Book 4: On
Emancipation (Kaivalya Pada)
1- The evolutive process of incarnation (Exoterically);
esoterically : principles of Kriya-Yoga, yogic means of creating and
controlling life forms (1-6)
The Supernatural Powers (siddhayaḥ) come with 1- birth (janma),
2- or by means of herbs (auṣadhi), 3- or mantras, austerities (tapas) 4- or
perfect contemplation (samādhi)
The transformation (pariṇāmaḥ) into other species (jāti) is accomplished through
the filling in of their essential nature (prakṛti).
Cause (nimittam) does not set the
essential natures (prakṛtīnām) into motion (aprayojakam) but it breaks down the barrier (varaṇa). The
created (nirmāṇa) minds (cittāni)
are produced from the pure (mātrāt) I-sense (asmitā). Of
these created minds, those
brought about through meditation (dhyāna) are
without any latent impressions (āśayam).
2- The practical nature of Karma, factors underlying mechanisms of
re-birth (7-11)
The action (karma) of a Yogī is neither white (aśukla)
nor black (akṛṣṇam), while those of others are of three kinds., hence four kinds in
all: 1- black: wicked; 2-black-white mixed: causing pain to, or acting kindly
towards others; 3-white: those who resort to the means of improvement of study
and meditation; 4- nor white Nor black: the Sannyasis, afflictions have been
destroyed, present body is the last one.
From the three kinds of
action there is manifestation (abhivyaktiḥ)
of Vāsanās suitable (anuguṇānām) to their
consequences (vipāka).
Vāsanās: latent
impressions of "feelings" produced by birth, life-span and experience
of pleasure and pain. (aroma) are residual potencies, the vehicles.
Karmāśaya: latent
impressions, arises out of "actions" or karma and not out of feelings
like the former.
Saṁskāra: commonly used to designate "latent
impressions" in general.
Because of similarity (ekarūpatvāt) between memory (smṛti)
and latent impressions (saṁskārayoḥ), there
is immediate (ānantaryam) emergence of Vāsanās even though
separated (vyavahitānām) by birth (jāti), space or position (deśa)
and time (kāla).
Seeing that the desire for self-welfare (āśiṣaḥ) is
eternal (nityatvāt), those Vāsanās from which it
emerges are also beginningless (anāditvam). Since
(Vāsanā) is held together (saṅgṛhītatvāt) by :
1- cause (hetu), 2- fruit or result (phala), 3-refuge (āśraya) and 4- support, or the
supporting object which attracts Vāsanā (ālambanaiḥ),
in the absence (abhāve) of them, there is also absence (abhāvaḥ) of that Vāsanā.
The cause :-By
virtue comes pleasure, by vice pain. From pleasure comes attachment ; from pain
aversion. Thence comes effort. Thereby, acting by mind, body and speech, one
either favours or injures others. hence come again virtue and vice, pleasure
and pain, attachment and aversion. Thus it is that revolves the six-spoken
wheel of the world. And the driver of this wheel is Nescience, the root of the
afflictions. This is the Cause.
3- Temporal aspect of the nature of manifested reality (12-14)
Past (atīta) and
future (anāgatam) exist (asti) in their
essential forms (sva-rūpataḥ). The difference is only in the
characteristics of the forms (dharmāṇām) at different (bhedāt)
times or phases --i.e. past, present and future (adhva). The
future is the manifestation which is to be. The past is the appearance which
has been experienced. The present is that which is in active operation. It is
this three-fold substance which is the object of knowledge.
Those characteristics are a- manifest (vyakta) and
b- subtle (sūkṣmāḥ) and consist (ātmānaḥ) of the three Guṇas (qualities of Prakṛti)
due to the coordinated or coincidental ekatvāt
mutation of the three Guṇas (pariṇāma), an object (vastu)
appears to be something real (tattvam).
Sequence (kramaḥ) is correlated (pratiyogī)
to the moments (kṣaṇa) and is perceivable or noticeable (nirgrāhyaḥ)
on the termination (aparānta) of the mutations (pariṇāma). Further, succesion is found in the permanent
also. This permanence is two-fold, the Eternal in Perfection; and the Etemal in
Evolution. Of these, the perfect eternity belongs to the Purusa. The
evolutionary eternity belongs to the qualities. The Permanent or Eternal is
that in which the substance is not destroyed by changing appearances. Both are
permanent because their substance is never destroyed.
