Yoga Sutra 1.51 the samskara of inhibition suppresses the samskaras produced by samadhi

Sūtra I.51

When that too is inhibited, everything is inhibited, and thus this samādhi is without-seed
Thus ends the First Part, on Samādhi, of the Yoga sūtra-s composed by the great ṛṣi Holy Patañjali

This suppresses not only samādhi-knowledge, but also the saṃskāra-s of it. For the saṃskāra of inhibition suppresses the saṃskāra-s produced by samādhi. That there is a saṃskāra formed in the mind by inhibition is to be inferred from the experience that the inhibition remains steady for progressively longer periods.

And then when that too is inhibited, everything is inhibited, and thus this samādhi is without-seed. The word thus carries the sense of a conclusion. When that too is inhibited, the new saṃskāra produced by samādhi-knowledge. The word too shows that the samādhi-knowledge, which caused the saṃskāra, has also been inhibited. As has been said earlier (sūtras I.12, 18) the means to inhibition is two-fold: supreme detachment, and the practice of the idea of stopping.

What is the everything which is to be inhibited? The extraverted state, samādhi-knowledge, and the saṃskāra-s of both of them. Thence, everything being inhibited, it is samādhi without seed.

The saṃskāra produced by Truth-bearing knowledge inhibits that Truth-bearing samādhi-knowledge. And furthermore in the same way, it itself suppresses the saṃskāra-s of like nature to it and produced, like it, by knowledge which is its cause.

How so? The saṃskāra formed in the mind by inhibition: inasmuch as when samādhi-knowledge and the saṃskāra produced by it are inhibited, a saṃskāra is produced by that inhibition, which has not come from samādhi-knowledge. This comes about when samādhi-knowledge and the saṃskāra-s produced by it are removed. The saṃskāra of inhibition, then, suppresses the saṃskāra-s born of samādhi.

(Opponent) How is it known that this saṃskāra born of inhibition exists? Or if it does exist, that it represses everything else?

(Answer) To this the commentator says: from the experience that the inhibition remains steady for progressively longer periods. The inhibition holds steady for a time, and that time is experienced as progressively longer, increasing with each repetition. From that experience of the lengthening time of the steadiness of the inhibition, it is inferred that there is a saṃskāra produced by mind in the state of inhibition.

The mind, together with the saṃskāra-s of samādhi on outer objects, and the saṃskāra-s of the samādhi of inhibition which have promoted the release, is dissolved in its own original basis (prakṛti). Thus the saṃskāra-s do not cause the mind to continue to exist, but prevent its involvement with anything. The mind, no longer involved, ceases to exist, along with the saṃskāra-s which have promoted release. When mind ceases, Puruṣa abides in his own nature alone, and is therefore called pure, alone, and released.

Thus ends the First Part, on Samādhi, of the Commentary by holy Vyāsa, compiler of the Vedas, on the Yoga-sūtra-s of holy Patañjali.

The mind, no longer involved with anything, is ended, together with the saṃskāra-s which have promoted the release, being dissolved in its cause, I-am-ness (asmitā) or egoity (ahaṅkāra) which is its original basis (prakṛti). Those saṃskāra-s, inasmuch as they are born of knowledge and of inhibition, prevent its involvement with anything, and do not cause it to continue to exist.

Consequently the mind, no longer involved with anything, with its purpose fulfilled in regard to that Puruṣa, ceases to exist, along with the saṃskāra-s which promoted release. When it ceases, Puruṣa abides in his own nature alone and is therefore called alone and released, release being simply cessation of the mental process.

Thus ends the first Part, on Samādhi, of the commentary on the Yoga sūtra-s of Holy Patañjali, as explained in the vivaraṇa written by Holy Lord Śaṅkara (Śrī Śaṅkara Bhagavat), a teacher who is a paramahaṃsa and parivrājaka, and a disciple of holy Lord Govinda whose feet are worshipped.

 

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