Patanjali Yoga Sutras CHAPTER III – VIBHOOTI PADA THE CHAPTER OF POWERS ॥ तृतीयः विभूतिपादः ॥ We have now come to the chapter which is called the Chapter of Powers.

1. देशबन्धश्चित्तस्य धारणा ॥ १॥ deshabandhashchittasya dharana Dharana is holding the mind on to some particular object. Dharana (concentration) is when the mind holds on to some object, either in the body, or outside the body, and keeps itself in that state.
2. तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम् ॥ २॥ tatra pratyayaikatanata dhyanam An unbroken flow of knowledge to that object is Dhyana. The mind tries to think of one object, to hold itself to one particular spot, as the top of the head, the heart, etc., and if the mind succeeds in receiving the sensations only through that part of the body, and through no other part, that would be Dharana, and when the mind succeeds in keeping itself in that state for some time it is called Dhyana (meditation). 98

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 3. तद् एवार्थमात्रनिर्भासं स्वरूपशून्यम् इव समाधिः ॥ ३॥ tad evarthamatranirbhasan svaroopashoonyam iva samadhih When that, giving up all forms, reflects only the meaning, it is Samadhi. That is, when in meditation all forms are given up. Suppose I were meditating on a book, and that I have gradually succeeded in concentrating the mind on it, and perceiving only the internal sensations, the meaning, unexpressed in any form, that state of Dhyana is called Samadhi. 4. त्रयम् एकत्र संयमः ॥ ४॥ trayam ekatra sanyamah (These) three (when practised) in regard to one object is Samyama. When a man can direct his mind to any particular object and fix it there, and then keep it there for a long time, separating the object from the internal part, this is Samyama; or Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi, one following the other, and making one. The form of the thing has vanished, and only its meaning remains in the mind. 5. तज्जयात् प्रज्ञाऽऽलोकः ॥ ५॥ tajjayat prajnaalokah 99

Patanjali Yoga Sutras By the conquest of that comes light of knowledge. When one has succeeded in making this Samyama, all powers come under his control. This is the great instrument of the Yogi. The object of knowledge are infinite, and they are divided into the gross, grosser, grossest, and the fine, finer, finest, and so on. This Samyama should be first applied to gross things, when when you begin to get knowledge of the gross, slowly, by stages, it should be brought to finer things. 6. तस्य भूमिषु विनियोगः ॥ ६॥ tasya bhoomishu viniyogah That should be employed in stages. This is a note of warning not to attempt to go too fast. 7. त्रयम् अन्तरङ्गं पूर्वेभ्यः ॥ ७॥ trayam antaranggan poorvebhyah These three are nearer than those that precede. Before these we had the Pranayama, the Asana, the Yama and Niyama; these are external parts of these three— Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. Yet these latter even are external to the seedless Samadhi. When a man has attained to them he may attain to omniscience and omnipresence, but that would not be salvation. These three would not make the mind Nirvikalpa, changeless, but would leave the seeds for getting bodies again; only when the seeds are, as the Yogi says, “fried,” do they lose the possibility of producing further plants. These powers cannot fry the seed. 100

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 8. तदपि बहिरङ्गं निर्बीजस्य ॥ ८॥ tad api bahiranggan nirbijasy But even they are external to the seedless (Samadhi). Compared with that seedless Samadhi, therefore, even these are external. We have not yet reached the real Samadhi, the highest, but to a lower stage, in which this universe still exists as we see it, and in which are all these power. 9. व्युत्थाननिरोधसंस्कारयोरभिभवप्रादुर्भावौ निरोधक्षणचित्तान्वयो निरोधपरिणामः ॥ ९॥ vyutthananirodhasanskarayorabhibhava- pradurbhavau nirodhakshannachittanvayo nirodhaparinamah By the suppression of the disturbed modifications of the mind, and by the rise of modifications of control, the mind is said to attain the controlling modifications - following the controlling powers of the mind. That is to say, in this first state of Samadhi, the modifications of the mind have been controlled, but not perfectly, because if they were, there would be no modifications. If there is a modification which impels the mind to rush out through the senses, and the Yogi tries to control it, that very control itself will be a modification. One wave will be checked by another wave, so it will not be real Samadhi, when all the waves have 101

