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The fourth sutra of the Samadhipada is a further clarification, extension of the previous sutra. The previous sutra was त॒दा द्र॒ष्टुः स्व॒रू॒पेऽ॑वस्था॒नम् ॥ १.३॥ [tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe'vasthānam]. And the fourth one is
वृत्तिसारूप्यमि॑तर॒त्र ॥ १.४॥
vṛtti-sārūpyam itaratra ॥ 1.4 ॥.
If the fourth sutra is taken as a continuity or is to be understood along with the earlier one, then it will be more clear in understanding the meaning and its implications. Vṛtti-sārūpyam itaratra - The most important word in this is Itaratra means at other occasions or other times, otherwise.
Otherwise of what? Otherwise of the third sutra, where the draṣṭā is alone, not identified with the vrittis. And here Maharishi says that when it was not identified with the vrittis, when it was in the svarūpa avasthānam. But if it is not in svarūpa avasthānam, if it is not in its state, means what? If not the svarūpa avasthānam, if not in the state of svarūpa avasthānam, what happens? vṛtti-sārūpyam - It identifies with the vṛttis.It identifies with the vṛttis.
So there are two states, identifying with the vṛttis, not identified with the vṛttis. And if it is not identified with the vṛttis, it is in its svarūpavaasthānam. This svarūpa, as we understood earlier, is not just draṣṭā, because draṣṭā stays in its svarūpam, in its original.
So this, if it is not, if it is not in that identifying with the vṛttis, it is in the svarūpavaasthānam. Otherwise, Vṛtti-sārūpyam itaratra. Sārūpyam means identification. Same form, Sārūpa [ सारूप ] - same form. Sārūpyam , same form means identified. As the ripples came in the water, the water identified with the ripples. As we cannot separate ocean and the waves. Similarly, if not in a state of citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ, when it was not in the state of svarūpa avasthānam, Sārūpa sthiti, it literally identifies with the vṛttis. That is the vṛtti-sārūpyam itaratra.
And this identifies, for a little bit more clarity, because sārūpyam word is used here, it is like a very pure crystal is there, and you put a red flower, or a blue flower, or any colored flower near the crystal. Now crystal looks the color of the flower. If it is red color, the crystal looks red. If it is blue, it looks blue. If it is green, it looks green. Crystal was never red, it was never blue, it was never green. It is only reflecting the color of the flower. If the flower is removed, the crystal stays in its state. We cannot say the crystal returned from the color state to the colorless state, because it never became colorful state. Very important understanding, very important, subtle understanding is needed here. But, as long as the flower was there, the crystal seems to be green, seems to be blue, seems to be red. And this is called as sārūpyam.
It is like the magnet. If an iron comes in close to magnet, or the magnet goes close, nearer to the iron, the magnetic effect falls on the iron. And sārūpyam, closeness, not just closeness, it identifies with that. It becomes that. Separation is different, difficult. It is a very important sutra.
Because of sārūpyam itaratra, when the mind is not in its own state, it identifies with the vṛttis. What does it mean? It means that with what it identifies, it feels it is that. In entire world, in all our day-to-day transactions, in all our communications, relationships, with all our innumerable activities, thoughts, ideas, we get identified. We get identified so much that we feel we are that. I am an angry person. I am a selfish person. I am a moody person. This identification comes. And this is so deep.
We feel it is so natural. We feel it is so common. We feel it is the real.Because vṛtti-sārūpyam itaratra. So it was away from the svarūpa [स्वरूप]. It was not in the svarūpa, sthānam, avasthānam. It was not in that. Because it got identified. And we should remember, that is the nature of the citta.
And because it identified with the vṛttis, vṛttis become the citta. And that is where very very important message or a tool for sadhana here. That if we can overcome this identification at a very deep subtle level, we are really on the path of yoga, practicing the yoga path. And that is where the importance of sārūpyam itaratra comes. When it is not in svarūpa avasthānam, it is in the sārūpya state. This identification of the citta, not the draṣṭā, not even the svarūpa, and that is how it gets identified.
Number of times we see when we go to a film in cinema theatre, as long as the film is going on in the theatre, we get identified with the moods, activities, with entire sequences, circumstances. There will be a war, there will be a fight, there will be a music, there will be a scenery, and we become part of the film. And the identification is so much, we become part of it.
But the real trick is, if we can remember, that all this thing which is happening is just on a screen. Which we see, when the film is over, we just see a screen in the front, and all this happened on this screen, we just walk off. So this attitude, yes, this is the sadhana, understanding the importance of sārūpyam itaratra.
So the citta identifies with the qualities of the vṛttis, and it becomes one with that. In fact, this is the problem with all of us. Everything which happens outside, within ourself, we get identified with that, and it becomes so strong, so inseparable, we feel we are that actually. And that is the importance of this sutra number four, vṛtti-sārūpyam itaratra, means at other times, when the state of sarūpāvasthā is not there, of the draṣṭā, there is a total identification with the vṛtti, vṛtti-sārūpyam itaratra.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः||
To Be Continued..
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These are transcriptions of sessions delivered by Vice-President of Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra, Sri M. Hanumantha Rao Ji.
Audio Link - https://youtu.be/E3asiBlWpsI?si=ND0lWf_iK0NSOpW0
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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
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