सर्वार्थतैकाग्रतयो: क्षयोदयौ चित्तस्य समाधिपरिणाम: ।।११।।

सर्वार्थत – (focussed on) all objects, एकाग्रतयो: – focussed on one object, क्षय – destruction, उदयौ – rise, चित्तस्य – of the चित्त, समाधि, परिणाम – transformation

The attainment of the समाधि state involves the elimination of all-pointedness (wandering) of the चित्त and the rise of one-pointedness (concentration)

परिणाम means transformation. पतंजलि uses the word समाधि परिणाम here. It is nothing but rising and falling, alternatively or successively, of the tendencies of the mind towards various objects outside, and the tendency of the mind towards self-integration. We know that वृत्ति refers to movements in the mind – these movements are nothing but forces, the various likes and dislikes of the mind. It is the urge that is felt inside the mind itself which propels it towards something outside, whether it is a physical object or conceptual notion. This urge within the mind is its disease, an impediment, and this obligation to move out of itself in respect of an object of sense is सर्वार्थत.

एकाग्रता वृत्ति is a healthful tendency in the mind, the power with which it keeps the organism of the mind intact and prevents any depletion of energy. This integrating force will not allow leaking of the mental energy in respect of objects outside by blocking passages of sense and tendency of the mind. This war between सर्वार्थत and एकाग्रता is what happens when we sit for meditation and is a competitive activity going on. समाधि परिणाम may thus be seen as a preparation for total absorption where this preparatory activity involves a war between सर्वार्थत and एकाग्रता वृत्ति.

Why does movement of mind via the senses towards an external object, notion or person cause a leakage of energy? We operate through senses only – so all our life, is it merely leakage of energy happening? Not really – both leakage and replishment happen continuously. When the world is seen as an object separate from me, we will perform कर्म to seek it, we yearn for it, we make effort to secure it, we guard after securing it and we enjoy (or suffer) experiencing it – all these कर्म cause leakage of energy. And like a black hole sucking up light, we display hunger and do कर्म to grab objects to make those mine. But there is no unity that happens between an object and me if I continue to experience these via senses.

योग is the process of integration. By doing यम, नियम, प्राणायाम, etc., we devote more time to stop the leakage of energy happening via the senses. With lesser distractions, we are able to focus on the पुरुष, the source of पूर्णत्वम् within. With mind attaining सत्व, owing to clarity, a योगी is able to penetrate the essence of all objects outside and they become “me”. If every object becomes “me”, is there any need to do कर्म to enjoy an object via senses? For example, do I need to do any कर्म to seek my hand when I know that it is always with me? समाधि परिणाम thus is the process whereby we work to integrate our personality to becoming whole where we become the all and where there is no “other”.

तत: पुन: शान्तोदितौ तुल्यप्रत्ययौ चित्तस्यैकाग्रतापरिणामः ।।१२।।

तत: – then, पुन: – again, शान्त – that which has been subdued, the past, उदितौ – that which has arisen, the present, तुल्य – equal, प्रत्ययौ – idea, image, चित्तस्य – of the mind, एकाग्रता – one-pointedness, परिणामः – transformation

In that regard, एकाग्रता परिणाम occurs when there is equanimity of feeling or equality of perception where the mind rises to that state where there is identity of cognition (between subject and object)

(स्वामी विवेकानन्द refers to erasing of time that happens when a योगी undergoes एकाग्रता परिणाम just as time is not perceived when we are immersed deep into something)

This सूत्र says that when we focus on any image, it is not the same image that mind does ध्यान; instead, series of succeeding similar images of the object are flashed on our mind. स्वामि कृष्णानन्द has a more रोमांचक take on this. As per him, we are under the mistaken impression that there is an intrinsic difference between us and objects of sense. Or that there is a difference between ‘you’ and ‘me’. In reality, there is no ‘you and me’. There is a gulf between subject and object and we strongly believe that they cannot be identical. It is not however true that there are such distinguishing and separating features in objects as to isolate them completely forever from other things. Mind has a prejudice that there are innate or structural features of an object which vehemently cannot allow uniting them with the subject – it is unable to give up this wrong notion.

This सूत्र tells us that when we go deeper in the practice of संयम, this prejudice breaks down. We will see something strange before us. That strange feeling we will have when the screen is lifted between us and the object is what is called एकाग्रता परिणाम. And this feeling is called as तुल्य प्रत्यय, an important word which stands for equanimity of feeling or equality of perception. The consciousness of the object and the consciousness of the subject create in us two different feelings. When we think of ourselves and then think about a Cobra, different sensations arise in us. However, when a योगी attains एकाग्रता परिणाम, योगी sees both as one just as one may see wood in both a chair and a table.

