On Liberation
34 Verses
On Liberation
कैवल्य पाद
The fourth pada addresses the nature of liberation (kaivalya). It examines how created minds arise, the nature of karma for the yogi versus others, and how latent impressions are carried across births. The relation between the mind and pure awareness is analyzed: awareness is unchanging and always the knower; the mind is merely its instrument. The final sutras describe the cloud-of-virtue samadhi, the destruction of karma and afflictions, and the final liberation in which the qualities of nature return to their source and pure awareness rests in its own nature.
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जन्मौषधिमन्त्रतपःसमाधिजाः सिद्धयः ॥ ४.१ ॥
janmauṣadhimantratapaḥsamādhijāḥ siddhayaḥ || 4.1 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Supernatural powers arise through birth, herbs, mantras, austerity, or samadhi.
जात्यन्तरपरिणामः प्रकृत्यापूरात् ॥ ४.२ ॥
jātyantarapariṇāmaḥ prakṛtyāpūrāt || 4.2 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Transformation from one kind of birth to another is brought about by the overflow of natural forces.
निमित्तमप्रयोजकं प्रकृतीनां वरणभेदस्तु ततः क्षेत्रिकवत् ॥ ४.३ ॥
nimittamaprayojakaṃ prakṛtīnāṃ varaṇabhedastu tataḥ kṣetrikavat || 4.3 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
An incidental cause does not directly move nature; it removes obstacles, as a farmer removes barriers to let water flow.
निर्माणचित्तान्यस्मितामात्रात् ॥ ४.४ ॥
nirmāṇacittānyasmitāmātrāt || 4.4 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Artificially created minds arise from egoism alone.
प्रवृत्तिभेदे प्रयोजकं चित्तमेकमनेकेषाम् ॥ ४.५ ॥
pravṛttibhede prayojakaṃ cittamekamaneṣām || 4.5 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
One central mind directs many created minds in their different activities.
तत्र ध्यानजमनाशयम् ॥ ४.६ ॥
tatra dhyānajamanāśayam || 4.6 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Among these, the mind born from meditation is free from latent impressions.
कर्माशुक्लाकृष्णं योगिनस्त्रिविधमितरेषाम् ॥ ४.७ ॥
karmāśuklākṛṣṇaṃ yoginastrividhamitareṣām || 4.7 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The karma of a yogi is neither white nor black. For others it is threefold.
ततस्तद्विपाकानुगुणानामेवाभिव्यक्तिर्वासनानाम् ॥ ४.८ ॥
tatastadvipākānuguṇānāmevābhivyaktirvāsanānām || 4.8 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
From this, only those latent impressions that correspond to the ripening of karma become manifest.
जातिदेशकालव्यवहितानामप्यानन्तर्यं स्मृतिसंस्कारयोरेकरूपत्वात् ॥ ४.९ ॥
jātideśakālavyavahitānāmapyānantaryaṃ smṛtisaṃskārayorekarūpatvāt || 4.9 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Memory and impression are of one form, so causality continues even when separated by birth, place, or time.
तासामनादित्वं चाशिषो नित्यत्वात् ॥ ४.१० ॥
tāsāmanāditvaṃ cāśiṣo nityatvāt || 4.10 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
These impressions have no beginning, because the will to live is eternal.
हेतुफलाश्रयालम्बनैः सङ्गृहीतत्वादेषामभावे तदभावः ॥ ४.११ ॥
hetuphalāśrayālambanaiḥ saṅgṛhītatvādeṣāmabhāve tadabhāvaḥ || 4.11 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Impressions are held together by cause, effect, substratum, and support. When these are gone, the impressions are gone too.
अतीतानागतं स्वरूपतोऽस्त्यध्वभेदाद्धर्माणाम् ॥ ४.१२ ॥
atītānāgataṃ svarūpato 'styadhvabhedāddharmāṇām || 4.12 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Past and future exist in reality. The difference is in the form characteristics take at different points in time.
ते व्यक्तसूक्ष्मा गुणात्मानः ॥ ४.१३ ॥
te vyaktasūkṣmā guṇātmānaḥ || 4.13 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Whether manifest or subtle, these characteristics are made of the three qualities of nature.
परिणामैकत्वाद्वस्तुतत्त्वम् ॥ ४.१४ ॥
pariṇāmaikatvādvastutattvam || 4.14 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The reality of a thing comes from the unity of its transformations.
वस्तुसाम्ये चित्तभेदात्तयोर्विभक्तः पन्थाः ॥ ४.१५ ॥
vastusāmye cittabhedāttayorvibhaktaḥ panthāḥ || 4.15 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The same object is perceived differently by different minds, and so the paths of object and mind are separate.
न चैकचित्ततन्त्रं चेद्वस्तु तदप्रमाणकं तदा किं स्यात् ॥ ४.१६ ॥
na caikacittatantraṃ cedvastu tadapramāṇakaṃ tadā kiṃ syāt || 4.16 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
An object does not depend on a single mind. If it did, what would happen to it when that mind does not perceive it?
तदुपरागापेक्षित्वाच्चित्तस्य वस्तु ज्ञाताज्ञातम् ॥ ४.१७ ॥
taduparāgāpekṣitvāccittasya vastu jñātājñātam || 4.17 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
An object is known or unknown depending on whether the mind is colored by it.
