Yoga Sutra Study

तस्य हेतुरविद्या॥२४॥

ttasya hetur-avidyā ॥24॥

tasya = of it (conjunction); hetuh = the cause; avidyaa = ignorance

Sw. Satchidananda

“The cause of this union is ignorance”

Bryant

“The cause of conjunction is ignorance”

Discussion

In the previous sutra (sutra 2.23) it was mentioned that an understanding of the true essence of the powers of the owner (swami – the purusha) and the owned (sva – prakriti) is realized through a union between purusha (individual soul) and buddhi (intellect representing prakriti). This realization ultimately leads to a “dis-union” between the two which then leads to full kaivalya or liberation.

The current sutra states that the reason for the union of purusha and prakriti is avidya (ignorance). In stura 2.5 avidya was defined as, “… regarding a transient object as everlasting, an impure object as pure, misery as happiness and the not-Self as Self”.

The commentators go on to explain that this avidya has no beginning. Creation in Hindu cosmology is cyclical. At the end of each cycle, called “pralaya”, this creation dissolves back into its source. Each individual, non-liberated soul, along with its subtle body containing all the latent impressions called samskaras and vasanas, is a part of this dissolution. When the new cosmic cycle begins, these subtle bodies along with the individual purushas get recreated. They contain all the same mix of samskars and vasanas that were there before dissolution. The samskara of avidya (ignorance) is a part of this mix and begins to play its role in not recognizing the separation between purusha and the buddhi. This cycle continues until the time of self-realization when purusha realizes its own true identity as a pure observer (drashta). That state is called kaivalya in the yoga sutras. Thus avidya has no beginning but ends when the state of kaivalya is reached.

As stated in sutra 2.18, in the state of avidya, buddhi (intellect) has two functions to perform – experiences (bhoga) and liberation (apavarga). As long as it is involved in providing life experiences to the purusha, it stays in a state of bondage. The intellect continues to provide its function until it can finally provide the second function, that of liberation, for the purusha. Liberation is a result of discriminatory wisdom (viveka khyati). At that point the intellect ceases to function as we have been able to remove avidya (ignorance). This sequence can be summed up as follows: bondage to the cycle of birth and death is caused by ignorance (avidya), ignorance is removed by knowledge, the discriminatory wisdom, and then intellect having performed is last act, ceases to function and the state of kaivalya – total freedom – ensues. Vyasa, in his commentary, emphasizes that intellect and knowledge are not the direct cause of liberation, but by removing ignorance, they are the indirect cause.

कृतार्थं प्रति नष्टमप्यनष्टं तदन्यसाधारणत्वात्॥२२॥

kr̥tārthaṁ prati naṣṭaṁ-apy-anaṣṭaṁ tadanya sādhāraṇatvāt ॥22॥

kr̥tārthaṁ = one whose purpose has been fulfilled; prati = for, to; naṣṭaṁ-api = although destroyed/non-existent; anaṣṭaṁ = not destroyed; tat = that; anya = to others; sādhāraṇatvāt = on account of being common

Taimni

“Although it becomes non-existent for him whose purpose has been fulfilled it continues to exist for others on account of being common to others (besides him)”

Aranya

“Although Ceasing To Exist In Relation To Him Whose Purpose Is Fulfilled The Knowable Does Not Cease To Exist On Account Of Being Of Use To Others”

Bryant

“Although the seen ceases to exist for one whose purpose is accomplished [the liberated Purusha], it has not ceased to exist altogether, since it is common to other [non-liberated] Purushas”

Discussion

This sutra reemphasizes one of the basic tenets of yoga and Sankhya schools which posit the plurality of purushas and commonality of prakriti. Most purushas are in the non-liberated state whereas some may have attained liberation (kaivalya). For the liberated one, the prakriti (buddhi) has been able to transcend the influence of the three gunas and merge back into the “mula prakriti” where the three gunas rest in the state of balance. In a sense, then, for the liberated purusha, prakriti in the normal sense has become non-existent or has been destroyed (‘nashtam’ in the sutra).

However, for all the non-liberated purushas, prakriti continues to provide life’s experiences. As per this sutra, prakriti is common to all purushas (sadharanatvat). Only the liberated purusha loses its connection with prakriti.

According to the Samkhya philosophy, both purusha and prakriti are real and eternal. Purushas are many, prakriti is one. This philosophy is in contrast with some others; for example, in the Advaita Vedanta philosophy the only reality is the supreme consciousness, termed Brahman. Prakriti is ultimately illusionary, a result of Maya.

As per Samkhya, purusha gets “entangled” with prakriti through the influence of the ego (ahamkara) and does not recognize itself as pure consciousness. It is only when liberation (kaivalya) is attained, purusha gets “disentangled” from prakriti and realized its own true nature. The prakriti, however, continues to provides life experiences to all the other purushas who are still not liberated.

