Yoga-sutras (Ancient and Modern Interpretations)

by Makarand Gopal Newalkar | 2017 | 82,851 words | ISBN-13: 9780893890926

Yoga-sutras 4.22, 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.

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of sūtra 4.22:

चितेरप्रतिसंक्रमायास्तदाकारापत्तौ स्वबुद्धिसंवेदनम् ॥ ४.२२ ॥

citerapratisaṃkramāyāstadākārāpattau svabuddhisaṃvedanam || 4.22 ||

(22) (Though) untransmissible the metempiric consciousness getting the likeness of buddhi becomes the cause of the consciousness of buddhi.

Ancient and Modern interpretation:

Vyāsa asks, how do Sāṅkhyaites establish puruṣa denoted by the word sva?

[Read sūtra 22 above]

Vyāsa quotes,

“The cave where the eternal brahman resides, is situated neither in the nether world, nor in the mountain chasm, nor in darkness, nor in the cavern of deep sea. The sages know it (the cave) to be the modification of metempiric consciousness.”

Araṇya explains,[1] pure ‘I’-sense is a manifested idea like cognition of blue, red etc. It is irreducible form of cognition. It is sentient but mutable and is manifested under the influence of immutable knower.

On analyzing this, two entities are cognized as—

  1. pure knower
  2. knowable which mutates.

This ‘I’-sense is revealed by immutable knower, egoistic forms such as, ‘I am the consciousness’ etc arise. That is how metempiric consciousness assumes form of buddhi, which is cognition of empiric self i.e. revelation of buddhi by consciousness. So, some think that absolute knower is mutable.

Osho says,[2]

“Knowledge of its own nature through self cognition is obtained when consciousness assumes that form in which it doesnot pass from place to place.”

Yoga believes that witness is a self illuminating phenomenon. The sun illuminates everything in a solar system and it illuminates itself. The witnessor witnesses everything that goes around in five kośas and in the world and at the same time illumines itself.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Araṇya, op.cit.,p.388

[2]:

Osho, op.cit., p.107-108

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