Yogasutra Vibhutipada Sutra 17

Yogasutra Vibhutipada Sutra 17
Sri SadGurubhyoh Namah

17. shabda artha pratyaya itaretara adhyasat samkara tat pravibhaga samyama sarva bhuta ruta jnana

Meaning : One will get knowledge of all sounds by samyama.

Samyama will give jnana (knowledge) of the sound (shabda) and its associated meaning (artha) , and its conceptual meaning as well as its contextual meaning, the mixup of all the above meanings, and also distinctive meanings based on above categories of meanings of all ruta (sounds, languages) of bhuta (living beings or beings made of pancha bhutas).

This sutra actually implies that through samyama one attains understanding of the world. This world is made up of shabda (sound) and artha (meaning) and also pratyaya (concept of sound and meaning). The universe is a one continuous entity. We divide it into different objects by drawing boundaries within infinity and make infinity into pieces. We give a name and a form to those objects. The name is denoted by shabda (sound) and form is denoted by artha (meaning) and also pratyaya (concept).

The world is made up of pancha bhutas (earth, fire, water, air, space). All the sounds and its meanings are actually within mind. Mind says so and so object has these boundaries and this is its name and form. Conceptualisation is the nature of mind. It cannot comprehend one universe as one entity. It needs division of universe thus giving rise to Dvaita bhava. Seeing universe as one is advaita bhava.

Seeing and understanding clearly this by the mind through samyama (dharana, dhyana, samadhi) , one can understand the nature of world (all sounds, its meanings, conceptual meaning, languages).

Hari OM

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