Part 4.12 - Kaivalya (State of liberation)

[Full title: The Concept and Content of Patanjali Yogadarsana (11): Supernatural powers]

From the above referred stage, where the continuous meditation has brought us up to the “svarupa-sunya” or pure state of mind, the purusa, which is the guiding principle of evolution in this process of continuous unfoldment, finally attains kaivalya. Samadhi actually plays the prime role in unveiling the subtler and more profound aspects of objects in the manifested Universe. The province of this samadhi concerned with subtle objects extends up to the last stage of gunas which is unmanifested prakrti or alinga^[1].

Swami Ananda Rishi rightly calls this spiritual journey from defining yoga as “cittavrttinirodha” to the stage of nirbija samadhi as “pilgrimage of rajayoga”. Yogabhasya^[2] calls this nirbija equivalent to kaivalya (state of liberation), which is the final trance in which there is no germ left of a world process, no alambana for citta, no appetite for externalization or for anything other than self or purusa.

The transformation from one birth and a given species to another is availed from overabundance or overflow of it in prakrti^[3]. Change takes place according to the potentialities existing in the material or function of the energies and follows the natural laws and forces in a given condition. What the incidental cause does is merely to determine in which direction change will take place and to direct the flow of natural forces in that particular direction. Sameway, nature of action good or bad, does not make our life. It determines the direction of our future lives. The aspirant is the active creator known an intensive force. The current of our life must flow on continuously, its direction being determined by our actions, thoughts and feelings. The aspirant should know these laws of the nature as they operate in the realm of prakrti and determines all flux of phenomena taking place around us. He can travel on the path of liberation but, only by obeying and utilizing these laws. He has to know the deep seated tendencies and their root causes to get them eliminated with proper practices. He tries to remove all the obstacles just like a farmer does for the flow of water in a specific direction^[4]. Then only, the path of kaivalya would become easy to travel.

For this purpose, according to sage Patanjali, he may by his will-power, if required, make provision of the temporary or artificial citta or independent centre of consciousness out of control over asmita-matra (ahamkara, pure I-consciousness) in the bodies being reborn in successive lives^[5]. In this case, the main mind or the natural citta is the director or mover of many artificial minds in their different activities. So, artificial minds (nirmana citta) work as instruments of and also being controlled by the main mind. The main, natural citta works in good co-ordination and co-operation with all nirmana cittas. One should know this mental mechanism through which all these tendencies (karmas and vasanas) function in order to destroy them.

The natural citta concentrate all the power along with desire of one-pointedness through the practice of intense dhyana. With dhyana, the nirmana-citta gets its ability of consciousness (dhyanaja). Such citta does not have storage of impressions or karma-samskaras (karmasaya)^[6]. So, the karma done by such dhyanaja nirmana-citta would be niskama (desireless). Such meditation born mind has no connection with virtue and vice on account of destruction of his afflictions.

By creation of artificial mind and body (nirmana-citta and nirmanakaya), one can function at the higher planes to get his karmic debt and desires eliminated. Yogic practices help to accelerate this process of spiritual upliftment. The more aspirant make progress on the path of yoga, the greater is in his hand in determining the pattern of his lives. Towards the end, he takes full control of his destiny before he attains kaivalya.

The objective Reality is independent and is common to all purusas; the minds are also independent and are engaged to each purusa. On account of the connection of these two, comes the acknowledgement which is the experience of the purusa^[7]. The thing becomes relatively known or unknown inproportion to the degree of coloration of the citta by it^[8]. The uparaga (colouration) of the citta by the vastu (object) is necessary for having the knowledge of the object, which otherwise remain unknown. And it would become known (or remain unknown) in proportion to the degree of colouration of the citta by the qualities of the object. Depending on the proportion of colouration of citta, each citta will perceive the same thing differently.

Thus, the knowledge of a thing in different citta is variable and therefore each citta will perceive the same thing differently. But, the eternal purusa is aware, in an unbroken manner of all the changes which are taking place in the mind with out escaping any. It is only a changeless, eternal consciousness which can provide such a constant and perfect background for the continuous and complex changes which are taking place in the mind. Due to unchangeability of purusa, the citta-vrttis become known to this purusa which is their master. The purusa can, therefore, observe these citta-vrttis without being involved in them and so can know about them in their totality.

