Patanjali Yoga Sutras Samadhi Pada - 51

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The last sutra of the Samādhipāda is the conclusion of the first chapter. The sutra is

त॒स्या॒पि नि॒रो॒धे स॒र्वनि॒रो॒धान्निर्बी॑जः समा॒धिः ॥ १.५१॥

Tasyāpi nirodhe sarva-nirodhānnirbījaḥ samādhiḥ ॥ 1.51 ॥

Tasyāpi nirodhe sarva-nirodhān nirbījaḥ samādhiḥ - Tasya — of that; api — even, even of that; nirodha — restraining, curbing, eliminating, stopping; that is the nirodha. Sarva — all; nirodha — again stopping, restraining. Tasya api nirodha sarva nirodha nirbīja samādhiḥ — that is called nirbīja samādhi, bīja-rahita, without seed, seedless.

And a rough translation goes as: on suppression of even that, owing to suppression of all, that is the seedless samādhi. So nirbīja samādhi is — we should not say or we cannot say it is defined — but we have to refer as it is. The nirbīja samādhi is called so or so-called not only because there is no seed in the field of consciousness, but also because in that kind of samādhi no new saṁskāra is created.

In sabīja, new saṁskāra comes. That new saṁskāra, as we saw in the earlier sutra, works as a preventive, pratibandhī, to all other saṁskāras, but even that saṁskāra which worked as a pratibandhī is also removed. As we heard earlier, one thorn is used to remove another thorn, but both thorns are thrown out. It is not that we keep the thorn with which we have removed the other; we do not keep it. We throw it out, and it is to be removed. This is what this sutra conveys tasyāpi nirodho. Tasyāpi nirodhe sarva-nirodhānnirbījaḥ samādhiḥ - So that is the important dimension here — where using one to remove the other, and finally removing even that which we used. Just to repeat and to understand: use one to remove the other and remove both. This is an important understanding. Tasyāpi nirodhe sarva-nirodhānnirbījaḥ - sarva-nirodhānnirbījaḥ samādhiḥ - that is nirbīja samādhiḥ. A stage where saṁskāras, impressions, are not there. Not there means it is not there — no saṁskāras, absolutely pure, no dust at all.

The best way to conclude this chapter is to say that traditionally, normally, it is understood that Prathampāda, this Samādhipāda of Maharṣi Patañjali, is for the uttama sādhakas. Generally in tradition, in practices, practitioners, we cannot classify it, for understanding purposes, uttama, madhyama, and adhama sādhakas. Three levels have been generally put for understanding purposes, and it is considered that. Prathampāda is mainly concerned for the uttama sādhakas. Yoga practitioners who are very sincere, very intense, very deep and for that who are committed, for those uttama sādhakas, this particular pāda is concerned or the concepts, the experiences, the states, and the various discussions in the prathampāda is concerned with the higher levels of the consciousness, deeper layers of the consciousness. And that is how the Yoga Sūtras, the first chapter gets concludes.

There can be no other way to conclude this chapter better than how Swami Vivekananda concluded the first chapter in his wonderful commentary on the Pātañjala Yoga Sūtrās - the book Raja Yoga. Swami Vivekananda writes, or concludes this chapter — I quote:

"You remember that our goal is to perceive the soul itself. We cannot perceive the soul because it has got mingled up with nature, with the mind, with the body. The most ignorant man thinks his body is the soul. The more learned man thinks his mind is the soul, but both of these are mistaken.
What makes the soul get mingled up with all this? These different waves in the citta rise and cover the soul, and we are only a little reflection of the soul through these waves. So if the wave be one of anger, we see the soul as angry — "I am angry," we say. If the wave is a wave of love, we see ourselves reflected in that wave and say we are loving. If that wave is one of weakness and the soul is reflected in it, we think we are weak. These various ideas come from these impressions, these saṁskāras, covering the soul.
The real nature of the soul is not perceived until all the waves have subsided. So first, Patañjali teaches us the meaning of these waves. Secondly, the best way to repress them. And thirdly, how to make one wave so strong as to suppress all other waves — fire eating fire, as it were. When only one remains, it will be easy to suppress that also. And when that is gone, the samādhi of concentration is called seedless, nirbīja. It leaves nothing, and the soul is manifested just as it is in its own glory. Then alone we know that the soul is not a compound. It is the only eternal, simple reality in the universe, and as such it cannot be born, it cannot die. It is immortal, indestructible, the ever-living essence of intelligence."

