nize with our physical senses but also subtle properties pertaining to the subtler
worlds. Thoughts, emotions and in fact all kinds of phenomena involving Dharmas
come within its scope. The word Suksma means not only properties related to the sub-
tler planes but also those which are unmanifest or dormant. The only difference be-
tween manifest and dormant properties is that while the manifest properties are the
result of particular combinations of Gunas in action the dormant properties are those
which exist potentially in Prakrti in the form of theoretical combinations of Gunas not
yet materialized. Thousands of new compounds are being produced in the field of
chemistry every year. Each of these represents a new combination of Gunas which was
latent so far and has only now become manifest. Prakrti is like an organ having the
potentiality for producing an innumerable number of notes. The manifest qualities are
the notes which are struck and give their specific sound, the unmanifest qualities are
the notes which are silent, lying in repose. But they are all there to emerge at any mo-
ment and play their part in the phenomena which are taking place everywhere, all the
time.
The importance of the generalization contained in this Sutra thus lies not only
in the fact that it goes to the very bedrock in revealing the true nature of all kinds of
phenomena but also in its extraordinary comprehensiveness. No generalization of
modern Science can perhaps compare in its all-embracing nature with this doctrine of
Yogic philosophy and as it is based upon a vision of the worlds of phenomena from the
vantage-ground of Reality there is no doubt that the more Science advances into the
realms of the unknown the more it will corroborate the Yogic doctrine.
- The essence of the object consists in the uniqueness of transformation (of
the Gunas).
What is the essential nature of any object or thing which is an object of mental
perception? We can know of the existence and nature of anything only from the prop-