Patanjali Yoga Sootras - Chapter III - Vibhooti Pad - Sootra 11- 20

Patanjali Yoga Darshan (What I have understood)

CONTENTS

Chapter III 

Vibhooti-Pad
Sootra 11 - Sootra 20

11. सर्वार्थतैकाग्रतयोः क्षयोदयौ चित्तस्य समाधिपरिणामः । 

SARVAARTHATAA EKAAGRATAYOH KSHAYODAYAU CHITTASYA SAMAADHIPARINAMAH

SARVAARTHATAA=DISTRACTIONS, ATTENTION WANDERING EVERYWHERE; EKAAGRATAYOH=IN ONE-POINTEDNESS, IN CONCENTRATION; KSHAYO=REDUCTION; UDAYAU= RISE; CHITTASYA=OF MIND; SAMAADHIPARINAAMAH=TRANS EFFECT

Destruction of wandering thoughtforms and rise in focused thoughtforms, is mind’s Trans State Effect or Samaadhi Parinaama

When there is reduction of mind wandering everywhere and rise in focus on one, then that is called the Deep Meditation or Samaadhi effect.

12. ततः पुनः शान्तोदितौ तुल्यप्रत्ययौ चित्तस्यैकाग्रतापरिणामः ।

TATAH PUNAH SHAANTODITAU TULYAPRATYAYAU CHITTASYAAEKAGRATAPARINAMAH

TATAH=THEN; PUNAH=AGAIN; SHAANTA UDITAU=SUBSIDING AND RISING; TULYAPRATYAYAO=SAME IMPRESSION; CHITTASYA=OF CONSCIOUSNESS; EKAAGRATAA=ONE-POINTED, FOCUS; PARINAAMAH=EFFECT

Then again same thought perceptions subsiding and rising is mind’s Focused Effect, Ekaagrataa Parinaama.
When the Samaadhi effect gets more intense and same experiences (of the object) keep coming and subsiding is called Ekaagrataa Parinaamah or concentration effect of mind.

13. एतेन भूतेन्द्रियेषु धर्मलक्षणावस्थापरिणामा व्याख्याताः । 

ETENA BHOOTENDRIYESHU DHARMALAKSHANAAVASTHAAPARINAAMAA VYAKHYAATAAH

ETENA=SIMILARLY, BY THIS; BHOOTAH=NATURAL ELEMENTS; INDRIYESHU=IN ORGANS; DHARMA=NATURE; LAKSHANA=CHARACTERISTICS; AVASTHAA=STATE; PARINAAMAA=RESULTS; VYAKHYAATA=STATED;

By this, effects in the natural elements and organs with regard to their forms, indications and conditions is also specified.

14. शान्तोदिताव्यपदेश्यधर्मानुपाती धर्मी । 

SHAANTODITAAVYAPADESHYADHARMAANUPAATEE DHARMEE

SHAANTA=SUBSIDING; UDITA=RISING; AVYAPADESHYA=UNMANIFESTED; DHARMA=FORMS; ANUPATI=IS PRESENT; DHARMEE=THE BASIC SOURCE;

Remaining constant in its subsiding (past), rising (present) and not yet defined (future) forms, is the source.

15. क्रमान्यत्वं परिणामान्यत्वे हेतुः । 

KRAMAANYATVAM PARINAMAANYATVE HETUH

KRAMA=SEQUENCE; ANYATVAM=DIFFERENCE; PARINAMA=RESULT; ANYATVE=IN DIFFERENCE; HETUH=CAUSE

Modification of sequence is the cause in modification of transformations.

16. परिणामत्रयसंयमाद् अतीतानागतज्ञानम् । 

PARINAAMATRAYASAMYAMAAD ATEETAANAAGATADNYAANAM

PARINAAMA=EFFECT; TRAYA=THREE; SANYAMAAD=IN SANYAM; ATEETA=PAST; ANAAGATA=FUTURE; DNYAANAM=KNOWLEDGE

From Sanyama on the three transformations, is a knowledge of past and future.
In sanyam on transformations of natures, manifestations and conditions, yogis become knowledgeable about the past and future.