That concludes the first chapter, Samādhipāda. Let us see the further understandings in our future sessions on the Yoga Sūtras.

Oṃ 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/p1F4Aj2rg1k?si=y3v0ducZbasqXJEI

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कथा : विवेकानन्द केन्द्र { Katha : Vivekananda Kendra }

Katha Blog : http://katha.vkendra.org

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Let's work on "Swamiji's Vision - Eknathji's Mission"

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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

Patanjali Yoga Sutras Samadhi Pada - 50

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The 50th sutra, the last but one, the penultimate sutra of this particular Samādhipāda of the Yoga Darśana, is

त॒ज्जः॒ सं॒स्कारोऽन्यसंस्कारप्र॑तिब॒न्धी ॥ १.५०॥
Tajjaḥ saṁskāro'nya-saṁskāra-pratibandhī ॥ 1.50 ॥

Tajjaḥ saṁskāro'nya-saṁskāra-pratibandhī - How beautiful the sutra is — tajjaḥ saṁskāraḥ anya-saṁskāra pratibandhī - tajjaḥ - taj-jaḥ —that is  taj-jaḥ - produced from that, rising from that, coming from that, born from that - tajjaḥ.
Saṁskāro, Saṁskāra is the impressions saṁskāras. We know that saṁskāras are impressions stored in the form of karma in the karmāśaya, which we have seen earlier. So tajjaḥ saṁskāro means the saṁskāras produced anya-saṁskāra. Anya means other. Pratibandhī means counter, stops, the prevent, counteract.

So the saṁskāras produced by that — by that means ṛtambharā prajñā or the sabīja samādhi — those saṁskāras are the remover and the preventer of all other saṁskāras. This is the meaning of this particular sutra. Tajjaḥ saṁskāro means the saṁskāras produced in that ṛtambharā prajñā, in that particular state of the citta, those saṁskāras prevent, stop, remove all other saṁskāras.

Just for understanding, simply, something like you remove a thorn in the leg or in the foot by another thorn, actually, this is what Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says: "if a thorn is in the foot, you remove the thorn with another thorn." And further Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says both thorns are thrown out. So with this saṁskāras born out of ṛtambharā prajñā remove the saṁskāras other than that, and both are thrown out, both are removed. How beautifully such a highest dimension Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa tells in a very simple manner. 

It is like, in all our normal understanding, the bad saṁskāras are removed by the good saṁskāras. But even this is to be removed and eliminated. So Tajjaḥ saṁskāro'nya-saṁskāra-pratibandhī, pratibandhī is that pratibandhan, counteracting. What is counteracting? Those saṁskāras stoping, the counteract, the prevent, the remove. Pratibandhī of the all saṁskāras which are not born, which are not rose or produced from ṛtambharā prajñā. 

We all know that experience that when we contemplate or meditate on an object of our choice, so many thoughts and saṁskāras rush like tigers, whenever we sit for meditation or for contemplation, or just when we try to sit quietly, so many thoughts and ideas, vichars- there will be rush in; something like a riot inside, runs riot as we call it. They are so powerful, they are so hidden and they jump up. How to avoid or how to come out of this? Practice of ṛtambharā prajñā. With that what is happens ? New saṁskāras, purified saṁskāras, tajjaḥ saṁskāro of the sabīja samāpatti - they come and they counter these troubling saṁskāras or which are not connected to it, or we feel get disturbed, these saṁskāras are washed, removed, and prevented. The control of the will over the mind is so complete that it is impossible for any external distraction to produce the slightest alteration in the impression created by the object.

Even in ordinary life, we find that if the mind is busy in thinking deeply along a particular line, it's more difficult for any distracting idea to get into it. When we are engaged in a job, when you are so much deeply working and deeply involved, we will be surprised after some time to see that no other thoughts have disturbed us, there are no distractions at all, they may be there but we are not disturbed, we are not distracted but we are entirely focused on a particular idea or a particular object. That is what this sutra is referring and conveying. But the moment the mind  ceases to function under this control of the will and is in a relaxed condition then all thoughts of ideas will rush in, jump in like a flood of water flows when the gates are opened and all the object of conscience is lost. This will also happen, this will also explain, why spiritual teachers, many of the gurus, many of our own teachers, many of the advanced gurus, teachers they generally prescribe saguṇa upāsanā. It is better to focus on a particular visible, feelable, transactable, communicable, object for the upāsanā. 

