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and the Akasa comes divine hearing.
There is the Akasa, the ether, and the instrument, the ear. By
making Samyama on them the Yogi gets divine hearing; he
hears everything. Anything spoken or sounded miles away he
can here.
43. कायाकाशयोः संबन्धसंयमाल् लघुतूलसमापत्तेश्चाकाशगमनम् ॥४३॥
kayakashayoh sanbandhasanyamal
aghutoolasamapatteshchakashagamanam
By making Samyama on the relation between the
Akasa and the body the Yogi becoming light as cotton
wool goes through the skies.
This Akasa is the material of this body; it is only Akasa in a
certain form that has become the body. If the Yogi makes
Samyama on this Akasa material of his body, it acquires the
lightness of Akasa, and can go anywhere through the air.
44. बहिरकल्पिता वृत्तिर्महाविदेहा . ततः प्रकाशावरणक्षयः ॥४४॥
bahirakalpita vrittirmahavideha tatah
prakashavarannakshayah
By making Samyama on the real modifications of the
mind, which are outside, called great disembodiness,
comes disappearance of the covering to light.
The mind in its foolishness thinks that it is working in this
body. Why should I be bound by one system of nerves, and
put the Ego only in one body, if the mind is omnipresent?
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There is no reason why I should. The Yogi wants to feel the
Ego wherever he likes. When he has succeeded in that all
covering to light goes away, and all darkness and ignorance
vanish. Everything appear to him to be full of knowledge.
45. स्थूलस्वरूपसूक्ष्मान्वयार्थवत्त्वसंयमाद्भूतजयः ॥४५॥
sthoolasvaroopasookshmanvayarthavattva
samyamadbhootajayah
By making Samyama on the elements, beginning with
the gross, and ending with the superfine, comes
mastery of the elements.
The Yogi make Samyama on the elements, first on the gross,
and then on the finer states. This Samyama is taken up more
by a sect of the Buddhists. They take a lump of clay, and make
Samyama on that, and gradually they begin to see the fine
materials of which is is composed, and when they have known
all the fine materials in it, they get power over that element.
So with all the elements, the Yogi can conquer them all.
46. ततोऽणिमादिप्रादुर्भावः कायसंपत् तद्धर्मानभिघातश्च ॥४६॥
tatoanimadipradurbhavah kayasanpat
taddharmanabhighatashch
From that comes minuteness, and the rest of the
powers, "glorification of the body," and
indestructibleness of the bodily qualities.
This means that the Yogi has attained the eight powers. He can
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make himsef as light as a particle, he can make himself huge,
as heavy as the earth, or as light as the air; he will rule
everything he wants, he will conquer everything he wants,
alion will sit at his feet like a lamb, and all his desires be
fulfilled at will.
47. रूपलावण्यबलवज्रसंहननत्वानि कायसंपत् ॥४७॥
roopalavanyabalavajrasanhananatvani kayasanpat
The glorifications of the body are beauty,
complexion, strength, adamantine hardness.
The body becomes indestructible; fire cannot injure it.
Nothing can injure it. Nothing can destroy it until the Yogi
wishes. “Breaking the rod of time he lives in this universe
with his body.” In the Vedas it is written that for that man
there is no more disease, death or pain.
48. ग्रहणस्वरूपास्मितान्वयार्थवत्त्वसंयमाद् इन्द्रियजयः ॥४८॥
grahannasvaroopasmitanvayarthavattvasanyamad
indriyajayah
By making Samyama on the objectivity, knowledge
and egoism of the organs, by gradation comes the
conquest of the organs.
In perception of external objects the organs leave their place
in the mind and go towards the object; that is followed by
knowledge and egoism. When the Yogi makes Samyama on
these by gradation he conquers the organs. Take up anything
that you see or feel, a book, for instance, and first concentrate
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the mind on the thing itself. Then on the knowledge that it is
in the form of a book, and then the Ego that sees the book. By
that practice all the organs will be conquers.
49. ततो मनोजवित्वं विकरणभावः प्रधानजयश्च ॥४९॥
tato manojavitvan vikarannabhavah
pradhanajayashch
From that comes glorified mind, power of the organs
independently of the body, and conquest of nature.