When the citta perceives the things in the external world, it is doing this due to potentiality of perception and cognition gained from purusa by reflection of latent potentiality. This is comparable with the light of the sun falling on the surface of the moon and reflected from there to the objets making them visible. Sameway, purusa is the source of consciousness for citta. Through mere presence of purusa, the citta is incited and able to get enlightened^[9]. Thus, the mind is not self-illuminating, on account of its perceptibility.

The citta basically is very fickle and vagrant and also can not simultaneously cognize more than one subject, so we need lots of efforts to make it ekagra (focused on one object). It is constantly experiencing the external world and we need to take it to the internal world. At a single moment, the ascertainment of one’s own nature and that of other is not proper. Thus, it is impossible to cognize both i.e. citta itself as perceiver and also a thing perceived at the same time^[10]. It needs infinite number of cittas if we assume that the cognitive power (buddhi) of one citta perceives the activity of another citta and so on. Moreover, it leads to mixing of memories and confusion resulting into chaos^[11]. Looking at all conflicting arguments, it is concluded that the citta is perceived and cognized by another and ultimate entity. This observer is the purusa as per Samkhya Yoga^[12].

Citta is active consciousness principle, whereas purusa is the background principle of the consciousness and has unmanifest potentiality for producing consciousness. Citti is this aspect of purusa^[13]. Drastava or witnessing attitude on the part of purusa in respect of the citta is this special knowledge (purusa-khyati). Citta has many levels corresponding to the different vehicles of consciousness and in the process of samadhi, consciousness moves up and down to different levels keeping the centre fixed. In samadhi, when consciousness penetrates to the deepest levels of citta finally transcending to this level also, it becomes quite free from the limiting and obscuring action of citta and it is only then that its true nature is realized. Here, the perceiver, perceived and perception all merge into one self-illuminated Reality.

The mind coloured by the object to be known i.e. knower (purusa) and simultaneously illuminated by the world i.e.consciousness of purusa appeared as the subject and object respectively, gets capability of knowing anything and everything (sarvartham) in the phenominal world^[14]. It is said to be omni-objective. The divine urge within anybody will sooner or later; try to find the purusa in self-realization. He, by whom the Truth reflected in the spiritual-absorbent cognition is determined, is the purusa.

There is total cessation of the feeling of the ownness (about body, citta, atmabhava) in that person, who is seeing in a special way i.e. has realized the distinction of the purusa from all other things^[15]. The desire for the transcendent bliss and true knowledge is inherent in the consciousness at the atmic level destroys and eliminates the lower desires and takes the aspirant to the highest level of enlightenment.

Afterwards, even this bliss and knowledge also should be given up before achieving the final goal else they become the means of bondage.

It is very difficult to remove the misidentification of body as self and much more difficult to remove the feeling (avidya) about an inner entity like the mind or citta being the self. Lastly, at the verge of kaivalya, great and distinct efforts are needed for total disappearance of atmabhavabhavana (vinivrtti), the last traces of avidya. Then, the citta is bent down by the gravity of viveka and fore-loaded with kaivalya^[16]. But, before it happens completely, inbetween the gap, the citta undergoes different experiences. The dormant impressions (samskaras) which were curbed temporarily in the sabija samadhi, surge up again even in the beginning of nirbija samadhi and also new samskaras are created when one’s citta returns to ordinary day to day awareness for his regular requirements^[17]. Those pratyayas (activation of dormant seeds) keep on reappearing when ever they get chance during temporary relaxation of viveka-khyati. Only dharmamegha samadhi would burn these seeds (samskaras) permanently.

These samskaras or pratyayas can be removed or abolished in the same manner as described for annihilation of klesas^[18].The previous habitual potency, on attaining to the state of burnt-up-seed by the fire of knowledge, does not give birth to notions.

