Daily Katha

Sunday, 3 May 2026

Patanjali Yoga Sutras Vibhuti Pada - 38

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The 38th Sutra of the Vibhuti Pada is a discussion on one more Vibhuti. The Sutra is
ब॒न्ध॒का॒रणशै॒थि॒ल्यात्प्र॒चा॒रसं॒वेद॒नाच्च

चि॒त्तस्य परशरी॑रावे॒शः ॥ ३.३८॥
Bandha-kāraṇa-śaithilyāt pracāra-saṁvedanāc ca cittasya paraśarīrāveśaḥ ॥ 3.38 ॥
Bandha kāraṇa bandha is binding kāraṇa is the cause Cause of binding bandha kāraṇa, śaithilya loosening, loosening the bandha kāraṇa, loosening the cause of binding, bandha kāraṇa śaithilya pracāra, cara and pracāra, pracāra is movement, freedom free to move saṁvedana is the feeling vedanā and saṁvedana, feeling ca and citta is the mind para is the other of others, śarīra body, āveśa is entering, śarīra āveśa is entering. Maharishi Patanjali says, states that the capacity and possibility of our one's own citta entering into the other śarīra and the technique is given how it is possible bandha kāraṇa śaithilya pracāra saṁvedanāc ca cittasya paraśarīrāveśaḥ. Our citta is tied to our body because of mineness - aham, ahaṁkāra and mamakāra that mineness and if that kāraṇa is released that reason for the binding is released, loosened then citta will be free from our body and it can enter into another body. Our mind, our citta is tied it stays in our body we are all aware that the mind and the body is separate is different but our mind is always within our body it is attached to the body, it is connected to the body it is within the body it is in every cell of the body it is so difficult almost we feel impossible to separate our citta completely, totally from our body, it is impossible, we feel but if it can be done and it is possible bandha kāraṇa śaithilya it is of the citta, of a person. Once that śaithilya, the loosening comes loosening of the not loosening of the citta, loosening of the reason of the citta to be in the body, reasoning of the citta to be identified with the body and because of that identification it is the bandha. So the bandha kāraṇa is the identification and if that identification is removed, loosened, śaithilya then the citta has its freedom pracāra freedom to move and it can enter into the body and that is the importance of this particular Sutra, by loosening the cause of binding of the citta with the body it gains freedom to enter into other bodies. From loosening of the cause of the binding of the citta with our body it gains freedom to enter into the other bodies. Whether it is possible may be a doubt but we should remember Maharshi Patanjali is placing before us a possibility, a technique, a methodology and apart from it he is suggesting most important aspect of our self that we are bound to this body because of our identification of citta with the body. And if that is removed there is a tremendous freedom and when the citta goes into the other body all powers also gets shifted it is lock, stock, barrel it is. And if the other body is already having a citta naturally it will be having a citta but the powerful citta of ours along with all the powers will overcome that, āveśa it is. It overcomes it and it takes care of it it becomes the master of that we have umpteen examples in our puranas the standard example recent examples in our own history is the śrīmad bhagavat ādī śaṅkarācārya's body entering into a king's body purpose may be different why entering may be different but the reason, the possibility is there will be there and how logical it is that this is my body I am this body if this identification is removed and which can be removed then the citta the identifying faculty is free from its identification of the body and that identification faculty will be free to get identified with other bodies. If the identification faculty is available with one particular body as of our body then that faculty of identification can be with any other body and that freedom to be identified with every body and other body will be possible, is possible if the identification, kāraṇa with this body is cut, removed kṣetriya that is what this particular sutra tells. And again Swami Vivekananda beautifully summarizes, the commentary of Swami Vivekananda this particular sutra “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 puruṣa and nature. If he wants to enter another body he makes a samyama on that body and enters it because not only is his soul omnipresent but his mind also according to 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.” when Swami Vivekananda recent of his stature concludes this particular sutra with this powerful commentary and the technique and the methodology to release the citta from our self yes it is a possibility and gaining that freedom is very close to us. And this is the particular efficacy importance and the suggestion of this powerful sutra which is very commonly known as parakāya praveśam, very well known in the highly developed yoga sādhakas. Let us see the other sutras.

Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ.

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः||
To Be Continued.. ---------------------------------------
These are transcription of session delivered by Vice-President of Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra, Sri M. Hanumantha Rao Ji.
Audio Link - https://youtu.be/nyBn2O_3egU?si=joKDIZvVFF0utGFm

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मुक्तसंग्ङोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित:।
सिद्ध‌‌यसिद्धयोर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥१८.२६॥

Freed from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with courage and enthusiasm and unperturbed by success or failure, the worker is known as a pure (Sattvika) one. Four outstanding and essential qualities of a worker. - Bhagwad Gita : XVIII-26

Saturday, 2 May 2026

Patanjali Yoga Sutras Vibhuti Pada - 36-37

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The 36th Sutra of the Vibhuti Pada, Maharishi Patanjali's Yoga Darshan. The Sutra is
त॒तः प्रा॒तिभश्रा॒वणवे॒दना॒दर्शास्वादवार्ता॑ जाय॒न्ते ॥ ३.३६॥
Tataḥ prātibha-śrāvaṇa-vedanā-darśa-āsvāda-vārtā jāyante ॥ 3.36 ॥

Tataḥ means from that, tathā it is and pratibhā connected, concerned with pratibhā, śravaṇa connected to hearing, vedanā connected to the touch, sense of touch, ādarśa connected to the vision, seeing, eyes, āsvāda, concerned, connected to the taste, sense of taste, vārta, concerned with the sense of smell, jāyante, or born. This is one of the important Sutra again. From that, that is the puruṣa jñāna, which we have seen in the earlier Sutra, from the puruṣa jñāna, pratibhā of the five senses come. The highest level, the finest result, the highest capacities, the full capacities, full blown capacities of all the five senses are developed to their maximum limitations. From that, that is the puruṣa jñāna, which was discussed in the previous Sutra. Jāyante, produced or born, the highest efficiency and last end limit of the śravaṇa, śravaṇam, concerned with the sense of hearing. Similarly, vedanā, concerned with the sense of touch, ādarśa, concerned with the sense of eye, āsvāda, concerned with the taste, vārta to the smell. Cakṣu, śrotra, jihvā, grāṇa and sparśa the senses, the tools of the knowledge, the jñānendriyas, what they can perceive from the world surrounding us, their limits of perception. Means the highest limit of perceptions are born by puruṣa jñāna. That is a very important thing. Means the sense perceptions will be at a heightened condition and that will be able to perceive to that an extent, even without the sense organs, even without the existence of the sense organs. Means the highest limits means, we will bypass, we will cross over. Exact word to be used for easy understanding, is the overcoming the senses, but able to perceive the knowledge, which the senses will be conceiving, which the senses will be able to receive, even without the senses. This is a very important dimension in this sutra. Bypassing, overcoming, overtaking, even the final, last limits of the senses, results in gaining the knowledge and the information, even without the use of the senses. Higher vision, higher touch, higher taste, and higher smell, and the higher hearing, higher hearing means able to listen, most smallest sounds, and the far away sounds, vision, most far away, distant, and deep within inside, the smallest, the beautiful centres, svayam eva tanutvaṁ yati, svayam eva pinatvaṁ yati, the capacities to extend, stretch to the limits, and condense to the microcosmic level. All the sense limitations are broken, or we have to say, all the sense limitations are overcome. That is what happens by the puruṣa jñāna, and that is how a person will be beyond sense limitations. And the pratibhā of the eight senses will be born, and that is how the sutra is to be understood. The knowledge received, the information received by each indriya is perceived and received by highest development of the indriyas, and even by bypassing, overtaking, crossing over, breaking the limitations, limitlessness. And that is how the sutra is understood.

