Chapter 14

"The dormant 'afflictions' are found in those souls which are absorbed in thetattvas[i.e., not embodied, but existing in an interval of mundane destruction]; the 'extenuated'[408]are found inyogins; but the 'intercepted' and the 'simple' in those who are in contact with worldly objects."

"No one proposes the fourth solution of the compoundavidyáas advandvacompound,[409]where both portions are equally predominant, because we cannot recognise here two equally independent subjects. Therefore under anyone of these three admissible alternatives[410]the common notion of ignorance as being the cause of the 'afflictions' would be overthrown."

[We do not, however, concede this objector's view], because we may have recourse to the other kind of negation calledparyudása[where the affirmative part is emphatic], and maintain thatavidyámeans a contradictory [orwrong] kind of knowledge, the reverse ofvidyá; and so it has been accepted by ancient writers. Thus it has been said—

"The particle implying 'negation' does not signify 'absence' [or 'non-existence'] when connected with a noun or a root; thus the wordsabráhmaṇaandadharmarespectively signify, 'what is other than a Bráhman' and 'what is contrary to justice.'"

And again—

"We are to learn all the uses of words from the custom of the ancient writers; therefore a word must not be wrested from the use in which it has been already employed."

Váchaspati also says,[411]"The connection of words and their meanings depends on general consent for its certainty; and since we occasionally see that atatpurushanegation, where the latter portion is properly predominant, may overpower the direct meaning of this latter portion by its contradiction of it, we conclude that even here too [inavidyá] the real meaning is something contrary tovidyá" [i.e., the negative "non-knowledge" becomes ultimately the positive "ignorance"[412]]. It is with a view to this that it is said in the Yoga Aphorisms [ii. 5], "Ignorance is the notion that the non-eternal, the impure, pain, and the non-soul are (severally) eternal, pure, pleasure, and soul."Viparyaya, "misconception," is defined as"the imagining of a thing in what is not that thing,"[413][i.e., in its opposite]; as, for instance, the imagining the "eternal" in a "non-eternal" thing,i.e., a jar, or the imagining the "pure" in the "impure" body,[414]when it has been declared by a proverbial couplet[415]—

"The wise recognise the body as impure, from its original place [the womb],—from its primal seed,—from its composition [of humours, &c.],—from perspiration,—from death [as even a Bráhman's body defiles],—and from the fact that it has to be made pure by rites."

So,—in accordance with the principle enounced in the aphorism (ii. 15), "To the discriminating everything is simply pain, through the pain which arises in the ultimate issue of everything,[416]or through the anxiety to secure it [while it is enjoyed], or through the latent impressions which it leaves behind, and also from the mutual opposition of the influences of the three qualities" [in the form of pleasure, pain, and stupid indifference],—ignorance transfers the idea of "pleasure" to what is really "pain," as,e.g., garlands, sandal-wood, women, &c.; and similarly it conceives the "non-soul,"e.g., the body, &c., as the "soul." As it has been said—

"But ignorance is when living beings transfer the notion of 'soul' to the 'non-soul,' as the body, &c.;"This causes bondage; but in the abolition thereof is liberation."

"But ignorance is when living beings transfer the notion of 'soul' to the 'non-soul,' as the body, &c.;

"This causes bondage; but in the abolition thereof is liberation."

Thus this ignorance consists of four kinds.[417]

But [it may be objected] in these four special kinds of ignorance should there not be given some general definition applying to them all, as otherwise their specialcharacteristics cannot be established? For thus it has been said by Bhaṭṭa Kumárila—

"'Without some general definition, a more special definition cannot be given by itself; therefore it must not be even mentioned here.'"

This, however, must not be urged here, as it is sufficiently met by the general definition of misconception, already adduced above, as "the imagining of a thing in its opposite."

"Egoism" (asmitá) is the notion that the two separate things, the soul and the quality of purity,[418]are one and the same, as is said (ii. 6), "Egoism is the identifying of the seer with the power of sight." "Desire" (rága) is a longing, in the shape of a thirst, for the means of enjoyment, preceded by the remembrance of enjoyment, on the part of one who has known joy. "Aversion" (dvesha) is the feeling of blame felt towards the means of pain, similarly preceded by the remembrance of pain, on the part of one who has known it. This is expressed in the two aphorisms, "Desire is what dwells on pleasure;" "Aversion is what dwells on pain" (ii. 7, 8).

