Chapter-1, Sutra16

The Patanjali Yogasutra 1.16

तत्परं पुरुषख्यातेर्गुणवैतृष्ण्यम्

"The highest level of vairagya, leading to Self-Realization, takes place when the aspirant is free from all forms of 'thirst,' including the desires resulting from the interplay of sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic forces of nature."

This sutra, speaks to the ultimate state of vairagya that arises from a deep understanding and discernment of the True Nature of the Self, or Purusha. It suggests that when one transcends the desires and cravings that are born out of the qualities of nature—sattva (goodness, constructive, harmonious), rajas (passion, active, confused), and tamas (darkness, destructive, chaotic)—one reaches a state of supreme non-attachment. This state is not a mere suppression of desires, but a profound Realization of the Self 's independence from the mutable aspects of nature.

In this state of vaitrishnyam, the yogi perceives the eternal aspect of the Self that is uninvolved in the play of the gunas (qualities of nature). This Realization brings about a natural cessation of desires, as the yogi no longer identifies with the transient and is no longer affected by the dualities of life. The clarity that comes from this discernment allows the yogi to act in the world with equanimity, free from the push and pull of preferences and aversions.

The depth of this vairagya is such that it leads to Purusha Khyati, or the Realization of the True Self. It is a direct experience of the Self as distinct from the Prakriti (material nature), leading to a state of Realization where the Self stands in its own glory, unaffected by the external world. This is the pinnacle of spiritual development in the path of yoga, where the individual soul recognizes its true nature and becomes free from the cycle of birth and death.

Swami Vivekanand says:

"It is the highest manifestation of power when it takes away even our attraction towards the qualities. We have first to understand what the Purusa, the Self, is, and what are the qualities. According to Yoga philosophy, the whole of Nature consists of three qualities – one is called Tamas, another Rajas and the third Sattva. These three qualities manifest themselves in the physical world as attraction, repulsion and control. Everything that is in Nature, all these manifestations, are combinations and recombinations of these three forces. This Nature has been divided into various categories by the Sankhyas. The Self of man is beyond all these, beyond Nature, is effulgent by its very nature. It is pure and perfect. Whatever of intelligence we see in Nature is but the reflection from this Self upon Nature. Nature itself is insentient. You must remember that the word Nature also includes the mind; mind is in Nature; thought is in Nature; from thought, down to the grossest form of matter, everything is in Nature, the manifestation of Nature. This Nature has covered the Self of man, and when Nature takes away the covering, the Self becomes unveiled, and appears in its own glory. This non-attachment, as it is described in the last Sutra (as being control of Nature) is the greatest help towards manifesting the Self. The next aphorism defines Samadhi, perfect concentration, which is the goal of the Yogi."

For comparison, let's look at a few similar verses from other Vedic texts:

Bhagavad Gita (2.55):

श्रीभगवानुवाच | 

प्रजहाति यदा कामान् सर्वान् पार्थ मनोगतान् | आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ||

"The Supreme Lord said: O Partha, when a man completely casts off, all the desires of the mind, is satisfied in the Self by the Self, then he is said to be one of steady wisdom."

Isha Upanishad (1):

ईशावास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किंच जगत्यां जगत् | 

तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम् ||

"Everything in this moving universe is enveloped by the Lord. Enjoy what He has given by renouncing it; do not covet anybody's wealth."

Mundaka Upanishad (3.1.3):

सत्येन लभ्यस्तपसा ह्येष आत्मा सम्यग्ज्ञानेन ब्रह्मचर्येण नित्यम् |

"This Self cannot be attained by instruction, nor by intellectual power, nor even through much hearing. It is attained by the one whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own Form."

These verses, like Yogasutra 1.16, emphasize the importance of renunciation, self-contentment, and the Realization of the Self beyond material possessions and desires. They all point towards the ultimate goal of spiritual liberation through the Knowledge of the True Self. Each verse, in its own way, guides the seeker towards the path of enlightenment, encouraging a life of simplicity, wisdom, and inner fulfillment.