17. शब्दार्थप्रत्ययानाम् इतरेतराध्यासात् संकरः । तत्प्रविभागसंयमात् सर्वभूतरुतज्ञानम् । 

SHABDAARTHAPRATYAYAANAAM ITARETARAADHYAASAAT SANKARAH

TATPRAVIBHAGASAMYAMAAT SARVABHOOTARUTADNYAANAM

SHABDA=OF SOUND; ARTHA=OF MEANING; PRATYAYAANAM=OF  EXPERIENCE; ITARETAR=EACH OTHER; ADHYAASAAT=STAY IN; SANKARAH=CONFUSION; TAT=THAT; PRAVIBHAAGA=DIVISION, SEPARATION; SAMYAMAAT=IN SAMYAMA; SARVABHOOTARUTADYANAM=KNOWLEDGE OF SOUNDS OF ALL LIVING BEINGS

From mistaking for one another there is mixing of word, its meaning and experience.
From Sanyam on their distinction, there is a knowledge of voices of all living beings.

We hear sounds from all directions and they seem like mixed and it is difficult to identify them separately. But by doing Sanyam or concentration on these sounds, one can identify each sound with its exact meaning and separate experience of it.

18. संस्कारसाक्षत्करणात् पूर्वजातिज्ञानम् ।

SAMSKAARASAAKSHATKARANAAT POORVAJATIDNYANAM

SAMSKAARA=CONDITIONING OF MIND; SAKSHATKARANAAT=INSIGHT; POORVAJAATI=PAST LIFE; DNYAANAM=KNOWLEDGE

From (Samyama on) intuitive perception  into conditioning of mind, there is knowledge of previous life.
What we call as present and past lives are actually the dreamlike experiences created by our deluded mind as per the thoughts and beliefs of the mind. By doing Sanyam or concentration on the beliefs and conditioning of our mind, we can get knowledge of our past life experiences or one can say past dreamlike experiences.

19. प्रत्ययस्य परचित्तज्ञानम् ।

PRATYAYASYA PARACHITTADNYAANAM

PRATYAYASYA= OF EXPERIENCE, OF IMPRESSION; PARACHITTA=OTHER MIND; DNYAANAM=KNOWLEDGE

(Through Samyama) on experience one can get the knowledge of other (person’s) mind.
Although the Universe which is God's dream has many forms, all persons in this universe live their own individual dreamlike life on the basis of the thoughts, beliefs and emotions created by their false self or ego.
Who is the other person in this individual dreamlike life one is experiencing? There is no 'other'. The source of all forms in the individual dreamlike life is the same false self, the ego. So the other person I experience through my false ego is actually the result of manifestation of my own thoughts. Hence to know the other person's mind, I have to concentrate on my own experiences and thoughts pertaining to that person, then I will know that even the thoughts of the other person are my own assumptions based on the conditioning and beliefs of my own mind.

20. न च तत् सालम्बनं,तस्याविषयीभूतत्वात् । 

NA CHA TAT SAALAMBANAM, TASYAAVISHAYEEBHOOTATVAT

NA=NOT; CHA=AND; TAT=THAT; SAALAMBANAM=WITH SUPPORT; TASYA=ITS; AVISHAYEE=UNPERCIEVED; BHOOTATVAAT=IN EXISTENCE

But not the object of support on which the knowledge (of other person's mind) is based as it is not perceived in awareness of the yogi.

I can get the knowledge of other’s mind through Sanyam on my own experiences pertaining to the other person. I cannot perceive what the other person may perceive through their own individual ego created dreamlike life. Hence although I can know what the other person is thinking based on my own perceptions, I may not know what the other persons perceive in their own individual dream. As far as my dreamlike life goes, I see the other person only through the manifestation of my own thoughts and beliefs.