Yoga-sutras (with Bhoja’s Rajamartanda)
by Rajendralala Mitra | 1883 | 103,575 words
The Yoga-Sutra 3.53, English translation with Commentaries. The Yogasutra of Patanjali represents a collection of aphorisms dealing with spiritual topics such as meditation, absorption, Siddhis (yogic powers) and final liberation (Moksha). The Raja-Martanda is officialy classified as a Vritti (gloss) which means its explanatory in nature, as opposed to being a discursive commentary.
Sūtra 3.53
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 3.53:
जातिलक्षणदेशैरन्यतानवच्छेदात्तुल्ययोस्ततः प्रतिपत्तिः ॥ ३.५३ ॥
jātilakṣaṇadeśairanyatānavacchedāttulyayostataḥ pratipattiḥ || 3.53 ||
53. Therefrom results the knowledge of the difference between two similars when that difference is not marked out by kind, character and habitat.
The Rajamartanda commentary by King Bhoja:
[English translation of the 11th century commentary by Bhoja called the Rājamārtaṇḍa]
[Sanskrit text for commentary available]
He now applies this Saṃyama to a special subject.
[Read Sūtra 3.53]
“Kind, character, and habitat” (jāti,> lakṣaṇa, deśa) are the means of differenciation [differentiation?] of things. Sometimes “kind” (jāti) is the cause of distinction; as this is a cow, this is a buffalo. When the kind is the same, “character” (lakṣaṇa) may be the cause of distinction; as this is spotted, this is tawny. Where kind and character are alike, the cause of distinction may be “habitat,” (deśa); thus with two emblic fruits of the same size and colour, one may be of one country and the other of another. There are again cases in which distinction cannot be determined, as particles of white earth of one country. When Saṃyama is performed to ascertain distinctions in the last class of cases, a knowledge of distinction is produced, and by its exercise distinctions of even the exceedingly subtile categories may be perceived. What is said is this: When distinctions cannot be ascertained by any other means they, including a knowledge of such distinctions in the subtile categories, may be known through this Saṃyama.
Notes and Extracts
[Notes and comparative extracts from other commentaries on the Yogasūtra]
[This aphorism explains what is meant by discriminative knowledge. Under ordinary circumstances discrimination is made by attention to kind, character and habitat. But this is not possible in the case of the subtile categories which are not amenable to such tests. For them Saṃyama is the only means, and it should be brought to bear upon them. When the Saṃyama is accomplished, the power of discriminating them is fully acquired, and this is discriminative knowledge.]
To explain the name, object, and nature of the aforesaid knowledge resulting from discrimination, he says.