Patanjali2

[Guest guest]

[My last post (subject = Re: attributing) included the opening sutras of

Patanjali's _Yoga Sutras_, as translated by DK in _The Light of the Soul_

under the name of Alice A. Bailey. The commentary is by Bailey with DK's

help. It is extensive and detailed; the terminology is related to that of

Helena Blavatsky and the Theosophical Society and will be familiar if

you've read any of the Bailey/DK books.

 

Here are the same sutras as translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda in _The

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali_. He gives the script (which I couldn't show

here), the transliterated Sanskrit (given here without markings), the

definitions of Sanskrit words, his translation of the sutras, and his

commentary, which was delivered orally to students in lectures and at Yoga

retreats "in true sutra exposition tradition." So it is easy to read and

full of stories and examples that anyone can easily understand.

Unfortunately, when he came to some "advanced" sutras, he simply gave no

commentary at all... apparently he did not think the subject matter

appropriate for a large crowd.

 

Below these sutras is an example of his exposition, the commentary on Sutra 7.]

 

 

Book One

 

SAMADHI PADA

Portion on Contemplation

 

1. ATHA YOGANUSASANAM.

Atha = now; Yoga = of Yoga; anusasanam = exposition or instruction.

 

Now the exposition of Yoga is being made.

 

2. YOGAS CITTA VRTTI NIRODHAH.

Yogas = Yoga; chitta = of the mind-stuff; vritti = modifications;

nirodhah = restraint.

 

The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga.

 

3. TADA DRASTUH SVARUPE 'VASTHANAM.

Tada = then; drastuh = the Seer; svarupe = in His own nature;

avasthanam = abides.

 

Then the Seer [self] abides in His own nature.

 

4. VRTTI SARUPYAM ITARATRA.

Vritti = modifications of the mind-stuff; sarupyam = assumes the forms;

itaratra = at other times.

 

At other times [the Self appears to] assume the forms of the mental

modifications.

 

5. VRTTAYAH PANCATAYYAH KLISTA AKLISTAH.

Vrittayah = modifications of the mind stuff; panchatayyah = five kinds;

klishta = painful; aklishtah = painless.

 

There are five kinds of mental modifications which are either painful

or painless.

 

6. PRAMANA VIPARYAYA VIKALPA NIDRA SMRTAYAH.

Pramana = right knowledge; viparyaya = misconception; vikalpa = verbal

delusions; nidra = sleep; smritayah = memory.

 

They are right knowledge, misconception, verbal delusion, sleep and memory.

 

7. PRATYAKSANUMANAGAMAH PRAMANANI.

Pratyaksha = direct perception; anumana = inference; agama = scriptural

testimony; pramanani = are the sources of right knowledge.

 

The sources of right knowledge are direct perception, inference and

scriptural testimony. *

 

8. VIPARYAYO MITHYAJNANAM ATADRUPA PRATISTHAM.

Viparyayah = misconception is; mithyajnanam = false knowledge; atadrupa

= not on that form; pratishtham = based.

 

Misconception occurs when knowledge of something is not based upon its

true form.

 

9. SABDAJNANANUPATI VASTU SUNYO VIKALPAH.

Sabdajnana = knowledge on words; anupati = arises; vastu = reality;

sunyo = without any; vikalpah = verbal delusion.

 

An image that arises on hearing mere words without any reality [as its

basis] is verbal delusion.

 

10. ABHAVA PRATYAYALAMBANA VRTTIR NIDRA.

Abhava = nothingness; pratyaya = cognition; alambana = support;

vrittir = modification of mind; nidra = sleep.

 

That mental modification supported by cognition of nothingness is sleep.

 

11. ANUBHUTA VISAYASAMPRAMOSAH SMRTIH.

Anubhuta = experienced; vishaya = objects; asampramoshah = not

forgotten; smritih = memory.

 

When a mental modification of an object previously experienced and not

forgotten comes back to consciousness, that is memory.

-------------

 

*7. The sources of right knowledge are direct perception, inference and

scriptural testimony.

 

One example of what Patanjali calls valid knowledge is what you

understand by seeing something yourself - direct perception. If you see

something face-to-face you don't have any doubt. That is one way to get

valid knowledge. Another is by inference. Seeing smoke you infer there is

fire, because without fire there can't be smoke. When you see a cow giving

milk, you infer that cows give milk. You have not seen them all, but you

assume.

And there is one more way. You may not have seen anything personally

and may not have anything from which to infer, but a reliable authority or

person who has really understood something tells you.