And the 37th sutra is another important sutra. The next sutra is
ते स॒मा॒धावु॑पस॒र्गा व्युत्थाने॑ सिद्धयः ॥ ३.३७॥
Te samādhāvupasargā vyutthāne siddhayaḥ
Te, those, that, samādhi, upasarga, obstacles, vyutthāna, extrovert, outgoing, and siddhayaḥ. How beautiful it is, te, those, that means all these siddhis, obstacles and the powers which we are talking till now, they are all upasarga. Upasarga means obstacles, hurdles, towards the path of samādhi. Te means those, all these. samādhau upasarga, obstacles for the samādhi, vyutthāna, siddhayaḥ, for outward, vyutthāna means outward, outgoing, rising, for such it is siddhi. So for people who are extrovert, worldly people, mundane people, materialistic people, involved in this worldly affairs and saṁsāra, for such persons, all such persons are put under the word vyutthāna, extrovert. For them these are all siddhis. But these are the siddhis for these people, but for the yogis who are on the path of samādhi, all these are all obstacles, upasarga. All these are obstacles in the path of samādhi, but siddhis for the worldliness. Te samādhau upasargā vyutthāne siddhayaḥ it is. Maharishi Patanjali who is describing and explaining and presenting what can be the powers hidden within us, what we can achieve by performing samyama with our own tool, the citta with us, says in this particular sutra all these siddhis are the obstacles, hurdles, towards the path of samādhi. But for worldly people they are all the siddhis. Te also refers, not only what is referred in the previous sutra, that is the sutra number 35, it also refers to all that which was referred till now from the sutra number 1 to the 35, te also refers to the entire vibhūtis of the whole vibhūti pāda. But it's a very beautiful suggestion and a caution by the Maharishi that these are all the hurdles. They are not something which is very great. It is something like a beggar who is satisfied and happy by getting a little more alms in a day. Every day he may be getting some 2-3 chapatis and on a particular day he will be getting a wedding meal, a sumptuous meal and he will be quite satisfied with that. This gaining of the siddhis and the vibhūtis and using them for one's own name and fame and getting some good, luxurious life is like a beggar getting a sumptuous meal. And this particular sutra speaks of that that te samādhāvupasargā vyutthāne siddhayaḥ these are upasargas. Let us be careful that we should not be carried away or none should be excited by getting some few siddhis. Swami Vivekananda sums up this particular sutra in his own wonderful way. He says “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 further progress is barred.” This is what Swami Vivekananda says. A caution to all of us. A true sādhaka on the way towards the yoga sādhana. Let us see the further sutras of the Vibhuti Pada.

Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ.

