Patanjali Yoga Sutras
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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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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changing. Mind itself is continuously changing. The mind and
body are like two layers in the same substance, moving at
different rates of speed. Relatively, one being slower and the
other quicker, we can distinguish between the two motions.
For instance, a train is moving, and another carriage is
moving slowly alongside it. It is possible to find the motion of
both these, to a certain extent. But still something else is
necessary. Motion can only be perceived when there is
something else which is not moving. But when two or three
things are relatively moving, we first perceive the motion of
the faster one, and then that of the slower ones. How is the
mind to perceive? It is also in a flux. Therefore another thing
is necessary which moves more slowly, then you must get to
something in which the motion is still slower, and so on, and
you will find no end. Therefore logic compels you to stop
somewhere. You must complete the series by knowing
something which never changes. Behind this never ending
chain of motion is the Purusa, the changeless, the colourless,
the pure. All these impressions are merely reflected upon it, as
rays of light from a camera are reflected upon a white sheet,
painting hundreds of pictures on it, without in any way
tarnishing the sheet.
18. न तत् स्वाभासंदृश्यत्वात् ॥ १८ ॥
na tat svabhasandrishyatvat
Mind is not self-luminous, being an object.
Tremendous power is manifested everywhere in nature, but
yet something tells us that it is not self-luminous, not
essentially intelligent. The Purusa alone is self-luminous, and
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gives its light to everything. It is its power that is percolating
through all matter and force.
19. एकसमये चोभयानवधारणम् ॥ १९॥
ekasamaye chobhayanavadharannam
From its being unable to cognise two things at the
same time.
If the mind were self-luminous it would be able to cognise
everything at the same time, which it cannot. If you pay deep
attention to one thing you lose another. If the mind were
self-luminous there would be no limit to the impressions it
could receive. The PuruSa can cognise all in one moment;
therefore the PuruSa is self-luminous, and the mind is not.
20. चित्तान्तरदृश्ये बुद्धिबुद्धेरतिप्रसङ्गः स्मृतिसंकरश्च ॥ २०॥
chittantaradrishye buddhibuddheratiprasanggah
smritisankarashcha
Another cognising mind being assumed there will be
no end to such assumptions and confusion of
memory.
Let us suppose that there is another mind which cognises the
first, there will have to be something which cognises that, and
so there will be no end to it. It will result in confusion of
memory, there will be no storehouse of memory.
21. चितेरप्रतिसंक्रमायास्तदाकारापत्तौ स्वबुद्धिसंवेदनम् ॥ २१ ॥
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chiterapratisankramayastadakarapattau
svabuddhisanvedanam
The essence of knowledge (the PuruSa) being
un-changeable, when the mind takes its form, it
becomes conscious.
Patanjali says this to make it more clear that knowledge is not
a quality of the PuruSa. When the mind comes near the
PuruSa it is reflected, as it were, upon the mind, and the mind,
for the time being, becomes knowing and seems as if it were
itself the PuruSa.
22. द्रष्टृदृश्योपरक्तं चित्तं सर्वार्थम् ॥ २२ ॥
drashtridrishyoparaktan chittan sarvartham
Coloured by the seer and the seen the mind is able to
understand everything.
On the one side the external world, the seen, is being
reflected, and on the other, the seer is being reflected; thus
comes the power of all knowledge to the mind.
23. तदसंख्येयवासनाचित्रम् अपि परार्थं संहत्यकारित्वात् ॥ २३ ॥
tadasankhyeyavasanachitram api pararthan
sanhatyakaritvat
The mind through its innumerable desires acts for
another (the PuruSa), being combinations.
The mind is a compound of various things, and therefore it
cannot work for itself. Everything that is a combination in this
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world has some object for that combination, some third thing
for which this combination is going on. So this combination
of the mind is for the PuruSa.
24. विशेषदर्शिन आत्मभावभावनाविनिवृत्तिः ॥२४॥
visheshadarshin aatmabhavabhavanavinivrittih
For the discriminating the perception of the mind as
Atman ceases.
Through discrimination the Yogi knows that the PuruSa is not
mind.
25. तदा विवेकनिम्नं कैवल्यप्राग्भारं चित्तम् ॥२५॥
tada vivekanimnan kaivalyapragbharan chittam
Then bent on discriminating the mind attains the
previous state of Kaivalya (isolation).
Thus the practice of Yoga leads to discriminating power, to
clearness of vision. The veil drops from the eyes, and we see
things as they are. We find that this nature is a compound, and
is showing the panorama for the PuruSa, who is the witness;
that this nature is not the Lord, that the whole of these
combinations of nature are simply for the sake of showing
these phenomena to the PuruSa, the enthroned king within.
When discrimination comes by long practice fear ceases, and
the mind attains isolation.