Here a grammatical question may be raised, "Are we to consider this wordanuśayin('dwelling') as formed by thekṛitaffixṇiniin the sense of 'what is habitual,' or thetaddhitaaffixiniin the sense ofmatup? It cannot be the former, since the affixṇinicannot be used after a root compounded with a preposition asanuśí; for, as the wordsupihas already occurred in the Sútra, iii. 2, 4, and has been exerting its influence in the following sútras, this word must have been introduced a second time in the Sútra, iii. 2, 78,supy ajátau ṇinis táchchhílye,[419]on purpose to exclude prepositions, as these have no case terminations; and even if we did strain a point to allow them, still it would follow by the Sútra, vii. 2, 115,acho ñṇiti,[420]thatthe radical vowel must be subject tovṛiddhi, and so the word must beanuśáyin, in accordance with the analogy of such words asatiśáyin, &c. Nor is the latter view tenable (i.e., that it is thetaddhitaaffixini[421]), sinceiniis forbidden by the technical verse—

'These two affixes[422]are not used after a monosyllable nor akṛitformation, nor a word meaning 'genus,' nor with a word in the locative case;'

and the wordanuśayais clearly akṛitformation as it ends with the affixach[423][which brings it under this prohibition, and so renders it insusceptible of the affixini]. Consequently, the wordanuśayinin the Yoga aphorism is one the formation of which it is very hard to justify."[424]This cavil, however, is not to be admitted; since the rule is only to be understood as applying generally, not absolutely, as it does not refer to something of essential importance. Hence the author of the Vṛitti has said—

"The worditi, as implying the idea of popular acceptation, is everywhere connected with the examples of this rule[425][i.e., it is not an absolute law]."

Therefore, sometimes the prohibited cases are found, askáryin,káryika[where the affixes are added after akṛitformation],taṇḍulin,taṇḍulika[where they are added after a word meaning "genus"]. Hence the prohibition is only general, not absolute, afterkṛitformations and words meaning "genus," and therefore the use of the affixiniis justified, although the wordanuśayais formed by akṛitaffix. This doubt therefore is settled.

The fifth "affliction," called "tenacity of mundane existence" (abhiniveśa), is what prevails in the case of all living beings, from the worm up to the philosopher, springing up daily, without any immediate cause, in the form of a dread, "May I not be separated from the body, things sensible, &c.," through the force of the impression left by the experience of the pain of the deaths which were suffered in previous lives, this is proved by universal experience, since every individual has the wish, "May I not cease to be," "May I be." This is declared in the aphorism, "Tenacity of mundane existence, flowing on through its own nature, is notorious even in the case of the philosopher" [ii. 9]. These five, "ignorance," &c., are well known as the "afflictions" (kleśa), since they afflict the soul, as bringing upon it various mundane troubles.

[We next describe thekarmáśayaof ii. 12, the "stock of works" or "merits" in the mind.] "Works" (karman) consist of enjoined or forbidden actions, as thejyotishṭomasacrifice, bráhmanicide, &c. "Stock" (áśaya) is the balance of the fruits of previous works, which lie stored up in the mind in the form of "mental deposits" of merit or demerit, until they ripen in the individual soul's own experience as "rank," "years," and "enjoyment" [ii. 13].

Now "concentration" [yoga] consists [by i. 2] in "the suppression of the modifications of the thinking principle," which stops the operation of the "afflictions," &c.; and this "suppression" is not considered to be merely the non-existence of the modifications [i.e., a mere negation], because, if it were a mere negation, it could not produce positive impressions on the mind; but it is rather the site of this non-existence,[426]—a particular state of the thinking principle, called by the four names [which will be fully described hereafter],madhumatí,madhupratíká,viśoká, andsaṃskáraśeshatá. The wordnirodhathus corresponds to its etymological explanation as "that in which the modifications of the thinking principle, right notion, misconception,&c., are suppressed (nirudhyante). This suppression of the modifications is produced by "exercise" and "dispassion" [i. 12]. "Exercise is the repeated effort that the internal organ shall remain in its proper state" [i. 13]. This "remaining in its proper state" is a particular kind of development, whereby the thinking principle remains in its natural state, unaffected by those modifications which at different times assume the form of revealing, energising, and controlling.[427]"Exercise" is an effort directed to this, an endeavour again and again to reduce the internal organ to such a condition. The locative case,sthitau, in the aphorism is intended to express the object or aim, as in the well-known phrase, "He kills the elephant for its skin."[428]"Dispassion is the consciousness of having overcome desire in him who thirsts after neither the objects that are seen nor those that are heard of in revelation" [i. 15]. "Dispassion" is thus the reflection, "These objects are subject to me, not I to them," in one who feels no interest in the things of this world or the next, from perceiving the imperfections attached to them.

Now, in order to reduce the "afflictions" which hinder meditation and to attain meditation, theyoginmust first direct his attention to practical concentration, and "exercise" and "dispassion" are of especial use in its attainment. This has been said by Kṛishṇa in the Bhagavad Gítá [vi. 3]—

"Action is the means to the sage who wishes to rise toyoga;But to him who has risen to it, tranquillity is said to be the means."

"Action is the means to the sage who wishes to rise toyoga;

But to him who has risen to it, tranquillity is said to be the means."