Avidya, the root cause of klesas can not manifest if the aspirant can develop discriminative power through pratiprasava (counter evolution) and his regular practices of Yoga as explained earlier. Such aspirant or Yogi stops taking interest even in the ultimate knowledge (prasankhyana) and has already reached the state of viveka-khyati as explained above is designated to be in dharmamegha samadhi means cloud of virtue^[19]. This is the highest kind of samadhi one can think of. At this stage, one remains detached all the time towards the most exalted state of enlightenment inspite of having mastery over samyama on all objects. Now, this person reaches to the state of culmination of renunciation which he has been practicing since he entered into the path of yoga. This journey is not returnable.

Now, the only step left is attainment of kaivalya. Though, experience in this state can not be described, Patanjali has tried to give the results one may accrue from attainment of kaivalya. He gets freedom from klesas and karmas^[20]. As these are the two main instruments of bondage, such person at this stage of dharmamegha samadhi and kaivalya can not again fall into avidya and gets binded into karmas. The person starts identifying the self different from non-self, avidya and consequently other four klesas automatically get disappeared. He will be in the highest state of vairagya and all his actions will be niskama karma (actions without expectations). So, there is no chance of generation of new karmas or samskaras.

With the unlimited knowledge that the realized person has, who is free from all barriers or coverings and impurities, the knowable becomes little or nothing more is worth knowing^[21]. When these hindering layers of coverings of klesas and obscuring impurities (malas) are removed in dharmamegha samadhi, there remains the slightest obstruction in the path of the inner illumination faculty (rtambhara prajna). His capacity of knowledge is boundless, infinite and there would be very little or nothing, which remains yet to know for him.

And from this results the termination of the process of transformation of gunas in case of Yogis, whose purpose has been accomplished^[22]. Thus, these trigunas having fulfilled their object, the process of change in them comes to an end. Association of purusa and prakrti (samyoga) gets dissolved with this resulting into end of transformation. Finally, there will be dissociation of purusa and prakrti resulting into samyavastha (state of equilibrium).

Ksana, the smallest unit of time is moment. It is comparable with a quantum of energy or atom of matter of modern science. On one hand, krama is time sequentiality having notion of continuousness as compare to ksana which is discrete. Innumerable ksana follow each other so rapidly that ordinary citta is unable to gasp their discreteness giving us an illusion of continuity of krama^[23]. Thus, both are counter-co-operator (pratiyogi) of each other.

Everything in the universe changes from moment to moment by a relentless law which is inherent, in the very nature of manifestation^[24]. The Yogi can become aware of the ultimate reality only when his consciousness is liberated from the limitations of this process which produces time. There can not be an absolute measure of time. It should be related to number of images which pass through the mind.

According to Patanjali,^[25] attainment of kaivalya means the termination of the supervising status (drastrtva) of the purusa and achievement of apavarga (liberation, absolute absorption). Pure form or primordial status of purusa is regained. Now, there is no need of gunas for serving the purpose of the purusa or no further need of the process of the transformation of gunas. This characteristic of purusa is the synonym citi-sakti. The result is purusarthasunyata (devoid of guna) and pratiprasava (reversal of evolution of prakrti). Prakrti is rolled back to the original state (mulavastha, svarupa-pratistha).

This is the state of self-realization, in which purusa gets established finally as the purpose is attained. In this state, the gunas resume to the state of equilibrium. Therefore, power of pure consciousness can function without any constraints. Kaivalya is culmination of prolonged evolutionary process and going into the deeper level of contemplation, uncovering the hidden Reality. This experience is so perfect and overwhelming that one looses his own identity temporarily. This does not necessarily mean that the individuality is dissolved and lost forever. The isolation of purusa frees him from all limitations and leads him to the closest possible unification with consciousness in all its manifestations. This is the final goal of achievement for a human being, beyond which is the area of only experience and not the end.

It also validates how this ancient culture of Yoga could be applied scientifically in our day to day life to make ourselves better and better. It explains how it gets its roots from Samkhya Philosophy. Various paths of Yoga are mentioned on the comparative platform with a common goal. Among all these, how rajayoga i.e. Yoga of meditation given by sage Patanjali help us to get evolved to the higher level of integrated personality and finally towards the spirituality.

