vastu tad-apramanakam tada kim syat
na – not, nor; a – and; eka – one; citta –
mento-emotional perception; tantram – dependent; ced = cet – if,
otherwise; vastu – object; tat – that; apramanakam – not being
observed; tada – then; kim – what; syat –would occur
An object is not dependent on one person’s mento-emotional
perception. Otherwise, what would happen if it
were not being perceived by that one person?
Commentary:
Sri Patanjali refutes the idea that world is
dependent on a limited mind or on a group of such minds.
Otherwise if that or those limited minders were to lose
perception of any object the item would no longer exist.
Paul’s
notation:
This is similar to the age old question: “If a tree falls in the
woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”
If no one is there to perceive an object does the object
cease to exist? Why does it matter?
Why does Patanjali bring this up at this point of the text?
Verse 17
tad-uparagapekshitvach
chittasya vastu jnatajnatam
tad =tat- that; uparaga – color, mood;
apeksitvat – from the expectation; cittasya – of the mento-emotional
energy; vastu – object; jnata –known; ajnatam - unknown
An object is known or unknown, all
depending on the mood and expectation of the particular
mento-emotional energy of the person in reference to it.
Commentary:
The application or non-application of
consciousness is what brings objects into purview.
Verse 18
sada jnatasth
chitta-vrittayas tat-prabhoh purushasyaparinamitvat
sada – always; jnatah- known; citta-
mento-emotional energy; vrttayah- the operations;
tat- that; prabhoh- of the governor;
purusasya – of the spirit; aparinamitvat – due to changelessness
The operations of the mento-emotional energy are always
known to that governing because of the changelessness of that
spirit.
Commentary:
Here an explanation is given as to why the spirit
appears to be affected by the operations of the mento-emotional
energy of the psyche. It is due to the
changelessness of the spirit, which serves as a background for the
movements of consciousness.
Verse 19
na tat svabhasam
drishyatvat
na – not; tat-that; svabhasam-
self-illuminative; drsyatvat - for it is due to
being something to be perceived
That mento-emotional energy is not
self-illuminative for it is rather only capable of being perceived.
Commentary:
The mento-emotional energy has for its nature the
capability of being perceived but is not
self-illuminative. This has to be studied
objectively in meditation by the particular yogin.
Verse 20
eka-samaye
chobhayanavadharanam
ekasamaye – at the same time; ca – and;
ubhaya – both; anavadharanam – of what cannot focus
It cannot execute the focus of both at the
same time.
Commentary:
This means that the mento-emotional energy cannot
both focus on itself and the seer at the same time.
This has to be verified in deep meditation.
Paul’s
notation:
This simple verse might be the second most important statement in
the entire text. Surely it is the most mystical
statement thus far in that where then is this illusive self, and is
there a slight of hand taking place…at one moment there is
identification with the citta and the next with the seer, but never
both because they are not two different objects…the object and
subject are interdependent…and have this subtle marriage going on.
So is there really an “I” that is independent of thought…a
thinker separate from thought? Or does the
thinker vanish when the thoughts are suspended.
This identity that one thinks one is, be it of the body or the
culture, whatever culture, surely cannot maintain itself
indefinitely…but what we see here that can happen is that this
illusive “I sensation” can assume different forms…and it can to it
very very rapidly.
Verse 21
chittantara-drishye
buddhi-buddher atiprasangah smriti-sanskarah cha
cittantara – drsye = citta – mento-emotional
energy + antara- another person + drsye – in the perception of;
buddhi-buddher = buddhi- the intellect organ + buddheh – of the
intellect organ; atiprasangah – absurd argument, unwarranted
stretching of a rule or argument; smrti – memory; sankaras –
confusion; ca- and
In the perception of mento-emotional
energy by another such energy, there would be an intellect
perceiving another intellect independently. That
would cause absurdity and confusion of memory.
Commentary:
Sri Patanjali states here that it is absurd to
think that without a spirit one mind could perceive another mind.
It would be absurd. Unless there is a spirit behind a mind,
there would be no perception in that energy.
Verse 22
chiter
apratisankramayas tad-akarapattau svabuddhi-sanvedanam
citeh - of the spirit; apratisamkramayah -
not moving from one position to another;
tad – tat- that; akara – form, aspect;
apattau- turning into, changing, assuming; sva - itself, oneself;
buddhi- intellect organ; samvedanam - perception
The perception of its own intellect occurs
when it assumes that form in which there is no movement from one
operation to another.
