Yoga Sutras of Patanjali · Chapter 4
Kaivalya Pada
कैवल्यपाद
Liberation — the absoluteness of pure consciousness.
34 verses
janmauṣadhimantratapaḥsamādhijāḥ siddhayaḥ
janmauṣadhimantratapaḥsamādhijāḥ siddhayaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Altered states of consciousness can come from *samādhi*, austerities, prayer, herbs or naturally.
jātyantarapariṇāmaḥ prakṛtyāpūrāt
jātyantarapariṇāmaḥ prakṛtyāpūrāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Diversity and change are nature's bounty.
nimittam aprayojakaṃ prakṛtīnāṃ varaṇabhedas tu tataḥ kṣetrikavat
nimittam aprayojakaṃ prakṛtīnāṃ varaṇabhedas tu tataḥ kṣetrikavat
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Like a farmer, nature picks and chooses, but doesn't directly cause.
nirmāṇacittāny asmitāmātrāt
nirmāṇacittāny asmitāmātrāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Beings are created by conceit alone.
pravṛttibhede prayojakaṃ cittam ekam anekeṣām
pravṛttibhede prayojakaṃ cittam ekam anekeṣām
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The one *citta* is diversified by its various activities.
tatra dhyānajam anāśayam
tatra dhyānajam anāśayam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Of these, only the meditation-born is fruitless.
karmāśuklākṛṣṇaṃ yoginas trividham itareṣām
karmāśuklākṛṣṇaṃ yoginas trividham itareṣām
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The karma of [such] a *yogi* is neither white nor black; [but] for others is threefold,
tatas tadvipākānuguṇānām evābhivyaktir vāsanānām
tatas tadvipākānuguṇānām evābhivyaktir vāsanānām
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
the fruition of which corresponds to the tendency on display at that time.
jātideśakālavyavahitānām apy ānantaryaṃ smṛtisaṃskārayor ekarūpatvāt
jātideśakālavyavahitānām apy ānantaryaṃ smṛtisaṃskārayor ekarūpatvāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The uniformity between [subconscious] activity and memory ensures the correspondence [of cause and effect] despite distance in time, space, and rebirths
tāsām anāditvaṃ cāśiṣo nityatvāt
tāsām anāditvaṃ cāśiṣo nityatvāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
which are without beginning, being based on never-ending desires.
hetuphalāśrayālambanaiḥ saṃgṛhītatvād eṣām abhāve tadabhāvaḥ
hetuphalāśrayālambanaiḥ saṃgṛhītatvād eṣām abhāve tadabhāvaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Because of the connection between cause and effect, basis and support, [it follows that] if one goes, the other must too.
atītānāgataṃ svarūpato 'sty adhvabhedād dharmāṇām
atītānāgataṃ svarūpato 'sty adhvabhedād dharmāṇām
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
So, past and future do exist, in their own way.
te vyaktasūkṣmā guṇātmānaḥ
te vyaktasūkṣmā guṇātmānaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Gross or subtle, [things] are [merely] composed of sense-impressions.
pariṇāmaikatvād vastutattvam
pariṇāmaikatvād vastutattvam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The “that-ness” of an object is [merely the perception of] homogeneous change.
vastusāmye cittabhedāt tayor vibhaktaḥ panthāḥ
vastusāmye cittabhedāt tayor vibhaktaḥ panthāḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Materialism and idealism are two, divergent paths [for describing reality].
na caikacittatantraṃ vastu tadapramāṇakaṃ tadā kiṃ syāt
na caikacittatantraṃ vastu tadapramāṇakaṃ tadā kiṃ syāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
If an object were [merely] the construction of a single consciousness, how could it be measured? [If not objective,] what could it be?
taduparāgāpekṣitvāc cittasya vastu jñātājñātam
taduparāgāpekṣitvāc cittasya vastu jñātājñātam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
[Yet,] an object can only be known if it excites the *citta*.
sadā jñātāś cittavṛttayas tatprabhoḥ puruṣasyāpariṇāmitvāt
sadā jñātāś cittavṛttayas tatprabhoḥ puruṣasyāpariṇāmitvāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The [idea of an] unchanging “self” arises from continuously knowing this whirling *citta*.
