श्रोत्राकाशयो: संबन्धसंयमाद् दिव्यं श्रोत्रम् ।। ४१।।

श्रोत्र – ear, organ of hearing, आकाशयो: – space, संबन्ध – relationship, संयमाद् – by संयम, दिव्यं – divine, श्रोत्रम् – hearing

By संयम in the relationship between the organ of hearing and space, divine hearing is attained

आकाश is the substratum of sound, as per सांख्य metaphysics. Sound vibrations require a medium to operate and commentators of ancient India established that such a medium is आकाश. In fact, आकाश is itself generated from the तन्मात्रा of sound (शब्द) – so sound is inherent in the element of आकाश and conveyed through it. And since आकाश is considered to be present in the ear, व्यास says that by doing संयम of the relationship between the ear and आकाश, a योगी is able to surpass the limitations of the physical ear and access divine sounds.

भोजराज adds here that in conventional hearing, hearing only catches the sounds that vibrate within the pocket of आकाश enclosed in the ear. However, since आकाश is all-pervading and the चित्त of a योगी also becomes all-pervading, such चित्त transcends the limitations of the physical ear and gains access to sounds pervading the wider आकाश (चित्त being more subtle than आकाश can pervade).

कायाकाशो:संबन्धसंयमात् लघुतूलसमापत्तेश्चाकाशगमनम् ।। ४२।।

काय – body, आकाशो: – आकाश, संबन्ध – relationship, संयमात् – by संयम, लघु – light, तूल – cotton, समापत्ते – type of concentration, च – and, आकाश – sky, गमनम् – movement, passage

By performing संयम on the relationship between the body and space, and by performing समापत्ति on the lightness of cotton, one acquires the ability to travel through the sky.

As per सांख्य metaphysics, आकाश is the primary substance of the gross universe. Thus, all objects and all humans are pervaded by आकाश. By doing संयम on this relationship between any object, say cotton here, our own body (which also pervades in space), योगी can potentially increase the सत्व component of the body, minimize the तमस् component and thus body acquires the qualities of आकाश. This results in unimpeded freedom of movement since आकाश is all pervading (like done by नारद मुनि). रामानन्द सरस्वती says here that there is a progression reflecting the density of medium of travel – first, योगी is able to walk on water then on spider webs, then light rays and then through the air at will.

बहुरकल्पिता वृत्तिर्महाविदेहा तत: प्रकाशावरणक्षय: ।।४३।।

बहु: -outside, अकल्पिता – not imagined, वृत्ति:, महा – great, विदेहा – out of body, तत: – by that, प्रकाश – light, आवरण – covering, क्षय – destruction

The state of mind (projected) outside (of the body), which is not an imagined state, is called the great out-of-body (experience). By this, the covering of the light (of बुद्धि) is destroyed.

The mind is situated in the body can imagine itself outside the body and such an imagination or कल्पिता is not what पतंजलि is referring to here. Once a योगी is able to move the mind outside the body in an अकल्पिता (not-imagined manner), it means that the mind can function independent of the body. And this independence clearly drives home the message that mind and body are not connected. Clearly, false ego or अहंकार means misidentifying with the body which results in us being confined to the body till its destruction. पतंजलि says here that by this practice, the योगी diminishes the covering that envelops the pure light viz to say the सत्व potential of बुद्धि. These coverings are the क्लेश and कर्म with कर्मफल caused by the गुण, says व्यास. And out of body experiences makes it clear that we are not the body, the base of अविद्या viz any residual thinking “I am this body” is further eliminated.

स्थूलस्वरूपसूक्ष्मान्वयार्थवत्त्वसंयमाद्भूतजय: ।।४४।।

स्थूल, स्वरूप – own nature, सूक्ष्म, अन्वय – constitution, अर्थवत्त्व – purpose, significance, संयमाद् – from the performance of संयम, भूत – elements, जय: – mastery

By संयम on the स्थूल, स्वरूप, सूक्ष्म, अन्वय and अर्थवत्त्व (of objects, one attains) mastery over the भूत (elements)

An unusual verse at first sight till it is unpacked. पतंजलि lists five elements to be taken into account. First is स्थूल means how an object is visible to the senses. But the character that is independent of the lens of the viewer (viz the senses) is स्वरूप. What is its status from its own point of view independent of what we think or have been thinking about it – that situation of an element is its स्वरूप. The second is thus a higher state of understanding. सूक्ष्म is the subtle rudimentary character of the five elements known as तन्मात्रा. Thus, from a सूक्ष्म level, all objects are made up of आकाश, वायु, अग्नि, आप & पृथ्वी but these are in turn made up of शब्द, स्पर्श, रस, रूप & गंध. These are vibrations ultimately and not solid objects and are referred to as तन्मात्रा.

