PATANJALI
YOGA SUTRAS
CHAPTER-4
KAIVALYA PAADHA
KAIVALYA PAADHA essentially deals with how
the state of Samadhi transforms us. It
is a pointer to its essential characteristics. The following sutras deal with (i)
the mind function in respect of external objects (ii) the independence of
objects from the mind (iii) the coloured mind and perception of objects and (iv)
the witnessing Purusha who the lord of the mind
Vs.4.15
vastu saamye chitta bhedaat
tayoh vibhaktah panthaah
Ø vastu = a real, existing object
Ø saamye = sameness
Ø chitta bhedaat = diversity of minds
Ø tayoh = their
Ø vibhaktah = separation
Ø panthaah = levels or ways perception
Objects are existing independent of the minds
that perceive them. But, our perception of these objects depends entirely on
our different mindsets.
Each person perceiving the same object, perceives
it differently because their mindsets
have grown in different circumstances with differing perceptional abilities.
What this means is – individuals differ in their
perceptions of any external object. But, the object being perceived by the
different minds is the same. This means, minds and objects have different
qualities. A doctor, an artist and a lover do not see the same person in the
same way. Doctor sees the physical health and ill-health aspects, artist sees
the beauty of the person from his view-point and the lover’s eyes can’t see
anything ugly in the person.
We often wonder why we have so many views on the
same incident. A murder has happened. Someone tries to justify it as an accident.
Someone sympathizes with the murderer. Someone looks at the murdered person’s
body with mere curiosity. Someone turns his face away from the dead body. But, the murdered person’s wife and kith and
kin fall on the body and weep profusely and demand justice. The brother of the
murdered person’s wife may pick up a knife himself and go after the murderers. Perceptions
and responses differ from mindset to mindset – due to the division of the ways
of perception. We are all different in our MINDSETS. We all differ in our
perceptions. But, external objects, happenings are same. Patanjali is offering
us a psychological explanation of why the turmoil and diffwerences in the
world.
Vs. 4.16
na cha eka chitta tantram ched
vastu tat pramaanakam tadaa kim syaat
Ø na = not
Ø cha = and
Ø eka = single
Ø chitta = mind
Ø tantram = dependent
Ø ched = if
Ø vastu = a real object
Ø thath = that
Ø apramanakam = not cognized
Ø tadaa = then
Ø kim = what
Ø syat = exists, becomes
The objects themselves are independent of the
perceiving minds. Whether any mindset perceives it or not is immaterial for the
object.
The trees grow. The flowers bloom. The fruits
ripen. The stone lies still. The rains fall. Nothing that exists or happens
depends on the human mind’s perception.
There is a section of people that whatever is not
perceived by human mind does not exist. Patanjali is hitting out at this
argument.
What will happen, if only our perceptions are
creating the external reality. Then, nothing exists when we sleep. Even our
parents come to exist only when open our eyes in the morning. The Sun, the
moon, the earth we slept on – all become reality only when we perceive them
after awakening.
This does not stand the test of reality. REALITY
exists independent of our perception. And, as we saw in previous sutra, our
perceptions of reality are hugely different from reality and are based on our
limited, differing perceptual capabilities.
Vs. 4.17
tat uparaaga apeksitvaat
chittasya vastu jnaata ajnaatam
Ø tat = these
Ø uparaaga = coloring
Ø apeksitvaat = due to the need
Ø chittasya = of the mind
Ø vastu = a real object
Ø jnaata = known
Ø ajnaatam = unknown
As earlier seen by us, objects exist independent of the mind. But,
whether we will know them or not depends upon whether we perceive them or not –
and when we perceive them, how we perceive them.
Our perceptions are coloured. They are conditioned by many, many
factors connected with our upbringing and professions. Our minds never remain
uncoloured.
When a vegetarian sees a cock, he looks at its majestic walk and its
handsome gait. A non-vegetarian may only think of its weight in terms of its
meat. A wood cutter looks at a tree for
its wood content. An environmentalist will think of how much oxygen it is
giving us, the human beings.
A yogi looks at every woman as a mother. A sexist may look at every woman
as a sex object. Every human being’s perceptions are coloured and conditioned
by their background.
Whether
we will know the object itself, and how much of it’s reality we will know, depends on these factors.
Vs. 4.18
Sadaa jnaathaaschitta vruttayastath
prabhoh purushasyaa
pasrinaamitvaath
Ø sada = always
Ø jnatah = known
Ø chitta = of the mind-field
Ø vrittayah = activities, modifications of mind-field
Ø thath = their
Ø prabhu = master
Ø purushasya = pure consciousness
Ø
aparinaamitvat
= un-changing nature
The
mind is never constant. It is ever-changing.
Our thoughts, ideas, perceptions are always changing. These are the
modifications of our mind.
But,
behind these modifications, there is an unchanging PURUSHA, the pure
consciousness, who is the watcher of all these modifications. The Purusha is
the constant witness of the mind and its modifications. The Purusha is superior
to and is the master of the Chitta.
In other words, always two things are happening simultaneously in
us. At one level, within the mind is a constant stream of ever-changing
thoughts, emotions, ideas, desires and so on. Behind all this changes in the
mind – there is a witnessing soul – the Purusha, who is changeless and permanent. It is only against this
unchanging background of the Purusha, that all changes can occur in the mind.
This
unchanging Purusha is the lord, the pure consciousness, the real ruler of the
mind-stuff. And, he does it merely by witnessing and not participating.
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