Patañjali has thus defined the practicalyoga: "Practical concentration is mortification, recitation of texts, and resignation to the Lord" [ii. 1]. Yájñavalkya has described "mortification"—

"By the way prescribed in sacred rule, by the difficult chándráyaṇa fast, &c.,"Thus to dry up the body they call the highest of all mortifications."[429]

"By the way prescribed in sacred rule, by the difficult chándráyaṇa fast, &c.,

"Thus to dry up the body they call the highest of all mortifications."[429]

"Recitation of texts" is the repetition of the syllable Om, thegáyatrí, &c. Now thesemantrasare of two kinds, Vaidik and Tántrik. The Vaidik are also of two kinds, those chanted and those not chanted. Those chanted are thesámans; those not chanted are either in metre,i.e., theṛichas, or in prose,i.e., theyajúṃshi, as has been said by Jaimini,[430]"Of these, that is aṛichin which by the force of the sense there is a definite division intopádas[or portions of a verse]; the namesámanis applied to chanted portions; the wordyajusis applied to the rest." Thosemantrasare called Tántrik which are set forth in sacred books that are directed to topics of voluntary devotion;[431]and these are again threefold, as female, male, and neuter; as it has been said—

"Themantrasare of three kinds, as female, male, and neuter:"The female are those which end in the wife of fire (i.e., the exclamationsváhá); the neuter those which end innamas;"The rest are male, and considered the best. They are all-powerful in mesmerising another's will, &c."

"Themantrasare of three kinds, as female, male, and neuter:

"The female are those which end in the wife of fire (i.e., the exclamationsváhá); the neuter those which end innamas;

"The rest are male, and considered the best. They are all-powerful in mesmerising another's will, &c."

They are called "all-powerful" (siddha) because they counteract all defects in their performance, and produce their effect even when the ordinary consecrating ceremonies, as bathing, &c., have been omitted.

Now the peculiar "consecrating ceremonies" (saṃskára) are ten, and they have been thus described in theŚáradá-tilaka—

"There are said to be ten preliminary ceremonies which give tomantrasefficacy:"These mantras are thus made complete; they are thoroughly consecrated."The 'begetting,' the 'vivifying,' the 'smiting,' the 'awakening,'"The 'sprinkling,' the 'purifying,' the 'fattening,'"The 'satisfying,' the 'illumining,' the 'concealing,'—these are the ten consecrations ofmantras."The 'begetting' (janana) is the extracting of themantrafrom its vowels and consonants."The wise man should mutter the several letters of themantra, each united to Om,"According to the number of the letters. This they call the 'vivifying' (jívana)."Having written the letters of themantra, let him smite each with sandal-water,"Uttering at each the mystic 'seed' of air.[432]This is called the 'smiting' (táḍana)."Having written the letters of themantra, let him strike them with oleander flowers,"Each enumerated with a letter. This is called the 'awakening' (bodhana)."Let the adept, according to the ritual prescribed in his own specialtantra,"Sprinkle the letters, according to their number, with leaves of the Ficus religiosa. This is the 'sprinkling' (abhisheka)."Having meditated on themantrain his mind, let him consume by thejyotir-mantra"The threefold impurity of themantra. This is the 'purification' (vimalí-karaṇa)."The utterance of thejyotir-mantra, together with Om, and themantrasof Vyoman and Agni,"And the sprinkling of every letter with water from a bunch of kuśa grass,"With the mystical seed of water[433]duly muttered,—this is held to be the 'fattening' (ápyáyana)."The satiating libation over themantrawithmantra-hallowed water is the 'satisfying' (tarpaṇa)."The joining of themantrawith Om and the 'seeds' of Máyá[434]and Ramá[435]is called its 'illumining' (dípana)."The non-publication of themantrawhich is being muttered—this is its 'concealing' (gopana)."These ten consecrating ceremonies are kept close in alltantras;"And the adept who practises them according to the tradition obtains his desire;"Andruddha,kílita,vichhinna,supta,śapta, and the rest,"All these faults in themantrarites are abolished by these excellent consecrations."

"There are said to be ten preliminary ceremonies which give tomantrasefficacy:

"These mantras are thus made complete; they are thoroughly consecrated.

"The 'begetting,' the 'vivifying,' the 'smiting,' the 'awakening,'

"The 'sprinkling,' the 'purifying,' the 'fattening,'

"The 'satisfying,' the 'illumining,' the 'concealing,'—these are the ten consecrations ofmantras.

"The 'begetting' (janana) is the extracting of themantrafrom its vowels and consonants.

"The wise man should mutter the several letters of themantra, each united to Om,

"According to the number of the letters. This they call the 'vivifying' (jívana).

"Having written the letters of themantra, let him smite each with sandal-water,

"Uttering at each the mystic 'seed' of air.[432]This is called the 'smiting' (táḍana).

"Having written the letters of themantra, let him strike them with oleander flowers,

"Each enumerated with a letter. This is called the 'awakening' (bodhana).

