चित्तान्तरदृश्ये बुद्धिबुद्धेरतिप्रसङ्गः स्मृतिसंकरश्च २१।।

चित्त, अन्तर – other, दृश्ये – if it is seen, बुद्धि, बुद्धे: – of the बुद्धि, अतिप्रसङ्गः – excessive contact, unwarranted stretch, स्मृति, संकर: – confusion, mixing up of, च – and

If (the mind) were cognized by another mind, then there will be infinite regress of one’s बुद्धि (being known) by another बुद्धि. Moreover, there would be confusion of memory.

अतिप्रसङ्गः is regress-ad-infinitum and स्मृति संकर is confusion of memory. Some Buddhist schools argue that though mind is not self-luminous, we cannot assume the presence of पुरुष. They say that it may be possible that this mind, which is assumed to be an object, may be cognized by another subtle form of the mind itself. There may be another mind inside the objective mind. So why should we call it पुरुष, they argue.

This theory is refuted by this सूत्र since the argument of mind behind mind leads to an infinite regress, 2nd mind behind 1st, 3rd behind 2nd, etc which is logically untenable. Next, there will be confusion of continuity of memory – we cannot remember anything since which mind will remember what? As there are links behind links, conflict of function of different minds may end up in a chaotic mess so that there cannot be memory of any kind of experience or perception.

चितेरप्रतिसंक्रमायास्तदाकारापत्तौ स्वबुद्धिसंवेदनम् ।। २२।।

चिते: – of consciousness, अप्रतिसंक्रमाया: – unmoving तद् – that, आकार – form, आपत्तौ – pervading, entering into a state, स्व – its own, बुद्धि, संवेदनम् – knowing

Although it is unchanging, consciousness becomes aware of its own intelligence by means of pervading the forms assumed by the intelligence

If mind is not स्वभास but rather an object of knowledge, how is the mind known at all to पुरुष? If पुरुष is changeless and does not do any action, how does it know the mind? If पुरुष is directly aware of external objects, it would itself be an actor, by virtue of interacting directly with the world, as well as ever changing by virtue of continually processing and thinking about one object after another. And if पुरुष is subject to change, it cannot be eternal since eternal means unchanging.

So the चित्त, which is ever changing its वृत्ति and changes appearences or modifies itself on account of multiple objects that it encounters, is the one which presents itself to the unchanging पुरुष. पुरुष has not changed or transformed by being aware of चित्त and its machinations, nor has it acted; its awareness has merely encountered the चित्त in its modified forms of pot, cow, etc. The light of a projector does not change or act when it pervades the ever-changing reel flowing in front of it. Just as the innate quality of light is to shine, innate nature of पुरुष is चैतन्यम् (awareness). पुरुष is a witness who remains inactive and unchangingly aware. And when पुरुष attains मोक्ष, when चित्त gets dissolved in its substratum, पुरुष has nothing else to be aware of – it shines in Itself.

द्रष्टृदृश्योपरक्तं चित्तं सर्वाथम् ।। २३।।

द्रष्टृ – the seer, दृश्य – the seen, उपरक्तं – coloured, चित्तं, सर्वाथम् – knows all objects

The mind, coloured by the seer as well as by that which is seen, knows all objects

चित्त is influenced by both aspects – both the awareness of पुरुष pervades it as well as the forms of the sense objects it assumes. Given that it appears to cognize objects of the world (owing to it being pervaded by पुरुष), it is mistaken to be the source of चैतन्यम्. However, the योग school clearly makes distinction between the three, the पुरुष viz the knower, the चित्त which is the instrument of knowledge and the object of knowledge viz the sense objects. And true विवेक is the understanding of the difference among all of them.

तदसंख्येयवासनाचित्रम् अपि परार्थं संहत्यकारित्वात् ।। २४।।

तत् – that, असंख्येय – uncountable, वासना, चित्रम् – variegated, अपि – also, पर – other, अर्थं – purpose, संहत्य – combination , union, कारित्वात् – because of acting

That mind, with its countless variegated वासना, exists for another entity (other than itself), because it operates in conjunction (with other instruments)

A house is a construction that exists with other entities. It does not exist for itself but for another entity – a resident. चित्त similarly consists of unlimited वासना and works in conjunction with others like senses and sense objects but all these work collectively not for themselves but another viz पुरुष.