26. तच्छिद्रेषु प्रत्ययान्तराणि संस्कारेभ्यः ॥२६॥
tachchhidreshu pratyayantarani sanskarebhyah
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The thoughts that arise as obstructions to that are
from impressions.
All the various ideas that arise making us belive that we
require something external to make us happy are obstructions
to that perfection. The Purusa is happiness and blessedness
by its own nature. But that knowledge is covered over by past
impressions. These impressions have to work themselves out.
27. हानम् एषां क्लेशवदुक्तम् ॥ २७ ॥
hanam esham kleshavaduktam
Their destruction is in the same manner as of
ignorance, etc., as said before.
28. प्रसंख्यानेऽप्यकुसीदस्य सर्वथाविवेकख्यातेर्धर्ममेघः समाधिः ॥ २८ ॥
prasankhyanepyakusidasy sarvathavivekakhyater
dharmameghah samadhih
Even when arriving at the right discriminating
knowledge of the senses, he who gives up the fruits,
unto him comes as the result of perfect
discrimination, the Samadhi called the cloud of
virtue.
When the Yogi has attained to this discrimination, all these
powers will come that were mentioned in the last chapter, but
the true Yogi rejects them all. Unto him comes a peculiar
knowledge, a particular light called the Dharma Megha, the
cloud of virtue. All the great prophets of the world whom
history has recorded had this. They had found the whole
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foundation of knowledge within themselves. Truth to them
had become real. Peace and calmness, and perfect purity
became their own nature, after they had given up all these
vanities of powers.
29. ततः क्लेशकर्मनिवृत्तिः ॥ २९ ॥
tatah kleshakarmanivrittih
From that comes cessation of pains and works.
When that cloud of virtue has come, then no more is there fear
of falling, nothing can drag the Yogi down. No more will there
be evils for him. No more pains.
30. तदा सर्वावरणमलापेतस्य ज्ञानस्याऽनन्त्याज्ज्ञेयम् अल्पम् ॥ ३० ॥
tada sarvavarannamalapetasy
jnanasyaanantyajgyeyam alpam
Then knowledge, bereft of covering and impurities,
becoming infinite, the knowable becomes small.
Knowledge itself is there; its covering is gone. One of the
Buddhistic scriptures sums up what is meant by the Buddha
(which is the name of a state). It defines it as infinite
knowledge, infinite as the sky. Jesus attained to that state and
became the Christ. All of you will attain to that state, and
knowledge becoming infinite, the knowable becomes small.
This whole universe, with all its knowable, becomes as
nothing before the Purusa. the ordinary man thinks himself
very small, because to him the knowable seems to be so
infinite.
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31. ततः कृतार्थानां परिणामक्रमपरिसमाप्तिर्गुणानाम् ॥३१॥
tatah kritarthanan parinamakramapari
samaptirgunanam
Then are finished the successive transformations of
the qualities, they having attained the end.
Then all these various transformations of the qualities, which change
from species to species, cease forever.
32. क्षणप्रतियोगी परिणामापरान्तनिग्राह्यः क्रमः ॥३२॥
kshannapratiyogi parinamaparantanigrarhyah
kramah
The changes that exist in relation to moments, and
which are perceived at the other end (at the end of a
series) are succession.
Patanjali here defines the word succession, the changes that
exist in relation to moments. While I am thinking, many
moments pass, and with each moment there is a change of
idea, but we only perceive these changes at the end of a series.
So, perception of time is always in the memory. This is called
succession, but for the mind that has realised omnipresence
all these have finished. Everything has become present for
it; the present alone exists, the past and future are lost. This
stands controlled, and all knowledge is there in one second.
Everything is known like a flash.
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33. पुरुषार्थशून्यानां गुणानां प्रतिप्रसवः कैवल्यं , स्वरूपप्रतिष्ठा वा
चितिशक्तिरेति ॥३३॥
purusharthashoonyanan gunanan pratiprasavah
kaivalyan, svaroopapratishtha va chitishaktireti
The resolution in the inverse order of the qualities,
berfect of any motive of action for the Purusa, is
Kaivalya, or it is the establishment of the power of
knowledge in its own nature.
Nature's task is done, this unselfish task which our sweet
nurse Nature had imposed upon herself. As it were, she
gently took the self-forgetting soul by the hand, and showed
him all the experiences in the universe, all manifestations,
bringing him higher and higher through various bodies, till his
glory came back, and he remembered his own nature. Then
the kind mother went back the way she came, for others who
have also lost their way in the trackless desert of life. And
thus she is working, without beginning and without end. And
thus through pleasure and pain, through good and evil, the
infinite river of souls is flowing into the ocean of perfection,
of self-realisation.
Glory unto those who have realised their own nature! May
their blessings be on us all!
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