And discourage from taking to nirguṇa and nirvikāra. Because it is easier the mind gets focused easily and the problem of spiritual life and self realization would be all will be very easy and the path will be more clear and less thorny and less obstacles and hurdles. This very important suggestion is given those ideas, those saṁskāras, those thoughts which rise from the purified mind as a process purification, they work as to understand the word, I am using it, they work as the good works as a hurdle to the bad, the good saṁskāras rising from the tajjaḥ, they work as a counter to all the other saṁskāras, anya saṁskāras. 

That is how this particular sutra, number 50 of the first pāda, conveys tajjaḥ saṁskāraḥ anya-saṁskāra pratibandhī. It works like a pratibandhī. Let us remember this beautiful suggestion, hint and practical dimension given by Maharṣi Patañjali in this last but one penultimate sutra of the Samādhipāda. 

Let us now see the last sutra.

Oṃ 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/-U2H0CIj2-o?si=muanVoo7QgJ19PUx

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कथा : विवेकानन्द केन्द्र { Katha : Vivekananda Kendra }

Katha Blog : http://katha.vkendra.org

Katha Google Group : https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!forum/daily-katha

Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra : http://www.vivekanandakendra.org
Read n Get Articles, Magazines, Books @ http://prakashan.vivekanandakendra.org

Let's work on "Swamiji's Vision - Eknathji's Mission"

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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

Patanjali Yoga Sutras Samadhi Pada - 49

ॐ ॐ ॐ

The 49th sutra further clarifies and qualifies the knowledge, and that is the importance of this particular sutra. It says that

श्रु॒ता॒नुमानप्र॒ज्ञा॒भ्याम॒न्यवि॒ष॒या विशे॑षार्थ॒त्वात् ॥ १.४९॥

Śrutānumāna-prajñābhyām anya-viṣayā viśeṣārthatvāt ॥ 1.49 ॥

Śrutānumāna-prajñābhyām anya-viṣayā viśeṣārthatvāt - Śruta is heard, what is heard. Anumāna is reference, inference. Prajñā is the ordinary potentiality, cognition. Prajñābhyām means from. So the knowledge or the cognition which comes from śruta and anumāna, that is bhyām, from śruta and anumāna, the knowledge came from, or the knowledge came from, śruta and anumāna, and anya-viśaya. Anya is other. Viśaya is the subject. Viśeṣārthatvāt, it is the viśeṣa -ārthatvāt. Viśeṣa is special significance, it has a special significance. So putting the śruta, a rough translation will be: this knowledge is of a particular thing, that is a special, viśeṣārthatvāt. This knowledge is of a viśeṣārthatvāt, this knowledge is of a special particular thing, unlike knowledge from authority or from inference. So this knowledge is special and particular thing, Viśeṣārthatvāt, not like the knowledge from śruta and anumāna. So this knowledge is a special and particular thing, and it is not like the knowledge we get from what we hear and what we infer.

It is very important śruta, mostly, many times in all our normal bearings, the knowledge we gain or the knowledge we get is by śruta and anumāna, what we hear and what we infer. This inference can be after hearing, or the inference can be after reading, or even the inference can be after contemplating. Even without hearing, you can read a book, read a sentence, infer something, or you do not even read, just contemplate and come to the inference. So all these are covered in this particular word, śrutānumānaprajñābhyām. But the important phrase is viśeṣārthavat - विशेषार्थवत्. Viśeṣārthavat means because of having a particular object. So the knowledge which we get is only perfect, true, but that is so perfect, it is not only true and correct, that knowledge cannot be misused. That knowledge cannot be wrongly used, because it has obtained through, not from the normal tools of knowledge, it has come from the special and particular knowledge, viśeṣārthatvāt. It is a very, very important understanding which is needed. The knowledge cannot be misused. Not only cannot be misused, it is incapable of misusing, only right and correct.