Just as by the conquest of the elements comes glorified body,
so from the conquest of the mind will come glorified mind.
50. सत्त्वपुरुषान्यताख्यातिमात्रस्य सर्वभावाधिष्ठातृत्वं सर्वज्ञातृत्वं च ॥५०॥
sattvapurushanyatakhyatimatrasy
sarvabhavadhishthatritvam sarvajnatritvan cha
By making Samyama on the Sattva, to him who has
discriminated between the intellect and the PuruSa
comes omnipresence and omniscience.
When we have conquered nature, and realised the difference
between the PuruSa and nature, that the PuruSa is
indestructible, pure and perfect, when the Yogi has realised
this, then comes omnipotence and omniscience.
51. तद्वैराग्यादपि दोषबीजक्षये कैवल्यम् ॥५१॥
tadvairajnadapi doshabijakshaye kaivalyam
By giving up even these comes the destruction of the
very seed of evil; he attains Kaivalya.
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He attains aloneness, independence. Then that man is free.
When he gives up even the ideas of omnipotence and
omniscience, there will be entire rejection of enjoyment, of
the temptations from celestial beings. When the Yogi has seen
all these wonderful powers, and rejected them, he reaches the
goal. What are all these powers? Simply manifestations. They
areno better than dreams. Even omnipotence is a dream. It
depends on the mind. So long as there is a mind it can be
understood, but the goal is beyond even the mind.
52. स्थान्युपनिमन्त्रणे सङ्गस्मयाकरणं पुनः अनिष्टप्रसङ्गात् ॥ ५२॥
sthanyupanimantrane sanggasmayakarannan
punah anishtaprasanggat
The Yogi should not feel allured or flattered by the
overtures of celestial beings, for fear of evil again.
There are other dangers too; gods and other beings come to
tempt the Yogi. They do not want anyone to be perfectly free.
They are jealous, just as we are, and worse than we
sometimes. They are very much afraid of losing their places.
Those Yogis who do not reach perfection die and become
gods; leaving the direct road they go into one of the side
streets, and get these powers. Then again they have to be born;
but he who is strong enough to withstand these temptations,
and go straight to the goal, becomes free.
53. क्षणतत्क्रमयोः संयमाद्विवेकजं ज्ञानम् ॥ ५३॥
kshannatatkramayoh sanyamadavivekajam jnanam
By making Samyama on a particle of time and its
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multiples comes discrimination.
How are we to avoid all these things, these Devas, and
heavens, and powers? By discrimination, by knowing good
from evil. Therefore a Samyama is given by which the
power of discrimination can be strengthened. This is by
making Samyama on a particle of time.
54. जातिलक्षणदेशैरन्यताऽनवच्छेदात् तुल्ययोस्ततः प्रतिपत्तिः ॥५४॥
jatilakshannadeshairanyataanavachchhedat
tulyayostatah pratipattih
Those which cannot be differentiated by species, sign
and place, even they will be discriminated by the
above Samyama.
The misery that we suffer comes from ignorance, from non-
discrimination between the real and the unreal. We all take the
bad for the good, the dream for the reality. Soul is the only
reality, and we have forgotten it. Body is an unreal dream, and
we think we are all bodies. This non-discrimination is the
cause of misery, and it is caused by ignorance. When
discrimination comes it brings strength, and then alone can
we avoid all these various ideas of body, heavens, and gods
and Devas. This ignorance arises through differentiating by
species, sign or place. For instance, take a cow. The cow is
differentiated from the dog, as species. Even with the cows
alone how do we make the distinction between one cow and
another? By signs. If two objects are exactly similar they can
be distinguished if they are in different places. When objects
are so mixed up that even these differentiæ will not help us,
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the power of discrimination acquired by the above-mentioned
practice will give us the ability to distinguish them. The
highest philosophy of the Yogi is based upon this fact, that the
PuruSa is pure and perfect, and is the only “simple” that
exists in this universe. The body and mind are compounds,
and yet we are ever identifying ourselves with them. That is
the great mistake that the distinction has been lost. When this
power of discrimination has been attained, man sees that
everything in this world, mental and physical, is a compound,
and, as such, cannot be the Purusa.