Patanjali Yoga Sutras subsided, as control itself will be a wave. Yet this lower Samadhi is very much nearer to the higher Samadhi than when the mind comes bubbling out. 10. तस्य प्रशान्तवाहिता संस्कारात् ॥ १०॥ tasya prashantavahita sanskarat Its flow becomes steady by habit. The flow of this continuous control of the mind becomes steady when practices day after day and the mind obtains the faculty of constant concentration. 11. सर्वार्थतैकाग्रतयोः क्षयोदयौ चित्तस्य समाधिपरिणामः ॥ ११॥ sarvarthataikagratayoh kshayodayau chittasya samadhiparinamah Taking in all sorts of objects and concentrating upon one object, these two powers being destroyed and manifested respectively, the Chitta gets the modifi- cation called Samadhi. The mind is taking up various objects, running into all sorts of things and then there is a higher state of the mind, when it takes up one object and excludes all others. Samadhi is the result of that. 12. ततः पुनः शान्तोदितौ तुल्यप्रत्ययौ चित्तस्यैकाग्रतापरिणामः ॥ १२॥ tatah punah shantoditau tulyapratyayau chittasyaikagrataparinamah 102

Patanjali Yoga Sutras The one-pointedness of the Chitta is when it grasps in one, the past and present. How are we to know that the mind has become concentrated? Because time will vanish. The more time vanishes the more concentrated we are. In common life we see that when were are interested in a book we do not note the time at all, and when we leave the book we are often surprised to find how many hours have passed. All time will have the tendency to come and stand in the one present. So the definition is given, when the past and present come and stand in one, the more concentrated the mind. 13. एतेन भूतेन्द्रियेषु धर्मलक्षणावस्थापरिणामा व्याख्याताः ॥ १३ ॥ etena bhootendriyeshu dharmalakshanavastha parinama vyakhyatah By this is explained the threefold transformations of form, time and state, in fine or gross matter, and in the organs. By this the threefold changes in the mind-stuff as to form, time, and state are explained. The mind-stuff is changing into Vrttis, this is change as to form. To be able to hold the changes to the present time is change as to time. To be able to make the mind-stuff go to the past forms giving up the present even, is change as to state. The concentrations taught in the preceding aphorisms were to give the Yogi a voluntary control over the transformations of his mind-stuff which alone will enable him to make the Samyama before named. 103

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 14. शान्तोदिताव्यपदेश्यधर्मानुपाती धर्मी ॥१४॥ shantoditavyapadeshyadharmanupati dharmi That which is acted upon by transformations, either past, present or yet to be manifested, is the qualified. That is to say, the qualified is the substance which is being acted upon by time and by the Samskaras, and getting changed and being manifested all the time. 15. क्रमान्यत्वं परिणामान्यत्वे हेतुः ॥१५॥ kramanyatvan parinamanyatve hetuh The succession of changes is the cause of manifold evolution. 16. परिणामत्रयसंयमादतीतानागतज्ञानम् ॥१६॥ parinamatrayasanyamadatitanagatajnanam By making Samyama on the three sorts of changes comes the knowledge of past and future. We must not lose sight of the first definition of Samyama. When the mind has attained to that state when it identifies itself with the internal impression of the object, leaving the external, and when, by long practice, that is retained by the mind, and the mind can get into that state in a moment, that is Samyama. If a man in that state wants to know the past and future he has to make a Samyama on the changes in the Samskaras. Some are working now at present, some have worked out, and some are waiting to work; so by making a 104

Patanjali Yoga Sutras Samyama on these he knows the past and future. 17. शब्दार्थप्रत्ययानाम् इतरेतराध्यासात् संकरःतत्प्रविभागसंयमात् सर्वभूतरुतज्ञानम् ॥ १७॥ shabdarthapratyayanam itaretaradhyasat sankarah tatpravibhagasanyamat sarvabhootarutajnanam By making Samyama on word, meaning, and knowledge, which are ordinarily confused, comes the knowledge of all animal sounds. The word represents the external cause, the meaning represents the internal vibration that travels to the brain through the channels of the Indriyas, conveying the external impression to the mind, and knowledge represents the reaction of the mind, with which comes perception. These three confused, make our sense objects. Suppose I hear a word; there is first the external vibration, next the internal sensation carried to the mind by the organ of hearing, then the mind reacts, and I know the word. The word I know is a mixture of the three, vibration, sensation, and reaction. Ordinarily these three are inseperable; but by practice the Yogi can separate them. When a man has attained to this, if he makes a Samyama on any sound, he understands the meaning which that sound was intended to express, whether it was made by man or by any other animal. 18. संस्कारसाक्षत्करणात् पूर्वजातिज्ञानम् ॥ १८ ॥ sanskarasakshatkaranat poorvajatijnanam 105

