कूर्मनाद्याम् स्थैर्यम् ।। ३१।।
कूर्म – tortoise, नाद्याम् – subtle channel, स्थैर्यम् – steadiness

(By संयम) of the सूक्ष्म कूर्म-नाडी, स्थिरता is attained

Below the pit of the कंठ, says व्यास, is a particular नाडी shaped like a कूर्म. As per तंत्र physiology, just as gross body is pervaded by innumerable blood vessels, there is a subtle network of thousands of सूक्ष्म channels called नाडी. As early as in प्रश्नोपनिषद्, it is stated that the प्राण is said to circulate throughout the body by means of नाडी. Says व्यास that a योगी can become as steady as a snake or an alligator by this संयम. And when body becomes immobile, so does the mind as ensuing from this practice.

मूर्धज्योतिषि सिद्धदर्शनम् ।।३२।।
मूर्ध – head, ज्योतिषि – on the light, सिद्ध – perfected beings, दर्शनम् – vision

There is an opening in the skull, says व्यास, that contains radiant light. As the radiance of light inside a house is concentrated in a keyhole, says भोजराज, so the luminosity of सत्व is concentrated on this opening called ब्रह्मरंध्र. संयम on this spot enables one to have दर्शन of the सिद्ध पुरुष. They are beings who possess mystic powers and move around in the space between Earth and the sky and can sometimes be contacted by an advanced योगी.

प्रातिभाद् वा सर्वम् ।। ३३।।
प्रातिभाद् – by intuition, वा – or, सर्वम् – everything

Or, by intuition, comes (ज्ञान) of everything

Intuition or प्रतिभा precedes discrimination (विवेक), says व्यास. The योगी is able to gain ज्ञान of everything by way of intuition as ज्ञान is obtained without a teacher. According to योग tradition, प्रतिभा is associated with the preliminary phase of सर्वज्ञता and is an inherent attribute of pure सत्व

हृदये चित्तसंवित् ।। ३४।।

हृदये – on the heart, चित्त,संवित् – knowledge

(By संयम) on the heart, knowledge of the mind ensues

व्यास calls the heart as ‘City of ब्रह्म’ or ‘a lotus-like abode’. Even प्रश्नोपनिषद् refers to the heart as the abode of the आत्मा. Heart does not mean the physical heart pumping inside our body. वाचस्पति & भोजराज describe the heart as the lotus facing down – there are seven चक्र or energy centres in the body which are usually described as shaped as lotuses and heart चक्र is the middle one considered as seat of intelligence.

And thus both आत्मा and चित्त are centered at the heart and by performing संयम of this region, one will gain access to all वृति in the mind. And unlike the previous सिद्धि referred to so far, विज्ञानभिक्षु adds here that the knowledge referred to in this सूत्र facilitates the goal of योग since it gives a direct perception of the working of the चित्त.

सत्वपुरुषयेरत्यन्तासंकीर्णयो प्रत्ययाविशेषो भोग: परार्थत्वात् स्वार्थसंयमात् पुरुषज्ञानम्।। ३५।।

सत्व – of the intellect, पुरुषये – and of the पुरुष, अत्यन्त – complete, असंकीर्णयो – distinct, प्रत्यय – idea, notion, image, अविशेषो – non-distinction, भोग: – experience, परार्थत्वात् – because of having the nature of existing for another, स्वार्थ – for itself, संयमात् – from संयम, पुरुष, ज्ञानम्

Worldly experience (भोग) consists of the notion that there is no distinction between पुरुष & pure intelligence (बुद्धि) although these two are completely distinct. भोग exists for another (viz पुरुष). (By संयम) on that which exists for itself, comes ज्ञानम् of पुरुष.

The योगी has reached a state where the बुद्धि is infused with सत्व – it has become pure. This is why instead of using the word बुद्धि, पतंजलि has used सत्व here for बुद्धि. And this बुद्धि has already discarded the outward looking orientation (which रजस् & तमस् would have compelled it to otherwise). And in this state, बुद्धि becomes pure and once the mirror becomes pure, what does it reflect here? It reflects पुरुष itself. Thus at this stage, the पुरुष has reached a state where it sees itself. But this is still not the highest state since though it it seeing itself, it is still “seeing”. It has to move further up to a state where the need to see evaporates away and it merely lives. There is still a difference between the reflection in a mirror and the actual face facing into it.