"Let the adept, according to the ritual prescribed in his own specialtantra,

"Sprinkle the letters, according to their number, with leaves of the Ficus religiosa. This is the 'sprinkling' (abhisheka).

"Having meditated on themantrain his mind, let him consume by thejyotir-mantra

"The threefold impurity of themantra. This is the 'purification' (vimalí-karaṇa).

"The utterance of thejyotir-mantra, together with Om, and themantrasof Vyoman and Agni,

"And the sprinkling of every letter with water from a bunch of kuśa grass,

"With the mystical seed of water[433]duly muttered,—this is held to be the 'fattening' (ápyáyana).

"The satiating libation over themantrawithmantra-hallowed water is the 'satisfying' (tarpaṇa).

"The joining of themantrawith Om and the 'seeds' of Máyá[434]and Ramá[435]is called its 'illumining' (dípana).

"The non-publication of themantrawhich is being muttered—this is its 'concealing' (gopana).

"These ten consecrating ceremonies are kept close in alltantras;

"And the adept who practises them according to the tradition obtains his desire;

"Andruddha,kílita,vichhinna,supta,śapta, and the rest,

"All these faults in themantrarites are abolished by these excellent consecrations."

But enough of this venturing to make public thetantramysteries connected withmantras, which has suddenly led us astray like an unexpected Bacchanalian dance.[436]

The third form of practicalyoga, "resignation to the Lord" (íśvara-praṇidhána), is the consigning all one's works, whether mentioned or not, without regard to fruit, to the Supreme Lord, the Supremely Venerable. As it has been said—

"Whatever I do, good or bad, voluntary or involuntary,"That is all made over to thee; I act as impelled by thee."

"Whatever I do, good or bad, voluntary or involuntary,

"That is all made over to thee; I act as impelled by thee."

This self-resignation is also sometimes defined as "the surrender of the fruits of one's actions," and is thus a peculiar kind of faith, since most men act only with a selfish regard to the fruit. Thus it is sung in the Bhagavad Gítá [ii. 47]—

"Let thy sole concern be with action and never with the fruits;"Be not attracted by the fruit of the action, nor be thou attached to inaction."

"Let thy sole concern be with action and never with the fruits;

"Be not attracted by the fruit of the action, nor be thou attached to inaction."

The harmfulness of aiming at the fruit of an action has been declared by the venerable Nílakaṇṭha-bháratí—

"Even a penance accomplished by great effort, but vitiated by desire,"Produces only disgust in the Great Lord, like milk which has been licked by a dog."

"Even a penance accomplished by great effort, but vitiated by desire,

"Produces only disgust in the Great Lord, like milk which has been licked by a dog."

Now this prescribed practice of mortification, recitation, and resignation is itself calledyoga, because it is a means for producingyoga, this being an instance of the function of words called "superimponent pure Indication," as in the well-known example, "Butter is longevity." "Indication" is the establishing of another meaning of a word from the incompatibility of its principal meaning with the rest of the sentence, and from the connection of this new meaning with the former; it is twofold, as founded on notoriety or on a motive. This has been declared in theKávya-prakáśa[ii. 9]—

"When, in consequence of the incompatibility of the principal meaning of a word, and yet in connection with it, another meaning is indicated through notoriety or a motive, this is 'Indication,' the superadded function of the word."

Now the word "this" [i.e.,tatin the neuter, which the neuteryatin the extract would have naturally led us to expect instead of the femininesá] would have signified some neuter word, like "implying," which is involved as a subordinate part of the verb "is indicated." Butsáis used in the feminine [by attraction to agree withlakshaṇá], "this is indication,"i.e., the neuter "this" is put in the feminine through its dependence on the predicate. This has been explained by Kaiyaṭa, "Of those pronouns which imply the identity of the subject and the predicate, the former takes the gender of the former, the latter of the latter."[437]Now "expert (kuśala) in business" is an example of Indication from notoriety; for the wordkuśala, which issignificant in its parts by being analysed etymologically askuśaṃ+láti, "one who gathers kuśa grass for the sacrifice," is here employed to mean "expert" through the relation of a similarity in character, as both are persons of discernment; and this does not need a motive any more than Denotation does, since each is the using a word in its recognised conventional sense in accordance with the immemorial tradition of the elders. Hence it has been said—

"Some instances of 'indication' are known by notoriety from their immediate significance, just as is the case in 'denotation' [the primary power of a word]."