Is it possible to see a Cobra and myself in the same manner? A child Cobra will see its mother differently from how I see the Mother Cobra. Thus, if the same “object” is seen differently by different entities, it means the difference arises from the psychological crap in the mind of the seer, not the object. By virtue of एकाग्रता, a योगी is able to unpeel the exterior of a Cobra or a table and is able to witness the संस्कार / गुण of the seen – at this level, a योगी will not attract the sensations that you and me may experience when we see something other than us. This is an advanced state of योग that is certainly not easy to attain but success of एकाग्रता परिणाम happens when this level is attained and the योगी moves closer to seeing every “other” as a subject, as himself. When this inclusion orientation is at its highest, that becomes a state of निर्बीज समाधि

There is a modern Science quest called as “Theory of Everything” (TOE). But this quest for TOE is not a recent one only – a शिष्य asks his गुरू in one of the उपनिषद “Teach me that knowing which everything else can be known”. योग also has a TOE and the building block of thought that conveys a high level view of a योग TOE is relayed over the next three सूत्र. These सूत्र are profound and व्यास and others have therefore reserved their longest commentary for them. I myself struggled for over a month to get a hang of this thought process and while I have put something together, I am not too confident if I have done a decent job at it.

One may have to refer to multiple commentaries, listen to experienced Gurus and apply our own minds debate on the ideas of these सूत्र – so over the next few days from tomorrow, enjoy the commentary that I have cobbled together based on my own limited understanding. Note that the canvas of योग is not limited to human condition or life (and non-life) on Earth only – it is universal. And once we get a hang of this, we should be able to make sense of the various सिद्धि’s that a योगी can acquire once they master the योग TOE. Post this intricate theory, rest of the विभूति पाद of the योगसूत्र referring to सिद्धिs (or magic 😊😊) will be pure entertainment

एतेन भूतेन्द्रियेषु धर्मलक्षणावस्थापरिणामा व्याख्याता ।।१३।।

एतेन – by this, भूत – an object, इन्द्रियेषु – the senses, धर्म – nature, characteristics, लक्षण -qualities, temporal state, अवस्था – condition, state, परिणामा – development , change, व्याख्याता – is explained

In this way, the change in the characteristics (धर्म), state (लक्षण)
and conditions (अवस्था) of the objects and of the senses is explained.

Nothing comes from nothing. Whatever gets manifested becomes manifest from “something” – if there is “nothing”, no manifestation can happen. As per सांख्य and other दर्शन, everthing in the universe must have come from “something” though its source and objects may be hidden. Source is not visible, it is अव्यक्त and it is from अव्यक्त that the व्यक्त प्रपञ्च has come about. Pots, cups, saucers etc are made out of Earth; these merely manifest later. Pots cannot come out of nothing.

So there is a core substratum, Earth, which takes shape of dust, mud, pot, saucer, broken piece, statue, etc and thus Earth becomes the source for all forms. Similarly, at a universal level, Cosmos is one integrated being called प्रकृति. प्रकृति is never destroyed, its substratum remains the same but it changes its external appearance, form and qualities. प्रकृति may thus be seen as “permanent & changing” while पुरुष as “permanent & changeless”.

This अव्यक्त then becomes a व्यक्त which we then call as ब्रह्माण्ड or the visible manifestation of the Universe. ब्रह्माण्ड or what we see as the visible universe is merely a modification of प्रकृति as necessitated by the collective कर्म of all life forms from the previous कल्प. The nature of physical shape, form and qualities that a ब्रह्माण्ड takes is tied to the nature of कर्म accumulated from the previous कल्प of all of living beings across all multiple dimensions.

Now though the core matter called as मूलप्रकृति remains the same always, there is variety in the universe. Why is diversity present in ब्रह्माण्ड? This diversity is on account of a certain modification of प्रकृति. And the initial forms of evolution into which प्रकृति enters are the त्रिगुण. Everything in प्रकृति, animate / inanimate is reducible to त्रिगुण. This threefold modification is not a tripartite separation but threefold manner of operation of the same प्रकृति. शास्त्र refer to तमस् as the stabilizing activity of प्रकृति where there is fixity and attention, रजस् where there is motion, distraction, isolation and separation and सत्व where there is clarity, transparency and intelligence.