55. तारकं सर्वविषयं सर्वथाविषयम् अक्रमं चेति विवेकजं ज्ञानम् ॥ ५५ ॥
tarakan sarvavishayan sarvathavishayam akraman
cheti vivekajan jnanam
The saving knowledge is that knowledge of
discrimination which covers all objects, all means.
Saving, because the knowledge takes the Yogi across the
ocean of birth and death. The whole of Prakriti in all its states,
subtle and gross, is within the grasp of this knowledge. There
is no succession in perfection by this knowledge: it takes in all
things simultaneously, at a glance.
56. सत्त्वपुरुषयोः शुद्धिसाम्ये कैवल्यम् इति ॥ ५६ ॥
sattvapurushayoh shuddhisamye kaivalyam iti
By the similarity of purity between the Sattva and the
PuruSa comes Kaivalya.
When the soul realises that it depends on nothing in the
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universe, from gods to the lowest atom, that it is called
Kaivalya (isolation) and perfection. It is attained when this
mixture of purity and impurity called mind has been made as
pure as the PuruSa Itself; then the Sattva, the mind, reflects
only the unqualified essence of purity, which is the PuruSa
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CHAPTER IV – KAIVALYA PADA
INDEPENDENCE
॥ चतुर्थः कैवल्यपादः ॥

1. जन्मौषधिमन्त्रतपःसमाधिजाः सिद्धयः ॥ १॥
   janmaushadhimantratapahsamadhijah siddhayah
   The Siddhis (powers) are attained by birth, chemical
   means, power of words, mortification or
   concentration.
   Sometimes a man is born with the Siddhis, powers, of course
   from the exercise of powers he had in his previous birth. In
   this birth he is born, as it were, to enjoy the fruits of them. It is
   said of Kapila, the great father of the Sankhya Philosophy,
   that he was a born Siddha, which means, literally, a man who
   has attained to success.
   The Yogis claim that these powers can be gained by chemical
   means. All of you know that chemistry originally began as
   alchemy; men went in search of the philsopher’s stone, and
   elixirs of life, and so forth. In Inidia there was a sect called the
   Rasayanas. Their idea was that ideality, knowledge,
   spirituality and religion, were all very right, but that the body
   was the only instrument by which to attain to all these. If the
   body broke now and then it would take so much more time to
   attain to the goal. For instance, a man wants to practice
   Yoga, or wants to become spiritual. Before he has advanced
   very far he dies. Then he takes another body and begins again,
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then dies, and so on, and in this way much time will be lost in
dying and in being born again. If the body could be made
strong and perfect, so that it would get rid of birth and death,
we should have so much more time to become spiritual. So
these Rasayanas say, first make the body very strong, and
they claim that this body can be made immortal. The idea is
that if the mind is manufacturing the body, and if it be true
that each mind is only one particular outlet to that infinite
energy, and that there is no limit to each particular outlet
getting any amount of power from outside, why is it
impossible that we should keep our bodies all the time? We
shall have to manufacture all the bodies that we shall ever
have. As soon as this body dies we shall have to manufacture
another. If we can do that why cannot we do it just here and
no, without getting out? The theory is perfectly correct. If it is
possible that we live after death, and make other bodies, why
is it impossible that we should have the power of making
bodies here, without entirely dissolving this body, simply
changing it continually? They also thought that in mercury
and in sulphur was hidden the most wonderful power, and that
by certain preparations of these a man could keep the body as
long as he liked. Others believed that certain drugs could
bring powers, such as flying through the air, etc. Many of
the most wonderful medicines of the present day we owe to
the Rasayamas, notably the use of metals in medicine.
Certain sects of Yogis claim that many of their principal
teachers are still living in their old bodies. Patanjali, the great
authority on Yoga, does not deny this.
The power of words. There are certain sacred words called
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Mantrams, which have power, when repeated under proper
conditions, to produce these extraordinary powers. We are
living in the midst of such a mass of miracles, day and night,
that we do not think anything of them. There is no limit to
man's power, the power of words and the power of mind.