सदा ज्ञाताश्चित्तवृत्तयस्तत्प्रभोः पुरुषस्यापरिणामित्वात् ॥ ४.१८ ॥
sadā jñātāścittavṛttayastatprabhoḥ puruṣasyāpariṇāmitvāt || 4.18 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The movements of the mind are always known to their master, pure awareness, because awareness does not change.
न तत्स्वाभासं दृश्यत्वात् ॥ ४.१९ ॥
na tatsvābhāsaṃ dṛśyatvāt || 4.19 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The mind does not illuminate itself, because it is an object that can be perceived.
एकसमये चोभयानवधारणम् ॥ ४.२० ॥
ekasamaye cobhayānavadhāraṇam || 4.20 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Both mind and object cannot be cognized at the same time.
चित्तान्तरदृश्ये बुद्धिबुद्धेरतिप्रसङ्गः स्मृतिसङ्करश्च ॥ ४.२१ ॥
cittāntaradṛśye buddhibuddheratiprasaṅgaḥ smṛtisaṅkaraśca || 4.21 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
If the mind were perceived by yet another mind, there would be infinite regress and confusion of memory.
चितेरप्रतिसंक्रमायास्तदाकारापत्तौ स्वबुद्धिसंवेदनम् ॥ ४.२२ ॥
citerapratisaṃkramāyāstadākārāpattau svabuddhisaṃvedanam || 4.22 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Pure awareness does not transfer from one place to another. When the mind takes the form of awareness, it knows itself.
द्रष्टृदृश्योपरक्तं चित्तं सर्वार्थम् ॥ ४.२३ ॥
draṣṭṛdṛśyoparaktaṃ cittaṃ sarvārtham || 4.23 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The mind, colored by both the seer and the seen, comprehends all objects.
तदसंख्येयवासनाभिश्चित्रमपि परार्थं संहत्यकारित्वात् ॥ ४.२४ ॥
tadasaṃkhyeyavāsanābhiścitramapi parārthaṃ saṃhatyakāritvāt || 4.24 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The mind, though filled with countless impressions, exists for pure awareness, since it acts only in combination with it.
विशेषदर्शिन आत्मभावभावनानिवृत्तिः ॥ ४.२५ ॥
viśeṣadarśina ātmabhāvabhāvanānivṛttiḥ || 4.25 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
For one who has seen the distinction, the pondering over the nature of the self ceases.
तदा विवेकनिम्नं कैवल्यप्राग्भारं चित्तम् ॥ ४.२६ ॥
tadā vivekanimnaṃ kaivalyaprāgbhāraṃ cittam || 4.26 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Then the mind inclines toward discrimination and bends toward liberation.
तच्छिद्रेषु प्रत्ययान्तराणि संस्कारेभ्यः ॥ ४.२७ ॥
tacchidreṣu pratyayāntarāṇi saṃskārebhyaḥ || 4.27 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
In the gaps, other thoughts arise from latent impressions.
हानमेषां क्लेशवदुक्तम् ॥ ४.२८ ॥
hānameṣāṃ kleśavaduktam || 4.28 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
These are removed in the same way as the afflictions.
प्रसंख्यानेऽप्यकुसीदस्य सर्वथा विवेकख्यातेर्धर्ममेघः समाधिः ॥ ४.२९ ॥
prasaṃkhyāne 'pyakusīdasya sarvathā vivekakhyāterdharmameghaḥ samādhiḥ || 4.29 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
For one who is free from interest even in highest knowledge and who sustains unbroken discrimination, the samadhi called dharma-megha arises.
ततः क्लेशकर्मनिवृत्तिः ॥ ४.३० ॥
tataḥ kleśakarmanivṛttiḥ || 4.30 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
From this comes cessation of afflictions and karma.
तदा सर्वावरणमलापेतस्य ज्ञानस्यानन्त्याज्ज्ञेयमल्पम् ॥ ४.३१ ॥
tadā sarvāvaraṇamalāpetasya jñānasyānantyājjñeyamalpam || 4.31 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Then knowledge is infinite, all its coverings removed, and there is little left to be known.
ततः कृतार्थानां परिणामक्रमसमाप्तिर्गुणानाम् ॥ ४.३२ ॥
tataḥ kṛtārthānāṃ pariṇāmakramasamāptirguṇānām || 4.32 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
From this the sequence of transformations ends, since the qualities of nature have fulfilled their purpose.
क्षणप्रतियोगी परिणामापरान्तनिर्ग्राह्यः क्रमः ॥ ४.३३ ॥
kṣaṇapratiyogī pariṇāmāparāntanirgrāhyaḥ kramaḥ || 4.33 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Succession, which corresponds to moments, is grasped at the final moment of transformation.
पुरुषार्थशून्यानां गुणानां प्रतिप्रसवः कैवल्यं स्वरूपप्रतिष्ठा वा चितिशक्तिरिति ॥ ४.३४ ॥
puruṣārthaśūnyānāṃ guṇānāṃ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṃ svarūpapratiṣṭhā vā citiśaktiriti || 4.34 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Liberation is the return of the qualities to their source, devoid of purpose for the self. Or it is the power of pure consciousness resting in its own nature.