Therefore indication based on notoriety has no regard to any motive. Although a word, when it is employed, first establishes its principal meaning, and then by that meaning a second meaning is subsequently indicated, and so indication belongs properly to the principal meaning and not to the word; still, since it is superadded to the word which originally established the primary meaning, it is called [improperly by metonymy] a function of the word. It was with a view to this that the author of the Kávya-prakáśa used the expression, "This is 'Indication,' the superadded function of the word." But the indication based on a motive is of six kinds: 1. inclusive indication,[438]as "the lances enter" [where we really mean "menwiththe lances"]; 2. indicative indication, as "the benches shout" [where the spectators are meantwithoutthe benches]; 3. qualified[439]superimponent indication, as "the man of the Panjáb is an ox" [here the object is not swallowed up in the simile]; 4. qualified introsusceptive indication, as "that ox" [here the man is swallowed up in the simile]; 5. pure superimponent indication, as "ghíis life;" 6. pureintrosusceptive indication, as "verily this is life." This has been all explained in the Kávya-prakáśa [ii. 10-12]. But enough of this churning of the depths of rhetorical discussions.

Thisyogahas been declared to have eight things ancillary to it (aṅga); these are the forbearances, religious observances, postures, suppression of the breath, restraint, attention, contemplation, and meditation [ii. 29]. Patañjali says, "Forbearance consists in not wishing to kill, veracity, not stealing, continence, not coveting" [ii. 30]. "Religious observances are purifications, contentment, mortification, recitation of texts, and resignation to the Lord" [ii. 32]; and these are described in the Vishṇu Puráṇa [vi. 7, 36-38]—

"The sage who brings his mind into a fit state for attaining Brahman, practises, void of all desire,"Continence, abstinence from injury, truth, non-stealing, and non-coveting;"Self-controlled, he should practise recitation of texts, purification, contentment, and austerity,"And then he should make his mind intent on the Supreme Brahman."These are respectively called the five 'forbearances' and the five 'religious observances;'"They bestow excellent rewards when done through desire of reward, and eternal liberation to those void of desire."

"The sage who brings his mind into a fit state for attaining Brahman, practises, void of all desire,

"Continence, abstinence from injury, truth, non-stealing, and non-coveting;

"Self-controlled, he should practise recitation of texts, purification, contentment, and austerity,

"And then he should make his mind intent on the Supreme Brahman.

"These are respectively called the five 'forbearances' and the five 'religious observances;'

"They bestow excellent rewards when done through desire of reward, and eternal liberation to those void of desire."

"A 'posture' is what is steady and pleasant" [ii. 46]; it is of ten kinds, as thepadma,bhadra,víra,svastika,daṇḍaka,sopáśraya,paryaṅka,krauñchanishadana,ushṭranishadana,samasaṃsthána. Yájñavalkya has described each of them in the passage which commences—

"Let him hold fast his two great toes with his two hands, but in reverse order,"Having placed the soles of his feet, O chief of Bráhmans, on his thighs;"This will be thepadmaposture, held in honour by all."

"Let him hold fast his two great toes with his two hands, but in reverse order,

"Having placed the soles of his feet, O chief of Bráhmans, on his thighs;

"This will be thepadmaposture, held in honour by all."

The descriptions of the others must be sought in that work.—When this steadiness of posture has been attained, "regulation of the breath" is practised, and this consists in "a cutting short of the motion of inspiration and expiration" [ii. 49]. Inspiration is the drawing in of the external air; expiration is the expelling of the air within the body; and "regulation of the breath" is the cessation of activity in both movements. "But [it may be objected] this cannot be accepted as a general definition of 'regulation of breath,' since it fails to apply to the special kinds, asrechaka,púraka, andkumbhaka." We reply that there is here no fault in the definition, since the "cutting short of the motion of inspiration and expiration" is found in all these special kinds. Thusrechaka, which is the expulsion of the air within the body, is only that regulation of the breath, which has been mentioned before as "expiration;" andpúraka, which is the [regulated] retention of the external air within the body, is the "inspiration;" andkumbhakais the internal suspension of breathing, when the vital air, calledpráṇa, remains motionless like water in a jar (kumbha). Thus the "cutting short of the motion of inspiration and expiration" applies to all, and consequently the objector's doubt is needless.

Now this air, beginning from sunrise, remains twoghaṭikásand a half[440]in each artery[441](náḍi), like the revolving buckets on a waterwheel.[442]Thus in the course of a day and night there are produced 21,600 inspirationsand expirations. Hence it has been said by those who know the secret of transmitting themantras, concerning the transmission of theajapámantra[443]—

"Six hundred to Gaṇeśa, six thousand to the self-existent Brahman,"Six thousand to Vishṇu, six thousand to Śiva,"One thousand to the Guru (Bṛihaspati), one thousand to the Supreme Soul,"And one thousand to the soul: thus I make over the performed muttering."

"Six hundred to Gaṇeśa, six thousand to the self-existent Brahman,

"Six thousand to Vishṇu, six thousand to Śiva,

"One thousand to the Guru (Bṛihaspati), one thousand to the Supreme Soul,

"And one thousand to the soul: thus I make over the performed muttering."

