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with the practice of samyama are of superior nature, most of them get developed due to natural unfoldment of consciousness in its
evolution towards perfection. The experience of samyama is of instantaneous sabija samadhi which is also a type of siddhi.
Some of the vibhutis mentioned by Patanjali in his third chapter of Yogadarsana are of great spiritual value for attainment of kaivalya.
For example, samyama on surya (sun which is the centre of the whole creation) giving rise to bhuvanajnana (knowledge of the entire
universe) mentioned in sutra 3.26 is of this type. As these vibhutis are not merely occult powers but, are extraordinary powers attained
through Yoga practices of samyama, they are also called as “accomplishments” for the higher state of consciousness. As such these
powers don”t free one from the basic illusions of life and so, can not bring him enlightenment and peace. One has to use them strictly for
scientific purpose and for helping others maintaining an attitude of utter indifference towards them. Some of them are mentioned here.
The application of samyama to the proper triad of parinamas i.e . essential attribute (dharma), temporal character (laksana) and the state
[2]
(avastha) in relation to the nature of the thing will bring results to him . On account of the high penetrative power developed in
samyama, the yoga aspirant starts knowling perfectly the past and future; the minds and language of others including animals and can get
[3]
the knowledge of previous lives through direct perception of the latent impressions and also the death of others and himself through
[4]
maturity of his karma. Anyone who can see and know the mental image (pratyaya) occupying his mind, can know the mind of others .
Once, he masters the technique of samyama and learns to resolve complex processes which results into external sounds, he can know the
meanings of these sounds produced by any birds, animals or insects instantaneously when he hears those sounds (yogasutra- 3.17). This
knowledge, for a real Yogi at the stage of samyama, would help him to increase and speed up the sadhana (the intensity and depth of the
yoga practices). All these accomplishments are governed by natural laws so; there is no place for any miracles in this philosophy. But, a
true aspirant should also know his limitations while practicing samyama on various objects.
On account of the rupatanmatra of the kaya (body) being curbed through samyama, the body looses the ability of absorbing and
therefore differentially and partially reflecting the light so that particular body automatically becomes invisible.
Thus, when an aspirant wants himself, someone or an object to disappear, he directs the samyama on the rupatanmatra on that particular
[5]
body . The interrelationship between the tattvas, tanmatras and the organs of sensations form an integral part of the sutrachology are
well known and upon which the science of yoga is based. All the visual phenomena are dependent upon the interplay of the tanmatra
(rupa), the tattva (tejas) and the organ of sensation i.e. vision which is called eye. The same is applied to other four tanmatras also, to
justify the invisibility of the referred object.
Karma is of two types, active and dormant. Knowledge of time of death could be obtained if samyama on them, by segregating
accumulated dormant karma and currently active (prarabdha) karma or on portents is performed. By applying the process of Samyama
on various good qualities or virtues like friendliness (maitri), compassion (karuna) and love (prem), a true Yogi can produce great
powers of universal love, friendliness and other good human traits like sympathy and courage and use them for selfless universal
welfare. Thus, samyama provides with him the most efficient and powerful technique of character building.
Apart from these mental powers, one can gain abnormal physical strength of an elephant by process samyama on virtues like friendship
[6]
and then on the strength attained in this process . Deeper and hidden knowledge of outer and inner objects could be obtained by
intensifying the perceiving powers of sense organs with the practice of samyama on them. The power of samyama on moon gives us
knowledge of stellar constellation, other stars and planets and knowledge of their movements is obtained by process of samyama on the
[7]
“polar star” (dhruva) . The knowledge of the structure of solar system, which is fundamental unit in the whole cosmos, arrangement of
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different stars in the galaxies and the law which governs their movements is obtained by performing samyama on these three different
objects. Otherwise, with all physical means and methods available currently, it is almost impossible to get the clear, exact and overall
picture of the whole cosmos.
Yoga as a practical science is concerned mainly with the raising human consciousness into progressively higher levels of existence,
practice of samyama brings us this result. Yogic methods are different from logical scientific methods as it discards totally the external
aids and relies on the unfoldment of inner organs of perception, which are more perfect and reliable.
The knowledge of organization of our systems in the body is obtained by performing samyama on navel centre (nabhi-cakra), also called
[8]
as umbilicus which is origin of development of all the organs . Performing samyama on the throat region or pharynx, feeling of thirst
[9]
and hunger can be made disappeared . The Yogi can enable these sensations to become voluntary through the control of secretions of
various glands and related physiological actions. Samyama on kurma-nadi (cochlea in ear to maintain balance of the body) results into
[10]
steadiness, calmness and firmness of the body . By taking voluntary control over this nadi, the practioner can make his body
motionless. To attain total control over mind, steadiness of body is the first pre-requisite.
[11]
Patanjali mentions in his sutra , that if the samyama is directed on the luminescence (light) at the top apex of the head, we get the
vision of any desired siddhayogi. This brahmarandhra is the centre of manifestation of the spiritual force or light. It is affirmed that the
[12]
prana of a person who attains moksa, the final liberation, leaves the body at its fall, only through this tenth “door” of our body .
If samyama is directed on the inspirational power (pratibha) or intuitional inspirational potentiality, we gain all the knowledge of all the
subjects whichever the practitioner desires for. Though, the inspirational faculty is inherent in each person, the power of this pratibha
produces the correct knowledge in a man spontaneously just like a flash, mostly involuntarily. Pratibha is that transcendent spiritual
faculty of perception which can dispense with the use of not only senses but also the mind. By samyama, ordinary pratibha is
[13] [14]
transformed into fully developed rtambhara prajna The samyama on heart gives the complete knowledge of citta to the citta itself .
[15]
With the application of samyama, the knowledge of purusa principle and clear distinction of sattva (citta) and purusa is obtained .
From this knowledge of purusa which is result of samyama, abnormal development (pratibha) of faculties of audition, tactility, vision,
taste and smell takes place as per yogasutra 3.35. It makes the knowledge “direct”, without instruments of mind and senses. So,
knowledge obtained is divine or inspirational. Now, the citta experiences external knowledge and knowledge of the truth directly. This
experience is of different kind than normal one. As it is extra-sensory, it is divine. We start understanding the nature of intuitional
perception if we remember that purusa is the real perceiver (drsta).
When cause of binding of citta to the body is removed, it gets freedom to move out of that body and can go out to all directions, can get
[16]
transferred to another body . Such process should be carried out for spiritual purpose only and not for mundane means.
Patanjali cautions us about these powers or so called siddhis in the form of special developments as mentioned in previous sutras. It says
[17]
that all these siddhis are obstacles in the path of samadhi . Such powers are hindrances for spiritual sadhana. Even if one uses these
powers for the welfare of masses, it makes him so popular that his fame, wealth and attachments would entangle him more and more
towards worldliness and hence away from attainment of spiritual goal. Such powers also give wisdom to the practioner not to get driven
by the forces of vibhutis.
Sensual experiences of super-normal level as mentioned in above sutra 3.36 are much more alluring and Patanjali warns us about such
siddhis only. Actually, vibhutis mentioned elsewhere are helpful in spiritual progress and for attainment of kaivalya.
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Technique of samyama on various types or aspects of prana results into various siddhis as mentioned in sutras 3.38 and 3.39 . Through
mastery (samyama) over udana, body gets lightness of various degrees (laghima) and there is no contact with water, marsh mud, thorns
and such others. The Yogi can do levitation and can get death at his will. He can neutralize the gravitational pull of the earth on the body
[18]
by regulating the udana prana . Mastery over udana brings about all kinds of activities in the body which are directed upwards
towards the head. One can manipulate this force the way he may like and by counteracting the downward pull of the earth, he can make
his body as light as to walk on water surface. Through voluntary release of udana through the brahmarandhra, the Yogi can attain death
at his will and of his choice of type and time.
[19]
Through control over samana prana, effulgence (glow) and body fire could be produced . Samana prana mainly regulates the body
heat production, secretion of digestive enzymes and works in the lower part of the body. Therefore, the gastric fire or digestive power is
enhanced by this samyama on samana. The level of effulgence of the Yogi is measured and recorded by the aura around him by modern
scientific instruments. The colour and brightness of the aura varies according to every individual’s personality and the state of mind at
the particular time.
The next sutra states that if samyama is directed upon the relationship between the space and sound or sense of hearing, the ability of ear
[20]
discern sound becomes highly enhanced . Divyam srotam means becoming sensitive to the subtler sounds vibrations which are beyond
the range of the physical ear. One starts hearing the far distant sounds, even if those are normally inaudible or mystic sounds. Such ear is
divine.
Patanjali mentions the great unbelievable vibhuti of moving through the space or flying by directing samyama on the relationship
[21]
between the body and the space accompanied by samapatti with a small light tuff of cotton . The power of mind here is actually
developed to its fullest force in this recommended samyama and with it the body can be made to fly in the space over the air. One
acquires knowledge of forces of cohesion and power to manipulate them the way he likes. After gaining this power, the aspirant brings
about the coalescence of the mind with fluffy substance like cotton down he causes the dispersion of the particles of the body and their
resolution into space (akasagamana).
