Chapter-3, Sutra 35

Patanjali Yogasutra 3.35

 सत्त्वपुरुषयोरत्यन्तासंकीर्णयोः प्रत्ययाविशेषो भोगः परार्थत्वात्स्वार्थसंयमात्पुरुषज्ञानम् || 3.35 ||

"The distinction between sattva (mind) and Purusha (Self) becomes apparent through the lack of complete mingling, even though their experiences (pratyaya) appear the same. This distinction, when understood through samyama (concentration) on their respective purposes—mind serving another and Purusha being for itself—leads to knowledge of the Purusha."

In this Sutra, Patanjali delves into the subtle difference between sattva, which refers to the intellect or mind, and Purusha, the True Self or Consciousness. Though sattva and Purusha may seem intertwined, especially as both experience life, they are fundamentally distinct. The experiences (pratyaya) arising from both may appear similar because the mind reflects Consciousness, but the two are not the same. The mind, governed by sattva, is influenced by external forces and serves the purpose of facilitating experience. Purusha, on the other hand, is Pure Consciousness, untouched by these external factors.

The Sutra emphasizes that through deep concentration (samyama) on the distinct purposes of the mind and the Self, one can discern their True Natures. The mind, or sattva, exists for the sake of experience and the evolution of the individual. It is directed outward, facilitating interaction with the external world. Purusha, however, exists purely for itself—self-sufficient and eternal. Realizing this difference is a key to attaining knowledge of the 

Purusha, which leads to liberation (kaivalya).

This understanding is central to the philosophy of yoga because it illuminates the path to disentangling the Self from the mind’s fluctuations. 

By perceiving the True Nature of 

Purusha, the practitioner is no longer bound by the mind’s misidentifications, which lead to suffering. Instead, one attains a state of inner freedom, recognizing that the Self (Purusha) is not influenced by the transient nature of mental phenomena.

Swami Vivekanand said:

"Enjoyment comes by the non discrimination of the very distant soul and sattva. Its actions are for another; samyama on this gives Knowledge of the Purusa. This power of non-attachment acquired through purity gives the yogi the enlightenment called Pratibha."

Comparison with Vedic Texts:

Katha Upanishad 1.3.3

आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु ।

बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥

"Know the Self (atman) as the rider in the chariot, and the body as the chariot. Know the intellect (buddhi) as the charioteer, and the mind as the reins."

This verse from the Katha Upanishad offers a metaphorical distinction similar to Patanjali's Sutra. Here, the intellect (buddhi) and mind are described as tools serving the Self (atman), much like how Patanjali describes sattva as distinct from 

Purusha. Both texts emphasize that the mind and intellect serve an external purpose while the self remains unaffected.

Bhagavad Gita 13.22

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् ।

कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥

"The Purusha, situated in Prakriti, experiences the qualities (gunas) born of Prakriti. Attachment to these qualities becomes the cause of birth in good and evil wombs."

This verse highlights the experience of Purusha entangled with Prakriti 

(nature or mind) through the gunas, much like the mingling of sattva 

and Purusha in Patanjali’s Sutra. Both texts underscore the distinction between the Self and the forces of nature, as well as the need for awareness to achieve freedom from this entanglement.

Yoga Vashistha 6.1.8

चित्तमेव हि संसारो नात्र संशयः ।

बन्धमुक्त्योर्यतो हेतुस्तस्य चात्मविवेचनम् ॥

"Indeed, the mind alone is Samsara (the cycle of birth and death); there is no doubt about this. The cause of bondage and liberation is this mind, and its remedy is the discernment of the Self."

This verse from the Yoga Vashistha mirrors the idea in Patanjali's Sutra that the discernment (samyama) between mind and Self leads to liberation. Both texts suggest that recognizing the distinct nature of Purusha and the mind is the key to transcending the cycle of Samsara.

Chapter-2, Sutra 23

Patanjali Yogasutra 2.23

(Prakriti and Purusha)

स्वस्वामिशक्त्योः स्वरूपोपलब्धिहेतुः संयोगः || 2.23 ||

"The conjunction of the Seer (Purusha) and the Seen (Prakriti) is for the purpose of the Seer recognizing its own True Nature and the powers of the Seen."