कथा : विवेकानन्द केन्द्र { Katha : Vivekananda Kendra }

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Friday, 1 May 2026

Patanjali Yoga Sutras Vibhuti Pada-34-35

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The 34th Sutra of the vibhūti pāda is
हृ॒द॒ये चि॑त्तसं॒वित् ॥ ३.३४॥
Hṛdaye citta saṃvit.
Hṛdaye, on hṛdaya, citta, the mind, the citta, saṃvit, vit is the knowledge, sam is total, complete, total knowledge, complete knowledge, citta saṃvit - complete knowledge of the citta. Hṛdaye, on hṛdaya, samyama on hṛdaya. hṛdaya gives complete knowledge of the citta, complete knowledge of the mind. The hṛdaya is generally understood as heart in english, and of course as we are translating citta as loosely mind, but it is not just mind, it is a citta. Samyama on the hṛdaya, knowledge of the citta, if just loosely, easily understandable, but not completely correct. samyama on the heart gives knowledge of the mind or the brain, but this is not the purport of the meaning, this is not the real meaning or real purpose of the sutra. Hṛdaye, hṛdaya is the core of a thing, the very heart of a thing, the very center of a thing, and citta or the mind generally associated with all the functions, all the activities, all the expressions. If samyama is done on the core and the center and the heart of a thing, all the functionalities and activities of that particular one will be revealed. This is the more suitable and easily understandable meaning of the sutra. Performing samyama on the heart of a thing, the sādhaka, the performer, will be able to understand all the expressions and functionalities and activities of the particular thing, complete gamut of activities, the web of the activities, the web of the functions to their end and the tips, because heart of a thing is the core of a thing, center of a thing, and the mind and citta of a thing is the seat of all expressions, all vṛttis, all functionalities, all modifications. So by samyama on the core of an object, core of a person, core of a subject, entire functionalities, modifications and activities will be revealed. All the systems of the running of the systems, functions of the system, activities of the system will be known, and its knowledge is revealed by samyama on the heart of the particular thing, core of the particular thing. So one is the technical, one is the expressive, practical, and the other is the science and the depth, and this is the purport and the beautiful, wonderful sutra connecting the core of a thing and its expressions, and the samyama on the core, the heart, the hṛdaya, one knows all the activities. And this is the importance of this particular sutra, hṛdaye citta saṃvit, entire knowledge of the citta. And of course we should be very clear that it is not a simple english translation that meditation on the heart one knows the functions of the brain, it is not like that. The suggestive and the symbolic expressions of the words are to be taken to understand the depth and the sūkṣmatā of the sutra.

Let us see the next one. The 35th sutra of the vibhūti pāda. The sutra is a little bit longer but the most important sutra.

स॒त्त्वपु॒रु॒ष॒योर॒त्य॒न्तास॒ङ्कीर्ण॒योः प्र॒त्य॒यावि॒शे॒षो भोगः

प॒रा॒र्थ॒त्वात्स्वा॒र्थसं॒य॒मात्पुरु॑षज्ञा॒नम् ॥ ३.३५॥
Sattva-puruṣayor atyantāsaṅkīrṇayoḥ pratyayāviśeṣo bhogaḥ

parārthatvāt svārtha-saṃyamāt puruṣa-jñānam ॥ 3.35 ॥

So many words, but very simple easy sutra it is. Gives it that samyama on the distinctions between puruṣa and pratyaya and the bhoga gives rise puruṣa jñānam.

You should understand the importance of the sutra and the various words used in this, sattva is the sat tva it is, sattva, the real being, beingness, the being, puruṣa is the principle of puruṣa, atyanta, ati ant extreme, extremely, asaṅkīrṇa, saṅkīrṇa, asaṅkīrṇa, asaṅkīrṇa is separated, not mixed, not mixed, distinctiveness, pratyaya, experience and understanding, aviśeṣa, viśeṣa, aviśeṣa it is, no distinction, aviśeṣa is no distinction, asaṅkīrṇa is not mixed up, distinction, aviśeṣa is no distinction, bhogaḥ is experience, the experience in our life, all the experiences which we have, bhoga. Generally bhoga is generally understood as joyful, enjoyable, luxurious experiences, but bhoga is all experiences, then parārthatva, para arthatva, parārthatva, para is others, artha is the purpose, arthatvāt, for the sake of others, to be usefulness for the others, parārthatva, samyama, svārtha, svārtha it is, for one's sake, for one's usefulness, puruṣa, the principle of puruṣa, knowledge, jñāna, the knowledge. And the general understanding of the sutra is, this particular sutra, the meaning generally is given as, to be understood as: the experience, that is the bhoga, is the result of inability to distinguish between the puruṣa and the sattva, though they are absolutely distinct. Knowledge of the puruṣa comes from samyama on the self interest and the interest of others apart from the prakṛti. This is the sutra wordings put together.

Means experience, that is the bhoga, is the result of inability to distinguish between puruṣa, atyanta, asaṅkīrṇa, aviśeṣa, asaṅkīrṇa, aviśeṣa and atyanta. And the knowledge comes out of samyama on parārtha and svārtha. So the puruṣa jñāna comes out of samyama on parārtha and svārtha. And the experience and bhoga comes by wrong understanding that puruṣa and prakṛti which are atyanta asaṅkīrṇa, completely separate, but we feel that it is the same. So experience or the bhoga is an outcome of the avidyā, ignorance, wrong cognition, wrong understanding of the prakṛti and puruṣa combination. It is of the prakṛti but we think it is of the puruṣa. That is the bhoga. Because both are separate, the experiencer and the experiencing and the experience are separate, atyanta asaṅkīrṇa aviśeṣa it is, and because of that only bhoga comes, that experience, by wrong understanding. And by performing samyama on the self interest svārtha and the interest of the others parārthatvam, you will be able to separate and understand that puruṣa. What a beautiful sutra it is to understand. The first idea we should try to grasp is the puruṣa, the puruṣatva in the yoga sutras is the centre of the ultimate reality, and it transcends all manifestations, parama puruṣa puruṣatva, and all limitations. And this parama puruṣa and that puruṣatvam gets associated with the prakṛti. By association and flowing with the prakṛti, the puruṣa will not undergo any change, but it modifies the prakṛti. And this modification in the prakṛti is by the presence of the puruṣa, but not by the change of the puruṣa, by mere presence. And this is the understanding and the experience of the sat-cit-ānanda experience. So all happiness which we experience, all ānanda, sampūrṇa ānanda, we feel it is coming from the object, but it is not. The source is the puruṣa only. But this wrong understanding that the combination of the puruṣa and the object are more clearly, the object of enjoyment is the source of the joy, this wrong understanding is the source of the bhoga. But if we can separate this, that it is not, and that separation will come by the practice of the samyama. So samyama has to be done on this particular aspect to separate the both, and then the puruṣa is understood, the puruṣa jñānam comes. And this confusion, wrong understanding, is the source of the bhoga.

You should understand the previous sutras, bhoga was understood or mentioned as a pain, duḥkha vṛtti. And of course there is no correct english translation for the puruṣa, we have to use the word puruṣa itself, and the experience comes from this wrong understanding.

So Maharishi patañjali clearly states the our feeling, our normal understanding that the mind coming in touch with the puruṣa, joy or experiences come, that the sattva coming in touch with the prakṛti, the mind, we feel, but it is a wrong understanding. It is wrong understanding is understood by performing the samyama, and which is extremely atyanta, the word is used, asaṅkīrṇa and aviśeṣa it is, completely. And that is how the understanding depth of the samyama goes. Puruṣa jñānam, the real knowledge comes. And the second part is also very important, svārthata and parārthatvam, very very important sutra it is, giving a practical dimension that samyama on understanding what is useful to me and what is useful to others, that which is purposeful to me, that which is purposeful to others, that which gives me joy, that which gives joy to others, what is that which makes others happy, what is that makes others to remove their unhappiness, what is that contribution of mine which helps others to make them happy, and what is that makes me happy, this distinction of svārthata, parārthatvam, yes very important. That samyama really gives the knowledge of the puruṣa. How beautiful and practical dimension when we say selfless service, unselfishness, unselfish work, unselfish service, serving others without any expectations, all these terms are summed up by Maharishi patañjali in the simple word, performing samyama on the parārthatvam and svārthatvam, puruṣa jñānam comes. Entire karma yoga, entire yoga of seva yoga has been explained in this beautiful sutra, that svārthata, understanding svārthata, understanding parārthatvam, the arthatvam of sva and para, and that samyama on that gives the knowledge of the puruṣa, the real sva tattva, sattvatvam, sattvatvam of the puruṣatvam revealed and experienced by the sādhaka. And this is a wonderful sutra, most practical dimension expressed by Maharishi in this 35th sutra of the patañjali yoga sūtra in this vibhūti pāda of the yoga darśana, seva yoga, karma yoga, unselfish service, unselfishness and selfishness, the distinction is to be understood, and performing samyama on that is the puruṣa jñānam. Let us see other sutras.

Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ.

कथा : विवेकानन्द केन्द्र { Katha : Vivekananda Kendra }

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