na tat svābhāsaṃ dṛśyatvāt
na tat svābhāsaṃ dṛśyatvāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
[But] it cannot see itself as an object.
ekasamaye cobhayānavadhāraṇam
ekasamaye cobhayānavadhāraṇam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Never cognizing both [seer and seen] simultaneously,
cittāntaradṛśye buddhibuddher atiprasaṅgaḥ smṛtisaṃkaraś ca
cittāntaradṛśye buddhibuddher atiprasaṅgaḥ smṛtisaṃkaraś ca
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
[the best it can do] is to see a previous mind moment by becoming aware of awareness's impact on memory and mental activity.
citer apratisaṃkramāyās tadākārāpattau svabuddhisaṃvedanam
citer apratisaṃkramāyās tadākārāpattau svabuddhisaṃvedanam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Unmoving awareness assumes the shape of the particular conscious experience.
draṣṭṛdṛśyoparaktaṃ cittaṃ sarvārtham
draṣṭṛdṛśyoparaktaṃ cittaṃ sarvārtham
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Any object inflames the *citta* with the seer and the seen.
tad asaṃkhyeyavāsanābhiś citram api parārthaṃ saṃhatyakāritvāt
tad asaṃkhyeyavāsanābhiś citram api parārthaṃ saṃhatyakāritvāt
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Activity combines that object with others, along with the countless underlying tendencies.
viśeṣadarśina ātmabhāvabhāvanānivṛttiḥ
viśeṣadarśina ātmabhāvabhāvanānivṛttiḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
[Directly] seeing this distinction between “being a Self” and “[the process of] becoming” is the counter-whirling.
tadā vivekanimnaṃ kaivalyaprāgbhāraṃ cittam
tadā vivekanimnaṃ kaivalyaprāgbhāraṃ cittam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
The *citta* then inclines towards detachment and is therefore borne onwards towards liberation.
tacchidreṣu pratyayāntarāṇi saṃskārebhyaḥ
tacchidreṣu pratyayāntarāṇi saṃskārebhyaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Activity is a gap in our attention.
hānam eṣāṃ kleśavad uktam
hānam eṣāṃ kleśavad uktam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Calming [all activity] is as described for the *kilesas*.
prasaṃkhyāne 'py akusīdasya sarvathā vivekakhyāter dharmameghaḥ samādhiḥ
prasaṃkhyāne 'py akusīdasya sarvathā vivekakhyāter dharmameghaḥ samādhiḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Ever intent yet aloof through the second attainment of detachment, [the meditator eventually attains] the “Dharma Cloud” *samādhi*.
tataḥ kleśakarmanivṛttiḥ
tataḥ kleśakarmanivṛttiḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
This is a break from the *kilesas* and from *karma*.
tadā sarvāvaraṇamalāpetasya jñānasyānantyāj jñeyam alpam
tadā sarvāvaraṇamalāpetasya jñānasyānantyāj jñeyam alpam
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
When the imperfection covering “the all” is removed that which remains to be known is little.
tataḥ kṛtārthānāṃ pariṇāmakramasamāptir guṇānām
tataḥ kṛtārthānāṃ pariṇāmakramasamāptir guṇānām
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
Their purposes served, sense-contact and the sequences of change end.
kṣaṇapratiyogī pariṇāmāparāntanirgrāhyaḥ kramaḥ
kṣaṇapratiyogī pariṇāmāparāntanirgrāhyaḥ kramaḥ
Meaning (English) — Khemarato Bhikkhu
“A sequence” [because] an end to change is attainable.
पुरुषार्थशून्यानां गुणानां प्रतिप्रसवः कैवल्यं स्वरूपप्रतिष्ठा वा चितिशक्तेरिति॥
puruṣārtha-śūnyānāṁ guṇānāṁ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṁ svarūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citi-śakter iti
Meaning (English)
Kaivalya — liberation — is the involution of the gunas, devoid now of any purpose for the Self; or it is the abidance of the Power of pure Consciousness in its own nature. Thus.