The fourth is अन्वय, the immanence of the force of प्रकृति as सत्व, रजस् & तमस् – the elements are nothing but these त्रिगुण and their presence in all these forms is hidden. By some peculiar modification of themselves, they enter into a peculiar state of density and gradually become the five elements. That is the immanent aspect of the elements, अन्वय, – the involvement of the elements in the त्रिगुण of प्रकृति. Last word used by पतंजलि is अर्थवत्त्व, the purpose for which everything exists. And the purpose is मुक्ति – there is no other purpose of existence of the world viz for the मुक्ति of पुरुष. The universe provides a field of experience for the individuals therein, in order that they may gain मोक्ष, ultimately through experiences of this kind. These are the five aspects of the five elements and doing संयम on them gives powers described in the next सूत्र

ततोsणिमादिप्रादुर्भाव: कायसंपत् तद्धर्मानभिघातश्च ।। ४५।।

तत: – from that, अणिमा – mystic power of lightness, आदि – etc., प्रादुर्भाव: – the appearance of, काय – body, संपत् – accomplishment तत् – their (elements), धर्म – essential nature, अनभिघात: – non-resistance, च – and

As a result of this, there are no limitations on account of body’s natural abilities; mystic powers like अणिमा, etc manifest; and the body attains perfection.

व्यास lists five limitations of the body which no longer limit the योगी:

1. Earth does not obstruct योगी by the quality of solidness and he can enter a stone too

2. Water, though moist, does not wet the योगी

3. Fire, though hot, does not burn the योगी

4. Wind, though moving, doesn’t budge the योगी

5. Space covers such a योगी such that he remains invisible to all including other सिद्धा

योगी acquires 8 mystic powers:

1. अणिमा means minuteness and an ability to make the body small
2. लघिमा is lightness and an ability to make the body light as cotton
3. महिमा is largeness and an ability to make the body as heavy in weight as one desires
4. प्राप्ति is attainment and an ability to attain distant objects nearer (like touching the moon with one’s fingers 😊)
5. प्राकाम्य is freedom of will by which one can dive into earth or cannot be immersed into water
6. वशित्व is control and an ability to control the भूत (five elements) and which they are made of viz तन्मात्रा and cannot be swayed by others
7. ईश्त्रृत्व is Mastery and an ability to regulate the formation, retention or destruction of objects at will
8. यत्र कामावसायित्व implies that the भूत and their constituents can be made to stay as desired.

Almost immediately, व्यास cautions that that the योगी must not use these सिद्धि whimsically to disrupt the natural order of things. योगी respects the will of ईश्वर. Our Rishis appear to be embarrassed to celebrate any sort of प्राकृतिक attainments and their view seems to be – “Nothing great about these सिद्धि unless they are used for धर्म but even here, avoid using सिद्धि if one can” 😊. This mindset may be seen as unique. आदिशंकर adds here that to use these powers and change their natural orientation will be against the will of ईश्वर and the योगी is already purified of such base qualities. विज्ञानभिक्षु adds here that the सर्वज्ञता of a योगी does not extend to सर्वज्ञता of ईश्वर to create a universe and are thus limited in this one regard.

रूपलावण्यबलवज्रसंहननत्वानि कायसंपत् ।।४६।।

रूप – beauty of form, लावण्य – charm, grace, बल – strength, वज्र – weapon of इंद्र, संहननत्वानि – being of a solid nature, कायसंपत्

The perfection of the body consists of (possessing) beauty, charm, strength and power of वज्र.

ग्रहणस्वरूपास्मितान्वयार्थवत्त्वसंयमाद् इन्द्रियजय: ।।४७।।

ग्रहण – the process of obtaining knowledge, स्वरूप – the essence, अस्मिता – the ego, अन्वय – inherent quality, अर्थवत्त्व – purposefulness, संयमाद् – by संयम, इन्द्रिय – senses, जय – victory

By performance of संयम on the process of knowing, on the essence (the sense organs), on ego, in the constitution (of the गुण), and on the purpose (of the गुण) comes control over the senses.