So at the time of the passing of the air through the arteries, the elements, earth, &c., must be understood, according to their different colours, by those who wish to obtain the highest good. This has been thus explained by the wise—

"Let each artery convey the air twoghaṭísand a half from sunrise."There is a continual resemblance of the two arteries[444]to the buckets on a revolving waterwheel."Nine hundred inspirations and expirations of the air take place [in the hour],"And all combined produce the total of twenty-one thousand six hundred in a day and night."The time that is spent in uttering thirty-sixguṇaletters,[445]"That time elapses while the air passes along in the interval between two arteries."There are five elements in each of the two conducting arteries,—"They bear it along day and night; these are to be known by the self-restrained."Fire bears above, water below; air moves across;"Earth in the half-hollow; ether moves everywhere."They bear along in order,—air, fire, water, earth, ether;"This is to be known in its due order in the two conducting arteries."Thepalas[446]of earth are fifty, of water forty,"Of fire thirty, of air twenty, of ether ten."This is the amount of time taken for the bearing; but the reason that the two arteries are so disturbed"Is that earth has five properties,[447]water four,"Fire has three, air two, and ether one."There are tenpalasfor each property; hence earth has fiftypalas,"And each, from water downwards, loses successively. Now the five properties of earth"Are odour, savour, colour, tangibility, and audibleness; and these decrease one by one."The two elements, earth and water, produce their fruit by the influence of 'quiet,'"But fire, air, and ether by the influence of 'brightness,' 'restlessness,' and 'immensity.'[448]"The characteristic signs of earth, water, fire, air, and ether are now declared;—"Of the first steadfastness of mind; through the coldness of the second arises desire;"From the third anger and grief; from the fourth fickleness of mind;"From the fifth the absence of any object, or mental impressions of latent merit."Let the devotee place his thumbs in his ears, and a middle finger in each nostril,"And the little finger and the one next to it in the corners of his mouth, and the two remaining fingers in the corners of his eyes,"Then there will arise in due order the knowledge of the earth and the other elements within him,"The first four by yellow, white, dark red, and dark blue spots,[449]—the ether has no symbol."

"Let each artery convey the air twoghaṭísand a half from sunrise.

"There is a continual resemblance of the two arteries[444]to the buckets on a revolving waterwheel.

"Nine hundred inspirations and expirations of the air take place [in the hour],

"And all combined produce the total of twenty-one thousand six hundred in a day and night.

"The time that is spent in uttering thirty-sixguṇaletters,[445]

"That time elapses while the air passes along in the interval between two arteries.

"There are five elements in each of the two conducting arteries,—

"They bear it along day and night; these are to be known by the self-restrained.

"Fire bears above, water below; air moves across;

"Earth in the half-hollow; ether moves everywhere.

"They bear along in order,—air, fire, water, earth, ether;

"This is to be known in its due order in the two conducting arteries.

"Thepalas[446]of earth are fifty, of water forty,

"Of fire thirty, of air twenty, of ether ten.

"This is the amount of time taken for the bearing; but the reason that the two arteries are so disturbed

"Is that earth has five properties,[447]water four,

"Fire has three, air two, and ether one.

"There are tenpalasfor each property; hence earth has fiftypalas,

"And each, from water downwards, loses successively. Now the five properties of earth

"Are odour, savour, colour, tangibility, and audibleness; and these decrease one by one.

"The two elements, earth and water, produce their fruit by the influence of 'quiet,'

"But fire, air, and ether by the influence of 'brightness,' 'restlessness,' and 'immensity.'[448]

"The characteristic signs of earth, water, fire, air, and ether are now declared;—

"Of the first steadfastness of mind; through the coldness of the second arises desire;

"From the third anger and grief; from the fourth fickleness of mind;

"From the fifth the absence of any object, or mental impressions of latent merit.

"Let the devotee place his thumbs in his ears, and a middle finger in each nostril,

"And the little finger and the one next to it in the corners of his mouth, and the two remaining fingers in the corners of his eyes,

"Then there will arise in due order the knowledge of the earth and the other elements within him,

"The first four by yellow, white, dark red, and dark blue spots,[449]—the ether has no symbol."

When the element air is thus comprehended and its restraint is accomplished, the evil influence of works which concealed discriminating knowledge is destroyed [ii. 52]; hence it has been said—

"There is no austerity superior to regulation of the breath."[450]

And again—

"As the dross of metals, when they are melted, is consumed,"So the serpents of the senses are consumed by regulation of the breath."[451]

"As the dross of metals, when they are melted, is consumed,

"So the serpents of the senses are consumed by regulation of the breath."[451]

Now in this way, having his mind purified by the "forbearances" and the other things subservient to concentration, the devotee is to attain "self-mastery" (saṃyama)[452]and "restraint" (pratyáhára). "Restraint" is the accommodation of the senses, as the eye, &c., to the nature of the mind,[453]which is intent on the soul's unaltered nature, while they abandon all concernment with their own several objects, which might excite desire or anger or stupid indifference. This is expressed by the etymology of the word; the senses are drawn to it (á+hṛi), away from them (pratípa).