Patanjali Yoga Sutras By perceiving the impressions, knowledge of past life. Each experience that we have comes in the form of a wave in the Chitta, and this subsides and becomes finer and finer, but is never lost. It remains there in minute form, and if we can bring this wave up again, it becomes memory. So, if the Yogi can make a Samyama on these past impressions in the mind, he will begin to remember all his past lives. 19. प्रत्ययस्य परचित्तज्ञानम् ॥ १९॥ pratyayasy parachittajnanam By making Samyama on the signs in another's both knowledge of that mind comes. Suppose each man has particular signs on his body, which differentiate him from others; when the Yogi makes a Samyama on these signs peculiar to a certain man he knows the nature of the mind of that person. 20. न च तत् सालम्बनं,तस्याविषयीभूतत्वात् ॥२०॥ na cha tat salambanan,tasyavishayibhootatvat But not its contents, that not being the object of the Samyama. He would not know the contents of the mind by making a Samyama on the body. There would be required a twofold Samyama, first on the signs in the body, and then on the mind itself. The Yogi would then know everything that is in that 106

mind, past, present, and future. 21. कायरूपसंयमात् तद्ग्राह्यशक्तिस्तम्भे चक्षुःप्रकाशासंप्रयोगेऽन्तर्धानम् ॥२१॥ kayaroopasanyamat tadgrahyashaktistambhe chakshuhprakashasanprayogentardhanam By making Samyama on the form of the body the power of perceiving forms being obstructed, the power of manifestation in the eye being separated, the Yogi's body becomes unseen. A Yogi standing in the midst of this room can apparently vanish. He does not really vanish, but he will not be seen by anyone. The form and the body are, as it were, separated. You must remember that this can only be done when the Yogi has attained to that power of concentration when form and the thing formed have been separated. Then he makes a Samyama on that, and the power to perceive forms is obstructed, because the power of perceiving forms comes from the junction of form and the thing formed. 22. एतेन शब्दाद्यन्तर्धानमुक्तम् ॥२२॥ etena shabdadyantardhanamuktam By this the disappearance or concealment of words which are being spoken is also explained. 107

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 23. सोपक्रमं निरुपक्रमं च कर्म तत्संयमाद् अपरान्तज्ञानम्, अरिष्टेभ्यो वा ॥२३॥ sopakraman nirupakraman cha karma tatsanyamad aparantajnanam,arishtebhyo va Karma is of two kinds, soon to be fructified, and late to be fructified. By making Samyama on that, or by the signs called Aristha, portents, the Yogis know the exact time of separation from their bodies. When the Yogi makes a Samyama on his own Karma, upon those impressions in his mind which are now working, and those which are just waiting to work, he knows exactly by those that are waiting when his body will fall. He knows when he will die, at what hour, even at what minute. The Hindus think very much of that knowledge or consciousness of the nearness of death, because it is taught in the Gita that the thoughts at the moment of departure are great powers in determining the next life. 24. मैत्र्यादिषु बलानि ॥२४॥ maitryadishu balani By making Samyama on friendship, etc., various strength comes. 108

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 25. बलेषु हस्तिबलादीनि ॥२५॥ baleshu hastibaladini By making Samyama on the strength of the elephant, etc., that strength comes to the Yogi. When a Yogi has attained to this Samyama and wants strength, he makes a Samyama on the strength of the elephant, and gets it. Infinite energy is at the disposal of everyone, if he only knows how to get it. The Yogi has discovered the science of getting it. 26. प्रवृत्त्यालोकन्यासात् सूक्ष्मव्यवहितविप्रकृष्टज्ञानम् ॥२६॥ pravrittyalokanyasat sookshmavyavahita- viprakrishtajnanam By making Samyama on that effulgent light comes the knowledge of the fine, the obstructed, and the remote. When the Yogi makes Samyama on that effulgent light in the heart he sees things which are very remote, things, for instance, that are happening in a distant place, and which are obstructed by mountain barriers and also things which are very fine. 27. भुवनज्ञानं सूर्ये संयमात् ॥२७॥ bhuvanajnanan soorye sanyamat By making Samyama on the sun, (comes) the 109

Patanjali Yoga Sutras knowledge of the world. 28. चन्द्रे ताराव्यूहज्ञानम् ॥ २८॥ chandre taravyoohajnanam On the moon, (comes) the knowledge of the cluster of stars. 29. ध्रुवे तद्गतिज्ञानम् ॥ २९॥ dhruve tadgatijnanam On the pole star (comes) the knowledge of the motions of the stars. 30. नाभिचक्रे कायव्यूहज्ञानम् ॥ ३०॥ nabhichakre kayavyoohajnanam On the navel circle (comes) the knowledge of the constitution of the body. 31. कण्ठकूपे क्षुत्पिपासानिवृत्तिः ॥३१॥ kanthakoope kshutpipasanivrittih On the hollow of the throat (comes) cessation of hunger. When a man is very hungry, if he can make Samyama on the pit of the throat hunger ceases. 110