रजस् creates gulf between things making सत्व impossible of operation. Where सत्व is dominant, transparency operates owing to which organic wholeness of प्रकृति becomes visible but where रजस् is dominant, knowledge vanishes, organic connection of things is forgotten making everybody look separate, world looks separate, false sense of independence is felt by an individual, duality of a subject and object become perceived, ego comes about which has the attitude of grabbing, appropriating and wanting to self-assert and the subject wants to grab the object.

Pure undisturbed clear water looks blissful but introduce an external agent (eg,fish) and one will see movement, waves, bubbles, froth, etc. Note that this “apparent” diversity like waves, bubbles, etc is innate in water but it got expressed owing to an external trigger. Similarly, गुण, when balanced and in equilibrium, takes us close to पुरुष but owing to कर्म, diversity is inevitable within प्रकृति. It is the collective कर्म of the Universe that impinges on the गुण creating imbalance within प्रकृति, modifying it and creates the diversity that we see in the visible universe. At the root level, प्रकृति is a mass of indistinguishable wholeness but containing within it the potency for diversity.

Now to move towards समाधि, one needs to know प्रकृति clearly. And only when one recognizes प्रकृति fully, one will be able to engage with it and then set it aside to regain पुरुष. So how does one recognise प्रकृति? As we have elaborated again and again, प्रकृति is ever-changing. Once one knows the principles of change within प्रकृति, one will be able to understand it well. What are the types of change or परिणाम that occur within प्रकृति?

Before we get to change, we need to recognise presence of प्रकृति at two levels – individual (पिंडाण्ड) and universal (ब्रह्मांड). At the पिंडाण्ड level, प्रकृति (referred to as चित्त) takes the shape of अविद्या, अस्मिता, बुद्धि, मनस्, इन्द्रिय, etc and present within all living beings while at universal level, प्रकृति evolves into equivalents of महत्, तन्मात्रा, पञ्चभूत, etc at a universal level. Thus, universe is expressed as the body of ईश्वर who is seen as wearing the body of प्रकृति who projects the entire physical universe suited to exhaust the demands of collective कर्म at a universal level. Difference though is that while ईश्वर controls who प्रकृति will operate, प्रकृति controls us and makes us run as per her will.

Fulfilment of कर्म creates a dual split where the idea of a subject and object come about. The objects outside which impinge upon the mind through the senses are nothing but part of mind itself since it is the same प्रकृति on both sides. And the very same पञ्चभूत (space, air, etc) & तन्मात्रा (sound, touch, etc) are seen by us as objects but we do not realize that these are present in our own चित्त too. Why are eyes able to “see”, ears are able to “hear”, etc? This is because the same ingredient that is present in the mind is present outside in the universe thereby facilitating a transaction – if the common elements are not present on both sides, both would have been unaware of each other.

Let us now turn to the idea of three kinds of change both in the विषय (sense object) outside and the mind inside. From a योग lens, the change (परिणाम) are – धर्म, लक्षण & अवस्था. Mud becoming pot is a धर्म परिणाम which represents a change in physical characteristics. There is thus a change in external nature (though the substance remains the same) and this change viz external in nature is धर्म परिणाम. Really speaking, if one is asked what is different between pot and mud, there is actually no difference innately but with space-time-form exerting its influence, we see a difference.

लक्षण (or state) परिणाम of an object is understood as change in characteristics – the लक्षण of dry earth varies from that of a pot from that of a saucer from that of broken pieces. लक्षण is thus seen as a temporal state and when change is viewed from lens of the various temporal states an object can take, it is expressed as लक्षण परिणाम. When change is viewed from time, it is referred to as अवस्था परिणाम. Subtle changes happen over time – grains may turn into powder if left alone for a year, change colour, objects decay or what has decayed may be turned into new (like broken milk into Rosagulla) – this is अवस्था परिणाम.

Put another way, every object of perception of the senses is a condition or अवस्था maintained by प्रकृति. The maintenance of this अवस्था in its form as an object of sense is internally regulated by a pattern or लक्षण and the form is a manifestation of this pattern. And this लक्षण pattern is due to a character called धर्म that is inherent in the original substance viz प्रकृति. As an example, if dust is the धर्म of Earth, its लक्षण is to be lightweight and sandy and by being in this अवस्था, it will necessarily be flying all around and remain unstable.

