Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 25

प्रवृत्त्यालोकन्यासात् सूक्ष्माव्यावहितविप्रकृष्टज्ञानम् ॥२५॥

pravṛtti-āloka-nyāsāt-sūkṣma-vyavahita-viprakṛṣṭa-jñānam ||25||

Placing the splendour of finer cognition,
knowledge of subtle, concealed and distant.

pravṛtti - activity, exertion, efficacy, function; finer cognition, special cognition, sensuous cognition; moving onwards, advance, progressāloka - light, lustre, splendour; sight, aspect, visionnyāsa - putting down or in, placing, fixing, inserting, applying, impressing, drawing, painting, writing downsūkṣma - minute, small, fine, thin; acute, subtle, keen; an atom, intangible matter; the subtle all-pervading spirit, Supreme Soulvyavahita - screened from view, concealed, covered; separated, not contiguous or immediately connectedviprakṛṣṭa - distantjñāna - knowing; knowledge; higher knowledge
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Commentaries and Reflections

Commentary by T Krishnamacharya:

Commentary by TKV Desikachar:

Commentary by S Ramaswami:

“Pravṛtti – Yogic Activity
Pravṛtti here is indicated in Chapter I Verse 36 on Jyotismati.

According to Raja Bhoja this activity also relates to I.35 and the Tanmātra or higher sense perceptions.
This Sūtra must be linked to the First Chapter.

Thus by engrossment in the different Tanmātra and the Jyotismati three types of results occur.

  1. Subtle knowledge or knowledge of the Bhūta and the Tanmātra.
  2. The ability to see that which is hidden. Hidden wealth could be as in the case of a water diviner.
  3. Also to see something beyond the range of the senses. Not subtle, but objects gone beyond the range of the senses.

So there is still an interest in objects but a desire exists to explore the limits of their existence and thus again understanding.
i.e. Kāmya-
A desire exists but that is supported by an ability to concentrate and make a thorough study of the chosen object.”

Commentary by Paul Harvey: