present context stands for the full awareness of the Ultimate Reality. Essentially the
process is the same in both the cases and involves passing from a less real to a more
real state of consciousness but the difference in degree is so tremendous that the use of
the rather vague word ‘discrimination’ for this final ‘discovery’ may not give an ade-
quate conception of the change which is involved. It is, therefore, better to translate
the phrase Vivekajam-Jnanam by ‘awareness of the Ultimate Reality’ because the use
of the word knowledge in connection with this exalted state of consciousness does not
seem to be proper. A state of consciousness which transcends Omniscience itself can-
not be called knowledge. It is better to use for it the phrase given above.
- From it (Vivekajam-jnanam) knowledge of distinction between similars
which cannot be distinguished by class, characteristic or position.
The fact that Vivekajam-jnanam transcends Time leads to the attainment of a
peculiar, and from the intellectual point of view, an interesting power. The significant
word in this Sutra is Pratipattih. What does it mean? Samapattih is the fusion of two
things apparently separate. Pratipattih is the resolution of two things originally fused
or inseparable. Now, what is the Yogi to do if he has to distinguish between two things
which are indistinguishable by the ordinary methods, namely, by differences of class,
characteristic or position?
To have some idea of the method which can be adopted in solving such a prob-
lem it is necessary to remember that if two things are exactly similar and occupy the
same position it means that they appear and disappear alternately in that position. And
under these circumstances the time factor alone can distinguish between them. You
will have to subject them to a time analysis of greater resolving power than the fre-
quency with which they replace each other in the same position. But the frequency