Patanjali Yoga Sutras Lecture 098

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Sahana Vavatu Sahana Ubunaktu Sahaveeryam Karavavahai Tejasvi Navadhi Tamastu Mahavidvishavai Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Harihi Om Om Yogena Chittasyapadena Vacham Malam Sharirasya Chavaidhyakena Yopakarottam Pravaram Muninam Patanjalim Pranjali Rana Tosmi We had a very wonderful discussion last class on the relationship between our body, the external world, and the powers, the special manifestations of God. There is an interrelationship between these three. If we can realize, then we get a benefit that we feel our oneness with the whole universe. We feel our oneness with the whole universe. According to Sankhya, the pure consciousness is different from everything in this, what we call, world including our body and mind. But according to Vedanta, there is only one reality called Brahman. Discussion about powers. Aphorism number 42 Kaya Akashayoho Sambandha Sanyama Laghu Tula Samapatescha Aakashagamanam Aakashagamanam means the ability to move in the air. Very economical. By making Sanyama and the relation between the Aakasha and the body, the Yogi becomes light as a cotton wool and he can travel through the skies. Now, here is a very interesting analysis of how could we do that. This body came out of what? What is the material cause of this body? Space. Now, scientists have discovered it. Every, even minutest atom, how much of space is there? How much of space is there within each atom is unimaginable. It is empty. Empty means not really empty, not non-existence. It is a special type of empty that emptiness is called space. Space is there. Within our body, how much space is there? Do you know? Somebody has given a beautiful example. If an elephant's body is squashed, removed all the space, it can be kept on the head of a pin. Now, just imagine, even that is also because of our inability to squeeze it further. Now, this body has come out, the whole universe has come out of space. What is the authority? Whenever we give any talk, the authority is the scriptures. What is the authority here? तस्मात आत्मनः आकाशः From the Self came आकाशः आकाशः वायोः अग्निही अग्नेहे आपः अद्भियः पृधिवि पृधिव्याम ओषदयः ओषदिभ्यो अन्नात् पुरुषः This is the root cause. So, if you go on analysing, what is the root cause of this body? Earth. What is the root cause of the earth? Water. What is the root cause of the water? Fire. What is the root cause of the fire? Air. What is the root cause of the air? Space. What is the root cause of the space? आत्मनः Ultimately, it results. This is not Sankhya philosophy. According to Sankhya philosophy, the whole thing has come from a particular principle called प्रकृति or प्रधान. So, since this body has come from the space, if we can somehow relate it with space, what do we become? Space. When we become space, we can move anywhere in space. In fact, we are all the time moving only in space. This baby moves in this amount of space. 7 feet, a man grows 7 feet, then he is moving in 7 feet from this room to the other room. When we are moving from this room or within this room itself or from this room to the next room, are we travelling in space or not? We are travelling in space only. Space means the opportunity, the ability to move. But we are confined. We can't move more than that. If a yogi can do this, सय्यम, a special type of concentration between our body and its origination, then he can do a lot. I'll give you a small analogy how this works. Suppose there is a poor man and he knows he is a poor man. He lives like a poor man. Suddenly one day he discovers that I come from the lineage of a king and the king is very rich and he doesn't have any children or he also has got a right to inherit that property. Then what happens to his poverty? सय्यम in that case is what? To know that I belong, I am a child of that king. As soon as he comes to know, whatever belongs to that king also belongs to him. In fact, that is the essence of what we are all talking about. If we can understand we are children of God, what can obstruct? That is the whole point here. So this Akasha is the material of this body. It is only Akasha in a certain form that has become the body. Akasha means space. Space in a certain form. Akasha's another form is air. Akasha's another form means Akasha has become air. So what is air? A pot has come from clay. Pot is the name and form of the clay. That means clay in one particular form is a pot. So from the space came air. From the air came fire. From the fire came water. From water came this earth. So what is this earth in reality? One form of space. So this body came from the earth. Therefore this body also, body means not only my body. A mosquito's body, this chair, this carpet, this table, everything is a modification. That's why in the Chandogya Upanishad