Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.18 (Parisamvad)

Patanjali Yoga Sutra Transcribed from Parisamvad at The Yoga Institute.

Chapter 2, Sutra 18

Prakasa Kriya Sthiti Silam Bhutendriyatmakam Bhogapavargartham Drsyam

Prakasa: lustre, brilliance, brightness
Kriya: of activity
Sthiti: steadiness
Silam: having the nature of
Bhuta: the elements (earth, water, fire, air, space)
Indriya: mental sense organs
Atmakam: consisting of
Bhoga: experience
Apavarga: liberation, freedom
Artham: for the purpose of
Drsyam: the seen

The Seen (Objective World) Is Of The Nature Of Intelligence, Activity And Inertia, It Consists Of The Elements And Organs (Powers Of Sensation), Its Purpose Is Experience An Release (Of The Self)

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Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra:

“We are studying what is called as ‘Samkhya’, This and Yoga , they go in combinations, it is a Shastra. See it has to deal with numbers- Sankhya. There are categories, out of them the chief is ‘Prakriti‘- matter. So we are trying to study, in good details about material life, the material world and its nature and as a result realize its insignificance and create a little distance. Otherwise we are too attached to matter. Considering that as the only thing, the most important thing, which is wrong. See matter is for us to observe, to see, once we have done that then there is no significance. It is we who see, that is important. But we forget all that. We get lost into things, get affected by them and our whole life is a mixture of pleasure, pain. So this is what this Sutra is trying to tell us about the three basics. The three basics in Samkhya are Prakash, Kriya, Sthithi. Stithi is the stablest stable thing. This table is steady. My movement of the hand is movement –Kriya– and the eyes give me the visión –Prakash. So these are the three units, and they make up my whole world. If the vision is not there nothing exists. If I’m not trying to exert, no action. If external elements are not there to provide me light, again, no progress. So there is a mixture. The material objects, the individual and knowledge. I don’t know if these things are clear.”

Smt. Hansaji J. Yogendra:

“Today’s Sutra is a very interesting Sutra because it tells you what this world is and what you are supposed to do. You always have a choice to suffer or not to suffer, to get entangled in pain and suffering or to come above that. Both ways you can live your life. Prakash, Kriya, Sthiti are the three qualities. Prakash is Sattvic qualities, light of knowledge. Kriyas that is Rajasic action and Sthiti, i.e. dull state. These three are the qualities of Prakriti. These elements are seen through the 5 elements, 5 senses of perception, 5 senses of action, mind, ego, through all these you can see these qualities.

Now we are seeing this world, sometimes egoist, sometimes rough, sometimes dull, etc. The world goes on and on. Now what do you take from the world? Pain, suffering? Because the world is a place of pain, which was explained in the earlier Sutra and the wise person should go above that. So here again they have explained what this pain means. Now what are we supposed to do?

Experience this world because the world is for our own experience. But do you go on experiencing the same thing again and again or go above that? Bhoga, Apavarga. So this world is for you, for your benefit and is giving you everything. But while experiencing, do we get stuck in experiencing the same thing or rise above it is our choice. If a person learns from the experiences, he can be uplifted. This understanding needs to come and we need to stop making mistakes. Animals do not have this understanding so they have no choice, but we have that understanding.

So many times parents guide the children through their own experiences but the children still make the same mistakes. It is seen that most people learn from their own experiences and very few learn from the others’ experiences.”

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