Commentary:
Until the mind is still and the mento-emotional
energy ceases to fluctuate, one cannot perceive one’s intellect
objectively. Otherwise, one feels as though
oneself and one’s intellect were part of an homogeneous
consciousness.
Paul’s
notation:
This is interesting because from what had been said earlier and
throughout the text one would think or assume that by the terms used
throughout the text such as “complete restraint of the
mento-emotional energy” etc, that this would by now mean, that all
of this had already been accomplished…but here we find that there is
still oscillations taking place. So what does
this mean? Does it mean that the yogi had
deluded himself into thinking he had accomplished something when in
fact the complete cessation had not yet taken place…or does it mean
that stopping the mento-emotional energy is just not possible at
all…a nice idea, but in reality simply not something within the
realm of possibilities for most people…or perhaps anyone.
Verse 23
drashtri-drishyoparaktam chittam sarvartham
drastr - the perceiver; drsya – the
perceived; uparaktam – prejudiced; cittam – mento-emotional energy;
sarvartham - what is all evaluating
The mento-emotional energy which is
prejudiced by the perceiver and the perceived is all evaluating.
Commentary:
When the mento-emotional force absorbs energy
from the spirit, as well as from an object, it seems to be
all-evaluating. Thus the spirit becomes absorbed
by its operations of analysis, conclusion and action.
Verse 24
tad
asankhyeya-vasanabhish chitram api parartham sanhatya-karitvat
tat – that; asankhyeya – innumerable;
vasanabhih – subtle impressions; citram – diversified; api – even,
although; parartham – for another’s sake; samhatya – because of it
Although the mento-emotional energy is diverse by
innumerable subtle impressions, it acts for the sake of another
power because of it’s proximity to that other force.
Commentary:
Everything done by the mento-emotional energy,
even those subtle actions which seem to imperil the spirit are done
for the sake of the spirit itself, even though the spirit may not
deliberately motivate the psyche.
The proximity (samhatya) of the spirit is itself,
the cause of the innumerable moods and urges.
Verse 25
vishesha-darshina
atma-bhava-bhavana-vinivrittih
visesa – distinction, specific perception;
darsina – of the one who sees; atma – the spirit;
bhava – feeling; bhavana – absorption in
feelings; nivrttih - total stopping of the
operations of the mento-emotional energy
There is total stopping of the operations of
mento-emotional energy for the person who perceives the distinction
between feelings and the spirit itself.
Commentary:
This is repeated again and again in different
verses. A yogin has to sort out between his
spirit and his mento-emotional energy. He has to
transcend the proximity of the two.
Verse 26
tada hi viveka-nimnam
kaivalya-pragbharam chittam
tada – then; hi – indeed; viveka –
discrimination; nimnam – leaning towards, inclined to;
kaivalya - total separation from the mundane
psychology; prag – towards; bharam – gravitating; cittam –
mento-emotional force
Then, indeed, the mento-emotional force is inclined towards
discrimination and gravitates towards the total separation from the
mundane psychology.
Commentary:
The yogi has to achieve this.
It does not come by wishful thinking. Only
through higher yoga can this be achieved consistently.
Paul’s
notation:
Notice the word cittam once translated as mento-emotional energy
is now translated as mento-emotional FORCE.
Verse 27
tach-chidreshu
pratyayantarani sanskarebhyah
tat- that; chidresu – in the relaxation of
the focus; pratyaya – conviction or belief as mind content, inlaid
impression in the mento-emotional energy; antarani – in between,
interval;
samskarebhah - from the subtle impressions
Besides that, in the relaxation of the
focus, other mind contents arise in the intervals.
These are based on subtle impressions.
Commentary:
The yogi has to work through this without being
disappointed or frustrated. He should not give
up the higher yoga practice. He faces failures
at every step but he must forge ahead. He must
work for emancipation from his helpless alliance with the
mento-emotional force. His main energy is the
mind’s content, which is deeply inlaid, in the mento-emotional force
as urg-producing impressions from the past. Some
of these surfaces as memory and others surface as pictures, sound
formation, and then are expanded into meaningful or meaningless
picturizations and sounds which distract the yogi by keeping him
occupied in the picture-sound show of the mind.
A yogi has to fight this to gain self-conquest.