From this, the aspirant moves out of the body and mahavideha (the great bodiless state or vrtti) which is unimaginable is attained, which
[22]
further results into diminution and disappearance of the covering on the inner illumination . To reassemble the particles at the
destination, all that is necessary is to withdraw the force of will. With this, the particles reassert themselves and the body materializes
instantaneously, apparently from nowhere. By the development of the power to move to any point of the Universe without any restraint,
the citta is now able to get knowledge of anything anywhere through direct perception. Citta becomes almost omniscient. At any
moment, our mind is filled with two sets of images, one through the actual contact of our senses with the external world and another is
the product of our own imagination. This world image in our mind is the result of impact of the universal mind on our individual mind.
If samyama is performed on the grossness, the naturalness, the subtleness, the relatedness and the purposefulness of five basic elements
[23]
(pancamahabhutas), the mastery over these elements is attained . They are also called pancatattvas. Literary, tattva means “that-ness”,
the essential quality or a principle of a thing that differentiates it from others. Bhutas basically are principles which find expression
through the medium of matter and energies of different types. These five innumerable elements have some special function in the
manifested universe that of relating matter with consciousness and are always in combined state with each other in varying proportions
to form the gross object in the world. The whole theory and practice of Yoga is based upon the idea of interdependence of three realities
of existence namely, matter, mind and consciousness and extra-ordinary power that is possible to acquire through Yogic practices proves
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the correctness of fundamental basis of Yogic doctrine. In samadhi, we come in touch with the reality of the object meditated upon, while
in intellectual comprehension we merely contact the blurred and distorted image produced by the object in our mind. The difference
between two is the difference a substance and its shadow.
Thus, total control over functioning of the elements could be achieved by directing samyama on development of those. And from this, we
gain eight types of siddhis (occult powers) as mentioned below. It includes excellent physique and non-affliction by the body’s natural
[24]
tendencies like aging, diseases and death .
1. Anima: (miniaturization) It is an ability to become as small as size of an atom or as one may want.
2. Mahima: (magnification) ability to expand and to become as big as one may desire. In his tattvavaisaradi (3.45), Vacaspati Mishra
explains this as an ability to become as large as an elephant, a mountain or a town. However, maniprabha defines mahima as
“pervasiveness”, saying it is the subtle body that expands.
5. Prapti: ability to bridge great distances instantly and easy grasping by hand of any object at any distance
6. Prakamya: ability to realize one’s will and to have anything as soon as one has desire for it
Thus, we get control of body and all elements of which it is made up of. We can work at our optimum level to make the performance
excellent.
[25]
Different qualities like grace, beauty, strength, endurance and supermost sturdiness make our body perfect . The mastery over the
bhutas will naturally lead to the body acquiring all above qualities as they depend on actions of bhutas. The mastery over the senses is
achieved by performing Samyama on the power of apprehension or grasping ability of an individual, own natural state (svarupatva of
relationship between five mahabhutas and five tanmatras), asmita (awareness of I), relatedness (cooperative functioning of various
[26]
principles) and purposefulness of the senses . By making samyama on the transformation that the sense-organs undergo when they
contact objects and on their power of illumination, on the ego-sense, on the gunas which constitutes the organs and on the experiences
they provide for the individual, one gains mastery of the organs. From this mastery over senses (indriyajaya), one can move with the
speed of mind independent of senses (similar to pratyahara) and can have mastery over pradhana i.e. mulaprakrti. Mastery over both
these i.e. bhutajaya and indriyajaya avoids danger of getting trapped in pradhanajaya and facilitates the spiritual path towards final goal,
kaivalya.
The Yogi who has attained the realization of the distinction between the sattva (pure state of citta) and purusa principle posseses the
potentiality to have the supreme control on all states of existing (omnipotence) and the potentiality of having all the knowledge (omni-
[27]
science) . These two vibhutis automatically appear due to actual realization of the clear distinction of the purusa from the sattva-citta.
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And this experience or realization leads to attainment of controllership of all states resulting into nirbija samadhi. Through detachment
[28]
for these vibhutis eliminates the seeds of defects (dosabija), the prerequisite for kaivalya . Mastery over an object does not necessary
mean independence from that. This keeps him in bondage. Omniscience and omnipotence means mastery over prakrti. To get complete
freedom, full detachment is needed. Vairagya is essential for kaivalya. During this spiritual journey, one should not get trapped into these
miraculous powers (vibhutis) and fame due to them. If the root-seed of the faults (dosabija) get destroyed with elimination of last trace
of avidya and renunciation of these powers, then no other dosas (faults) will remain with him.