The senses can be controlled if we can understand their structure. And just as there were five gradations of a elements discussed earlier, five gradations of the manifestation of प्रकृति through the senses is mentioned here. Character of grasping an object is ग्रहण. The way in which the eyes see, ears hear, etc – that manner of senses operating upon objects is ग्रहण. स्वरूप is the senses themselves independent of their functions. अस्मिता is the “I-principle” that controls the operation of the five senses. It is the ego principle which organizes the activities of the different senses and focuses them on a particular object. That means to say, higher controls the lower and the higher includes the lower.

Ultimately, it is the “I-principle” that is the reason behind working of the senses. Thus, if we can grasp the ego, the meaning of the senses becomes clear. Fourth one is अन्वय and the त्रिगुण are the rudimentary principles behind the senses and “I-principle”. अर्थवत्त्व is the purpose of the activity of the senses – which is to again bring about experience for the purpose of मुक्ति. With this connotation of the activities of the senses, if one does संयम on the senses themselves, these will then come under one’s control.

ततो मनोजवित्वं विकरणभाव: प्रधानजयश्च ।। ४८।।

ततो – from that, मन:, जवित्वं – quickness, विकरण – without instruments, भाव: – existence, प्रधान – primordial matter, जय: victory, च – and

As a result of this comes speed like the speed of mind, activity independent of the bodily senses, and mastery over primordial matter.

For one who has mastered over senses in the manner outlined in the previous सूत्र, three more powers accrue. One’s body can move at the speed of mind, one can act and attain knowledge at any time even without one’s body and senses and one attains mastery over प्रधान.

सत्वपुरषान्यताख्यातिमात्रस्य सर्वभावाधिष्ठातृत्वं सर्वज्ञातृत्वं च ।। ४९।।

सत्व – intellect, पुरष, अन्यता – difference, ख्याति – discernment, मात्रस्य – of one, only, सर्व – all, भाव – state of existence, अधिष्ठातृत्वं – state of supremacy over, सर्वज्ञातृत्वं – all state of knowledge, च – and

Only the one who discerns the difference between पुरुष & बुद्धि (in its pure सात्विक state) do omniscience and omnipotence occur.

We are now at a stage when बुद्धि has become fully purified, fully सात्विक्. व्यास names this state viz the state of perfect clarity as वशीकार where there is full control over manifest reality. पुरुष is still directed outward as it is still conscious of बुद्धि as against directed towards pure self-awareness. सर्वज्ञातृत्वं or omniscience simply means discriminate. awareness of त्रिगुण. If one knows त्रिगुण, one knows the past/ present/ future emanations from them, one can know the true and ultimate nature of any colour. व्यास uses the word विशोक to describe this state viz state of sorrowlessness. Sorrow, after all, if a loss of something pertaining to प्रकृति but here, the योगी has full control over प्रकृति and thus is obliged neither to lose any object of desire nor submit to powerlessness in attempts to obtain any such object – sorrow is this fully absent here.

तद्वैराग्यदपि दोषबीजक्षये कैवल्यम् ।। ५०।।

तद् – that (omniscience/ omnipotence), वैराग्यद् – from detachment, disinterest, अपि – even, दोष – faults, बीज – seeds, क्षये – on the destruction of, कैवल्यम् – supreme independence, ultimate liberation

By detachment even from this attainment and upon the destruction of the stress of all faults, कैवल्यम् ensues.

Ultimate goal of practice of संयम is कैवल्यम्. This is the state of full independence, aloneness (केवल) and not mixed with anyone else. पुरुष has reached a state of uncoupling from प्रकृति. There is no interest even in the omniscience/ omnipotence since these are states of awareness of प्रकृति only. The गुण have fulfilled their purpose and no longer incite action. Now that पुरुष is no longer externally conscious of another, it can only be internally conscious of itself. Thus, when we see पुरुष is independent, it is independent of the effect of त्रिगुण and their products meaning the entire manifest reality. Situated exclusively in its own ultimate and autonomous nature, the पुरुष is now pure and unadulterated चैतन्यम्.