Patanjali Yogasutra 1.5 and 1.6
वृत्तयः पञ्चतय्यः क्लिष्टाऽक्लिष्टाः ॥ १.५ ॥
प्रमाणविपर्ययविकल्पनिद्रास्मृतयः ॥ १.६ ॥
The modifications of the mind are fivefold, and they are either painful or painless.(1.5)
They are right knowledge, wrong knowledge, imagination, sleep, and memory.(1.6)
The meaning of these Sutras is that the mind is constantly fluctuating between different states, and these states can be classified into five categories. Some of these states are based on Reality, while others are based on illusion. Some of these states are conducive to spiritual growth, while others are obstacles to it. Some of these states are pleasant, while others are unpleasant.
The first state is pramāṇa, or right knowledge, which is the perception of the true nature of things through direct experience, inference, or reliable testimony. This state is painless, as it leads to clarity, wisdom, and liberation.
The second state is viparyaya, or wrong knowledge, which is the misconception of the reality based on false or incomplete information. This state is painful, as it leads to ignorance, confusion, and bondage.
The third state is vikalpa, or imagination, which is the projection of the mind onto the objects of perception, without any basis in reality. This state is also painful, as it leads to delusion, attachment, and suffering.
The fourth state is nidrā, or sleep, which is the absence of any mental activity, except the latent impressions of the subconscious mind. This state is painless, as it provides rest and relaxation, but it is also an obstacle to spiritual awakening, as it keeps the mind in a state of inertia and ignorance.
The fifth state is smṛti, or memory, which is the recollection of past experiences, either pleasant or unpleasant. This state can be either painful or painless, depending on the nature of the memories and the attitude of the mind towards them. Memory can be a source of joy or sorrow, a tool of learning or forgetting, a means of inspiration or regret.
These verses can be compared with similar verses from Vedic texts, as follows:
- Yogavashishta, Chapter 3, Verse 47
यथा विश्वं दृश्यते चित्तवृत्तिभिरेव सत् ।
तथा चित्तं दृश्यते विश्ववृत्तिभिरेव सत् ॥
As the world is seen by the modifications of the mind alone, so the mind is seen by the modifications of the world alone.
The meaning of this verse is that the mind and the world are interdependent and mutually conditioned. The mind creates the world according to its own tendencies, and the world influences the mind according to its own qualities. The mind and the world are not separate entities, but different aspects of the same reality.
- Bhagavad Gita
यथा तत्र तथान्यत्र यथाऽन्यत्र तथा तत्र ।
चित्तस्यैव हि संसारः चित्तमात्रं तु कौवल्यम् ॥
As it is there, so it is elsewhere; as it is elsewhere, so it is there. For the mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation; the mind alone is the supreme state of isolation.
The meaning of this verse is that the mind is the source of all diversity and unity, of all bondage and liberation, of all duality and non-duality. The mind can perceive the same reality in different ways, depending on its level of awareness and detachment. The mind can either identify with the objects of perception and suffer the cycle of birth and death, or it can transcend the objects of perception and attain the state of Supreme Freedom and Bliss.
- Maitri Upanishad, Chapter 6, Verse 34
यदा चित्तं तदा विष्णुर्यदा चित्तं तदा शिवः ।
यदा चित्तं तदा ब्रह्म यदा चित्तं तदा क्षयः ॥
When the mind is, then Vishnu is; when the mind is, then Shiva is. When the mind is, then Brahman is; when the mind is, then destruction is.
The meaning of this verse is that the mind is the basis of all manifestation and dissolution, of all creation and destruction, of all gods and demons. The mind can either reflect the Supreme Reality of Brahman, or it can distort it into various forms and names. The mind can either be the instrument of liberation, or it can be the cause of bondage.
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