Once, the Yogi almost reaches such state of Godliness or superpower, the celestial beings invite him to offer honours and gifts. But
Patanjali (sutra 3.50) warns him that he should not get attached to such attractions due to possibility of the danger of getting tempted and
trapped into worldy engagement. He should totally discard and overcome the allurements offered by divine beings. Actually, he is tested
by the powers of different types. With great efforts, one can remove the weakness to enable himself to move towards the final goal. Only
through highest level of vairagya (disinterstedness), one can become eligible for entering into the final stage of attaining spiritual goal.
When we feel that something is destroyed or disappeared and became past, actually what happens that some dharma go back into
unmanifested state from their manifest condition. Other fresh dharma will become manifest from their unmanifest state and we say that
they will come up later or infuture. So, there is no reality to time. It is a conception created merely by the two directions of the
movement of dharmas. A clear comprehension of this illusoriness of time removes the bondage of time, which is a great constraint on the
freedom of citta and the most difficult hurdle in the path of kaivalya. The total abolition of this constraint of time is accomplished by the
[29]
samyama on ksanas and their sequentiality as per sutra 3.52, which leads to vivekajajnana . Dharmas here are different combinations
of the three primary gunas, which are nothing but three fundamental principles of motions (inertia, mobility and vibrations). The essence
[30]
of the object consists in the uniqueness (ekattva) of transformation of these gunas . Patanjali further explains that the object perceived
[31]
by the citta is itself undergoing transformations in its own independent way . Different cittas due to their different natures perceive and
so experience these transformations, each one in its own separate manner as that perception by a citta is admixed with and so coloured
by its own transformations. This different perception also is according to each one’s past samskaras and the proportion of trigunas in
[32]
their personalities . A calm and dispassionate mind can alone see things correctly as far as this is possible under the limitations of
ordinary life. This is possible with yoga practices to minimize vrttis with meditation and samadhi.
If samyama is directed on both ksana (instant moment) and its sequence, the realization is produced out of the vivekaja jnana (intellect-
[33]
born-knowledge or discriminative ability) . It is the knowledge born of the awareness of the ultimate Reality. Though each moment is
different independent of the other, feeling of an unbroken continuity of these ksanas, unbroken flow of time is an illusion. This viveka-
[34]
jnana enables the practitioner to have the knowledge of any subject, whatsoever it is of any aspect which he would like to know . He
has this knowledge without any constraint imposed by the order or sequence with respect to time (sarvatha visayam) or place
(sarvavisayam) or inter-subject relationships (akramam). He can have ultimate discrimination of any duality in the universe like purusa
and prakrti as transcendental truth leading to salvation or kaivalya. This apparent and illusionary union (samyoga as per Samkhya) gets
abolished at last.
[35]
Now, the Yogi has transcended the limitation of the time by means of the mastery over current moment as per yogasutra , he can
differentiate the identical things of same class, characteristics and existing at the same place (jati, laksana, desa), which is impossible
otherwise. Everything for him is in the present moment. The nature and scope of this is already explained (2.53).
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The essential nature of kaivalya is pure sattva, the primordial pure state of citta. It is also called pradhana or mula-prakrti (original)
state. It has yet to develop its potentiality of consciousness, the ability to become aware and perceive. All types of samyamas thus, are
mastery over sabija samadhi through which one can”t attain kaivalya directly. One has to reach and attain nirbija samadhi and
dharmamegha to get kaivalya. Kaivalya does not necessary mean separation of purusa from prakrti. If sattva is purified to the necessary
extent, the purusa can function through prakrti in full realization of his real nature and is always free. When there is equality of purity
between purusa and sattva, the state of kaivalya is attained. This is realization of one’s own nature (mula svarupa) in the fullest degree
which is the characteristic and indispensible condition of kaivalya. Thus, isolation of kaivalya is subjective and not necessary
[36]
objective .
[30]: pariṇāmaikatvādvastutattvam || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.14, P.V.Karambelkar, Patanjala Yogasutra, Kaivalyadham, Lonavla, 2001,
p.538
[31]: vastusāmyecittabhedāttayorvibhaktaḥpanthāḥ || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 4.15 I.K.Taimni, The Science of Yoga, The Theosoph-ical
Publishing House, Chennai, 2005
[34]: tārakaṃ sarvaviṣayaṃ sarvathāviṣayamakramaṃ cetivivekajaṃ jñānam || Patanjali Yoga Sutra 3.53
[36]: I.K.Taimni, The Science of Yoga, The Theosophical Publishing House, Chennai, 2005, p.329
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