Here, Patanjali looks upon self-realization as coinciding with the death of the finite body and mind. What remains is the eternal witness, the power of Awareness or self. During this entire journey of Yoga in the chapter on kaivalya, Patanjali has tried to lift us from our dull and dark physical and mental state to the ultimate, blissful state of liberation with lots of options suitable to us.

When we try to know why there is samyog of purusa and prakrti and what is its role in evolution, following sutra explains the awareness that purusa attains in this process of his true nature and unfolding of powers inherent in him and prakrti.

Prakrti and purusa are brought together inorder to make purusa a total master of these vehicles^[26] and then, transcend them to take him beyond the control of prakrti. This union lasts till the complete knowledge of self is acquired, as the main cause is lack of awareness (avidya) of his real nature^[27].

When this avidya is destroyed, this identification ceases and purusa and prakrti get dissociated. Thus, absence of this union arising from absence of lack of discriminative knowledge or real discernment about reality is state of emancipation.

Now, the bondage (samyoga) gets broken and the seer (experiencer) resumes to his original state and becomes free and liberated (state of kaivalya)^[28].

During our sadhana (practice), there should not be any confusion. Patanjali says that the experiencer is identified with the object of experience to know the nature of both. And also adds that this identification is caused by ignorance (avidya), we feel a certain bewildered by this. He does not approve this avidya, but tells us to go through the experience by becoming aware of avidya which is necessary part of this journey and then, make all the efforts to get rid of it gradually (hana-upayah) to attain the state of vivekakhyati (complete discriminative knowledge), which is devoid of any confusion and means of liberation^[29].

Discrimination power to differentiate between atman and anatman is viveka and distinction between the sat and asat is called khyati. This power brings awareness and understanding of avidya. Gradually, avidya disappears out of pure awareness and self-realization and not due to intellectual understanding and higher education.

If we take worldly life of these lower planes as a kind of school to learn new experiences, then we will not resent against the severe discipline to which we are subjected. Rather we will adopt the right means and learn lessons and techniques for getting out of sufferings which are incidental to this life. With this respect, Yoga discipline is the last training of our education and will make us passed to live free and independent life.

Vivekakhyati

We have to make all the efforts continuously to awaken the unique knowledge till no trace of illusion remains. Vivekakhyati is actual awareness of reality by which soul is awakening from spiritual sleep and now, wants to find itself. It is a direct contact with the innermost spiritual consciousness. This knowledge or wisdom of the Yogi has sevenfold well marked stage (saptadha prantabhumi) to attain the prajna level (the highest knowledge)^[30]. Thus, vivekakhyati is attained through seven steps, though Patanjali has not explained these seven steps. Seven descriptions of this knowledgeable Yogi as per Vyasbhasya of Patanjala Yogasutra^[31] are explained in two divisions as under:

Firstly, Vyasa has given fourfold material freedom (karyavimukti) of the intellectual-vision or liberation from action, which includes:

a) The avoidable, the knowledge of the afflictions that has been fully understood; nothing more of it is left to be known.

b) The causes of the avoidable have been are known and destroyed, there is nothing more of them to be destroyed.

c) The avoidance has been seen by the help of the inhibitive spiritual absorption (nirodha samadhi).

d) The means of the avoidance in the form of the intellective-revelation (vivek-khyati) has been developed, manifestation of discrimination.

Secondly, Vyasa has given threefold spiritual freedom (cittavimukti) including:

a) The intellect has finished its duties, the energy (gunas)–just like the stones detached from the edge of a mountain-peak, getting no support and being ready for entering into their own cause, gets lost along with the citta.

b) There is no more production of the fully exhausted energies on account of the necessity. The insight recognizing that the Purusa is free from all three gunas.

c) In this state, the purusa goes beyond the relation of energies and being the only light of his own manifestation becomes pure and absolute. This is the awareness of the pure light within.

