| Object of Saṃyama. | Saṃyama. | Attainment. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | Threefold change of things as dharma, lakshaṇa and avasthāpariṇāma. | Saṃyama. | |
| (2) | The distinctions of name, external object and the concept which ordinarily appears united as one. | „ | Knowledge of the sounds of all living beings. |
| (3) | Residual potencies saṃskāra of the nature of dharma and adharma. | „ | Knowledge of previous life. |
| (4) | Concepts alone (separated from the objects). | „ | Knowledge of other minds. |
| (5) | Over the form of body. | „ | Disappearance (by virtue of perceptibility being checked). |
| (6) | Karma of fast or slow fruition. | „ | Knowledge of death. |
| (7) | Friendliness, sympathy, and compassion. | „ | Power. |
| (8) | Powers of elephant. | „ | Power of elephant. |
| (9) | Sun. | „ | Knowledge of the world (the geographical position of countries, etc.). |
| (10) | Heavens. | „ | Knowledge of the heavenly systems. |
| (11) | Pole star. | „ | Knowledge of its movements. |
| (12) | Plenus of the navel. | „ | Knowledge of the system of the body. |
| (13) | Base of the throat. | „ | Subdual of hunger and thirst. |
| (14) | Tortoise tube. | Saṃyama. | Steadiness. |
| (15) | Coronal light. | „ | Vision of the perfected ones—the knowledge of the seer, or all knowledge by prescience. |
| (16) | Heat. | „ | Knowledge of the mind. |
| (17) | Purusha. | „ | Knowledge of purusha. |
| (18) | Gross nature subtle pervasiveness and purposefulness. | „ | Control over the element from which follows attenuation, perfection of the body and non-resistance by their characteristics. |
| (19) | Act, substantive appearance, egoism, pervasiveness and purposefulness of sensation. | „ | Mastery over the senses; thence quickness of mind, unaided mental perception and mastery over the pradhāna. |
These vibhūtis, as they rise with the performance of the processes of Yoga, gradually deepen the faith śraddha of the Yogin in the performance of his deeds and thus help towards his main goal or ideal by always pushing or drawing him forward towards it by the greater and greater strengthening of his faith. Divested from the ideal, they have no value.
CHAPTER XIV
GOD IN YOGA
After describing the nature of karmayoga, and the way in which it leads to jñānayoga, we must now describe the third and easiest means of attaining salvation, the bhaktiyoga and the position of Īśvara in the Yoga system, with reference to a person who seeks deliverance from the bonds and shackles of avidyā.
Īśvara in the Yoga system is that purusha who is distinguished from all others by the fact of his being untouched by the afflictions or the fruits of karma. Other purushas are also in reality untouched by the afflictions, but they, seemingly at least, have to undergo the afflictions and consequently birth and rebirth, etc., until they are again finally released; but Īśvara, though he is a purusha, yet does not suffer in any way any sort of bondage. He is always free and ever the Lord. He never had nor will have any relation to these bonds. He is also the teacher of the ancient teachers beyond the range of conditioning time.
This nature of Īśvara has been affirmed in the scriptures and is therefore taken as true on their authority. The authority of the scriptures is again acknowledged only because they have proceeded from God or Īśvara. The objection that this is an argument in a circle has no place here, since the connection of the scriptures with Īśvara is beginningless.
There is no other divinity equal to Īśvara, because in the case of such equality there might be opposition between rival Īśvaras, which might result in the lowering in degree of any of them. He is omniscient in the highest degree, for in him is the furthest limit of omniscience, beyond which there is nothing.
This Īśvara is all-merciful, and though he has no desires to satisfy, yet for the sake of his devotees he dictates the Vedas at each evolution of the world after dissolution. But he does not release all persons, because he helps only so far as each deserves; he does not nullify the law of karma, just as a king, though quite free to act in any way he likes, punishes or rewards people as they deserve.
At the end of each kalpa, he adopts pure body from his sattva, which is devoid of any karmāśaya, and thus communicates through it to all his devotees and dictates the Vedas. Again at the time of dissolution this body of pure sattva becomes submerged in prakṛti; and at the time of its submersion, Īśvara wishes that it might come forth again at the beginning of the new creation; thus for ever at each new creation the pure sattva body springs forth and is submerged again into prakṛti at the time of the dissolution of the universe.
In accepting this body he has no personal desires to satisfy, as we have said before. He adopts it only for the purpose of saving mankind by instructing them as to knowledge and piety, which is not possible without a pure sattvamaya body; so he adopts it, but is not affected in any way by it. One who is under the control of nescience cannot distinguish his real nature from nescience, and thus is always led by it, but such is not the case with Īśvara, for he is not in any way under its control, but only adopts it as a means of communicating knowledge to mankind.