By Sravaniya DiPecoraro
Kaivalya means spiritual freedom. The most common definition (you can find 20 different ones if you search online) is solitude or aloneness. Recently I got some questions about Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras from a spiritual seeker (whom I will note here as ARD) which led to an interesting discussion. (SDP indicates my responses.) ARD: Because you analyzed the teachings of Patanjali, could you please answer few questions I have. Thank you in advance.Patanjali writes (Sutra 4.34):
पुरुषार्थशून्यानां गुणानां प्रतिप्रसवः कैवल्यं स्वरूपप्रतिष्ठा वा चितिशक्तिरिति॥३४॥
puruṣa-artha-śūnyānāṁ guṇānāṁ-pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṁ svarūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citiśaktiriti
“When the goals of life are no more, then liberation, which establishes the soul's original nature, or the soul's spiritual potency, is manifest."
ARD: In this passage what is the meaning of the phrase “liberation of the spiritual potency".
SDP: Potency means energy. The premise here is when spiritual energy is situated in spiritual nature that is liberation from engagement with material nature. Looks good on paper but it does not answer:
a) Why did the spiritual energy interact with the modes of material nature and incarnate in the first place?
b) What is the generating source of these energies?
c) If the spiritual energy is inactive in its true nature, then why is it so active when in contact with the material energy?
ARD: Does it mean here that when he attains liberation, the individual soul no longer performs any action?
SDP: Yes, the implication here is that the spirit performs no action. How feasible is that? Try sitting still for three minutes. The individual soul is active by nature.
ARD: Does it mean that after he attains liberation the individual soul continues to have a relationship with God?
SDP: Apparently not according to this paradigm, which rests on the premise that we are all God (Purusha, the enjoyer), the eternal light. Somehow or other we just forgot. Here is the Taimni translation: “Kaivalya is the state (of Enlightenment) following re-mergence of the Gunas because of their becoming devoid of the object of the Purusa. In this state the Purusa is established in his Real nature which is pure Consciousness.” Lord Brahma slammed this idea when he said,
येऽन्येऽरविन्दाक्ष विमुक्तमानिन-
स्त्वय्यस्तभावादविशुद्धबुद्धयः ।
आरुह्य कृच्छ्रेण परं पदं ततः
पतन्त्यधोऽनादृतयुष्मदङ्घ्रयः ॥ ३२॥
ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas
tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ
āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ
patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ
"Persons who are falsely under the impression of being liberated, without devotional service to the Lord, may reach the goal of the brahmajyoti [the all-pervading eternal light], but because of their impure consciousness and for want of shelter in the Vaikuṇṭhalokas [spiritual planets], such so-called liberated persons again fall down into material existence." (SB 10.2.32) I heard Srila Prabhupada say in a lecture that such mayavadis fall down in no more than seven years. It’s that boring. The impersonalists consider that surrender to God (Isvara Pranidhana, the fifth niyama) is an option. But Bhagavata Vedantists know that it is the actual goal of yoga.
ARD: After again and again reading this book one will become convinced that the God described in the sadhana-khanda section is considered only an imaginary being created to help attain spiritual perfection, and after the soul attains perfection the idea of God is no longer taken seriously. Is the Patanjali Yoga Sutra theistic or atheistic?
SDP: Patanjali is rather diplomatic. His tenets, which he collated from standard teachings, support both personal and impersonal processes since he mentions surrender to God. The fact is that Bhakti yoga, devotional service to the Supreme Lord, is accessible by referral only. One needs a self-realized guru to begin.
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥ ४-३४॥
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव ।
येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि ॥ ४-३५॥
tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
yaj jñātvā na punar moham
evaṁ yāsyasi pāṇḍava
yena bhūtāny aśeṣāṇi
drakṣyasy ātmany atho mayi
“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.
And when you have thus learned the truth, you will know that all living beings are but part of Me—and that they are in Me, and are Mine.” (BG 4.34-35)
भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः ।
ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम् ॥ १८-५५॥
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti
yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā
viśate tad-anantaram
“One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.” (BG 18.55)
वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ॥ ७-१९॥
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (BG 7.19) Want to learn more? Here is some homework.
https://prabhupada.io/books/bg/18/55 In April-May 2022 I will be teaching a 20 hour Yoga Philosophy Workshop at Pure Yoga. More here. https://www.pure-yoga.com/hongkong/workshop/detail/1821
