Yogaśāstra 3.35–37: Extraordinary Senses

Saṃyama on the difference between sattva and puruṣa produces knowledge of puruṣa and supernatural hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell; in samādhi they are obstacles.

Dr. Ronald Steiner

Laura von Ostrowski

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 3.35

सत्त्वपुरुषयोरत्यन्तासंकीर्णयोः प्रत्ययाविशेषो भोगः परार्थात्स्वार्थसंयमात्पुरुषज्ञानम् ||35||

sattva-puruṣayor atyantāsaṃkīrṇayoḥ pratyayāviśeṣo bhogaḥ parārthāt svārtha-saṃyamāt puruṣa-jñānam ||35|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

sattva dvandva-compound	sattva substantive neuter	clarity, psychic principle
puruṣayoḥ genitive dual	puruṣa substantive masculine	Puruṣa, Seer
atyanta karmadhāraya-compound	atyanta adjective	complete, utmost
asaṃkīrṇayoḥ genitive dual masculine	asaṃkīrṇa adjective	unmixed
pratyaya tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	pratyaya substantive masculine	cognition
aviśeṣaḥ nominative singular	aviśeṣa substantive masculine	non-discrimination
bhogaḥ nominative singular	bhoga substantive masculine	experience
para tatpuruṣa-compound dative	para adjective	for another
arthāt ablative singular	artha substantive masculine	purpose
sva karmadhāraya-compound	sva adjective	one's own
artha tatpuruṣa-compound lokative	artha substantive masculine	purpose
saṃyamāt ablative singular	saṃyama substantive masculine	Saṃyama
puruṣa tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	puruṣa substantive masculine	Puruṣa, Seer
jñānam nominative singular	jñāna substantive neuter	knowledge

Experience (bhogaḥ | nom sg) is a cognition that does not distinguish (pratyayāviśeṣaḥ | nom sg) [between] Sattva [the clarity of Citta] and Puruṣa (sattva-puruṣayoḥ | gen du), although the two are completely unmixed (atyantāsaṃkīrṇayoḥ | gen du m). Because [Sattva] exists for another [Puruṣa] (parārthāt | abl sg), knowledge of Puruṣa (puruṣa-jñānam | nom sg) [arises] through Saṃyama on that which exists for itself [Puruṣa] (svārtha-saṃyamāt | abl sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

For a few breaths, distinguish what you perceive from the open space in which perception happens. Nothing needs to be diminished: body, feelings, and thoughts may all be present while awareness remains spacious.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

The Vyāsa-Bhāṣya distinguishes the mutable and illuminating buddhi-sattva completely from the pure puruṣa, whose nature is consciousness alone. Experience arises when a cognition fails to distinguish them; Sattva exists for another (parārtha), while Puruṣa exists for itself (svārtha). Saṃyama on the cognition that concerns Puruṣa alone yields knowledge of Puruṣa, yet Buddhi does not turn Puruṣa into an object: Puruṣa itself sees the cognition that rests upon it.

Yoga Śāstra Vyāsa-Bhāṣya

parārthāt ] parārthatvāt CYS2026, TKVD2019

Critical Apparatus

parārthāt may compactly mean “because of/for another.” parārthatvāt states the reason explicitly with an abstract suffix: “because it exists for another.” CYS2026 and the fully checked printed witness TKVD2019 support this syntactically more explicit lineage reading, whereas PM2026 and KYMV2026 agree with the shorter PE1904 reading. After correction N-09, B1, C1, and C2 consistently read parārthāt.

Apparatus Comment

The non-distinction of the attribute Sattva and of the Purusha, both of which are extremely distinct, is experience. Since Sattva exists for another, knowledge of the Purusha arises from performing Sanyama (restraint) with regard to that which exists for itself.

James R. Ballantyne - 1852

Experience is the undifferentiated conception of the attribute of goodness and the Spirit which, are quite unconnected; (and this experience) being for another's purpose, the knowledge of the Spirit arises from the Sanyama on his own object.

Ganganatha Jha - 1907

Genuß [Erfahrung, bhoga] ist die unterschiedslose Vorstellung [von Cittam und Selbst], obgleich Reinheit [des Cittam] und Selbst gänzlich unvermischt sind; da das [Cittam] dem Selbst dient, erfolgt aus Anwendung der Allzucht auf den Zweck des Selbstes Kenntnis des Selbstes.

