विवेकख्यातिरविप्लवा हानोपायः।।

Patanjal Yoga-Sutra : Sadhanapada --

26-27-28-29-30-31-32

पातञ्जल योग-सूत्र : साधनपाद --

२६-२७-२८-२९-३०-३१-३२

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विवेकख्यातिरविप्लवा हानोपायः।।२६।।

(विवेकख्यातिः अविप्लवा हानोपायः।।)

This refers not only to the ending of क्लेश / Klesha but indeed of अविद्या / avidyA which is  प्रमाद / In-attention अनवधानता / un-awareness as well. The अस्मिता / asmitA / the ego or the I-sense is secondary to अविद्या / avidyA. There is this problem : Once the I-sense arises it gets identified with some object. The body is the nearest object. The world and the body are soon assumed to be two different objects and the self becomes 'I' and gets identified with the body, and this fact that the body itself is part of the world is neglected and forgotten.

But this notion of the world and the self is rooted in the बुद्धि / महत् / प्रकृति / the intellect. Only because of this the undefined I-sense is divided into the object - the world, and the subject, self - the I.

The seat of the the intellect is brain, while the seat of consciousness is heart. Therefore the feelings, emotions are subject to heart, but the thought, logic, memory are subject to brain. The "Mind" lies somewhere between the two. That makes it a terrible mix of these two! Such a Mind is therefore in-attention / un-awareness / अविद्या / avidyA only. 

This is verily the In-attention / unawareness. The practice of discrimination between the transient and the intransient prompts one to see that ultimately the consciousness alone is the only true and the permanent reality, while all other else is transitory. This is the  विवेक. Coming at this understanding is called विवेकख्यातिः / vivekakhyAtiH. This begins with the giving the attention to this inherent in-attention that everyone has from the very birth itself.

This is the ending of अविद्या / avidyA, but the ending of ego is a prerequisite.

The crucial question is : How to attain the  विवेकख्यातिः / vivekakhyAtiH?

This has been pointed out in the following  योग-सूत्र / Aphorism :

तस्य सप्तधा प्रान्तभूमिः प्रज्ञा।।२७।।

(तस्य सप्तधा प्रान्तभूमिः प्रज्ञा।।)

The seven stages of the :

विवेकख्यातिः / vivekakhyAti

Are the following :

I. शुभेच्छा / ShubhechchA - The thinking about what is श्रेयस्  / shreyas - the real and lasting happiness.

II. विचारणा / VichAraNa - Questioning about it.

III. तनु-मानसी / Tanu-ManasI -  as pointed out in the समाधिपाद -योग-सूत्र ४१ / Samadhipad -- Aphorism 41 : 

क्षीणवृत्तेरभिजातस्येव मणेर्गृहीतृग्रहणग्राह्येषु तत्स्थदञ्जनता समापत्तिः।।४१।।

IV. सत्त्वापत्तिः / शुद्ध विषयरहित विषयी चेतना SattvApattiH / the pure consciousness / the subject, devoid of the object.

V. असंसक्ति / Non-attachment (with the object), non-indulgence.

VI. पदार्थाभाविनी (पदार्थ-अभाविनी) / the state of the  consciousness where the object altogether disappears / is absent.

VII. तुरीया / TurIyA / The transcendental state.

There is One more category that is defined as the तुरीयातीत / TurIyAtIta.

These seven stages are explained in different ways in different texts of Vedanta. 

योगाङ्गानुष्ठादशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञानदीप्तिराविवेकख्यातेः।।२८।।

(योग-अङ्ग अनुष्ठानात्-अशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञान-दीप्तिः -आ-विवेकख्यातेः।।)

By means of practicing of  the योगाङ्गानुष्ठान / Practicing the eight successive stages / limbs of Yoga in that order, the अशुद्धि / impurities of the mind are removed and the :

ज्ञानदीप्तिः / illumination, - the light of Wisdom shines up.

यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयोऽष्टा-वङ्गानि।।२९।।

(यम नियम आसन प्राणायाम प्रत्याहार धारणा ध्यान समाधयः अष्टौ अङ्गानि।।)

These अष्टौ अङ्गानि - eight branches / stages / limbs / organs of Yoga respectively are :

यम / Yama, नियम / niyama, आसन / Asana, प्राणायाम / praNayama, प्रत्याहार / pratyAhAra, धारणा / dhAraNA, ध्यान / dhyAna and समाधि / samAdhi. 

अहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः।।३०।।

(अहिंसा सत्य अस्तेय ब्रह्मचर्य अपरिग्रहाः यमाः।।)

अहिंसा - having no enmity with anything and any living being, even in thought and action.

सत्य - The Truth that abides everywhere and at all times irrespective of circumstances.

अस्तेय - Not possessing anything whatsoever,  that one deserves not.

ब्रह्मचर्य - Living the life with the insight that all and everything is nothing else but the ब्रह्मन् / Brahman only.

अपरिग्रह - Not hoarding anything that is not necessary for living the life. 

जातिदेशकालसमयानवच्छिन्नाः सार्वभौमा महाव्रतम्।।३१।।

(जाति देश काल समय अन्-अवच्छिन्नाः सार्वभौमाः महाव्रतम्।।)

These are the सार्वभौम महाव्रत / Universal Great Austerities Rules / Ethics and should not be transgressed by any-one who-so-ever of whatever caste, creed and at any time, in any circumstances or place. 

शौचसन्तोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः।।३२।।

(शौच सन्तोष तपः स्वाध्याय ईश्वर प्रणिधानानि नियमाः।।)

On the other hand, there are नियम / niyama / the regulations that are to be followed by everyone according to the convention and the tradition of society but care should be taken that none of these नियम / niyama goes against any of the यम / Yama, as are referred to above.

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