require us to undergo. There is such a thing called sadyo mukti—an instantaneous
liberation. This also seems to have some point in it, though it is difficult for us to
understand what actually is implied here.
While the individual in samyama withdraws itself into its pure subjectivity and
identifies itself with the object, there seems to take place some peculiar
transformation. The whole secret is there, which we cannot theoretically explain or
intellectually understand at the present moment. The whole difficulty seems to lie at
that particular point where samyama is practised and the object is unified with the
subject. Perhaps, a mystery or a miracle takes place at this point, and that mystery is
the solution of this problem. When there is intense identification of the object and
the subject in samyama, this question of the qualitative inferiority of the individual
seems to be overcome, and there is a sudden turn taken by the individual in the
direction of the cosmic. Maybe it has followed the law of prakriti. It is quite possible
that the rule prescribed in the Aittariya Upanishad and other scriptures is followed
even there, but it is followed in such a majestic manner and in such a dexterous way
that it seems to take place in a second. Maybe that is another miracle of the process
of salvation.
All this wondrous dramatic activity of prakriti, which appears to have taken aeons to
come down to the level of this gross material substance, is seen to be set right in one
second. This is another miracle. It does not take years to counteract the action of
prakriti. This happens in samyama. This is a very interesting outcome as a
conclusion of the dictum of Patanjali that when the gunas fulfil their purpose, there
is a return of them into their causes, thereby dissolving their forms. This means to
say there will be a cessation of the object as well as the subject, and the consciousness
stands in its pristine purity; purusha has no form before it to compel it to perceive or
get attached. That is the beautiful history that is hidden behind this sutra: tataḥ
kṛtārthānāṁ pariṇāmakrama samāptiḥ guṇānām (IV.32). When the purpose of the gunas
is fulfilled, their transformations cease.
Now, another sutra tells us that the condition of liberation is in the transcending of
time, or time-consciousness. It is time-consciousness that binds us to this earth
experience. Time-space are together; they cannot be separated. We are somehow or
the other made to believe that there is such a thing called time, and we are forced to
obey the laws of time. We cannot understand what time is, whatever be our
explanation of it, because we are caught in it. So how can we understand it?
In one sutra, a sort of indication is given as to how we can overcome the clutches of
time for the purpose of the liberation of the spirit. Kṣaṇa pratiyogī pariṇāma aparānta
nirgrāhyaḥ kramaḥ (IV.33) is the sutra—a very small statement which seems to solve,
or at least tries to solve, a great question of time itself. In this sutra, the author tells
us that time is a state of mind; it is not something that exists outside, though it
appears to be outside. We do not seem to believe that time is a condition of the mind.
We always take it as an objective substance. “Time has passed.” When we make such
statements, we mean that something objective, external, real and physical has taken
place. But the sutra tells us that it is not so. The time that we are speaking of is a
peculiar correspondence of the mental processes with the processes of the three
gunas of prakriti outside. This is the meaning of this sutra. A counterpart of a
moment is called ksana pratiyogi. And what is the counterpart of the moment?