"But is it not the mind which is then intent upon the soul and not the senses, since these are only adapted for external objects, and therefore have no power for this supposed action? How, therefore, could they be accommodatedto the nature of the mind?" What you say is quite true; and therefore the author of the aphorisms, having an eye to their want of power for this, introduced the words "as it were," to express "resemblance." "Restraint is, as it were, the accommodation of the senses to the nature of the mind in the absence of concernment with each one's own object" [ii. 54]. Their absence of concernment with their several objects for the sake of being accommodated to the nature of the mind is this "resemblance" which we mean. Since, when the mind is restrained, the eye, &c., are restrained, no fresh effort is to be expected from them, and they follow the mind as bees follow their king. This has been declared in the Vishṇu-puráṇa [vi. 7, 43, 44]—

"Let the devotee, restraining his organs of sense, which ever tend to pursue external objects,"Himself intent on restraint, make them conformable to the mind;"By this is effected the entire subjugation of the unsteady senses;"If they are not controlled, theyoginwill not accomplish hisyoga."[454]

"Let the devotee, restraining his organs of sense, which ever tend to pursue external objects,

"Himself intent on restraint, make them conformable to the mind;

"By this is effected the entire subjugation of the unsteady senses;

"If they are not controlled, theyoginwill not accomplish hisyoga."[454]

"Attention" (dháraṇá) is the fixing the mind, by withdrawing it from all other objects, on some place, whether connected with the internal self, as the circle of the navel, the lotus of the heart, the top of thesushumṇáartery, &c., or something external, as Prajápati, Vásava, Hiraṇyagarbha, &c. This is declared by the aphorism, "'Attention' is the fixing the mind on a place" [iii. 1]; and so, too, say the followers of the Puráṇas—

"By regulation of breath having controlled the air, and by restraint the senses,"Let him next make the perfect asylum the dwelling-place of his mind."[455]

"By regulation of breath having controlled the air, and by restraint the senses,

"Let him next make the perfect asylum the dwelling-place of his mind."[455]

The continual flow of thought in this place, resting on the object to be contemplated, and avoiding all incongruous thoughts, is "contemplation" (dhyána); thus it is said, "A course of uniform thought there, is 'contemplation'" [iii. 2]. Others also have said—

"A continued succession of thoughts, intent on objects of that kind and desiring no other,"This is 'contemplation,'—it is thus effected by the first six of the ancillary things."

"A continued succession of thoughts, intent on objects of that kind and desiring no other,

"This is 'contemplation,'—it is thus effected by the first six of the ancillary things."

We incidentally, in elucidating something else, discussed the remaining eighth ancillary thing, "meditation" (samádhi, see p. 243). By this practice of the ancillary means ofyoga, pursued for a long time with uninterrupted earnestness, the "afflictions" which hinder meditation are abolished, and through "exercise" and "dispassion" the devotee attains to the perfections designated by the names Madhumatí and the rest.

"But why do you needlessly frighten us with unknown and monstrous words from the dialects of Karṇáṭa, Gauḍa,[456]and Láṭa?"[457]We do not want to frighten you, but rather to gratify you by explaining the meaning of these strange words; therefore let the reader who is so needlessly alarmed listen to us with attention.

i. TheMadhumatíperfection,—this is the perfection of meditation, called "the knowledge which holds to the truth," consisting in the illumination of unsullied purity by means of the contemplation of "goodness," composed of the manifestation of joy, with every trace of "passion" or "darkness" abolished by "exercise," "dispassion," &c. Thus it is said in the aphorisms, "In that case there is the knowledge which holds to the truth" [i. 48]. It holds "to the truth,"i.e., to the real; it is never overshadowed by error. "In that case,"i.e., when firmly established, there arises this knowledge to the second yogin. For theyoginsor devotees to the practice ofyogaare well known to be of four kinds, viz.,—

i. Thepráthamakalpika, in whom the light has just entered,[458]but, as it has been said, "he has not won the light which consists in the power of knowing another's thoughts, &c.;" 2. Themadhubhúmika, who possesses the knowledge which holds to the truth; 3. Theprajñájyotis, who has subdued the elements and the senses; 4. Theatikránta-bhávaníya, who has attained the highest dispassion.

ii. TheMadhupratíkáperfections are swiftness like thought, &c. These are declared to be "swiftness like thought, the being without organs, and the conquest of nature" [iii. 49]. "Swiftness like thought" is the attainment by the body of exceeding swiftness of motion, like thought; "the being without bodily organs"[459]is the attainment by the senses, irrespective of the body, of powers directed to objects in any desired place or time; "the conquest of nature" is the power of controlling all the manifestations of nature. These perfections appear to the full in the third kind of yogin, from the subjugation by him of the five senses and their essential conditions.[460]These perfections are severally sweet, each one by itself, as even a particle of honey is sweet, and therefore the second state is calledMadhupratíká[i.e., that whose parts are sweet].

