foot bodily individuality, which he has up to this time been regarding as the total
reality of himself, he now exceeds the width of this individuality and then
comprehends within his being the beings of other things which can be regarded as
the environment—the objects, the space, the time, etc.
Man rises to the state of superman when he begins to practise samyama on the
chosen ideal of yoga. What are the objects on which we do samyama is a matter of
initiation. That is called initiation, actually speaking. We are introduced to the
technique of meditating on a particular chosen ideal—that is initiation, upadesa, and
that is the beginning of the true spiritual experience of a seeker. To come to the
point, it is mentioned here that all the three processes are clubbed together into a
single experience or act of the mind, or consciousness, upon the object chosen, which
is called samyama.
Tajjayāt prajñālokaḥ (III.5). A light of a supernal nature will begin to flash before us,
says Patanjali. It is not the sunlight or the torch light which we are used to. It is a new
kind of light, identifiable with enlightenment, that will flash when samyama is
practised. It is not an external light, but an internal light. It is not the light of the
physical objects, which are merely vibrations of the particles of matter in a
heightened intensity, but it is the consciousness itself revealing itself in greater and
greater degrees and appearing before itself as an object of vision—that is the flash.
The various levels of being will gradually reveal themselves to the meditating
consciousness, and the insight that one gains into these various levels of being is the
flash that is mentioned—that is the prajna. Patanjali has very carefully used the word
‘prajnalokah’. It is the light of consciousness. Prajna is consciousness, intelligence,
understanding, illumination, enlightenment, whatever we may call it, and aloka is
light. Prajnalokah is the light of inner illumination. That is what will follow when
samyama is practised.
Tajjayāt prajñālokaḥ (III.5). We have to very carefully understand every word of this
sutra. When we have mastery over the object, then we have illumination in respect of
that object. They are simultaneous, one with the other. Mastery over the nature of the
constituents of the object is identical with the insight into the object, and vice versa.
A thorough knowledge of the inner structure of the object is insight, and that insight
is identical with gaining mastery over the object. That was already mentioned. When
there is jaya or conquest over the object by means of insight, which is effected
through communion, or entry into the very nature of the object by samyama, there is
then a flash of enlightenment in respect of that object. That is the meaning of the
sutra, tajjayāt prajñālokaḥ. These levels of being into which the consciousness of the
meditator will gain entry have been described in the Samadhi Pada. What are the
stages of samadhi—savitarka, etc.—mentioned there? They are, practically speaking,
the levels of experience. There are an endless series of levels of experience. It is
impossible to describe how many levels are there. But, for the purpose of exposition
and practical convenience, Patanjali has mentioned that there are about six, seven, or
eight stages. The prajnalokah or the light of insight, mentioned in this sutra here in
the Vibhuti Pada, is in respect of those levels through which one has to pass. First
there will be insight into the physical nature of things, and we will gain mastery over
the physical nature. Then there is a gradual rise into the subtler realms, the inner
constituents—the tanmatras, the sense organs etc. Then we go higher and higher,
about which we need not speak here.