Yoga-sutras (Ancient and Modern Interpretations)
by Makarand Gopal Newalkar | 2017 | 82,851 words | ISBN-13: 9780893890926
Yoga-sutras 1.19, English translation with modern and ancient interpretation. The Patanjali Yogasutras describe an ancient Indian tradition spanning over 5000 years old dealing with Yoga:—Meditating the mind on the Atma leading to the realization of self. This study interprets the Yogasutras in light of both ancient and modern commentaries (e.g., Vyasa and Osho) while supporting both Sankhya and Vedanta philosophies.
Sūtra 1.19
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of sūtra 1.19:
भवप्रत्ययो विदेहप्रकृतिलयानाम् ॥ १.१९ ॥
bhavapratyayo videhaprakṛtilayānām || 1.19 ||
(19) The nirbīja-samādhi is of two types[1] viz., that attained by prescribed effort and that through bhava or nescient latencies which bring about the cycle of births.
Ancient and Modern interpretation:
Of the two, Yogīs adopt the prescribed means of practice. While inthe case of the videhas or the discarnatesand of the prakṛtilaya sor those subsisting in their elemental constituents, it is causedby nescience which results in objective existence. In the videhas or discarnate devas, it is caused by objective existence, because they live in a state which is like kaivalya, with a mind functioning only so far as its own residual latencies are capable of, and who live through the state of life brought about by their latent impressions. Similarly, the prakṛtilayas, or those whose minds retaining latent impressions remain resolved in prakṛti, remain in a state of kaivalya, until by force of those latent impressions their minds assert themselves in fluctuation.
Osho says[2] in asamprajñāta-samādhi, conscious mind becomes pure, and subsequently also drops the activity of purity. Still the latent impressions of the past karmas remain in the form of seeds in the unconscious, which has a potential to sprout again. That leads to rebirth. Once the seeds in the unconscious are burnt, nothing can arise out of it and the cycle of births and deaths stop. This is the state of nirbīja Samādhi.
In this life, when a videha—one who has understood that he is not the body, who has attained Asamprajñāta-Samādhi, comes in the world, it is only to exhaust his past remaining karmas. Videhas in the knowledge of he is not the body is no longer prakṛti—the nature (prakṛtilaya). He who attains such a state, his nature is dissolved. There is no more ‘world’ for him. He is not identified and becomes a mere witness to it. The fire of only witnessing begins to burn. This fire burns all the seeds in the unconscious. A moment comes when the soil becomes absolutely pure and there is no seed remaining to sprout. He then dissolves himself in the universe.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid., p.47
[2]:
Osho, op.cit., p. 20.