PĀDA IV
Kaivalya Pāda
कैवल्यपादः

The final pāda addresses the nature of liberation (kaivalya). In 34 sūtras, Patañjali examines the origins of supernatural attainments, the nature of karma and the mind, the relationship between consciousness and its objects, and the ultimate dissolution of the guṇas that leads to absolute freedom.

Section I

Origins of Attainments

Sūtra 4.1
जन्मौषधिमन्त्रतपःसमाधिजाः सिद्धयः ॥
janmauṣadhi-mantra-tapaḥ-samādhi-jāḥ siddhayaḥ ||
The powers (siddhis) arise from birth, herbs, mantras, austerity, or samādhi.
Sūtra 4.2
जात्यन्तरपरिणामः प्रकृत्यापूरात् ॥
jāty-antara-pariṇāmaḥ prakṛtyāpūrāt ||
The transformation into another form of existence is brought about by the filling in of nature.
Sūtra 4.3
निमित्तमप्रयोजकं प्रकृतीनां वरणभेदस्तु ततः क्षेत्रिकवत् ॥
nimittam aprayojakaṃ prakṛtīnāṃ varaṇa-bhedas tu tataḥ kṣetrikavat ||
Incidental causes do not directly set nature in motion; they merely remove obstacles, as a farmer removes a dam to let water flow by its own nature.
Sūtra 4.4
निर्माणचित्तान्यस्मितामात्रात् ॥
nirmāṇa-cittāny asmitā-mātrāt ||
Created minds arise from the sense of individuality (asmitā) alone.
Sūtra 4.5
प्रवृत्तिभेदे प्रयोजकं चित्तमेकमनेकेषाम् ॥
pravṛtti-bhede prayojakaṃ cittam ekam anekeṣām ||
Though the activities of the various created minds differ, the one original mind directs them all.
Sūtra 4.6
तत्र ध्यानजमनाशयम् ॥
tatra dhyānajam anāśayam ||
Of these, the mind born of meditation is free from latent impressions.
Section II

Karma & Saṃskāras

Sūtra 4.7
कर्माशुक्लाकृष्णं योगिनस्त्रिविधमितरेषाम् ॥
karmāśuklākṛṣṇaṃ yoginas trividham itareṣām ||
The karma of the yogī is neither white nor black; for others it is threefold.
Sūtra 4.8
ततस्तद्विपाकानुगुणानामेवाभिव्यक्तिर्वासनानाम् ॥
tatas tad-vipākānuguṇānām evābhivyaktir vāsanānām ||
From the threefold karma, only those latent impressions manifest for which the conditions are favorable.
Sūtra 4.9
जातिदेशकालव्यवहितानामप्यानन्तर्यं स्मृतिसंस्कारयोरेकरूपत्वात् ॥
jāti-deśa-kāla-vyavahitānām apy ānantaryaṃ smṛti-saṃskārayor eka-rūpatvāt ||
There is a continuity of memory and latent impressions, even though they are separated by birth, place, and time, because of the unity of their form.
Sūtra 4.10
तासामनादित्वं चाशिषो नित्यत्वात् ॥
tāsām anāditvaṃ cāśiṣo nityatvāt ||
These latent impressions are without beginning, for the desire to live is eternal.
Sūtra 4.11
हेतुफलाश्रयालम्बनैः सङ्गृहीतत्वादेषामभावे तदभावः ॥
hetu-phalāśrayālambanaiḥ saṅgṛhītatvād eṣām abhāve tad-abhāvaḥ ||
Being held together by cause, effect, support, and object, they cease to exist when these disappear.
Sūtra 4.12
अतीतानागतं स्वरूपतोऽस्त्यध्वभेदाद्धर्माणाम् ॥
atītānāgataṃ svarūpato'sty adhva-bhedād dharmāṇām ||
The past and the future exist in their own nature, the difference being in the characteristics of the guṇas.
Section III

Reality & Perception

Sūtra 4.13
ते व्यक्तसूक्ष्मा गुणात्मानः ॥
te vyakta-sūkṣmā guṇātmānaḥ ||
Whether manifest or subtle, they are of the nature of the guṇas.
Sūtra 4.14
परिणामैकत्वाद्वस्तुतत्त्वम् ॥
pariṇāmaikatvād vastu-tattvam ||
The reality of an object is due to the unity of its transformations.
Sūtra 4.15
वस्तुसाम्ये चित्तभेदात्तयोर्विभक्तः पन्थाः ॥
vastu-sāmye citta-bhedāt tayor vibhaktaḥ panthāḥ ||
The paths of the mind and the object are different, for the same object is perceived differently by different minds.
Sūtra 4.16
न चैकचित्ततन्त्रं वस्तु तदप्रमाणकं तदा किं स्यात् ॥
na caika-citta-tantraṃ vastu tad apramāṇakaṃ tadā kiṃ syāt ||
An object is not dependent on a single mind, for if it were, what would happen when that mind did not perceive it?
Sūtra 4.17
तदुपरागापेक्षित्वाच्चित्तस्य वस्तु ज्ञाताज्ञातम् ॥
tad-uparāgāpekṣitvāc cittasya vastu jñātājñātam ||
An object is known or unknown depending on whether the mind is colored by it.
Section IV