Verse 28
hanam esham kleshavad
uktam
hanam – illing off, complete removal; esam –
of these; klesavad = klesavat – like the mento-emotional
afflictions; uktam – authoritively said
As authoritively stated, the complete removal of these is
like the elimination of the mento-emotional afflictions.
Commentary:
It is a personal struggle.
The God is there but each yogi has to master this himself.
As a beginning yogi becomes pre-occupied removing all causes
for the mental and emotional troubles, so the advanced yogi has to
remove the mind content which poses a botheration and which the mind
clings to automatically when it relaxed from the proper focus.
Great yogis went on before, but they cannot help
us because this is a personal inner struggle.
They encourage us to practice. They have shown
the way by their personal lives on earth, or by their current
austerities in higher dimensions. Besides that,
each yogi has to endure this inner conflict alone.
Verse 29
prasankhyane 'py
akusidasya sarvatha viveka-khyater dharma-meghah samadhih
prasamkhyana – in the abstract meditation;
api – even so; akusidasya - of one who has no interest or sees no
gain in material nature; sarvatha – in all ways; vivekakhyateh -
with super discrimination; dharmameghah = dharma - natures way of
acting for beneficial results + meghah – mento-emotional clouds of
energy; Samadhi- continuous effortless linkage of the attention to
higher reality
For one who sees no gains in material
nature, even while perceiving it in abstract meditation, he has the
super discrimination. He attained the continuous
effortless linkage of the attention to higher reality which is
described as knowing the mento-emotional clouds of energy which
compel a person to perform according to nature’s way of acting for
beneficial results.
Commentary:
Dharma – meghah is usually translated as cloud
(meghah) of virtue (dharma). However we took
hints from I. K. Taimni, where he stated that dharma - meghaha-
Samadhi, means the final Samadhi in which the yogi shakes himself
free from the world of Dharmas which obscure Reality like a cloud.
He is perhaps, the first commentator who
understood Sri Patanjali. That is to be
regretted. The key to the meaning of this verse
lies in the terms akusidasya. This is because
kusida means a moneylender, or any money lent at a rate exceeding
5%. When “a” is added as a prefix, it means not
having any desire to gain anything.
Srila Yogeshwarananda asked us to develop
praravairagya, which is complete disinterest in this world.
Sri Patanjali was specific in stating that one has to lose
interest even in the very subtle aspect of material nature, aspects
which we encounter in deep meditation on other levels of this
reality. This is indicated by the term
prasamkhyane which means that one may see something of value in deep
meditation, in which case one cannot develop the paravairagya and
one will not lose interest in the Dharmas or ways of righteous
living which are legated by material nature for different beings on
different gross and subtle levels.
If we want to benefit in any way (sarvatha) from
material nature, on any level, we will be attracted proportionally,
and we will fall under the cloud (megha) of values (dharmas) which
dictate how we should act to gain in the particular realm of our
interest. This will keep us in the material
world.
Srila Yogeshwaranada, who warned this writer in
the same way, that the main obstacle is the desire for name as a
spiritual master, forewarns all yogis. From that
comes the idea that one should develop a territory where one can
have his own kingdom with loyal disciples.
Material nature will then show one a layout of values which one must
adapt for success as territorial spiritual master or god.
This will cause a fall down. Be
forewarned.
Even though Srila Yogeswarananda had left behind
many books, as well as ashrams and spiritual missions, still when I
see him come down from the causal level where he is completing more
austerities and researched into our complication, I never see him
with disciples. He is not interested in any of
the rules and regulations or dharmas which are laid out for
spiritual masters who want to be worshipped as exalted saviors or
gurus.
Everything in the material world, in the subtle,
super-subtle or gross parts of it, are dangerous.
We should know this. There were many
people who came to me to be disciples and who suggested that they
become elevated so that they can help others.
All of them are conceited.
Verse 30
tatah
klesha-karma-nivrittih
tatah – subsequently; klesa – afflictions;
karma – cultural activities; nivrttih – stoppage of the operation of
the mento-emotional energy
Subsequently there is stoppage of the
operation of the mento-emotional energy in terms of generation of
cultural activities and their resulting afflictions.
Commentary:
The meaning of dharma-meghah in the preceding
verse is now explained by the subsequently result of the stoppage of
generation of cultural activities which are themselves dictated by
various types of dharma righteous life style for particular results
in the gross or subtle mundane world. None of
these karmas or cultural activities are completely free from
afflictions. Thus when the yogi reaches the
causal level and sees the various clouds of energy (meghah) in which
the dharmas or laws for righteous life, are created and maintained,
he gets an ease in his higher yoga practice. He
smiles for he will never again fall into the trap of making
spiritual missions to help or to save others.