परिणाम or change thus applies to the mind or चित्त as well as to objects in प्रकृति outside. How is this idea of change useful for a साधक? We discussed earlier that by समाधि परिणाम, a साधक moves from all-pointedness (सर्वार्थत) to single pointedness (एकाग्रता) – he is thus able to witness changes within his mind on account of this practice. Then we said that via एकाग्रता परिणाम, साधक is able to focus on a single object on a continuous basis.

As ability of एकाग्रता rises, साधक is able to detect movement of mind from one संस्कार to another and the ability to witness states of no संस्कार (blankness between thoughts) is निरोध परिणाम. Now this blankness between thoughts is not an empty state but a pregnant one where the potency of all kinds of संस्कार exists – it is just that they have not manifested at a certain point of time.

Objects too, as we said, taking example of a pot exists today but Earth or mud as a substratum is eternal whether the pot was earlier or becomes later dust, vessel, etc. Past and future of an object also exist in the present only though not manifest today. From a व्यवहार दृष्टि, we see a pot, cup, saucer, etc but from a तत्व दृष्टि, there is only Earth. We said earlier that when a योगी focuses on an object deeply, his mind turns into the object fully and he is able to witness the object at a तात्विक level.

And the धर्म, लक्षण & अवस्था aspects of the object become apparent to him by such a vision. Now via a process called as संयम, a योगी is able to break the barrier as an experiencer as a subject by integrating with the object fully. संयम may be thus be seen as a reverse process of return of effects to the cause – via this process, all the variety we see in the world is reducible to a single substance.

शान्तोदिताव्यपदेश्यधर्मानुपाती धर्मी ।। १४।।

शान्त – ceased, the past, उदित – the arisen, present, अव्यपदेश्य – that which has not been named, the future, धर्म – characteristics, अनुपाती – follows, is a consequence of, धर्मी – that which possesses the characteristics, the substratum

The धर्मी (substratum) is that which underpins the past, present and future

Everything is everything, says व्यास, at least potentially, since ultimately प्रकृति and its गुण are inherent and underpin all reality. प्रकृति is the धर्मी here. Who is a धर्मी? Clay is a धर्मी since it be moulded into various धर्म (pot, cups, statue, etc). That which produces the धर्म is the धर्मी and every reality of this universe traces itself ultimately to the root धर्मी viz the प्रकृति. Says वाचस्पति that owing to conditions of time, space and other causal factors, the प्रकृति does not manifest everything at one and the same time (saffron grows only in Kashmir or deer gives birth only to deer, etc) but the ultimate मूल of all creation is the प्रकृति.

भोजराज adds here that everything in the universe takes on a temporary धर्म of प्रकृति and when considered from the deepest metaphysical makeup, even a cloth is not different from a pot. Why is this verse being conveyed here? If every object in the universe is potentially convertible into any other (since all of them possess the same धर्मी), ईश्वर as well as an advanced योगी should be able to remove the conditions (laws of nature) that lead to an object taking on a certain धर्म and rearrange the subtle substructure of the physical reality to create another reality. This is not to be seen as magic but simply ability to apply appropriate techniques to manipulate the reality.

What is true knowledge or insight of anything? True knowledge happens when one is able to influence or control the object of knowledge. When I join a company, I may not know my boss well but once I get to know him, my actions become aligned to his conduct and deeper knowledge of the person gives me the ability to control him too. Using of a software means my actions are driven by how the program works but once I know the code, I can even change the way the program delivers its output. Knowledge of Nature made us take actions to control it (though half-knowledge has led to us making a mess of life on Earth).

It is thus crucial to realize that the simple act of understanding a thing can transform its very condition. A person who truly understands external physical elements like water can, through that act of understanding, change the water into something solid and walk upon it. By understanding the sense power of vision, they can see around the world, or cure the blind. All such transformations are only possible because all things are as they are at the mercy of one other thing. A powerful enemy charging towards me can be stopped if we put his child in front of us. Water flowing down strongly can be stopped by building a dam that channels it. Knowledge of योग enables the subject to enter deep into the object by becoming it and by knowing it from its roots, the subject can thus control it fully.

We thus have an interesting paradox here. Ego keeps us sane, allows us to operate like a man, woman, king, donkey, etc. If there was no ego, it may be a potential mad-house, a free-for-all, a confused mess where everyone with everything, predictability goes away and identity confusion will play itself out with violence and unrest. But ego also prevents unity when one takes their self-imposed identity too seriously and this also causes unrest and violence, though this clash becomes a clash of predictable “isms” or ideologies that we end up aligning to.