Here we normally mean the holy scriptures, which we believe because

they are the words of the sages, saints and prophets. They have seen the

truth and have expounded it, so we believe them. That's why in the East, if

anybody asks you to do some practice, it is expected that the scriptures

also recommend it. You should not do something just because I say so.

Everybody who has gone the same road should approve it and the ancient

scriptures should also approve it, because the truth is the same. It is not

something to be newly invented. All our present-day inventions can easily

go wrong. What is the best thing today will be the worst thing tomorrow.

They are still not finalized. The words of the prophets given through the

holy scriptures are finalized. They can't just be modified.

But even in this, we have to understand the difference between the

basic truth and the presentation. Truth can be presented only through some

form or vehicle. We should always remember that the truth of the Self is

the same; but when presented to you through words and forms and modes, it

may appear in different ways to suit the individual or the trend of the

age. That means rituals can be modified, language can be modified. But the

truth can never be changed, because truth is always the same. The rites are

just the skeletal structures that uphold the outside building, but the

foundation of all the rites should be the same. That is why, whatever be

the scripture, whether from the East, West, South or North, the basic truth

should be in agreement.

It's something like a person remaining the same while changing his

clothing to suit the occasion. When he goes skiing, he doesn't wear his

business suit. When he goes to the office, he doesn't come with ski boots

on. Both these outfits are useless at a fancy wedding, and all three are

ruled out if he goes to the beach. But the person wearing the clothes

remains the same. In the same way, the truth in all the scriptures is the

same. But the presentation will vary.

If a teacher says, "Concentrate and meditate," or "Analyze your mind

and develop virtuous qualities in your life," all the scriptures of the

world should also say that. If I say, "In the name of Yoga, you can tell

ten lies every day. That is the modern Yoga. Believe me," you can always

ask, "Where is the proof?" I should be able to give a scriptural authority.

If I cannot, there is something wrong with me. That's why you need not just

believe and follow someone or something blindly. If you have any doubt,

refer to any holy book. "Has the Holy Scripture approved it?" If you find

it there also, then follow it.

So, by all these three ways we get valid knowledge. Of course,

whether it is valid or invalid, ultimately you have to set it aside to find

your peace. But before we push out all thoughts, we try to analyze them and

eliminate one set after another. We can't just throw everything into one

garbage pail. When I tried to do that once, the ashramites asked me not to.

They said, "Gurudev, you have to put the vegetables in one, the papers in

another and the bottles in still another one."

"Why?"

"The papers can be burnt but the vegetables go into the compost pile

for the garden." So, even in throwing out garbage, you can't just throw it

into one pail. You have to sort it so that later on it will be easier to

dispose of.

It is the same way with the mind. You are going to dispose of all the

thoughts as garbage, no doubt, whether they are good or bad, right or

wrong, so that the mind will be free from modifications. But before we come

to that, it makes it easier to dispose of them if we sort them first. Why?

Because we still have a little clinging. We can't just throw everything

away so easily. For example, when your wardrobe is too full you may say,

"I'll give these dresses to somebody." But by the time you take it to the

door your mind will say, "I think I should keep just this one." See? First

it's, "I'll throw out everything; I don't want these things." Then, when

your friend comes to take them you say, "Wait, wait, just leave this one

for me. I can use it for another year; let it be."

So we have to make use of this attitude. Your mental wardrobe is also

full. You want to throw something out, but you don't feel like just dumping

out everything. So you analyze, "This is painful; it's not necessary. But

these things seem to be nice; let them be." For the satisfaction of the

mind, we are trying to analyze how many kinds of thoughts there are. "Oh,

she is not going to empty me completely; at least she is giving something

back to me." The mind has to be tricked like that.

I still remember when I was a young boy; my mother used to feed me

and I would make a fuss: "No. I don't want it all."

"Oh, is this too much, son? All right, I won't give you all of it."

She would form all the rice into a flat disk and then cut a line across and

say, "See, I'm taking away half; you only have to eat the other half." So,

the other half would be pushed aside on the plate and she would feed me and

I would be satisfied. But while I was eating she would start telling me

nice stories, and before long the other half would also have vanished.

If by any chance I looked down at the plate before the whole thing

was empty and said, "Mother, you are feeding me more, I don't want it," she

would say, "All right, son, I'll take away this half." She said she would

take away half, no? She always took half from the remaining portion. That

is a trick in feeding a child.

The same trick can be used in emptying the mind of thoughts. Tell the

mind, "All right, you have that much and I'll take the rest away." After a

while say, "This also seems to be unwanted; let's take this away also." You

remove them little by little. That's why Patanjali is so careful in forming

the thoughts into different groups.