it is said everything is a modification of only Atman. And what is the difference? Names and forms. Nothing else. If we can realize it, then we become free. How do we become free? As though we are everything. I am India. I am also UK. The moment I want to go to India, do I need to physically go there? I instantaneously reach, my thinking itself reaching that place. Hey, you want to go to India. Why do you want to go India? I want to see my mom, my dad or whatever it is. And why do you want to see them? I feel happy. Ultimately it is only to feel happy. So if you can feel happy here, why do you need to go to see your mom and dad? In fact, any object, why do you want? We do not need any second object. A second object is there only so that we can experience and through that rediscover ourselves. It is a profound philosophy. But in short what it means, every object in this world is a mirror. Suppose there are thousand mirrors in a room. Into whichever mirror we look, what do we see? Our own reflections. Every object is a mirror to us. And we want to discover, how can I discover myself in this object? When we have that knowledge, every object is nothing but my own self. We do not need anything in this world. We become perfect. That is our goal. Wherever there is a body, there is space. Because void or space provides room for the body. That's why the relationship between Akasha and the body is one of the former pervading the latter. By Sanyama, on that relationship, by realizing it, the yogin becomes light and can move through the sky. Also, by meditation on cotton wool or other light things down to atoms, a yogi becomes as light as themselves. By becoming light, he can walk on water and then on cobwebs and on rays of light. By meditating on a wise person, what do we become? Wise. That is why everywhere satsanga or holy company is advocated. By meditating upon whichever object, we become that particular object. If we understand that point, then a yogi can meditate perfectly, becomes identified on cotton wool. What does he become? Like cotton wool. Suppose he can meditate on what is called the spider's web, then he becomes as light as a spider's web. Take that idea. He can walk on water. He can do whatever he likes. And then, have you noticed, the sun emits rays. If a yogi can meditate upon the ray, each ray becomes like a thread. Just as with the help of a rope, we can climb, this man, he just slides on the sun rays. In fact, in some of the Upanishads, it is said, when a person performs lot of punya karmas, virtuous actions, as a result, he attains higher worlds. And how does he go to the higher worlds? On sun rays or the moon rays, etc. Just as though the ray itself becomes a path. These are mind-boggling ideas. Then, once you reach there, then you can reach anywhere. That is the idea. Aphorism 43 bahihi akalpita vruttihi mahavidehaha tataha prakasha avaranakshayaha By making sayama on the real modifications of the mind, which are outside, called great embodiness, comes disappearance of the covering to light. These aphorisms, sometimes, a plain translation, is almost impossible to understand. That is why the commentators are there. Whether it is Brahma Sutras, Narada Bhakti Sutras, or Dharma Sutras, or Mimamsa Sutras, any sutra. Sutra means very small hint. Only those who know, they know it. The mind, in its foolishness, thinks that it is working in this body. Why should I be bound by one system of nerves and put the ego only in one body? If the mind is omnipresent, there is no reason why I should. The yogi wants to feel the ego wherever he likes. When he has succeeded in that all covering, then light comes. All darkness and ignorance will vanish. Everything appears to him to be full of knowledge. Let me elaborate a little on this, then we will go further explanation. When I look at you, when you look at me, what are you doing? You are completely identified with your body and mind. Supposing a tiger looks at a human being, it is an object of enjoyment, food for it. But when one human being looks upon another human being, it could be an object of enjoyment or also unhappiness, but not from the viewpoint of the tiger. Now the mind of the tiger, the mind of the human being, the mind is same. But what is happening? That particular mind is associated and functioning through the filters of that particular body and mind. A child's mind works like a child's, like a child, that is why it is childish. A grown-up is supposed to work like a grown-up mind. It doesn't often, but it is supposed to be. Now what does that mean? Each one of us are so deeply identified with our body and body that our mind is terribly, totally, it is covered with this idea. And whatever we experience outside the body is experienced through the filters of the body. Another example I am giving to make this point clear. Suppose