merely an outer physical symptom of despair. Nervousness when it reaches a certain
degree of intensity disturbs the breathing because it disorganizes the flow of Pranic
currents. So these four symptoms really represent the four stages which follow one
another when the mind is in that undesirable condition which causes Viksepa.
Since they are mere symptoms the proper way to deal with them is to treat the
mind for the fundamental disease which afflicts it. And this will involve a long and
tedious course of discipline of our whole nature because all parts of our nature are in-
ter-related. The whole problem of human suffering and misery has been dealt with in
Section II by Patanjali in a masterly manner in his theory of Klesas. It will be clear to
anyone who has understood this theory that there can be no cheap but effective solu-
tion of the problem of human suffering except through the conquest of the Great Illu-
sion. As long as this is not achieved and the mind remains subject to the illusions of
the lower life, suffering and misery must remain and the outer symptoms which reflect
the disordered condition of the mind must continue to appear in greater or lesser de-
gree.
But as has been pointed out already Patanjali is not dealing here with the fun-
damental problem of human suffering and misery but with those particular conditions
of the mind which produce Viksepa and interfere with the practice of Dharana, Dhy-
ana and Samadhi. This problem is of a more limited nature and has to be tackled by
adopting means of more limited and specific nature. These are dealt with in the follow-
ing eight Sutras.
that (there) for removal; for checking (of) one prin-
ciple; truth practice; intense application.
- For removing these obstacles there (should be) constant practice of one
truth or principle.
Some commentators have introduced quite unnecessary mystification in the in-
terpretation of this Sutra, some going to the absurd length of suggesting that the exer-
cises recommended in the six subsequent Sutras for removing Viksepa and developing