Mortification. You will find that in every religion
mortifications and asceticisms have been practised. In these
religious conceptions the Hindus always go to the extremes.
You will find men standing with their hands up all their lives,
until their hands wither and die. Men sleep standing, day and
night, until their feet swell, and, if they live, the legs become
so stiff in this position that they can no more bend them, but
have to stand all their lives. I once saw a man who had raised
his hands in this way, and I asked him how it felt when he did
it first. He said it was awful torture. It was such torture that he
had to go to a river and put himself in water, and that allayed
the pain for a little. After a month he did not suffer much.
Through such practices powers (Siddhis) can be attained.
Concentration. The concentration is Samadhi, and that is
Yoga proper; that is the principle theme of this science, and it
is the highest means. The preceding ones are only secondary,
and we cannot attain to the highest through them. Samadhi is
the means through which we can gain anything and
everything, mental, moral or spiritual.
2. जात्यन्तरपरिणामः प्रकृत्यापूरात् ॥ २॥
jatyantaraparinamah prakrityapoorat
The change into another species is by the filling in of
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nature.
Patanjali has advanced the proposition that these powers
come by first, sometimes by chemical means, or they may be
got by mortification and he has admitted that this body can be
kept for any length of time. Now he goes on to state what is
the cause of the change of the body into another species,
which he says is by the filling in of nature. In the next
aphorism he will explain this.
3. निमित्तम् अप्रयोजकं प्रकृतीनां वरणभेदस्तु ततः क्षेत्रिकवत्॥३॥
nimittam aprayojakan prakritinan varannabhedastu
tatah kshetrikavat
Good deeds, etc., are not the direct causes in the
transformation of nature, but they act as breakers of
obstacles to the evolutions of nature, as a farmer
breaks the obstacles to the course of water, which
then runs down by its own nature.
When a farmer is irrigating his field the water is already in the
canals, only there are gates which keep the water in. The
farmer opens these gates, and the water flows in by itself, by
the law of gravitation. So, all human progress and power are
already in everything; this perfection is every man’s nature,
only it is barred in and prevented from taking its proper
course. If anyone can take the bar off in rushes nature. Then
the man attains the powers which are his already. Those we
called wicked become saints, as soon as the bar is broken and
nature rushes in. It is nature that is driving us towards
perfection, and eventually she will bring everyone there. All
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these practices and struggles to become religious are only
negative work to take off the bars, and open the doors to that
perfection which is our birthright, our nature.
To-day the evolution theories of the Yogis will be better
understood in the light of modern research. And yet the theory
of the Yogis is a better explanation. The two causes of
evolution advanced by the moderns, viz., sexual selection and
survival of the fittest, are inadequate. Suppose human
knowledge to have advanced too much as to eliminate
competition, both from the function of acquiring physical
sustenance and of acquiring a mate. Then, according to the
moderns, human progress will stop and the race will die. And
the result of this theory is to furnish every oppressor with an
argument to calm the qualms of conscience, and men are not
lacking, who, posing as philosophers, want to kill out all
wicked and incompetent persons (they are, of course, the only
judges of competency), and thus preserve the human race!
But the great ancient evolutionist, Patanjali, declares that the
true secret of evolution is the manifestation of the perfection
which is already in every being; that this perfection has been
barred, and the infinite tide behind it is struggling to express
itself. These struggles and competitions are but the results of
our ignorance, because we do not know the proper way to
unlock the gate and let the water in. This infinite tide behind
must express itself, and it is the cause of all manifestation, not
competition for life, or sex gratification, which are only
momentary, unnecessary, extraneous effects, caused by
ignorance. Even when all competition has ceased this perfect
nature behind will make us go forward until everyone has
become perfect. Therefore there is no reason to believe that
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competition is necessary to progress. In the animal the man
was suppressed, but, as soon as the door was opened, out
rushed man. So, in man there is the potential god, kept in by
the locks and bars of ignorance. When knowledge breaks
these bars the god becomes manifest.
4. निर्माणचित्तान्यस्मितामात्रात् ॥ ४॥
nirmannachittanyasmitamatrat
From egoism alone proceed the created minds.