there is food material. When we are hungry, how do we look at that food? When we are not at all hungry, how do we look at the same food? That is how our mind is totally bound, covered up with this body. But a yogi, he can free himself and say, I am not this body. Then what happens? Instantaneously his mind jumps outside the circumference of his body and he can identify himself with anybody. What is the result? Simple example, when a child comes to Sri Ramakrishna, he can identify himself with the child. He can talk to the child and the child understands him because he came down as it were to the level of that child. When a devotee comes, Sri Ramakrishna deals with him like a devotee. When a worldly person comes, Sri Ramakrishna deals with him like a worldly person. He can adopt his mind not confined with this body-mind. He can identify himself with anybody, man, woman, child, saint, a worldly person. With anybody he can identify himself. That is why he has been such a successful teacher. So this is what he is telling. When we obtain knowledge in and through the body, it is called Kalpita Vritti. Kalpita means our imagination. I am looking at you, I don't know what you are but I am imagining you are like this. But when a yogi, he frees his mind from this body identity, it is no more Kalpita. From the body he enters into that vessel, any object and he looks at that object through the eyes of that object. That means he will have complete knowledge of that object. When through practice of dharana on any external object, one deeply contemplates I am there. Instead of saying I am here, I am there. I am here means what? I am in the body. But no, I am not in the body. The body is there, I am separate from the body. That is called getting out of the body. Body is there but I am not the body. I have a body, I am not the body. That is the idea. When I am there and thereby makes the mind stay there, that is when one really feels that one is there and not within one's body, one attains discarnate fixity. When the mind is felt to be both inside the body and outside, it is called imagined fixity. When the mind being freed of the body gains fixity outside, it is called Mahavideha fixity. Removal of the veil referred to in the commentary is thereby attained. The feeling I am the body is the grossest of the veils over knowledge which is thinned or destroyed by the Sanyama. In effect, what is the essence of this sutra is aphorism that when a yogi through yogic power, he detaches himself from the body, he develops the capability to identify himself with any another person or animal or anything and he can get complete knowledge of that. It is like there is water in one vessel and you can remove that water, put it in another vessel. And what does the water do? Whichever vessel we pour it into, it takes the shape, the color, the size of that particular vessel. That is how a yogi's that veil is destroyed. He gets extraordinary knowledge. He can know anybody. Again a simple example, Ramakrishna can enter into your body and mind and thoroughly identify himself with it even though he is you and then he knows what are all the problems you have, what weaknesses you have, what strengths you have, what are the obstructions, how to remove the obstructions, everything he will come to know. Interestingly, whenever people, devotees used to come to him, he used to help them get rid of those obstacles. Not only obstacles which are present, obstacles which may fractify after 30, 40, 50 years, he can destroy them. How can he do that? Because he as it were not confined to that particular body. Whenever we talk about Sri Ramakrishna or Holy Mother or Swamiji, we always associate them with that particular body. Cannot Sri Ramakrishna assume any other body? He can assume any body he likes. And who knows, suppose somebody comes to you, how do you know he is not Sri Ramakrishna? That is why the great dictum, Atidhe Devo Bhava. Whenever any stranger comes, think of him as God himself. Who knows, maybe God has come in that form. Can you put a limit? You can't enter into anybody's body, but a yogi can do that. And that is how sometimes possessions, you know, you understand. As though some ghost has entered into somebody, which is not a good example, that is called entering into somebody. Now, interesting idea came, you know, how does a ghost possess another person? You know why? Because a ghost doesn't itself possess a fixed body. It is bodyless. Preta, we call it. That is why it can enter anybody's body and control that person. This is how it works. Moving on to the next aphorism. Sthola Swaroopa Sokshma Anvaya Ardhavatva Sanyamat Bhoota Jayaha By making Sanyama on the elements, beginning with the gross and ending with the superfine, comes mastery of the elements. This whole universe, including our body, our mind, our