Yoga Sutras of Patanjali translated by Yogi Kalinath - Chapter 4, Verse 10

Pada 4, Sutra 10

Sanskrit Verse

Taatsaam anaaditvam caashiso nityatvaat

Translation

The Vaasaana or subliminal traits are beginningless due to desires being eternal.

Interpretation

The Self (Purusha) and Prakriti (Nature) are Eternal. Purusha in essence is the Pure Consciousness as the Eternal Witness while Prakriti is the essence of Nature which gives rise to the world through the interplay of the Trigunas or material modes of Nature. It is the characteristic of Prakriti to fluctuate and therefore the Province of the congelation of name and form caught in a cycle of creation, maintenance and dissolution. Due to this, Prakriti gives rise for existence to want to perpetuate itself through all sort of concomitant desires. That in itself instills the drive towards pleasurable experiences and driving or running away from painful ones. From these states we create a fictional identity called the ego which becomes locked in the paradigm of Eros and Thanatos.

Reflection

Desire is the cause of existence, manifestation and expression. Desire drives intention, attention and action. These in turn create and/or reinforces our Vasanas or subliminal traits and for better or for worse seeds, waters and generates our Karmas when these are linked to the sense of I, Me and Mine.

Only when one surrenders the self fully to the Divine (Ishvara Pranidhana) in order to be guided by the Divine and to serve all as the Divine can one transmute and channel desires towards a Higher Ideal which in turn does not seed new nor waters existing Karma and truly quells one’s Vaasaanas like water does for a dehydrated person.