Such things are a complete farce, and very disgusting to one who has
seen the reality as it is.
An example of a yogin who left aside such things
is Swami Satyananda of Bihar, who though he complete all duties
given to him by his spiritual master, the great Swami Shivananda,
did not himself continue to be a guru in this world, but carefully
and efficiently left all that aside to proceed honestly with his
advancement. Such a high-class person is neither
selfish nor conceited. If anything, he is
realistic.
Verse 31
tada
sarvavarana-malapetasya jnanasyanantyaj jneyam alpam
tada – then; sarva –
all; avarana - mental darkness; mala – impurities; apetasya -
of what is removed; jnanasaya - of knowledge; anantyat – due to
being unlimited; jneyam – what is known; alpam- small trivial
Then, because of the removal of all mental
darkness and psychological impurities, that which can be known
through the mento-emotional energy, seems trivial in comparison to
the unlimited knowledge available when separated from it.
Commentary:
For this world, the mento-emotion energy is the
linking agent. It is the means of praying into
various things. It shows us how to be interested
in and how to invest in this world for a benefit.
But once we become freed from that energy, and we experience
the self by itself, we no longer consider this world as being
essential.
Paul’s
Notation:
One might ask here WHY an experience of the self by the self
would be so fulfilling? And what are the risks
of becoming Narcissistic in this whole process.
Mostly thus far we have heard what the self is not.
But what is it? The question “Who am I” remains.
And Who is it, which is fixated on these mental and emotional
processes?
What Force holds his attention there? It seems that Sri Patanjali
has given the answers to these questions, but now it seems that each
of us must experience them first hand.
Verse 32
tatah kritarthanam
parinama-krama-samaptir gunanam
tatah – thus; krtarthanam – having done
their purpose; parinama – changes, alteration;
karma – a step, succession, progression,
process of development; samaptir = samaptih – end conclusions;
gunanam – of the influence of the subtle material nature
Thus, the subtle material nature, having
fulfilled its purpose, its progressive alterations end.
Commentary:
This is only for the yogin who achieved isolation
from his mento-emotional energies and their impulsive operations.
For him, the natural power transfer from his spirit to the
mento-emotional force ceases. For others it
continues just as before.
Verse 33
kshana-pratiyogi parinamaparanta-nirgrahyah kramah
ksana – moment;
pratiyogi - corresponding, being a counter-part; parinama
- change, alteration; aparanta - the end; nirgrahyah - clearly
perceived; kramah - process
The process, of which moments are a counterpart, and which
causes the alterations, comes to an end and is clearly perceived.
Commentary:
The advanced yogi alone achieves this.
This is an individual accomplishment, where the yogi sees the
moments, which in sequence make up time which is itself the changing
mundane energy (gunanam). The yogi clearly
perceives this from afar. What hypnotizes other
and keeps them under its control subjectively and objectively, is
looked upon by the yogin, just as the God would normally see it.
sa esah purvesam api guruh
kalena anavacchedat
He, this particular person, being
unconditioned by time is the guru even of the ancient teachers, the
authorities from before. (Yoga Sutra 1.26)
What is natural for god, becomes natural for the
yogin who made that much endeavor and who completed the course of
higher yogi described by Sri Patanjali Muni.
Verse 34
purushartha-shunyanam
gunanam pratiprasavah kaivalyam svarupa-pratishtha va chiti-shakter
iti
purusartha- the aims of a human being;
sunyanam- devoid of; gunanam- of the influences of material nature;
pratiprasavah- re-absorption, retrogression, neutralization;
kaivalyam- separation of the spirit from psychology; swarupa- own
form; pratistha- established; va- thus, at last
Separation of the spirit from the
mento-emotional energy (kaivalyam ) occurs when there is neutrality
in respect to the influence of material nature, when the yogi’s
psyche becomes devoid of the general aims of a human being.
Thus at last, the spirit is established in its own form as
the force empowering the mento-emotional energy.
Commentary:
This ends the Yoga description of higher yoga
practice, given to us by Sri Patanjali Muni, that authority for all
times. Undoubtedly, Sri Patanjali Mahamuni
covered everything in the mystic practice of yoga.
All glories unto him.
End of Chapter 4