Paul Deussen - 1908

Experience is a presented-idea which fails to distinguish the sattva and the Self, which are absolutely uncommingled. Since the sattva exists as object for another, knowledge of Self arises as a result of constraint upon that which exists for its own sake.

James Haughton Woods - 1914

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 3.36

ततः प्रातिभश्रावणवेदनादर्शास्वादवार्ता जायन्ते ||36||

tataḥ prātibha-śrāvaṇa-vedanādarśāsvāda-vārtā jāyante ||36|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

tatas	tatas adverb	from this
prātibha dvandva-compound	prātibha substantive neuter	intuitive illumination
śrāvaṇa dvandva-compound	śrāvaṇa substantive neuter	hearing
vedanā dvandva-compound	vedanā substantive feminine	feeling, perception
ādarśa dvandva-compound	ādarśa substantive masculine	vision
āsvāda dvandva-compound	āsvāda substantive masculine	taste
vārtāḥ nominative plural	vārtā substantive feminine	smell
jāyante 3rd person plural medial present	jan verbal root	they arise

From this [knowledge of Puruṣa] (tataḥ) arise (jāyante | 3p pl med pres) intuitive knowledge together with [supernormal] hearing, touch, vision, taste, and smell (prātibha-śrāvaṇa-vedanādarśāsvāda-vārtāḥ | nom pl).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Open in turn to hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell, then notice the overall intuitive impression. Gathered attention can refine the senses; there is no need to force anything extraordinary.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

The Vyāsa-Bhāṣya assigns specific objects to the six abilities: prātibha knows what is subtle, concealed, distant, past, and future, while śrāvaṇa, vedanā, ādarśa, āsvāda, and vārtā provide divine hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell.

Yoga Śāstra Vyāsa-Bhāṣya

From this (knowledge of Purusha) arise Prātibha, Śrāvaṇa, Vedanā, Ādarśa, Āsvāda and Vārtā.

James R. Ballantyne - 1852

Thence proceed intuitional cognition, audition, touch, vision, gustation and olfaction.

Ganganatha Jha - 1907

Daraus entstehen Prātibha, Śrāvaṇa, Vedanā, Ādarśa, Āsvāda und Vārtā.

Paul Deussen - 1908

As a result of this, there are intuition, supernormal audition, tactual sensation, vision, taste, and smell.

James Haughton Woods - 1914

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 3.37

ते समाधावुपसर्गा व्युत्थाने सिद्धयः ||37||

te samādhāv upasargā vyutthāne siddhayaḥ ||37|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

te nominative plural masculine	tad pronoun dem	these
samādhau lokative singular	samādhi substantive masculine	in Samādhi
upasargāḥ nominative plural	upasarga substantive masculine	Obstacles, disruptions
vyutthāne lokative singular	vyutthāna substantive neuter	in emergence, in the ordinary state
siddhayaḥ nominative plural	siddhi substantive feminine	abilities, accomplishments

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Even luminous or unusual experiences are still experiences. Appreciate them, let them pass, and return to breath, body, and intention.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

For a Citta collected in samādhi, the abilities listed in 3.36 are disturbances, according to the Vyāsa-Bhāṣya, because they oppose the vision of Puruṣa. For an emerged Citta (vyutthita-citta), the same phenomena count as perfections.

Yoga Śāstra Vyāsa-Bhāṣya

These (superhuman faculties) are obstacles in Samādhi, but are powers in Vyutthāna.

James R. Ballantyne - 1852

These are obstacles in (the way of) meditation; but perfections in the distractive (waking) state.

Ganganatha Jha - 1907

Diese sind im Samādhi Hindernisse, im Heraustreten [aus ihm] Vollkommenheiten.

Paul Deussen - 1908

They are obstacles to [seedless] concentration, but are perfections in the emergent state.

James Haughton Woods - 1914

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Dr. Ronald Steiner

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The "Yoga Doc" - Dr. Ronald Steiner is the founder of the AYI method. This method links traditional Ashtanga Yoga with innovative Yogatherapy and living Philosophy. This forms a practice that is personal for each and... more ›

Laura von Ostrowski

Ich bin 2004 das erste Mal mit Yoga in Berührung gekommen und habe seitdem unendlich viele Facetten kennengelernt. Einerseits die vielfältigen praktischen Seiten von Yoga - in Form verschiedener Ausbildungen (500 h... more ›

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Yogaśāstra 3.35–37: Extraordinary Senses

Yogaśāstra 3.35–37: Extraordinary Senses

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