Sūtra 2.54

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 2.54:

स्वविषयासंप्रयोगे चित्तस्वरूपानुकार इवेन्द्रियाणां प्रत्याहारः ॥ २.५४ ॥

svaviṣayāsaṃprayoge cittasvarūpānukāra ivendriyāṇāṃ pratyāhāraḥ || 2.54 ||

sva—their own. viṣaya—objects. asaṃprayoge—on not coming into contact with. cittasya—of the mind. svarūpa—the nature. anukāraḥ—the following of. iva—as it were. indriyāṇām—of the senses,

on the part of the senses, pratyāhāraḥ—is abstraction.

54. Abstraction (pratyāhāra) is that by which the senses do not-come-into-contact with their objects and follow as-it-were the nature of the mind.—105.

The Sankhya-pravachana commentary of Vyasa

[English translation of the 7th century commentary by Vyāsa called the Sāṅkhya-pravacana, Vyāsabhāṣya or Yogabhāṣya]

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

Now what is Pratyāhāra? ‘Pratyāhāra is that by which the senses do not come into contact with their objects and, as it were, follow the nature of the mind.’ The meaning is that in the absence of contact with their objects, they initiate, as it were, the nature of the mind. The senses are restrained, like the mind, when the mind is restrained. They do not stand in need of other means like the control of the other organs. Just as the bees fly, as the queen flies; and sit as the queen sits down; so the sense becomes restrained, as the mind is restrained. This is Pratyāhāra.—105.

The Gloss of Vachaspati Mishra

[English translation of the 9th century Tattvavaiśāradī by Vācaspatimiśra]

Thus then having been purified by the restraints, &c., begins the practice of Pratyāhāra with a view to secure Saṃyama. The author puts a question to introduce the aphorism describing it:—‘Now what, &c.’ Pratyāhāra is that by which the senses do not come into contact with their objects, and as it were, follow the nature of the mind.’ The meaning is that inasmuch as the mind does not come into contact with objective sounds, &c., as cause of forgetfulness, attachment and aversion, the senses of sight &c., too do not, on account of the absence of that contact, incline towards their objects. This is the imitation of the mind by the senses. Inasmuch however, as the senses do not imitate the mind in the fact of the taking in of the realities of the objects, because their field of operation is the external world alone, it is that they, as it were, imitate the mind. By using the locative case it is shown that the ordinary quality of non-contact with their objects is the operative cause of the senses imitating the mind. ‘In the absence of contact with their, &c.’ Explains the imitation:—‘The senses are restrained like the mind, &c.’ The similarity is that the cause of the restraint of both is and the restraint of both is due to, the same effort. Illustrates the same:—‘Just as the bees &c.’ Applies the illustration to the object to be illustrated:—‘So, &c.’

In this connection also says the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:—‘The Yogī who is devoted to the practice of Pratyāhāra should restrain the senses which are attached to the objects of sound, &c., and make them imitate the mind.’

Its object is shown even there. “Those of undisturbed mind have thereby the highest possible control of the senses. If the senses are uncontrolled, the Yogī cannot achieve Yoga.”—54.