iii. TheViśokáperfection consists in the supremacy over all existences, &c. This is said in the aphorisms, "To him who possesses, to the exclusion of all other ideas, the discriminative knowledge of the quality of goodness and the soul, arises omniscience and the supremacy over all existences" [iii. 50]. The "supremacy over all existences" is the overcoming like a master all entities, as these are but the developments of the quality of "goodness" in the mind [the other qualities of "passion" and"darkness" being already abolished], and exist only in the form of energy and the objects to be energised upon.[461]The discriminative knowledge of them, as existing in the modes "subsided," "emerged," or "not to be named,"[462]is "omniscience." This is said in the aphorisms [i. 36], "Or a luminous immediate cognition, free from sorrow[463][may produce steadiness of mind]."

iv. TheSaṃskáraśeshatástate is also calledasaṃprajñáta,i.e., "that meditation in which distinct recognition of an object is lost;" it is that meditation "without a seed" [i.e., without any object] which is able to stop the "afflictions" that produce fruits to be afterwards experienced in the shape of rank, length of life, and enjoyment; and this meditation belongs to him who, in the cessation of all modifications of the internal organ, has reached the highest "dispassion." "The other kind of meditation [i.e., that in which distinct recognition of an object is lost] is preceded by that exercise of thought which produces the entire cessation of modifications; it has nothing left but the latent impressions" [of thought after the departure of all objects] [i.e.,saṃskáraśesha, i. 18]. Thus this foremost of men, being utterly passionless towards everything, finds that the seeds of the "afflictions," like burned rice-grains, are bereft of the power to germinate, and they are abolished together with the internal organ. When these are destroyed, there ensues, through the full maturity of his unclouded "discriminative knowledge," an absorption of all causes and effects into the primalprakṛiti; and the soul, which is the power of pure intelligence, abiding in its own real nature, and escaped from all connection with the phenomenal understanding (buddhi), or with existence, reaches "absolute isolation" (kaivalya). Final liberation is described by Patañjali as two perfections: "Absolute isolation is the repressive absorption[464]of the 'qualities' which have consummatedthe ends of the soul,i.e., enjoyment and liberation, or the abiding of the power of intelligence in its own nature" [iv. 33]. Nor should any one object, "Why, however, should not the individual be born again even though this should have been attained?" for that is settled by the well-known principle that "with the cessation of the cause the effect ceases," and therefore this objection is utterly irrelevant, as admitting neither inquiry nor decision; for otherwise, if the effect could arise even in the absence of the cause, we should have blind men finding jewels, and such like absurdities; and the popular proverb for the impossible would become a possibility. And so, too, says the Śruti, "A blind man found a jewel; one without fingers seized it; one without a neck put it on; and a dumb man praised it."[465]

Thus we see that, like the authoritative treatises on medicine, the Yoga-śástra consists of four divisions; as those on medicine treat of disease, its cause, health, and medicine, so the Yoga-śástra also treats of phenomenal existence, its cause, liberation, and its cause. This existence of ours, full of pain, is what is to be escaped from; the connection of nature and the soul is the cause of our having to experience this existence; the absolute abolition of this connection is the escape; and right insight is the cause thereof.[466]The same fourfold division is to be similarly traced as the case may be in other Śástras also. Thus all has been made clear.

The system of Śaṅkara, which comes next in succession, and which is the crest-gem of all systems, has been explained by us elsewhere; it is therefore left untouched here.[467]

E. B. C.

NOTE ON THE YOGA.

There is an interesting description of the Yogins on the Mountain Raivataka in Mágha (iv. 55):—

"There the votaries of meditation, well skilled in benevolence (maitrí) and those other purifiers of the mind,—having successfully abolished the 'afflictions' and obtained the 'meditation possessed of a seed,' and having reached that knowledge which recognises the essential difference between the quality Goodness and the Soul,—desire yet further to repress even this ultimate meditation."

It is curious to notice thatmaitrí, which plays such a prominent part in Buddhism, is counted in the Yoga as only a preliminary condition from which the votary is to take, as it were, his first start towards his final goal. It is called aparikarman(=prasádhaka) in Vyása's Comm. i. 33 (cf. iii. 22), whence the term is borrowed by Mágha. Bhoja expressly says that this purifying process is an external one, and not an intimate portion of yoga itself; just as in arithmetic the operations of addition, &c., are valuable, not in themselves, but as aids in effecting the more important calculations which arise subsequently. The Yoga seems directly to allude to Buddhism in this marked depreciation of its cardinal virtue.

NOTE ON P. 237, LAST LINE.

For the wordvyákopain the original here (see also p. 242, l. 3infra), cf. Kusumáñjali, p. 6, l. 7.

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