Sūtra 1.47

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 1.47:

निर्विचारवैशारद्येऽध्यात्मप्रसादः ॥ १.४७ ॥

nirvicāravaiśāradye'dhyātmaprasādaḥ || 1.47 ||

nirvicāra—of the ultranoeditative. vaiśāradye—when there is the undisturbed, pure flow. adhyātma—subjective, spiritual. prasādaḥ—luminosity, the fixedness of the mind.

47. The undisturbed flow of the ultra-meditative causes Subjective Luminosity.

The Sankhya-pravachana commentary of Vyasa

[English translation of the 7th century commentary by Vyāsa called the Sāṅkhya-pravacana, Vyāsabhāṣya or Yogabhāṣya]

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

‘Undisturbed flow’ is the pure and constant flow, not overpowered by disturbing energy (rajas) and inertia (tamas), of the essence (sattva) of the Will-to-know, the very self of light, with the veil of impurity covering jt removed. When this undisturbed flow is secured for the Ultra-meditative trance, the Yogī attains Subjective Luminosity. His intellectual vision becomes clear with regard to objects as they exist, irrespective of all sequence. And so it has been said:—‘Having reached the stage of intellectual luminosity, the wise man is no longer an object of compassion; he looks upon and compassionates others, as one upon a height looks down upon those in the plains.’

The Gloss of Vachaspati Mishra

[English translation of the 9th century Tattvavaiśāradī by Vācaspatimiśra]

Now he describes the beauty of the ultra-meditative among the four descriptions of thought-transformation, which have the objective as their sphere of operation The undisturbed flow of the ultra-meditative causes Subjective Luminosity.’ Describes the meaning of the words, ‘undisturbed flow ‘The pure, &c.’ ‘Impurity’ is the adhesion of disturbing energy (rajas) and inertia (tamas). The same is a sort of dirt having the quality of a veil. When the veil is removed from the essence of the Will-to-know, it shines out as the very self of light, and is therefore said to be not overpowered by them.

But then, if the sphere of thought-transformation is the objective modification of existence, how can it secure Subjective Luminosity? For this reason, he says:—‘With regard to objects as they exist.’ The subjective is not its object. It is only that in which the subjective self lives, that becomes its object as such.

‘Without regard to all sequence’ means simultaneously.

Quotes on this subject the Gāthā of the Great Seer ‘And so it has been said.’ Finding himself above all, on having reached the highest point of the vision of knowledge, he is sorry to see the men of the world suffering from the three descriptions of pain.—47.