While such knowledge arises
and supreme non‑attachment is at highest there arises in the yogi
entire cessation of the effects of three Gun., the
properties. The properties work for the Purush; the Purush
having known himself the properties cease to act, they having fulfilled their
end.89 The whole universe is but a succession of transformation
upon transformation of properties.90 These transformations take an
inverse source till all is reduced to matter with the three qualities. No
fresh transformations comes take place and hence the succession of
transformation comes to an end on the case of the Purush who has
understood Kaivalya.91 Their effects the various
transformation merge onto the higher source and nothing remains for the
Purush to cognize. This state of the Purush is Kaivalya or
the state of singleness. It dose not mean that the universe is reduced to
nothing, for it continues to exist for all those who have not acquired
knowledge. In the case of one who has not acquired knowledge, the visible
universe, the cause of distraction, the state of concentration, the supreme
idea of non‑attachment, all with their impression merge into the mind, which
again merges into mere being, which resolves itself in Mahat, which
finally loses itself in Prakriti. This Kaivalya of Prakriti
is by way of metaphor said to be of Purush. Or Kaivalya may be
explained from the side of the Purush. When the Purush has so
far received due illumination as to estrange itself from all relation with
Prakriti and its transformations it is said to be Kaivalya (Kaival)
alone or in a state of Kaivalya. This is the power of soul centered in
itself. Kaivalya is not any state of negation or annihilation as some
are misled to think. The soul in Kaivalya has his sphere of action
transferred to a higher plane limited by a limitless horizon. This, our
limited minds cannot hope to understand.
1. As a matter of fact, the
Sankhya school‑ at least what is known as 'Classical Sankhya'‑is
only partly materialistic.
2. The exact import of the
statement that the mind is a result of Rajas is somewhat obscure; but
if 'mind' here stands for Buddhi and Satv for the Satvgun,
then Gandhi is perhaps saying that in Buddhi there is a greater
preponderance of Rajas than it is there in the original Prakriti.
3. It is not clear what is
precisely meant by saying that mind has special attributes. Maybe it simply
means that mind has a specific nature of its own, but that is hardly worth
4. YS 3.55
5. YS 1.2
6. Note how Gandhi concedes
the possibility of a practicing yogi acquiring miraculous capacities but at
the same time under‑emphasizes this aspect of the matter.
7. In view of the standard
enumeration of elements adopted by the Sankhya Yoga system
Chit should not be an element over and above Manas and Ahamkar,
and Buddhi, which three are collectively called Antakaran.
At places, Buddhi alone is called Antakaran and as a matter of
fact the usual practice is to identify Chit with Buddhi; as
Vachaspati in the Tattvavaisharadi on YS1.1 says:
Chitashbdain Antakaran. Budhdhimupakshyati.
10. YS 1.6‑11
11. YS 1.12
12. YS 1.17‑18.
13. YS 2.29.
14. YS 2.30.
15. YS 2.32
16. YS 2.35
17. YS 2.36
18. YS 2.37
19. YS 2.38; One word in
Gandhi's Sentence is illegible (it reads like `actute').
20. YS 2.39
21. YS 2.41
22. YS 2.42
23. YS 2.43
24. YS 2.44
25. YS 2.45
26. YS 2.46
27. HP 1.57‑65; Here again one
word is illegible (it reads like 'whicy').
28. YS 2.49; Vy.2.49
is spinal cord and it is a sign of balanced breathing that the Pran.
runs in the middle course represented by Sushumn.a.
Unmanee is the word, which in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika
stands for the highest type of Smadhi i.e. for Nirviklpaksmadhiv.
But it is not easy to see why Gandhi here uses the word unman,i
mudra instead of the simple unman.i.
30. HP 2.1-20