PATANJALI - YOGASUTRAS - CH-3 - VIBHUTI PAADHA - sutras 39, 40, 41 -

PATANJALI

YOGASUTRAS

CHAPTER-3

VIBHUTI PAADHA

Samyama is the process of seeing your multi faceted self, from different angles – and ultimately realizing all of them. In Samyama, we start with Dharana on a particular Goal – and therefore, all wisdom pertaining to that Goal and it extensions -  comes to the Sadhaka in Samyama. We have seen that process in earlier sutras upto 3.38 – and we are continuing with the same further here.

Vs.3.39

bandha kaarana shaithilyaat

prachaara samvedanaat cha

chittasya para sareera aveshah

Ø  bandha = bondage

Ø  kaarana = cause

Ø  shaithilyaat = destroying, loosening

Ø  prachaara = inside passages

Ø  samvedanaat = by knowing

Ø  cha = and

Ø  chittasya = of the mind-field

Ø  para =  other

Ø  sharira = body

Ø  aveshah = entering into

Let go of all the causes of bondage and attachment to the body and the mind and all external things. Acquire knowledge of the conduits or passages through which your mind functions - by Samyama on them ; thereby, you will acquire the ability to enter into any other body. You will know how to leave your own body and re-enter too; 

All limitations arise out of identification with limited objects like body and mind; You are neither the body nor the mind. But, how will you know it? You must perform samyama on your attachment to them. Your attachments extend to many things – like your home, your property, your wife, your children and so on. You must understand that these attachments are unreal. Go further and look upon your body; your attachment to the body is also unreal. 

None of these is You. Samyama on them proves to you that your identification with all of them need to be totally dropped. Then comes the mind itself – which is dropping all these.

Look at the conduits or passages through which the mind itself functions. They lead you from one thought to another to another – in a jumbled, incoherent, illogical, almost stupid manner. 

Is that you, any where there? No. But, when you follow the passages of the mind without any attachment, to either the passages or the thoughts being churned out in them, you acquire the capability to move into other bodies too and understand all that is happening in them. The mind has the ability to lead you into all the other beings. Your mind is such a good slave, if used as slave. But, if you are attached to it, it acts as your master.

How to achieve the mastery over the inner workings of the mind ?, An accomplished Guru can help the sadhaka  in achieving this. 

Is it akin to leaving the body and entering into another body – like the parakaya pravesa vidya, that some tantriks have talked about? Not necessarily. 

In parakaya pravesa vidya, as far as we understand it, one has to leave his own body and enter into just one another body.

But, in this sutra, the technique is to follow the passages of the mind, which literally extend  over – all living beings – and thereby  being consciously here and consciously there too. The concept is of the universal mind – a part of which is functioning in you – and the rest is functioning in all other beings. We must follow the passages of the mind within us – and eventually, they will lead us into all other bodies.

Vs. 40

Vudaana jayaat jala panka kantaka aadisu

asangah utkraantih cha

vudaana =  the upward flowing prana vayu in the body

jayaat = by mastering

jala = water

panka = mud

kantaka = thorn

aadisu = and others

asangah = without contact

utkrantih = rising

cha = and

By mastering the flow of vudaana vayu, which is the upward flowing vayu in the body, the yogi achieves cessation of contact with mire, water, thorns, and other such earthbound objects; he is able to achieve rising up above the earth, away from its gravitational pull. i.e., levitate the body above the earth in the air.

We are normally aware of the air entering into our nostrils and coming out of them.  This is prana vayu. But, yogis know many other vayus which circulate in different parts of our body and mind. Each vayu has a distinct purpose.

Each vayu is a carrier of a distinct type of energy. The prana vayu carries the prana energy. There is another vayu, called vudaana vayu, which is normally said to become active at the time of our death, to carry the sookshma and karana sareeras out of the body to their intended destination.

Vudaana vayu is upward mobile and is always present in the body. Its capabilities are also phenomenal.

When the sadhaka does samyama on the udaana vayu, he gains the capabilities of ceasing the gravitational pull in him and levitating in the air – away from earth, water and mire. It is probable that Birds have a firm udaana vayu control in them – allowing them to fly. This may be natural and unconscious in them. Each being is given an unconscious power that enables them to live in the way they are intended to.

In meditation, the sadhaka frequently feels his body becoming very light and almost floating in air. At that time, the vudaana vayu has become active. If he focuses on it and does  dharana  and dhyana on it, soon levitation  happens. Yogis are known to attain huge control on their vudaana vayu.

Vs.3.41

samaana jayaat prajvalanam

Ø  samaana = the prana vayu in the naval area

Ø  jayaat = by mastering

Ø  prajvalanam =  radiance

Samaana vayu is another important vayu among the five prana vayus. It enables the body to keep its balance in any position and is centred in the naval region.

Focusing on the samana vayu, the sadhaka can achieve great radiance in his self. His body will reflect it automatically. 

This also implies that his body health will be at its peak, when samaana vayu fires up all over the body, activating all organs. The nearest to it are the digestive organs – and the effect on them is immediate. The digestion and the cleansing both proceed very smoothly in the body. 

*  *  *  Continues  *  *  *