So what is the way out? “जगत् is ईश्वर लीला” may be the motto of life. We do our roles – painter, musician, singer, house-husband, etc to fully engage ourselves all these experiences. Actors in a drama play their roles very seriously and despite knowing very well that they are not those characters – they enjoy those roles thoroughly. So we too play our role. And play it seriously. With धर्म. Do not get distracted by aspects like fame, wealth, power, etc but merely enjoy every engagement of ours as an opportunity to learn about ourselves via the experience. And remain and be be free of everything else.

क्रमान्यत्वम् परिणामान्यत्वे हेतु: ।।१५।।

क्रम – succession, sequence, अन्यत्वम् – change, परिणाम – transformation, अन्यत्वे – in change, हेतु – the cause

The change in the sequence (of characteristics) is the cause of change in transformations (of objects)

Everything in the universe follows a certain क्रम or sequence to eventually get manifested in a certain manner. The solidity and the specific character of a particular object is dependent on the intensity, velocity and succession of the गुण. One object differs from another object on account of velocity of the गुण and the particular location of गुण in the succession of their revolution. While all objects are made of same substance, they vary driven by varying proportions of the particular intensity of गुण applies. संयम ensures that the belief in the diversity of things is set aside. The mind which contemplates, the senses which drag the mind to the object and the object itself are of similar substance.

A योगी seeks to strive towards realizing the innate unity in nature. And we say “realizing” since he merely develops capability to see the unity that is already present at an innate level. And once an innate connection is realized with everything in the universe, there is no anxiety since there is no scope of losing anything. All attachments cease. It is the universe meditating in the practice of संयम; it is neither you nor I nor any individual. The individual becomes only an occasion – rather a symbol for the manifestation of universal power, which creates a universal situation.

परिणामत्रयसंयमाद् अतीतानागतज्ञानम् ।।१६।।

परिणाम – transformation, त्रय – threefold, संयमाद् – from संयम, अतीत – past, अनागत – future, ज्ञानम्

When संयम is performed on three परिणाम (धर्म, लक्षण & अवस्था), ज्ञानम् of the past and future ensues.

We become सर्वज्ञ – if संयम can be practiced daily, we will be slowly taken up to the level of चैतन्यम्, we begin to feel what is in the past and what is in the future too. The past and future are cut off from our present experience because of our weddedness to the body and a wrong feeling that the object is located in one place only. With संयम, the mind is lifted to a universal level. There will be a flow of events continually from the past to the present and present to the future so that there will be no past, present and future. There will be a continuity of experience because experience, here, becomes a total comprehensiveness of all the features of experience and is not limited to the present only.

Why are we focussed on the present only today? This is because गुण emphasize themselves in a particular manner, to the exclusion of the emphasis they laid in the past and they are going to lay in the future. If we are however lifted from this stress of गुण, this knot which has tied consciousness to a little location or space-point, which is the present notion of ours as subject – object relation, can be broken. Then we will enter into a vastness of feeling, a universality of experience, we will become as vast as space itself.

Why does meditation work? Matter in physical universe comes from raw matter (मूलप्रकृति) that is infused with गुण. At the start of every कल्प, the collective Cosmic कर्म creates an imbalance in गुण composition spurring universe into motion. बुद्धि & अहंकार become the evolutes which in turn create a “subject – mediator – object” trio with crores of जीव born to experience their कर्म with a platform aligned to the कर्म for engaging in experience (physical world).

The सात्विक aspect of गुण becomes ज्ञानेन्द्रिय (experiencer), तमस् aspect creates the subtle तन्मात्रा (शब्द, स्पर्श, रस, रूप & गंध) followed by पञ्चभूत (आकाश, वायु, अग्नि, आप & पृथ्वी) which comprises the physical world and रजस् becomes कर्मेन्द्रिय (hands, legs, etc). योगी doing ध्यान on an object is able to pierce through outer layers of the object and is able to connect his बुद्धि with the universal बुद्धि which in turn can pierce through the raw प्रकृति permeating the object too. And connection at this primal level with all phenomena acquire सर्वज्ञता which will make him see past or the future.

शब्दार्थप्रत्ययानाम् इतरेतराध्यासात् संकरस्तत्प्रविभागसंयमात् सर्वभूतरुतज्ञानम् ।। १७।।

शब्द – word, अर्थ – meaning, प्रत्ययानाम् – of the idea, इतरेतर – one with the other, अध्यासात् – superimposition, संकर: – mixing together, confusion, तत् – their, प्रविभाग – distinctions, separation, संयमात् – from संयम, सर्वभूत – all creatures, रुत – cries, sound, ज्ञानम्

Due to the correlation between word, meaning and ideas, confusion ensues. By performing संयम on the distinction between them, the knowledge of the speech of all creatures arises.