The theory of Karma is that we suffer for our good or bad
deeds, and the whole scope of philosophy is to approach the
glory of man. All the Scriptures sing the glory of man, of the
soul, and then, with the same breath, they preach this Karma.
A good deed brings such a result, and a bad deed such a result,
but, if the soul can be acted upon by a good or a bad deed it
amounts to nothing. Bad deeds put a bart to the manifestation
of our nature, of the Purusa, and good deeds take the
obstacles off, and its glory becomes manifest. But the PuruSa
itself is never changed. Whatever you do never destroys
your own glory, your own nature, because the soul cannot be
acted upon by anything, only a veil is spread before it, hiding
its perfection.
5. प्रवृत्तिभेदे प्रयोजकं चित्तम् एकम् अनेकेषाम् ॥ ५॥
pravrittibhede prayojakam chittam ekam anekesham
Though the activities of the different created minds
are various, the one original mind is the controller of
them all.
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These different minds, which will act in these different
bodies, are called made-minds, and the bodies made-bodies;
that is, manufactured bodies and minds. Matter and mind are
like two inexhaustible storehouses. When you have become a
Yogi you have learned the secret of their control. It was yours
all the time, but you had forgotten it. When you become a
Yogi you recollect it. Then you can do anything with it,
manipulate it any way you like. The material out of which that
manufactured mind is created is the very same material which
is used as the macrocosm. It is not that mind is one thing and
matter another, but they are different existences of the same
thing. Asmita, egoism, is the material, the fine state of
existence out of which these made-minds and made-bodies of
the Yogi will be manufactured. Therefore, when the Yogi has
found the secret of these energies of nautre he can
manufacture any number of bodies, or minds, but they will all
be manufactures out of the substance known as egoism.
6. तत्र ध्यानजम् अनाशयम् ॥ ६॥
tatra dhyanajam anashayam
Among the various Chittas that which is attained by
Samadhi is desireless.
Among all the various minds that we see in various men, only
that mind which has attained to Samadhi, perfect
concentration, is the highest. A man who has attained certain
powers through medicines, or through words, or through
mortifications, still has desires, but that man who has attained
to Samadhi through concentration is alone free from all
desires.
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7. कर्माशुक्लाकृष्णं योगिनः त्रिविधम् इतरेषाम् ॥ ७॥
karmashuklakrishnnam yoginah trividham itaresham
Works are neither black nor white for the Yogis; for
others they are threefold, black, white, and mixed.
When the Yogi has attained to that state of perfection, the
actions of that man, and the Karma produced by those actions,
will not bind him, because he did not desire them. He just
works on: he works to do good, and he does good, but does
not care for the result, and it will not come to him. But for
ordinary men, who have not attained to that highest state,
works are of three kind, black (evil actions), white (good
actions), and mixed.
8. ततस्तद्विपाकानुगुणानाम् एवाभिव्यक्तिर्वासनानाम् ॥ ८॥
tatastadvipakanugunanam evabhivyaktirvasananam
From these threefold works are manifested in each
state only those desires (which are) fitting to that state
alone. (The others are held in abeyance for the time
being.)
Suppose I have made the three kinds of Karma, good, bad,
and mixed; and suppose I die and become a god in heaven; the
desires in a god body are not the same as the desires in a
human body. The god body neither eats nor drinks; what
becomes of my past unworked Karmas, which produce as
their effect the desire to eat and drink? Where would these
Karmas go when I became a god? The answer is that desires
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can only manifest themselves in proper environments. Only
those desires will come out for which the environment is
fitted; the rest will remain stored up. In this life we have many
godly desires, many human desires, many animal desires. If I
take a god body, only the god desires will come up, because
for them the environments are suitable. And if I take an
animal body, only the animal desires will come up, and the
god desires will wait. What does that show? That by means
of environment we can check these desires. Only that Karma
which is suited to and fitted for the environments will come
out. These proves that the power of environment is the great
check to control even Karma itself.
