Sūtra 2.22

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 2.22:

कृतार्थं प्रति नष्टमप्यन्ष्टं तदन्यसाधारणत्वात् ॥ २.२२ ॥

kṛtārthaṃ prati naṣṭamapyanṣṭaṃ tadanyasādhāraṇatvāt || 2.22 ||

22. Destroyed in the case of him whose purpose has been attained, she is still active, for she is common to others besides him.

The Rajamartanda commentary by King Bhoja:

[English translation of the 11th century commentary by Bhoja called the Rājamārtaṇḍa]

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

If the accomplishment of the experience of soul be thus the only aim, then, on the accomplishment of that object, Prakṛti, having no other object in view, should cease to be active, and the cessation of all modification in it, itself being pure, (i.e., having the three qualities in equipose) all spectators should be free, and it would follow that the world would be cut short. Suspecting such a consequence, be says:

[Read Sūtra 2.22]

Although she (Prakṛti—nature) becomes “destroyed” (naṣṭā), devoid of action, in the case of some one soul which has attained its purpose, (kṛtārtha), by experiencing the world till the manifestation of discriminative knowledge, yet she, being common to all souls, remains active (anaṣṭa) in other cases. It follows that Prakṛti, being common to all experiencers, can never be totally destroyed, nor can the emancipation of one imply the emancipation of all. This is what is meant.

Notes and Extracts

[Notes and comparative extracts from other commentaries on the Yogasūtra]

[The conclusion arrived at in the next preceding aphorism, to the effect that on knowledge being attained, Prakṛti ceases to act, and becomes functionless, is calculated to suggest the idea that her cessation from her action would apply to all souls, so that on one soul attaining emancipation all souls would be free, there being no active ministering Prakṛti to keep them supplied with external impressions. This, however, is not the case. The destruction, or cessation, of action, is confined to the particular soul concerned. When a soul has, through discriminative knowledge, attained his aim he ceases to be influenced by Prakṛti, and quod that soul Prakṛti is destroyed; but as regards other souls which have not attained their aims she remains fully active; and this is indicated by the paradox “though dead, still she is alive”: naṣṭopyanaṣṭam. This is the natural consequence of nature being one, and souls many. The Pātañjala Bhāṣya explains the reason by saying that the contact of the quality to the qualified is without a beginning;—dharmīṇām anādisaṃyogāt dharmamātrānāmapyanādisaṃyogaḥ.]

Having described spectacle and spectator he proceeds to describe their conjunction.