Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 9
व्युत्थाननिरोधसंस्कारयोः अभिभवप्रादुर्भावौ निरोधक्षणचित्तान्वयो निरोधपरिणामः ॥९॥
vyutthāna-nirodha-saṃskārayoḥ abhibhava-prādurbhāvau nirodha-kṣaṇa-citta-anvayaḥ nirodha-pariṇāmaḥ ||9||
The disappearance of the tendency of rising up
is the appearance of the tendency of containment;
connective moments of containment in the psyche
is the transformation to containment.
Commentaries and Reflections
Commentary by T Krishnamacharya:
“When Rajas and Tamas
dominate it is
Vyutthāna Saṃskāra.
When they don’t
dominate it is
Nirodha Saṃskāra.”
“Vyutthāna happens because of Rāga.
Nirodha happens because of Vairāgya.”
Commentary by TKV Desikachar:
“We can have two opposite Saṃskāra,
but only one can act at any one time.”
““In the Yoga Sūtra
it is said that in the
beginning of one’s Sādhana,
clarity and confusion follow
each other in cycles,
like a wave form.”
“How can our minds, which
are used to one way of
operating, be changed?”
“The mind can have two types of Saṃskāra,
Vyutthāna or Nirodha Saṃskāra.
Vyutthāna is an earlier state
within the three levels of Citta.
Here, the Citta is like a ball.
It is not by you, it is in spite of you.
This applies also to the body and speech energies.”
Commentary by S Ramaswami:
“Here we are introduced to the idea of the various Parināma or transformations that can occur in the Citta.
These transformations become possible only when the Antar Sādhana or Saṃyama is practised.
The body and the senses have been brought under control by the Bahya Sādhana.
Now one is in a position to work on the Saṃskāra of the mind and create change.
The mind which was powerless when compare to the senses and exteral objects has now been brought under control and is stronger than the senses or the influences of external objects.
The mind can be compared to a hard metal which requires repeated working to bring under control.
The result of this practice is Parināma.
Parināma is the fruit of all the previous efforts.
Here is means the Citta is transformed.
The Citta is not now something new. It has gone from one form to another, a kind of mutation has occurred.
How it is transformed is now dealt with.
We are presuming that all the loopholes have been plugged by Kriyā Yoga and Bāhya Sādhana.
The Citta undergoes transformation by the energy of the Citta through the practice of Saṃyama.
This Sūtra deals with this ultimate transformation.
As well as Kṣipta, Mūḍha, Vikṣipta.
This includes Ekāgra as there is still, although channeled, an outgoing of the mind.
Thus it includes all the Cittavṛtti including those of Saṃprajñāta Samādhi.
Here the mind which is capable of Vṛtti is replaced by a mind which stops all Vṛtti.
This is not a Vṛtti in itself.
It could be called a state of Nirodha Cittavṛtti.
It is possible for a person to get into Saṃprajñāta Samādhi and to stay there.
The rest of the third chapter is about people who stay in this state and come to know all the manifestations of Prakṛti.
However to go beyond you must know what it is you are going beyond, so the approach of step by step is necessary.
The meaning for Vyutthāna can only be given at this point following on from III 8 and what is not Nirbīja Samādhi.
All that is not Nirbīja Samādhi, thus all the Vṛtti, even those of Saṃprajñāta or Sabīja Samādhi, will come under the classification of Vyutthāna.
Thus in this Sutra we are comparing Antar Sādhana and Nirodha Avasthā and the transformation of Parināma in the Citta when Nirodha Avasthā is obtained.
In this a Citta capable of Vṛtti becomes one capable of not producing Vrtti.
There is no desire to produce or operate. This process of change is Parināma and is brought about through one’s Saṃskāra.
It occurs with the substitution of a set of Saṃskāra with another set of Saṃskāra.
There are two states of Citta.
One is Vyutthāna Citta the other is Nirodha Citta.
We are comparing the Saṃskāra of the two.
In Vyutthāna all the Vṛtti are there.
In Nirodha there are no Vṛtti.
Even Nirodha is a state of mind.
From going completely outwards to stopping.
What happens at that moment of Nirodha when no Cittavṛtti are appearing?
The mind gets regrouped, reformed.
The Saṃskāra of Vyutthāna disappears.
The Saṃskāra of Nirodha appears.
When this happens from moment to moment this is Nirodha Pariṇāmaḥ.
For some time it is in the Nirodha Avasthā, then previous Vyutthāna Vṛtti take hold.
This is also known as going from Antar Sādhana to Parama Antara Sādhana.
So Nirodha Saṃskāra is achieved by the practice of Nirodha.
Nirodha is achieved by the practice of Tattva Abhyāsa which leads to Prakṛti Puruṣa Viveka.”
Commentary by Paul Harvey:
“Dispersion is a habit
that pulls us away from
the habit of containment.”
“The paradox of being in a state of distraction
is that we are actually in a state of focus.
Its just that we are focused on being turned outwards,
as in the tendency of being scattered,
as in Vyutthāna Saṃskāra,
rather than being focused on being turned inwards,
as in the tendency of being contained,
as in Nirodha Saṃskāra.
Both Saṃskāra are acquired tendencies
and thus we can cultivate a choice within our oscillations.”