Sūtra 3.42

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 3.42:

बहिर् अकल्पिता वृत्तिर् महाविदेहा ततः प्रकाशावरणक्षयः ॥ ३.४२ ॥

bahir akalpitā vṛttir mahāvidehā tataḥ prakāśāvaraṇakṣayaḥ || 3.42 ||

bahiḥ—actual passing out. akalpitā—outside the body, vṛttiḥ—acting, mahā-videhā—the great ex-corporeal, tataḥ—by that. prakāśa—of light, āvaraṇa—of the veil, kṣayaḥ—the destruction.

42. Actual-passing-out and acting outside the body is the Great Excorporeal; by that is destroyed the veil of light.—148.

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]

That form of concentration in which the mind acts upon something outside the body, is named excorporeal concentration.

This excorporeal concentration, if taking place by merely the mind functioning, while yet staying in the body, is called Fancied (kalpita) Excorporeal.

That, however, in which the mind has no need of the body left and passes out of the body and then functions outside the body, is called the Actual Excorporeal concentration.

Of these, the Actual Excorporeal, which is also called the Great Excorporeal, is attained by means of the Fancied Excorporeal. It is by this that the Yogīs effect their entrance into other bodies. By this concentration the veil of the luminous essence of the Will-to-be, in the shape of the three vehicles of affliction, action and fruition, which has its origin in the Rajas and Tamas, is destroyed.—148.

The Gloss of Vachaspati Mishra

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

The author describes another Saṃyama too, which becomes the means of entering

into another body, and also the means of destruction of afflictions, actions and fruitions:—‘Actual passing out of the body and then acting there, is the Great Excorporeal; by this the veil of light is destroyed.’

The Commentator describes the Excorporeal:—‘That form of concentration in which the mind functions outside the body, &c.’ In order tc describe the nature of the Actual Excorporeal and for explaining its means, he describes the Fancied Excorporeal:—‘If that, &c? ‘By merely the mind functioning outside the body.’ Fancy means that the presence outside the body has been fancied, although the mind is still in the body and has been acting outside only functionally and not by actual presence.

He describes the Great Excorporeal:—‘That however.’ Now he says that the relation between the Fancied and the Actual Excorporeal is that the former is the means of attaining the other.’ ‘By that concentration.’—By means of that concentration the mental modification of the Great Excorporeal is achieved. The afflictions, the actions and the three-fold fruition thereof in the shape of life-state, life-time and life-experience have all their origin in the Rajas and the Tamas; because when the Rajas and the Tamas are destroyed, the manifestation the discrimination takes place by the quality of essentiality (Sattva) alone. This three-fold fruition having its origin in the Rajas and the Tamas, is of their nature and covers the essence of the Will to-be therewith. It is destroyed with its destruction, and the mind of the Yogī goes about at will and similarly knows also.—42.