This सूत्र requires a basic understanding of ideas on sound and language in ancient India. We will not go into details here. Simply put, पतंजलि notes distinction between a शब्द, its अर्थ and the actual प्रत्यय or idea of the object it creates in the mind. So a person may use the words गौ: that has a certain sound structure and uses a certain combination of words, the actual cow grazing is quite another thing while the image or प्रत्यय that forms in the mind of the listener will be based on his own understanding if the word – thus, language exchanged tends to a source of confusion. Ancient Indic thought dwelled at length raised on how a jumble of words conveyed by ध्वनि (sound caused by vibration of air) gets translated into a meaning? Is meaning inherent in the sound or is it something separate?

There is a स्फोट view which suggests that शब्द is an autonomous and permanent entity which may be made manifest through ध्वनि but independent of it. They postulated that there must be something else that unites various letters of a word such that a meaning can be derived out of the word – and because a meaning or अर्थ bursts forth (स्फुट) from a शब्द, such a शब्द is called as स्फोट. A स्फोट preexists ध्वनि and is autonomous and though connected with the sounds that reveal it. As per the योग school, while speaker’s ज्ञान of language is essential in conventional communication to understand him, an advanced योगी is able to do संयम on any sequence of sounds and gain access to the meaning and idea as the स्फोट embedded within even if the भाषा is unknown. This can also extend to sounds of any creature since even their sounds are backed by embedded within.

Simply put, a योगी can retrieve the inner meaning of a word from its outer encasement in the audible sounds of a word and thus can understand the meaning and idea behind the speech of any person or creature, even is if the sound represents an unknown भाषा. One may say that once the mind of a योगी is fully absorbed in the sound, he penetrates the outer physical sound and enters its inner metaphysical reality of स्फोट. हरिहरानन्द explains the mechanics that a योगी traces the sounds back to the vocal cord of a speaker and from there proceed to the mind of the speaker

संस्कारसाक्षात्करणात् पूर्वजातिज्ञानम् १८।।

संस्कार, साक्षात् – before one’s eyes, making evident, करणात् – by making, पूर्व – previous, जाति – births, ज्ञानम्

By bringing (previous) संस्कार into direct perception comes the ज्ञानम् of the previous births

We already know that all संस्कार are stored in the चित्त, they cause memories, they cause क्लेश, they cause कर्मफल and they cause us to do पाप & पुण्य. We also know that संस्कार determines life span, type of birth and nature of life experience. When योगी does संयम of संस्कार, by looking at the symptoms together with his ability to access the संस्कार, he will be able to activate them as memories and attain ज्ञान of all the previous births.

प्रत्ययस्य परचित्तज्ञानम् ।। १९।।

प्रत्ययस्य – from the ideas, पर – of others, चित्त, ज्ञानम्

From (their) ideas, one can attain ज्ञानम् of others’ minds

वाचस्पति & भोजराज read this सूत्र as indicating that when a योगी does a संयम of others’ प्रत्यय (meaning images and ideas that flash in the minds of others), one can attain understanding of their minds. भोजराज says that संयम of others’ facial expressions can help a योगी understand his or her state of mind (and while most of us do this, a योगी can do this accurately while that of us is unrefined). विज्ञानभिक्षु & हरिहरानन्द see this सूत्र as stating that when a योगी does संयम on his own mind, one can then understand the minds of other people.

न च तत् सालम्बनंतस्याविषयीभूतत्वात् ।। २०।।

न – not, च – and, तत् – that (ज्ञान), स – with, आलम्बनं – support, object, तस्य – of it, अविषयीभूतत्वात् – because of not being the object

That ज्ञान is not accompanied by its object, since this object is not the object (of योगी’s mind)

पतंजलि adds here that while a योगी may be able to perceive the emotional state of mind of others, say fear or lust, such a योगी may not know the trigger for this emotion, say a tiger or a lover. व्यास says this is because the योगी is only doing संयम of the emotion but not the object in the mind of the other person. Other commentators do not agree with this view and have stated that this is not aligned to the previous सूत्र – one may understand that if a योगी wishes to access the actual object, संयम will have to be directed to that object specifically.