द्रष्टा दृशिमात्रः शुद्धोऽपि प्रत्ययानुपश्यः॥२०॥

draṣṭā dr̥śimātraḥ śuddho-‘pi pratyaya-anupaśyaḥ ॥20॥

draShTaa = Seer, Purusha; dRushimaatraH = pure consciousness/awareness only; shuddho.pi = though pure; pratyaya = concept, content of the mind; anupashyaH = appears to see along with

Taimni

“The Seer is pure consciousness but though pure, appears to see through the mind”

Aranya

“The Seer is absolute knower. Although pure, modifications (of buddhi) are witnessed by Him as an onlooker”

Bryant

“The Seer is merely the power of seeing; [however], although pure, he witnesses the images of the mind”

Discussion

In the last few sutras, Patanjali has discussed the concept of “drishya” (seen) or prakriti which is controlled by the three gunas. He now turns his attention to the “drashta” (seer), the purusha, or the pure consciousness.

The sutra states that “drashta” (seer) is “drishi-matrah” or “merely the power of seeing” or “merely pure consciousness”. Although pure, he is an observer (anu-pashyah) of the content of the mind (pratyaya) through the intellect (buddhi).

Purusha is pure as he is untouched by any attributes, adjectives or qualifications. He can be described as:

• Mere “see” force (drishi-matrah), as given in the sutra
• Purse consciousness alone (chit)
• Comprised only of knowledge (jnana); it knows the prakriti
• Mere witness or observer

Vyasa, in his commentary, states that purusha, even though quite different from the intellect (buddhi), does have some similarities with buddhi.

Purusha is not the same as buddhi for the following reasons:

• Buddhi has external objects as the objects of perception. This changes depending upon the object (cow, pot etc.). As such, buddhi always mutates depending upon the image of an external object presented to it. Purusha, on the, other hand, is does not go through any change and has the buddhi as the only object of observation.
• Buddhi exists for the sake of purusha (sutras 2.18, 2.21), to provide experience and liberation (bhoga and apavarga) to the purusha. The purusha exists for its own sake alone.
• Buddhi is inert and devoid of consciousness and is a composite of the three gunas – sattva, rajas and tamas. Purusha is pure consciousness, the pure observer and untouched by the three gunas of prakriti.

On the other hand, purusha is not entirely different from buddhi either. Purusha is the cause of perception and cognition in the buddhi. As the sutra states, purusha is an observer of the “pratyaya” or the thoughts, feelings, emotions, and the cognitions etc. going on in the mind. In the state of ignorance (avidya), the “pratyaya” or these contents of the mind get attributed to the purusha. Thus purusha seems to have similarity with buddhi.

Buddhi as we know is inert and has no consciousness of its own. It needs the reflected consciousness of purusha to carry out its functions of cognition, discrimination etc. However, it is this reflected consciousness that causes the mis-identification of purusha with the ego. Purusha at this point loses its own identity as the “drishi-matrah” (the power of seeing) only and gets identified with the buddhi. Thus the buddhi appears to have consciousness of its own.

This misidentification of purusha with buddhi is caused by the ego (ahamkara) and is the ultimate cause of bondage which leads to the cycles of birth and reincarnation.

प्रकाशक्रियास्थितिशीलं भूतेन्द्रियात्मकं भोगापवर्गार्थं दृश्यम्॥१८॥

prakāśa-kriyā-sthiti-śīlaṁ bhūtendriya-ātmakaṁ bhoga-apavarga-arthaṁ dr̥śyam ॥18॥

prakaasha=illumination; kriyaa=activity; sthiti=inertia; shIlaM=having the nature of; bhUta=elements; indriya=senses; atmakaM=having the nature of; bhoga=experience; apavarga=liberation; arthaM=object, purpose; dRushyam=the knowable;

All three commentators have provided a fairly long commentary on this sutra. Below, I have tried to bring out the salient points.

Taimni

"The Seen (objective side of manifestation) consists of the elements and sense organs, is of the nature of cognition, activity and stability (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) and has for its purpose providing the Purusa with) experience and liberation."

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द्रष्टृदृश्ययोः संयोगो हेयहेतुः॥१७॥

draṣṭr̥-dr̥śyayoḥ saṁyogo heyahetuḥ ॥17॥

draShTRu= (of) Seer; dRushyoH=(and) Seen; saMyogaH=union, association; heya=that which is to be avoided; hetuH=cause;

Taimni

"The cause of that which is to be avoided is the union of the Seer and the Seen."

To uproot anything, we must get down to the root cause and eliminate that cause. In the case of suffering, Patanjali states in this sutra that the root cause is the union between Purusha and Prakriti. It has already been mentioned that Avidya gives rise to Asmita which is the tendency of pure consciousness (Purusha) to identify itself with its vehicles (Prakriti). This problem is linked to the origin of the universe wherein the consciousness got entangled with elements of Prakriti. This problem cannot be understood or analyzed by our limited intellect.
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