Dr. Kolhatkar K.K. has mentioned that the following seven vices disappear step by step:

1. Desire to get something;
2. Aversion to certain things;
3. Desire to acquire new knowledge;
4. Desire to do something;
5. Affliction;
6. Fear;
   1. Dissatisfection;

Thus the purusa, having reflectively seen this saptabhumi-prajna, possessed of final ground is said to be skillful even in the absence of the mind as his position is beyond energies (gunas).

Hence one can not think of jumping directly onto the highest peak of the final goal. The great spiritual journey is slow and steady, but we are sure to reach the destination.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

sūkṣmaviṣayatvaṃ cāliṅgaparyavasānam || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.45

[2]:

B. Das, A Concordance Dictionary to the Yogasutras of Patanjali and the Bhasya of Vyasa, Bharatiya Vidya Sansthan, Varanasi, 2009, p.122

[3]:

jātyantarapariṇāmaḥ prakṛtyapūrāt || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.2, P.V.Karambelkar, Patanjala Yogasutra, Kaivalyadham, Lonavla, p.504

[4]:

nimittamaprayojakaṃ prakṛtīnāṃvaraṇa bhedastutataḥ kṣetrikavat || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.6

[5]:

nirmāṇacittānyasmitāmātrāt || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.4

[6]:

tatradhyānajamanāśayam || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.6

[7]:

Bengali Baba, Yogasutra of Patanjali with the Commentary of Vyasa, Motilal Banarsidass Pvt.Ltd, Delhi, 2005

[8]:

taduparāgāpekṣitvāccittasyavastujñātājñātam || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.17

[9]:

natatsvābhāsaṃdṛśyatvāt || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.19

[10]:

ekasamaye cobhayānavadhāraṇam || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.20, P.V.Karambelkar, Patanjala Yogasutra, Kaivalyadham, Lonavla, 2005

[11]:

cittāntaradṛśyebuddhibuddheratiprasaṅgaḥsmṛtisaṅkaraśca || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.21

[12]:

Ibid, p.554

[13]:

Ibid, p.556

[14]:

draṣṭṛdṛśyoparaktaṃ cittaṃ sarvārtham || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.23

[15]:

viśeṣadarśinaātmabhāvabhāvanāvinivṛttiḥ || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.25

[16]:

tadāvivekanimnaṅkaivalyaprāgbhārañcittam || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.26

[17]:

tacchidreṣupratyayāntarāṇi saṃskārebhyaḥ || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.27

[18]:

hānameṣāṃ kleśavaduktam || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.28

[19]:

prasaṅkhyāne'pyakusīdasya sarvathāvivekakhyāterdharmameghasamādhiḥ || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.29

[20]:

tataḥ kleśakarmanivṛttiḥ || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.30

[21]:

tadā sarvāvaraṇamalāpetasya jñānasyānantyājjñeyamalpam || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.31

[22]:

tataḥkṛtārthānāṃ pariṇāmakramasamāptirguṇānām || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.32, p.577

[23]:

kṣaṇapratiyogīpariṇāmāparāntanirgrāhyaḥ kramaḥ || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.33

[24]:

Ibid, p.387

[25]:

puruṣārthaśūnyānāṃ guṇānāṃ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṃ svarūpapratiṣṭhāvācīti śaktiriti || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.34

[26]:

svasvāmiśaktyoḥsvarūpopalabdhihetuḥsaṃyogaḥ || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.23

[27]:

tasyaheturavidyā || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.24,

[28]:

tadabhāvātsaṃyogābhāvohānaṃtaddṛśeḥ kaivalyam ||Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.25, Swami Prabhavananda, Patanjali Yogasutra, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, 2010 , p.⁹¹

[29]:

vivekakhyātiraviplavāhānopāyaḥ || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.26

[30]:

tasyasaptadhāprāntabhūmiḥprajñā || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.27

[31]:

Bengali Baba, Yogasutra of Patanjali with the Commentary of Vyasa, Motilal Banarsidass Pvt.Ltd, Delhi, 2005, p.53