विशेषदर्शिन आत्म भावभावनाविनिवृत्ति: ।।२५।।

विशेष – distinction, दर्शिन – the seer, आत्म – self, भाव -nature, भावना – meditation, विनिवृत्ति: – cessation

For one who sees the distinction (between the mind and the आत्मा), reflecting on the nature of the self ceases

Just as the existence of seeds is inferred from the blades of grass shooting forth in the rainy season, existence of संस्कार from the practice of योग in a previous life can be easily inferred. For one whose hairs stand on ends and whose tears flow from eyes when hearing about ईश्वर and path of मोक्ष, for one who is spontaneously attracted to questions “Who am I? “, “Who was I in the past?”, “Where will I go when I die? “, etc., one may infer that such a person has योग संस्कार.

श्रीमदभगवद्गीता refers to such persons as योगभ्रष्ट, an unsuccessful योगी, who could not complete his साधना in his previous life. Such a one will continue from where he left in his previous life. However, for a person who has already attained पुरुष, such questions cease. Since such a person has obtained a प्रत्यक्ष अनुभव of पुरुष, all his questions have been dissolved fully. Existential questions are, after all, products of चित्त, albeit of the अक्लिष्ट variety which are advantageous to the path of योग. But once one actually experiences the distinction between the real self and everything else, all existential questions evaporate.

तदा विवेकनिम्नं कैवल्यप्राग्भारंं चित्तम् ।।२६।।

तदा – then, विवेक – discrimination, निम्नं – inclined towards, कैवल्य, प्राग्भारंं – inclined toward, चित्तम्

At the point, the mind, inclined towards विवेक, gravitates towards ultimate liberation

(self-explanatory)

तच्छिद्रेषु प्रत्ययान्तराणि संस्कारेभ्य: ।।२७।।

तत् – that, छिद्रेषु – break, interval, प्रत्यय – ideas, अन्तराणि – other, संस्कारेभ्य – संस्कार

During the intervals (in this state of discriminate awareness), other ideas (arise) because of previous संस्कार

Even for a mind inclined towards कैवल्यम्, there are breaks in the flow of विवेक. Conventional thoughts like “I am”, “This is mine”, “I know”, “I don’t know”, etc pop into the mind of the meditator, says व्यास. These are merely effects of previous संस्कार which are gradually dwindling away. The sense of I remains throughout संप्रज्ञात समाधि. Even an advanced योगी who begs for his food as an ascetic, says वाचस्पति मिश्र, must be conscious of his body and of hunger, etc. to do so. Thus, even as they dwindle, thoughts pertaining to the प्राकृतिक body and mind continue to arise even in the minds of advanced योगी.

हानम् एषां क्लेशवदुक्तम् ।। २८।।

हानम् – removal, एषां – of them, क्लेशवद् – like the afflictions, उक्तम् – is said

The removal (of these previous संस्कार) is said to be like (the removal) of the क्लेश afflictions

Just as the क्लेश become burnt seeds incapable of sprouting, says व्यास, (II. 10/11) the seeds of latent संस्कार that might arise and interrupt योगी’s meditation are burnt up by ज्ञान. Once क्लेश are burnt up, no संस्कार are generated. But those left prior to the elimination of क्लेश may activate and pop into योगी’s head. Even these will get burnt up and can no longer give birth to any further thoughts. Once should recall here that संस्कार are never actually destroyed – they can however be burnt such that their ability to sprout seeds is negated and these will dissolve into the root प्राकृतिक matrix.

प्रसंख्यानेsप्यकुसीदस्य सर्वथा विवेकख्यातेर्धर्ममेघः समाधि: ।।२९।।

प्रसंख्याने – in meditative wisdom, अपि – also, अकुसीदस्य – of one who has no interest, सर्वथा – always, विवेक, ख्याते:!insight, धर्म, virtue, मेघः – cloud, समाधि

For one who has no interest even in (fruits of) meditative wisdom on account of the highest degree discriminative insight, the समाधि called धर्ममेघ (cloud of virtue) ensues

धर्ममेघ is a new word used by पतंजलि. विज्ञानभिक्षु says that like a cloud, this state rains धर्म which totally uproots the क्लेश and all कर्म. It is the state of जीवन्मुक्ति. आदिशंकर states that the supreme धर्म it rains is that of कैवल्य – in this state, the body of a योगी is like an empty house where all desires to enjoy it have evaporated, no further ideas are created in the चित्त and the पुरुष is left alone in the serenity of pure self-awareness. Thus, when a योगी has no interest in the benefits accruing from discernment (between पुरुष & प्रकृति), his discernment has reached perfection. Here, apart from not having any interest in सिद्धि he possesses, he equates these too as दुःख. Such a discrimination may be seen as secure and total.

तत: क्लेशकर्मनिवृत्ति ।। ३०।।

तत: – from there, क्लेश, कर्म, निवृत्ति – cessation

From this comes the cessation of क्लेश & कर्म

(self-explanatory)