9. जातिदेशकालव्यवहितानाम् अप्यानन्तर्यं, स्मृतिसंस्कारयोः
एकरूपत्वात् ॥ ९॥
jatideshakalavyavahitanam apyanantaryam
smritisanskarayoh ekaroopatvat
There is connectiveness in desire, even though
separated by speices, space and time, there being
identifi-cation of memory and impressions.
Experiences becoming fine become impressions; impressions
revivified become memory. The word memory here includes
unconscious co-ordination of past experience, reduced to
impressions, with present conscious action. In each body the
group of impressions acquired in a similar body only will
become the cause of action in that body. The experiences of
dissimilar bodies will be held in abeyance. Each body will act
as if it were a descendant of a series of bodies of that species
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only; thus, consecutiveness of desires will not be broken.
10. तासाम् अनादित्वं चाशिषो नित्यत्वात् ॥१०॥
tasam anaditvam chashisho nityatvat
Thirst for happiness being eternal, desires are without
beginning.
All experience is preceded by desire for becoming happy.
There was no beginning of experience, as each fresh
experience is built upon the tendency generated by past
experience; therefore desire is without beginning.
11. हेतुफलाश्रयालम्बनैः संगृहीतत्वाद् एषाम् अभावे तदभावः ॥११॥
hetufalashrayalambanaih sangrihitatvad esham
abhave tadabhavah
Being held together by cause, effect, support, and
objects, in the absence of these is its absence.
These desires are held together by cause and effect; if a desire
has been raised it does not die without producing its effect.
Then again, the mind-stuff is the great storehouse, the support
of all past desires, reduced to Samskara form; until they have
worked themselves out they will not die. Moreover, so long as
the senses receive the external objects fresh desires will arise.
If it be possible to get rid of these, then alone desires will
vanish.
12. अतीतानागतं स्वरूपतोऽस्त्यध्वभेदाद् धर्माणाम् ॥१२॥
atitanagatan svaroopatostyadhvabhedad
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dharmanam
The past and future exist in their own nature, qualities
having different ways.
13. ते व्यक्तसूक्ष्मा गुणात्मानः ॥ १३ ॥
te vyaktasookshma gunatmanah
They are manifested or fine, being of the nature of the
Gunas.
The Gunas are the three substances, Sattva, Rajas, and
Tamas, whose gross state is the sensible universe. Past and
future arise from the different modes of manifestation of these
Gunas.
14. परिणामैकत्वाद् वस्तुतत्त्वम् ॥ १४ ॥
parinamaikatvad vastutattvam
The unity in things is from the unity in changes.
Though there are three substances their changes
being co-ordinated all objects have their unity.
15. वस्तुसाम्ये चित्तभेदात् तयोर्विभक्तः पन्थाः ॥ १५ ॥
vastusamye chittabhedat tayorvibhaktah panthah
The object being the same, perception and desire vary
according to the various minds.
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Patanjali Yoga Sutras
16. तदुपरागापेक्षत्वात् चित्तस्य वस्तु ज्ञाताज्ञातम् ॥ १६ ॥³
taduparagapekshatvat chittasya vastu jnatajnatam
Things are known or unknown to the mind, being
de-pendent on the colouring which they give to the
mind.
17. सदा ज्ञाताश्चित्तवृत्तयस्तत्प्रभोः पुरुषस्यापरिणामित्वात् ॥ १७ ॥
sada jnatashchittavrittayastatprabhoh
purushasyaparinamitvat
The states of the mind are always known because the
lord of the mind is unchangeable.
The whole gist of this theory is that the universe is both
mental and material. And both the mental and material worlds
are in a continuous state of flux. What is this book?
It is a combination of molecules in constant change. One lot is
going out, and another coming in; it is a whirlpool, but what
makes the unity? What makes it the same book? The changes
are rhythmical; in harmonious order they are sending
impressions to my mind, and these pieced together make a
continuous picture, although they parts are continuously
³ Swami Vivekananda does not comment on the sutra which is 16ᵗʰ sutra
in most versions of Patanjali Yoga Sutra. This sutra is: न चैकचित्ततन्त्रं वस्तु
तदप्रमाणकं तदा किं स्यात् ॥ “An object exists independent of its cognizance by
any one consciousness. What happens to it when that consciousness is
not there to perceive it?”
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