Mind & Consciousness

Sūtra 4.18
सदा ज्ञाताश्चित्तवृत्तयस्तत्प्रभोः पुरुषस्यापरिणामित्वात् ॥
sadā jñātāś citta-vṛttayas tat-prabhoḥ puruṣasyāpariṇāmitvāt ||
The modifications of the mind are always known by the Puruṣa, its lord, because the Puruṣa is unchangeable.
Sūtra 4.19
न तत्स्वाभासं दृश्यत्वात् ॥
na tat svābhāsaṃ dṛśyatvāt ||
The mind is not self-luminous, for it is an object of perception.
Sūtra 4.20
एकसमये चोभयानवधारणम् ॥
eka-samaye cobhayānavadhāraṇam ||
It cannot perceive both subject and object simultaneously.
Sūtra 4.21
चित्तान्तरदृश्ये बुद्धिबुद्धेरतिप्रसङ्गः स्मृतिसङ्करश्च ॥
cittāntara-dṛśye buddhi-buddher atiprasaṅgaḥ smṛti-saṅkaraś ca ||
If the mind were perceived by another mind, there would be an infinite regression of perceivers, and confusion of memory.
Sūtra 4.22
चित्तेरप्रतिसङ्क्रमायास्तदाकारापत्तौ स्वबुद्धिसंवेदनम् ॥
citter apratisaṅkramāyās tad-ākārāpattau sva-buddhi-saṃvedanam ||
When consciousness, which does not move, assumes the form of the mind, self-awareness becomes possible.
Sūtra 4.23
द्रष्टृदृश्योपरक्तं चित्तं सर्वार्थम् ॥
draṣṭṛ-dṛśyoparaktaṃ cittaṃ sarvārtham ||
The mind, colored by both the Seer and the Seen, can comprehend all things.
Sūtra 4.24
तदसङ्ख्येयवासनाभिश्चित्रमपि परार्थं संहत्यकारित्वात् ॥
tad asaṅkhyeya-vāsanābhiś citram api parārthaṃ saṃhatya-kāritvāt ||
Though the mind is variegated by innumerable latent impressions, it acts for the sake of another, for it functions through combination.
Section V

The Path to Kaivalya

Sūtra 4.25
विशेषदर्शिन आत्मभावभावनाविनिवृत्तिः ॥
viśeṣa-darśina ātma-bhāva-bhāvanā-vinivṛttiḥ ||
For one who sees the distinction between mind and Self, the sense of a separate self ceases.
Sūtra 4.26
तदा विवेकनिम्नं कैवल्यप्राग्भारं चित्तम् ॥
tadā viveka-nimnaṃ kaivalya-prāgbhāraṃ cittam ||
Then the mind, inclined toward discrimination, is drawn toward kaivalya.
Sūtra 4.27
तच्छिद्रेषु प्रत्ययान्तराणि संस्कारेभ्यः ॥
tac-chidreṣu pratyayāntarāṇi saṃskārebhyaḥ ||
In the intervals of that discrimination, other thoughts arise from latent impressions.
Sūtra 4.28
हानमेषां क्लेशवदुक्तम् ॥
hānam eṣāṃ kleśavad uktam ||
Their removal is like the removal of the afflictions, as previously described.
Sūtra 4.29
प्रसंख्यानेऽप्यकुसीदस्य सर्वथा विवेकख्यातेर्धर्ममेघः समाधिः ॥
prasaṃkhyāne'py akusīdasya sarvathā viveka-khyāter dharma-meghaḥ samādhiḥ ||
For one who remains disinterested even in the highest illumination, and who possesses constant discriminative discernment, there comes the samādhi known as dharma-megha — the cloud of virtue.
Sūtra 4.30
ततः क्लेशकर्मनिवृत्तिः ॥
tataḥ kleśa-karma-nivṛttiḥ ||
From that, afflictions and karma cease.
Sūtra 4.31
तदा सर्वावरणमलापेतस्य ज्ञानस्यानन्त्याज्ज्ञेयमल्पम् ॥
tadā sarvāvaraṇa-malāpetasya jñānasyānantyāj jñeyam alpam ||
Then, with all coverings and impurities removed, knowledge becomes infinite, and the knowable appears insignificant.
Sūtra 4.32
ततः कृतार्थानां परिणामक्रमसमाप्तिर्गुणानाम् ॥
tataḥ kṛtārthānāṃ pariṇāma-krama-samāptir guṇānām ||
Then the successive transformations of the guṇas come to an end, having fulfilled their purpose.
Sūtra 4.33
क्षणप्रतियोगी परिणामापरान्तनिर्ग्राह्यः क्रमः ॥
kṣaṇa-pratiyogī pariṇāmāparānta-nirgrāhyaḥ kramaḥ ||
Succession is the uninterrupted sequence of moments, apprehensible at the end of a transformation.
Sūtra 4.34
पुरुषार्थशून्यानां गुणानां प्रतिप्रसवः कैवल्यं स्वरूपप्रतिष्ठा वा चितिशक्तिरिति ॥
puruṣārtha-śūnyānāṃ guṇānāṃ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṃ svarūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citi-śaktir iti ||
Kaivalya is the re-absorption of the guṇas, now devoid of purpose for the Puruṣa; or, it is the power of consciousness established in its own true nature.
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