incapable of public demonstration and requires prolonged and rigorous self-discipline.
But those who can see the illusions of life and are determined to know the Truth are
bound to prefer it when they realize that the scientific method can give them only the
superficial knowledge of the physical plane, and does not hold out any hope of freeing
them from the limitations of life.
The powers referred to in the Sutra are decidedly of a lower order than the more
important and real Siddhis because there are a few people scattered throughout the
world who can undoubtedly exercise such powers in a limited way. Psychic powers
like clairvoyance or clairaudience are so common now that their possibility is no
longer denied by the majority of thoughtful people even though they may not have
found recognition in strictly scientific circles. But when they are exhibited by people
in the ordinary way either from pecuniary considerations or to satisfy the curiosity of
people they will be found to be developed not by strictly Yogic methods but by other
methods to which Patanjali has made reference in IV-1.
- Knowledge of the Solar system by performing Samyama on the Sun.
This Sutra and the next two deal with the method of acquiring knowledge re-
garding the heavenly bodies. There are three basic questions involved in this knowl-
edge. The first is the structure of a Solar system which is the fundamental unit in the
whole Cosmos. The second is the arrangement of the stars in different kinds of groups
such as galaxies, etc. The third is the law which underlies their movements. Knowl-
edge with regard to these primary questions is obtained by performing Samyama on
three different objects in the sky as indicated in these Sutras. To understand how this
is possible the student should recall what has been said in connection with I-42 con-
cerning the different principles underlying Samyama for different purposes.
The Sutra under discussion deals with the method of acquiring knowledge con-
cerning the structure of a Solar system. This knowledge includes not only the physical
aspect which has been studied so thoroughly by modern astronomers but also the su-