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24th Sutra of the Sādhanapāda is a continuation of the discussion of the saṃyoga, and the sutra is well known, very popular, and very simple but very clear. The sutra is
त॒स्य हेतु॑र॒वि॒द्या ॥ २.२४॥
tasya hetur avidyā
24th Sutra, tasya — its, hetu — cause is avidyā. Its cause, its means saṃyoga. The cause of saṃyoga is avidyā. Why saṃyoga? It is avidyā. Avidyā, strictly we should understand as per the Yoga Darśana sutra described earlier — avidyā, asmitā, rāga, dveṣa, abhiniveśa. In that, the definition and clarity which we have regarding avidyā, here it is to be taken in that dimension, with that meaning, in that context. So saṃyoga, the conjunction, the joining between the two — the dṛśya and the dṛṣṭā, prakṛti and puruṣa, with me and the world, the seen and the seer — this saṃyoga happens because of avidyā, tasya hetur avidyā, hetu is the reason, cause.
So avidyā is the understanding as per the earlier yogic standpoint, already defined as we saw in the 5th Sutra of the 2nd Chapter in very deep meaning.
In other words, saṃyoga is avidyā. Not only saṃyoga is because of avidyā, saṃyoga itself is avidyā. In the usual logical manner of speaking, avidyā seems to be the cause or origin of saṃyoga as expressed in this particular sutra. Not only the cause, but saṃyoga itself is avidyā. Unless avidyā is removed, saṃyoga will not go. But in the previous sutra we have seen that it can be made use of in a positive and optimistic way. But the cause for that is avidyā. So in fact though avidyā is there, optimistically it can be made use of for a positive purpose.
So we see every day that the cause of our pain and pleasure is always our joining ourselves with the body — so much identification with this body. It is impossible to detach and not identify with this. And if I were perfectly certain that I am not this body, I should take no notice of heat and cold or suffering of this body.
That is very important. Through ignorance we have joined ourselves with a particular body and thus opened ourselves to misery. So misery, difficulties, duḥkha, is because of our identification and joining with the body and to get rid of it we should be free from this. This idea of body itself is a superimposition, is a superstition. Swami Vivekananda beautifully calls "it superstition that makes us happy or unhappy." How deep the meaning Swami Vivekananda says.
But anyway, we are in this, saṃyoga has taken place. As we have seen earlier, optimistically we should see it, go through it, and rise and grow into it. It is like a child — a small child refuses to go to school in the beginning, tries to avoid going to school, and the child has to be sent to school forcibly against their will, but they grow. So the best way of freeing ourselves from this necessity is to acquire perfection at the earliest. Then there is no necessity of being forced to remain in this school — the world — and our freedom will come automatically.
We have to remember this: this avidyā is the cause, and having already been in this, the only way is to detach, to be free from this and stay in our own svarūpa. And as earlier Swami Vivekananda pointed out, "it is the deep attachment of our self with the body, and that is avidyā."
And the next sutra is another wonderful sutra — the 25th sutra. The sutra is
त॒द॒भा॒वात् सं॒यो॒गाभा॒वो हा॒नं तद्दृशेः᳚ कैव॒ल्यम् ॥ २.२५॥
tad-abhāvāt saṃyogābhāvo hānaṃ tad-dṛśeḥ kaivalyam ॥ २.२५॥
tad is its, means avidyā's, earlier sutra was avidyā, bhāva - abhāva is absence, means not having avidyā, abhāva - saṃyoga abhāva — absence of saṃyoga. So absence of avidyā, absence of saṃyoga, abhāva is absence. Tad-abhāva is first avidyā, and saṃyoga abhāva. So avidyā abhāva, tad-abhāva, saṃyoga abhāva absence of avidyā, absence of conjunction, that is saṃyoga. Hānam is annihilation, completely dissolution, emptying. Tad-dṛśeḥ that potentiality of seeing and kaivalyam - absoluteness — in the last pāda, the Kaivalya Pāda, Patañjali uses that particular word here.
So there being absence of ignorance, then there is absence of saṃyoga, which is the thing to be avoided, and that is the state of kaivalya. In fact the highest dimension of Yoga has been brought here — the state of kaivalya — and wonderfully Patañjali describes it here in this particular sutra, though there are details later on. So avidyā abhāva, saṃyoga abhāva, hāna, hāna is annihilation. So by annihilating, by removing, by destroying the avidyā and saṃyoga, that is the meaning. That means avidyā abhāva, saṃyoga abhāva, and when that is gone, ever-effulgent kaivalya is there. A very important sutra here. The saṃyoga which leads to duḥkha, we have seen earlier sutras, can be done away with if avidyā is removed. And from the achievement aspect it is called hāna — the achieving, the cessation of suffering, duḥkha-nivāraṇam, duḥkha-hānam. This is the goal of Yoga — that is kaivalya. And that is how dṛśeḥ word is used — it is the kaivalya. So this sutra broadly explains the way of attaining kaivalya with total abolition of duḥkha and of gaining everlasting happiness or peace — the kaivalya.
This way is that of doing away with saṃyoga and avidyā. In other words, kaivalya is nothing else than doing away with saṃyoga or dissolution of avidyā. This is how the definition has come. Kaivalya is removal of avidyā, that is avidyā abhāva, and saṃyoga abhāva, that is kaivalya. The word Yoga is most often said to mean union, but here it is the word which we are seeing and explained wonderfully as a dimension. And of course we have seen that in the 6th chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā, the 23rd śloka:
tam vidyād duḥkha-saṃyoga-viyogaṃ yoga-saṃjñitam
This word comes there. tam vidyād duḥkha-saṃyoga-viyogaṃ yoga-saṃjñitam. So that saṃyoga, duḥkha, tam vidyād viyogam, yoga-saṃjñitam. So disunion, viyoga, of saṃyoga, exactly is a repetition of Patañjali, or Patañjali is repeating the Gītā śloka. The viyoga of saṃyoga, and that is free from duḥkha. duḥkha is out of saṃyoga and avidyā. Then what happens? yoga-saṃjñitam. That is Yoga, that is kaivalya.
A parallel description, a parallel idea presented in the Gītā, the 23rd śloka. These two go together. So that is how the sutra is to be understood: tad-abhāvāt saṃyogābhāvo hānaṃ tad-dṛśeḥ kaivalyam. Tad-dṛśeḥ kaivalyam, dṛśeḥ establishes in kaivalya, and kaivalya is defined as abhāva saṃyogaḥ, avidyā abhāvaḥ, saṃyogābhāva, avidyā abhāva, kaivalyam it is. How beautifully this absence, removal is very important.
So let us not get attached to this world. Let us not get attached to this body. This attachment repeatedly spoken of in the Bhagavad Gītā is this saṃyoga, and avidyā is not having the real vidyā or knowledge of the truth. And this is how the 25th sutra was described in the Yoga Darśana. Let us see the further sutras of the second chapter.
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/CFKabeX86Pw?si=AivPD8xiD8D22A-M
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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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