Sūtra 1.11

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of sūtra 1.11:

अनुभूतविषयासंप्रमोषः स्मृतिः ॥ १.११ ॥

anubhūtaviṣayāsaṃpramoṣaḥ smṛtiḥ || 1.11 ||

(11) Recollection is mental modification caused by reproductions of previous impressions of an object without adding anything from other sources.

Ancient and Modern interpretation:

Does the mind remember the process of knowing which took place before or the object which produced the knowledge? Though the knowledge is of an object, it reveals both the nature of the object and the process of knowing and produces latent impressions of the same kind. These latencies manifest themselves when excited by external cause and assume in recollection the form of the objects well as the process of knowing. Of these, reappearance in the mind of a thing taken in before is called recollection. The display of the power of original cognition is named buddhi^[1] . In buddhi, the cognital aspect assumes prominence whereas in the memory or recollection the object aspect attains prominence. Memory is of two kinds, viz, remembrance of things imagined (unreal) and those not imagined (real). In dream state memory of unreal things appear whereas in the waking state memory of real things appear. All memories arise out of impressions whether of right cognition, misapprehensions, vague ideation, deep sleep or of former memory. The fluctuations are of the nature of pleasure, pain or stupefaction. When these fluctuations are eliminated, concentration of Samprajñāta or Asamprajñāta. will be reached.

Osho defines, ^[2]

‘Memory as calling up of past experiences.’

The memory is also like a double-edged sword as per Osho and can be used or misused. If memory is misused, it creates confusion. Memory has the tendency to drop ugly, sad and unpleasant past. It keeps in the storehouse all that is beautiful in support of the ego. Osho quotes,^[3] “Buddha has used a term “Right memory” for meditation.” Right memory gives the impetus of how to be free from all lives. Right memory can take you into past lives, and then you have only one desire: how to transcend the cycle of births and deaths.

Later in sūtra I.42 ,Patañjali has emphasized the purification of the memory in order to transcend savitarkasamāpatti and enter into nirvitarkasamāpatti.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Āraṇya, op.cit., p.32

[2]:

Osho, op.cit.,p. 258

[3]:

Ibid., p. 229