Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.48, Parisamvad

Patanjali Yoga Sutra Transcribed from Parisamvad at The Yoga Institute.

Chapter 1, Sutra 48

Rtambhara-Tatra-Prajna

Rtambhara: filled with higher truth, essence, supreme cognition
Tatra: there
Prajna: knowledge, wisdom, insight

In This (State) The Consciousness Is Truth Bearing

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Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra:

“This sutra is all technical. It talks of the highest knowledge, Prajna. But this highest is described as Rutambara: truth-bearing. It is not just the ordinary knowledge: 2+2=4. Whatever the person says turns out correct. Whatever he sees is accurate. Never any mistake. Just as an example, when the Founder was in The Yoga Institute in America, lots of eager supporters, American boys, they took him to a shooting range where they were shooting at the trunk of the trees with a pistol, testing their accuracy. Now Yogendraji had never seen a pistol, nor used one but these young boys were very eager that he takes a range and shoots. They wanted to test how accurate he is. He was given the pistol, told the trunk of a tree and asked to shoot and very strangely when he shot, it was accurate. They were surprised. Then they gave a revolver to him and told him ‘Now shoot.’ Probably some thought that the earlier time, the pistol was given to him by a person in a manner that it came out correct. Even the next time it was correct and they kept on trying and every time he was accurate and correct. That is the kind of capacity. Truth-bearing. Accuracy. Now the point is that the Yogi becomes internally so clear, so accurate, that he never goes wrong. Then his final decision, when he thinks of the Highest and concentrates and loses himself to that Highest, he is not wrong. He has decided the goal and he is after it.”

Smt. Hansaji J. Yogendra:

“The sutra is talking about ‘Tatra Prajna’, which is the link with the earlier sutra. The earlier sutra says that the Yogi’s mind is totally free from thoughts and he is enjoying the bliss of a perfect, totally pure state of mind. Nothing can vitiate the mind and so, this kind of mind the yogi gets. What happens with this kind of mind is explained in this current sutra. With that mind, only truth flows. Nothing else. So in our culture, when we use the term ‘Satya Shivam Sundaram‘, that brings both the sutras together. Satya – Truth, Shivam – Purity and Sundaram – Absolutely blissful, happy. If he speaks, he speaks only truth, what he sees is the truth. His personality just reflects the truth. Dr. Jayadeva gave the example of Founder shooting. After years of training, people learn to come closer to the target but the Founder did it perfectly, exactly on the target. So the mind is absolutely focussed. That is the earlier state. The point is, the mind has nothing to think. You are told to do something and you do it. And what you do is perfect.”

Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.48 (Parisamvad)