THE TRADITIONAL THIRD EYE
VIBHUTI PADA
TRADITIONALLY, THE THIRD PADA IS USED THE SO-CALLED SUPER-NORMAL POWERS, BUT INTERESTINGLY NOWHERE IN THE BODY OF THE CHAPTER IS THE WORD VIBHUTI USED.
THESE SUPERNATURAL POWERS ARE ATTAINED BY THE ACCOMPLISHED YOGI BY ATTENTION, MEDITATION AND SAMADHI ON THE OBJECT OR OBJECTIVE.
BESIDES DISCUSSION ON THE SUPERNATURAL, THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION.
ETYMOLOGICALLY, THE WORD VIBHUTI FROM THE PRE-FIX VI, THE VERB BHU, AND THE SUFFIX TI COULD ALSO MEAN "THAT WHICH EXPANSIVE". IT COULD, THEREFORE, ALSO MEAN THE EXPANSIVE CONSCIOUSNESS.
NOW IN THIS CONTEXT, SUTRA 50 IS SIGNIFICANT - AND IT FROM DISPASSION TOWARDS EVEN THESE POWERS, IN THE VERY DESTRUCTION OF THE SEED OF DESIRE FOR POWERS, THAT KAIVALYAM OR A STATE OF ULTIMATE ENLIGHTENMENT EVENTUALLY ARISES.
SUTRA 1
DESA-BANDHAS CITTASYA DHARANA
HOLDING THE MIND TO ONE LOCATION IS CALLED DHARANA,
ONE POINTEDNESS.
CONCENTRATION, OR RATHER ATTENTION IS TO HOLD THE MIND IN ONE PLACE, WITHOUT LETTING IT GET DISTRACTED.
SUTRA 2
TATRA PRATYAYA-EKA-TANATA DHYANAM
EXTENDING OF THIS INTENTION IS MEDITATION.
CONTINUING THIS ONE-POINTED, DISTRACTION-LESS ATTENTION FOR SOME TIME IS CALLED DHYANAM, LOOSELY TRANSLATED AS MEDITATION.
SUTRA 3
TAD EVA-ARTHA-MATRA-NIRBHASAM SVARUPA-SUNYAM-
IVA- SAMADHIH
THE MEANING ALONE SHINES, EMPTY OF FORM AND THAT IS VERILY,
SAMADHI
THIS CAN BE INTERPRETED IN TWO WAYS.
1. WHEN THE ONE-POINTED ATTENTION STRETCHES INTO MEDITATION, AND IS REACHED AFTER A CERTAIN DEPTH, THE MEDITATOR IS NOT AWARE OF INDIVIDUAL EXISTENCE AND ONLY MEDITATION REMAINS, EMPTY OF EVEN THE OBJECT THAT IS MEDITATED UPON.
2. THROUGH MEDITATION, ONE BECOMES AWARE THAT ALL OBJECTS AND EVEN STATES OF MIND ARE THERE ONLY FOR REALISING THE INNER SELF CALLED THE PURUSHA. WHEN THIS AWARENESS ARISES, ITS CALLED SAMADHI.
SUTRA 4
TRAYAM-EKATRA SAMYAMAH
THE THREE STATES IN UNITY- ATTENTION, MEDITATION AND SAMADHI- ARE CALLED SAMYAMA.
SUTRA 5
TAJ JAYAT PRAJNA LOKAH
WITH THE MASTERY OF THAT, WISDOM SHINES FORTH IN ITS
ENTIRELY.
SUTRA 6
TASYA BHUMISU VINIYOGAH
THIS IS APPLIED IN STAGES.
WHICH MEANS, DHARANA, DHYANA AND SAMADHI SHOULD BE APPLIED STEP-BY-STEP.
STEP 7
TRAYAM-ANTAR-ANGAM PURVEBHYAH
THESE THREE, THE INNER LIMBS, ARE DISTINCT FROM THE ONES MENTIONED BEFORE.