In this Sutra, Patanjali introduces the concept of the union or conjunction (samyoga) between the Seer (Purusha) and the Seen (Prakriti). The Seer represents Pure Consciousness, which is unchanging and eternal, while the Seen includes all of Nature and material existence, characterized by change and impermanence. The Seer's union with the Seen is not a mere coincidence but has a specific purpose: to enable the Seer to Realize its True Nature, which is distinct from the Seen.

This Realization is crucial in the path of yoga because it leads to the discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal, the Real and the unreal. The Seen, through its transformations and interactions, provides experiences that serve as a mirror for the Seer to recognize its own true form, which is beyond all change and unaffected by the attributes of Prakriti. The conjunction is, therefore, a necessary condition for spiritual awakening, but it is also the cause of bondage until the Seer fully Realizes its True Nature.

Patanjali further implies that this conjunction, while initially causing ignorance and attachment, eventually becomes the means of Realization. Once the Seer recognizes its distinction from the Seen, the attachment dissolves, leading to freedom. The process of yoga, therefore, involves a gradual detachment from the Seen and an increasing identification with the Seer, culminating in the State of Realization or Kaivalya.

Swami Vivekanand said:

"According to this aphorism, when this Soul comes into conjunction with Nature, both the power of the Soul and the power of Nature become manifest in this conjunction, and all these manifestations are thrown out. Ignorance is the cause of this conjunction. We see every day that the cause of our pain or pleasure is always our joining ourselves with the body. If I were perfectly certain that I am not this body, I should take no notice of heat and cold, or anything of the kind. This body is a combination. It is only a fiction to say that I have one body, you another, and the sun another. The whole universe is one ocean of matter, and you are the name of a little particle, and I of another, and the sun of another. We know that this matter is continuously changing, what is forming the sun one day, the next day may form the matter of our bodies."

Contextual Comparison with Vedic Texts

Bhagavad Gita 13.30

प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः।  

यः पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति || 13.29 ||

"They alone truly see who understand that all actions (of the body) are performed by material Nature, while the embodied soul actually does nothing."

This verse from the Bhagavad Gita echoes the same theme of distinguishing between Purusha and Prakriti. It highlights the Realization that the Self (Purusha) is merely a Witness and not an actor in the events governed by Prakriti. This Realization leads to liberation, much like the recognition of the Seer’s True Nature in Patanjali's Sutra.

Isha Upanishad 8

स पर्यगाच्छुक्रमकायमव्रणमस्नाविरं शुद्धमपापविद्धम्।  

कविर्मनीषी परिभूः स्वयम्भूः यथातथ्यतोऽर्थान्व्यदधाच्छाश्वतीभ्यः समाभ्यः || 8 ||

"He (the Self) is all-pervading, luminous, bodiless, without scars, without muscles, pure, untainted by sin. He is the Seer, the thinker, all-pervading, self-existent; He has duly allotted the respective duties to the eternal forces of Nature."

The Isha Upanishad describes the Self as distinct from the physical world, highlighting its Purity and Omni-presence. The Seer is untouched by the attributes of Prakriti, much like the Purusha in the Yogasutras. The Upanishad stresses the eternal and unchanging Nature of the Self, which aligns with the Seer's Realization of its True Nature.

Yoga Vashishta 6.2.97

देहात्मधीरनात्मधिया स्वमात्मानं पश्यन्नपश्यन्निव मूढधीरः।  

संसक्तचेताः सहते न दुःखं सत्त्वं परं पश्यति नष्टदृष्टिः || 6.2.97 ||

"The deluded person who identifies with the body and not with the Self does not see the Self; he appears to see but is actually blind. His mind, entangled in attachment, does not perceive the Supreme Being, just as a person with impaired vision does not see clearly."

The Yoga Vashishta speaks of the ignorance that arises when one identifies with the body (Prakriti) rather than the Self (Purusha). This ignorance leads to suffering, as the True Nature of the Seer is obscured. The verse underscores the importance of recognizing the distinction between the Seer and the Seen to attain spiritual liberation, paralleling the message of Patanjali’s Sutra.

These verses collectively emphasize the importance of discerning the True Nature of the Self, the Purusha, in the context of its relationship with Prakriti, reinforcing the teachings of Patanjali in the Yogasutras.