In the previous sutra, one prominent characteristic of this is on the refinement that was pointed out, which we have seen, and this sutra is clarified further, that prajñā has been further clarified. Not only clarified, further qualified it is. The distinction between intellectual and intuitive knowledge, there it was intellectual, and here it is intuitive knowledge. So knowledge we get by information, by hearing and by inferences, it is all intellectual understandings. But viśeṣārthatvāt, anya-viśeṣāt, it is an intuitive knowledge.

And as was pointed out in the seventh sutra about the pratyakṣa-anumāna-āgama, there are three sources of the right knowledge, pratyakṣa, anumāna, and āgama, the direct, cognition, inference, and the testimony. All these three are available in the realm of the intellect. But there is a chance of unreliable reports. Pratyakṣa can be unreliable, means in one sense entire pramāṇa can be unreliable, because basically they are received through sense organs, upakaraṇas, indriyas. Indriyas are involved in that. So these reports by themselves do not give the right and correct knowledge. That is why there is a need to clarify and qualify, and that is what is done in this particular sutra.

We hardly realize what an important part inference, reference, and decisions play in our day-to-day work, day-to-day gain of knowledge. A very common example, just which comes to all of us, must have undergone. Suppose we are sitting in a train and the train stopped in a station, and there is a platform on the left side. On the right side there is another train which stopped. Now you feel a moment, looking at the train on the right side, when the train was moving, which tracks in the mind, whether my train is moving. To confirm which train is moving, we look at the left side of the platform, which is not moving. The platform cannot move. Then we conclude, we come to the conclusion, inference, that oh, my train is not moving. It is not only the knowledge that the train in which we are sitting is not moving, the knowledge that only the other train is moving. This is understood. So reference and inference are part of our testimonies, day-to-day. Similarly, people have a confirmed ticket, especially which we see in the railway. We have a confirmed ticket. Even then, holding the ticket in the hand, people go to the reservation chart and check, and then even the same chart which is pasted on the compartment, again they refer. Then again we go and sit in our own place of reservation. Still there is anxiety in the mind, and after the TTE comes, checks, and puts the tick mark, the anxiety is lost. See how many processes, systems, for inference and testimony we undergo. The example is just given. Unknowingly, casually, normally, we are affected, we are dependent on the inferences and the testimonies.

But the need for taking the help of inference and testimony arises because of the insufficient knowledge, and this insufficiency is due to the absence of the whole, the totality in the background. It is true that intuitive knowledge may not be perfect and may lack the precision and detail of the intellectual knowledge, but as far as it goes, it is free from the possibility of error and distortion. A very important distinction. A dim light in a big room may not give a clear picture, but it enables things to be seen in their proper proportion and perspective, which is better than groping in the darkness of intellectuality.

Swami Vivekananda, commenting on this particular sutra, writes beautifully, which is worth to be heard and read. "The idea is that we have to get our knowledge of ordinary objects by direct perception and by inference and from testimony of people who are competent. By people who are competent, we always mean the rishis, or the seers of the thoughts recorded in the shastra, in the vedas. According to them, the only proof of the scriptures is that they were the testimony of competent persons. Yet they say the scriptures cannot take us to realization. Even the vedas and the upanishads say that we can read all the vedas and yet we will not realize anything. But when we practice their teachings, then we attain to that state which realizes what the scriptures say, which penetrates where reason cannot go and where the testimony of others cannot avail. This is what is meant by this particular aphorism, that realization is real religion, and practice and all the rest is only preparation. Hearing lectures or reading books or reasoning is merely preparing the ground. It is not religion." That is why somewhere Swami Vivekananda says "religion is realization." And this is what this particular sutra describes and enlightens us, and puts an important dimension of practice and realization at a higher pedestal, which is always a higher pedestal than mere intellectual gymnastics.

Let us see the next sutra.
Oṃ 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/HzK9mLRmevs?si=GpZM0eNVhYWf2t3z

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कथा : विवेकानन्द केन्द्र { Katha : Vivekananda Kendra }

Katha Blog : http://katha.vkendra.org

Katha Google Group : https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!forum/daily-katha

Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra : http://www.vivekanandakendra.org
Read n Get Articles, Magazines, Books @ http://prakashan.vivekanandakendra.org

Let's work on "Swamiji's Vision - Eknathji's Mission"

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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