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 32. कूर्मनाड्यां स्थैर्यम् ॥ ३२ ॥ koormanadyan sthairyam On the nerve called Kurma (comes) fixity of the body. When he is practising the body is not disturbed. 33. मूर्धज्योतिषि सिद्धदर्शनम् ॥ ३३ ॥ moordhajyotishi siddhadarshanam On the light emanating from the top of the head sight of the Siddhas. The Siddhas are beings who are a little above ghosts. When the Yogi concentrates his mind on the sop of his head he will see these Siddhas. The word Siddha does not refer to those men who have become free—a sense in which it is often used. 34. प्रातिभाद् वा सर्वम् ॥ ३४ ॥ pratibhad va sarvam Or by the power of Pratibha all knowledge. All these can come without any Samyama to the man who has the power of Pratibha (enlightenment from purity). This is when a man has risen to a high state of Pratibha; then he has that great light. All things are apparent to him. Everything comes to him naturally, without making Samyama on anything. 111

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 35. हृदये चित्तसंवित् ॥ ३५॥ hridaye chittasanvit In the heart, knowledge of minds. 36. सत्त्वपुरुषयोरत्यन्तासंकीर्णयोः प्रत्ययाविशेषो भोगः परार्थत्वात् स्वार्थसंयमात् पुरुषज्ञानम् ॥ ३६ ॥ sattvapurushayoratyantasankeernnayoh pratyayavishesho bhogah pararthatvat svarthasanyamat purushajnanam Enjoyment comes by the non-discrimination of the very distant soul and Sattva. Its actions are for another; Samyama on this gives knowledge of the Purusa. This power of non-attachment acquired through purity gives the Yogi the enlightenment called Pratibha. 37. ततः प्रातिभश्रावणवेदनादर्शास्वादवार्ता जायन्ते ॥ ३७ ॥ tatah pratibhashravannavedanadarshasvadavarta jayante From that arises the knowledge of hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, and smelling, belonging to Pratibha. 38. ते समाधावुपसर्गा व्युत्थाने सिद्धयः ॥ ३८ ॥ te samadhavupasargaa vyutthane siddhayah 112

Patanjali Yoga Sutras These are obstacles to Samadhi; but they are powers in the worldly state. If the Yogi knows all these enjoyments of the world it comes by the junction of the Purusa and the mind. If he wants to make Samyama on this, that they are two different things, nature and soul, he gets knowledge of the Purusa. From that arises discrimination. When he has got that discrimination he gets the Pratibha, the light of supreme genius. These powers, however, are obstructions to the attainment of the highest goal, the knowledge of the pure Self, and freedom; these are, as it were, to be met in the way, and if the Yogi rejects them, he attains the highest. If he is tempted to acquire these, his farther progress is barred. 39. बन्धकारणशैथिल्यात् प्रचारसंवेदनाच्च चित्तस्य परशरीरावेशः ॥ ३९ ॥ bandhakarannashaithilyat pracharasanvedanach ch chittasya parashariraveshah When the cause of bondage has become loosened, the Yogi, by his knowledge of manifestation through the organs, enters another’s body. The Yogi can enter a dead body, and make it get up and move, even while he himself is working in another body. Or he can enter a living body, and hold that man’s mind and organs in check, and for the time being act through the body of that man. That is done by the Yogi coming to this discrimination of Purusa and nature. If he wants to enter another’s body he makes a Samyama on that body and enters it, because, not only is his Soul omnipresent, but his mind also, according to 113

Patanjali Yoga Sutras the Yogi. It is one bit of the universal mind. Now, however, it can only work through the nerve currents in this body, but when the Yogi has loosened himself from these nerve currents, he will be able to work through other things. 40. उदानजयाज्जलपङ्ककण्टकादिष्वसङ्ग उत्क्रान्तिश्च ॥४०॥ udanajayajjalapangkakantakadishvasangg utkrantishch By conquering the current called Udana the Yogi does not sink in water, or in swamps, and he can walk on thorns. Udana is the name of the nerve current that governs the lungs, and all the upper parts of the body, and when he is master of it he becomes light in weight. He cannot sink in water; he can walk on thorns and sword baldes, and stand in fire, and so on. 41. समानजयात् प्रज्वलनम् ॥४१॥ samanajayat prajvalanam By the conquest of the current Samana he is surrounded by blaze. Whenever he likes light flashes from his body. 42. श्रोत्राकाशयोः संबन्धसंयमाद् दिव्यं श्रोत्रम् ॥४२॥ shrotrakashayoh sanbandhasanyamad divyan shrotram By making Samyama on the relation between the ear 114

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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? 115

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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 116

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 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 117