Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 124

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 125

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 126

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 127

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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. 128

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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. 129

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 130

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 131

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 132

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. 133

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?” 134

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 135

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 ॥ 136

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 137

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 138

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 139

Patanjali Yoga Sutras

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. 140

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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. 141

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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! 142