Yoga-sutras (with Bhoja’s Rajamartanda)
by Rajendralala Mitra | 1883 | 103,575 words
The Yoga-Sutra 3.12, English translation with Commentaries. The Yogasutra of Patanjali represents a collection of aphorisms dealing with spiritual topics such as meditation, absorption, Siddhis (yogic powers) and final liberation (Moksha). The Raja-Martanda is officialy classified as a Vritti (gloss) which means its explanatory in nature, as opposed to being a discursive commentary.
Sūtra 3.12
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 3.12:
शान्तोदितौ तुल्यप्रत्ययौ चित्तस्यैकाग्रतापरिणामः ॥ ३.१२ ॥
śāntoditau tulyapratyayau cittasyaikāgratāpariṇāmaḥ || 3.12 ||
12. The concentrative modification of the thinking principle is that in which both the tranquil and the enlivened conditions are equally recognized.
The Rajamartanda commentary by King Bhoja:
[English translation of the 11th century commentary by Bhoja called the Rājamārtaṇḍa]
[Sanskrit text for commentary available]
Unity of idea is a special function of the abstracted thinking principle. “Tranquil” (śānta) is that which has entered the postcedent condition. “Enlivened” (udita) is manifestation in the present condition. From the thinking principle being in a collected state, the two are equal, and from their object being one, are similar cognitions (pratyayas). When the collected thinking principle abides correlated with both it is called concentrative modification.
Notes and Extracts
[Notes and comparative extracts from other commentaries on the Yogasūtra]
[In the suppressive modification the worldly state is just passing away, and the meditative state is just commencing, and the thinking principle is becoming tranquil; in the meditative state the first stage is passed, and concentration is in prevalence or fully enlivened; and when the tranquil and the enlivened conditions are in full play, the condition is called the concentrative modification.
The Pātañjala Bhāṣya explains this by saying,
(samāhita-cittasya pūrva-pratyayaḥ śānta uttarastat-sadrīśa uditaḥ samādhi-cittamubhayo-ranugatam punastathaiva).
“Of the controlled thinking principle, the first cognition is tranquillity, and the next after it is a similar one that of enlivenment, and the thinking principle in meditation is correlated to both, in the same way”—
As in the last case so here, we have in this an advance over the last preceding condition.]
Having described the forms of the modification of the thinking principle, he assigns them to Other subjects.