Yoga Sūtra-s of Patanjali
Interpretation by Śrī Sādaśiva Brahmendra Sarasvati
Yoga Sudhākara
Pada II: Sādhana Pāda
Sūtra 4
The next Sutra says that the Avidya (wrong knowledge) is the cause of the four other Kesa-s namely Asmita, Raga, Dvesa and Abhinivesa. [Avidya is not a lack of knowledge; it is wrong knowledge. It appears as knowledge when the individual is in Avidya; when he ‘wakes up’ from the Avidya-sleep, he would realise that it was a wrong knowledge; this is the nature of Avidya. It is like when seeing a rope, one mistakes it as a snake. When he gets the right knowledge, he realises that it is not a snake and it is a rope.]
Sutra 4:
Avidya is the ‘production field’ for the other four Klesa-s which may appear dormant (prasupta), tenuous (tanu), alternated (vicchinna) or fully operative (udāra).
The four Kleśa-s, Asmita, Rāga, Dveṣa and Abhiniveśa appear in four stages namely dormant (prasupta), Tenuous (tanu), Alternated (vicchinna) and Fully operative (udāra). [These four Kleśa-s have different appearances; therefore they are not as stable as Kleśa in mind. They appear and disappear based on various reasons. On the other hand Avidya is different in nature.] Bhāvarūpa Avidya is different from other four Kleśa-s; [Bhāvarūpa Avidya means that it is not lack of knowledge; it is wrong knowledge.] all other four causes of unhappiness are produced by this Bhāvarūpa Avidya.
Here, a Keśa is dormant (prasupta) because there is no causative factor to wake it up; so the Kleśa exists in subtle form without appearing as an experience. [Until the last breath, all bodies contain Kleśa-s either in dormant or operative form.] The tenuous form (tanutvam) of Kleśa is a weakened state due to Pratipakṣa Bhāvana. [Creating an opposite thought process to get rid of the Kleśa is called Pratipakṣa Bhāvana.] The alternated stage (vicchinnatvam) is the forceful appearance of the Kleśa-s one after the other. The Kleśa becomes fully operative (udāra) when other supporting components join hands with it like desire, pleasurable objects, etc.
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पातन्जलयोगसूत्राणि
श्री सदाशिव ब्रह्मेन्द्र सरस्वत्या विरचितः
योगसुधाकरो वृत्तिः
द्वितीयो साधनपादः
अथास्मितादीनामविद्यानिदानत्वमाह-
अविद्याक्षेत्रमुत्तरेषां प्रसुप्ततनुविच्छिन्नोदाराणाम्॥४॥
प्रसुप्तास्तनवो विच्छिन्ना उदाराश्चास्मितादयश्चत्वारः। तेषामुत्तरेषामविद्या भावरूपो विपर्ययः, सा क्षेत्रम् प्रसवभूमिः।
तत्र प्रसुप्तत्वं प्रबोधसहकारस्याभावेनानभिव्यक्तिः। तनुत्वम् प्रतिपक्षभावनया शिथिलीकरणम्। विच्छिन्नत्वम् बलवता क्लेशेनाभिभवः। उदारत्वम् सहकारिसंनिधिवशात्कार्यकारित्वमित्यर्थः।
Can you please explain more about Tanutvam and Pratipakshabhavana with examples?
ReplyDeleteLekha
'Tanutvam' refers to the tenuous form which means very weak in appearance and functioning, almost like it is not existing at all. This is a weakened form of Kleśa due to 'Pratipakṣa bhāvanam'. To know more in detail about Pratipakṣa bhāvanam, please read my blog on November 27, 2023. When one is having a negative feeling, he becomes aware of its existence in his own mind. He accepts it. Then he finds out the reason for it to eradicate it. The reason for all negative feelings is nothing but Kāma or Krodha, latent in mind. Manage oneself to get rid of it by the power of thinking. One should think that "I want to be a pure person; my mind should be free from impurities. I have already given up all desires and hatered from my mind; I am not ready to entertain them again in my mind." This way of thinking is called Pratipakṣa bhāvanam.
DeleteIn short, Awareness, Understanding and Management (AUM) on the basis of the knowledge from our Śāstra-s.