4- Objective nature of existence, subjective nature of
perception (15-18)
Despite sameness (sāmye) of objects (vastu),
there is a different (vibhaktaḥ) way or path (panthāḥ) to them both --i.e. object and its inherent
knowledge (tayoḥ) since there are different (bhedāt) minds (citta). The
object (vastu) is not dependent (tantram) on only one mind (citta),
because if so, what would
happen when the object is not experienced or cognized (apramāṇakam)
by that mind?
5- The mind and cognition (19-24)
The object (vastu) is known (jñāta) or unknown (ajñātam)
to the mind (cittasya) according to how (apekṣitvāt) it colors (uparāga)
that very mind. To the
Lord -i.e. Puruṣa- (prabhoḥ) of that mind,the
mental (citta) modifications (vṛttayaḥ)
are always (sadā) known (jñātāḥ) because
of the immutability (apariṇāmitvāt) of that very Puruṣa. That (mind) is not
self-illuminating (sva-ābhāsam) since it is a
knowable object (dṛśyatvāt). And there is no
cognizance (anavadhāraṇam) of them both --i.e. mind
and knowable objects-- (ubhaya) simultaneously (ekasamaye).
When Consciousness
(citi), the essence
of being (puruṣa)
changes into the form (ākāra) Buddhi (intelligence),
awareness (saṁvedanam) arises from one’s own intellectuality
(sva-buddhi). Mind (cittam), being affected (uparaktam)
by both the seer (draṣṭṛ) and the seen (dṛśya),
is all-comprehensive (sarva-artham). Thus those who teach that the knower, the
knowable and the means of knowledge are the three modifications of the mind,
and thus divide the phenomena into three classes are the only true
philosophers. It is to them that the Purusa is known.
6- The recognition of the distinction between the Purusa and the Sattva
(25-28)
To one who knows (darśinaḥ) the special distinction (viśeṣa)
--i.e. to one who has realized Puruṣa or the Self--, there is cessation (vinivṛttiḥ) of the practice of pondering (bhāvanā) over the nature (bhāva)
of his own Self (ātma). Then, the mind (cittam)
inclines (nimnam) toward discriminative knowledge (viveka)
and is directed (prāk-bhāram) toward complete Liberation (kaivalya).
There can still occur
breaks (chidreṣu) of that discriminative knowledge, where other
(antarāṇi) mental modifications (pratyaya) emerge
because of residual latencies (saṁskārebhyaḥ). The removal (hānam)
of these mental modifications (pratyaya) is as that of the Afflictions (kleśa).
7- The Cloud of virtue (Dharmamegha) and Complete
Liberation (kaivalyam) (29-34)
One who, having
attained discriminative (viveka) knowledge (khyāteḥ) in the highest degree and at all times (sarvathā), does not take an interest (akusīdasya) even in that omniscience resulting from "Vivekajaṁ jñānam" or
"Knowledge arising from discernment" (See 3,54, prasaṅkhyāne),
experiences a type of Perfect
Contemplation (samādhiḥ) known as Cloud of Virtue (dharma-meghaḥ).
By the attainment thereof, the affliction of Ignorance, etc., are removed, even to the very root. And the
good and bad vehicles of action are uprooted. On the afflictions and the
actions being removed, the wise man becomes free even while alive (the
Jivanmukta). From Dharmamegha, there is cessation (nivṛttiḥ)
of Afflictions (kleśa) and actions (karma).
Then, due to the
infinity (ānantyāt) of knowledge (jñānasya) free (apetasya)
from all veiling (āvaraṇa) impurities (mala), the knowables (jñeyam)
appear to be few (alpam). From that Dharmamegha
or Cloud of Virtue, when the Guṇas have accomplished their purpose (kṛta-arthānām), there is cessation (samāptiḥ)
of the mutative (pariṇāma) sequence (krama) of those
very Guṇas. Complete Liberation (kaivalyam)
or the Power (śaktiḥ) of Consciousness (citi) established (pratiṣṭhā)
in her own nature (sva-rūpa) occurs when the Guṇas return to their
original source --i.e. Prakṛti, as they have no further purpose to fulfill (artha-śūnyānām)
for Puruṣa.