There are मंत्र in various उपनिषद् which raise this question – “By what can a knower be known? “, “Sight does not reach there, nor does speech”, etc (न तत्र न सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्र तारकम्…). As श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता puts it – आत्मन्येव आत्मना meaning “one revels in the आत्मा through one’s own आत्मा”. And when a योगी does a संयम on this प्रत्यय or image of पुरुष on the बुद्धि, such a योगी is one step away from कैवल्य. When this final stage manifests, बुद्धि and all its images and ideas including the pure reflection of पुरुष fade away leaving पुरुष with nothing to be aware of except Itself.

Note that when one takes to religion, the goal is not to become more happy than what you were, get more peace than your current state or become more rich than what you possess currently – this is merely maximization of भोग. Taking to religion is an exercise of transformation in the manner like an ant turning into elephant (crude analogy). You become a different person altogether and all our earlier भोग-inspired norms of happiness, health, success, prosperity, etc are meant to be booted out. And success in the religious endeavor as envisaged in this सूत्र needs to be seen as a complete transformation; else the terms like “bliss of आत्मा” or “revelling in the आत्मा within” will be comprehended in a sub-optimal manner.

तत: प्रातिभश्रावणवेदनादर्शास्वादवार्ता जायन्ते ।। ३६।।

तत: – from this, प्रातिभ – intuition, श्रावण – hearing, वेदना – touch, अदर्शा – vision, स्वाद – taste, वार्ता – smell, जायन्ते – are born

From this, intuition as well as higher touch, vision, taste and smell are born

Outcome of संयम given in the previous सूत्र gives a योगी two abilities – intuition and higher sensory powers. By intuition, says व्यास, comes knowledge of the subtle, separated, the remote, past and future (ie things not accessible to conventional means of ज्ञान). Higher sensory powers here means access to subtler levels of sense experience. भोजराज refers to divine sensations available in higher लोक. वाचस्पति says here that कैवल्य is impossible until प्रकृति is revealed in her fullness to पुरुष and this entails experiencing the subtler dimensions of प्रकृति.

ते समाधाव् उपसर्गा व्युत्थाने सिद्धय: ।।३७।।
ते – they, समाधाव् – in समाधि, उपसर्गा – obstacles, व्युत्थाने – rising up, outgoing, सिद्धय: – powers, perfections, accomplishments

These powers are accomplishments for the mind that is outgoing but obstacles to समाधि

पतंजलि is giving a timely warning here – while for a भोगी, these attainments may seem like सिद्धि and thus markers for success. But for a योगी, these powers are not to be seen as success. Why list these various सिद्धि in that case? पतंजलि has shared list for an aspiring योगी to see these as signposts; if they attain these, they can be confident of being on the right path to attain कैवल्य

उदानजयाज्जलपङ्ककण्टकादिष्वसङ्ग उत्क्रान्तिश्च ।। ३९।।

उदान – one of the प्राण, जयात् – from mastery over, जल – water, पङ्क – mud, कण्टकादिषु – thorns, etc., असङ्ग – non-contact with, उत्क्रान्ति: – ascension, levitation, च – and

By mastery over the उदान, one attains (the power of) levitation and does not come into contact with water, mud and thorns, etc

Five प्राण are present in the body as per आयुर्वेद. प्राण is the air that moves from mouth and nose circulates as far as the heart. समान-प्राण is present in the navel and distributes food equally around the body, अपान-प्राण is present down to the soles of the feet and carries away the waste products of the body, व्यान-प्राण is so called since it is spread all over the body and उदान-प्राण which manifests upto the head and is so called because it carries up. उदान-प्राण facilitates working of levitation. व्यास also adds that mastery over उदान-प्राण enables the योगी to take the auspicious upward path post death, (which leads one to मुक्ति) unlike downward path (which leads one to rebirth).

समानजयात् ज्वलनम् ।। ४०।।

समान, जयात् – by mastery, ज्वलनम् – effulgence

By mastery over the समानवायु, radiance is attained.

हरिहरानन्द says that since समानवायु is responsible for nourishment of the body, by mastery of this, the योगी gets an aura around the body. विज्ञानभिक्षु adds that ज्वलनम् here refers to the ability to self-combust. In various शास्त्र, the process by which सती and many others gave up their own bodies echoes the संयम given here