egotism, everything is made up of, as we know, five elements. If we can separate the specialities, the particularities of each element from the other element, then we have perfect control over those elements. That is the essence of this particular aphorism. Five elements are there. What are those five elements? Just now we discussed space, air, fire, water and earth. And each of them, in their turn, have got five qualities. Each one of them have got five qualities. That is what is being told here. Grossness, essential character, subtlety, inherence and the objectiveness. These are the five forms of the five elements. When mastery over these five elements is obtained, then he can do whatever he likes with those elements. Very briefly we will discuss, because this is a very technical discussion. We don't need to go into all those things. For example, take a simple example. What are the distinctive properties of each of the elements? Five elements, remember. Let us take one example. Earth. We all see earth. We also experience water. How do we identify this is earth? How do we identify this is water? Earth means what? Hardness, softness, color, etc. What are the distinctive appearances of water? Liquidity. That means it has got, it is more subtle. That's why its pervasiveness is much more easier. Air is even more pervasive. Fire is even more pervasive. Air is even more subtle, even more pervasive. Space is all pervasive. So this is called the grossness. What is the essential character? The second is its generic form. For example, the feature of earth is its natural hardness of water liquidity, of fire heat, of wind mobility, of Akasha, all pervasiveness. What is the subtle form of the Buddha? It is called Tanmatra. What is the Tanmatra? These are gross elements. By the very word gross, we are also implying it has its subtle form. That's why whenever we say gross body, we have to also say there is a subtle body. But all these five elements, they are manifestations. They are effects. They are called effects. Every effect must have a cause. And that cause is called Tanmatra. Tanmatra by definition means that which cannot be experienced by us in there directly. They can only be inferred. This is called Tanmatra. The fourth form of the Buddha is to its property of manifestation, knowability, activity and retentiveness. Example, here is a table. This table belongs to the earth quality. So that's why I can see it, I can touch it, I can interact with it. That is the fourth form to manifestation. The fifth form of the Buddha is objectivity. Objectivity means knowability. I know this is a table. Every object has got these separate forms. What is that? It has its form I can experience and at the same time I can also objectify it. In fact if I don't objectify anything, I don't know about anything. Knowledge means what? Objectification. Knowledge means I scrutinize something. I make it my object. That is why everything in this world can be objectified. Only one thing can never be objectified. What is that? Oneself. Pure consciousness. You cannot objectify pure consciousness. Why? Because that is itself the subject. That is the knower. That is the experiencer. These ideas require a little bit of thinking. Now why is Patanjali mentioning all these five qualities? By making Sanyama on these five properties or qualities of these five elements. What happens? Tatah animadi pradurbhavah kayasampat tat dharma anabhigatas ca This is the next aphorism. From that Sanyama comes these astasiddhis. Tremendous powers. Have you heard about astasiddhis? Eight supernatural powers. What are those things? From that comes minuteness and the rest of the powers, glorification of the body and indestructibleness of the bodily qualities. This means the yogi who could do Sanyama on the five characteristics mentioned before, on the five elements, all the five elements become under his control. He can do whatever he likes. And what are those powers? Before that I want to pass a remark. You see, we use the word control. This man is absolute master. What does that word mean? First of all, two things are implied there. Master means he is not that object. If I am a master of this table, then I am separate from the table. That is the first point we have to make. And if I have to be master, I must have a thorough knowledge of that object. So long as I don't know what it is, I cannot be master. First, the subject must be different from the object. Second, the subject must have complete knowledge. So the word control means complete knowledge. If any man has got complete control over any object, he can do whatever he likes with that object. And many people don't know. Without having that, I want to have power. Okay, you have power. Your hereditary power is there. But if you don't know how to, knowledge is not there, then you cannot control anybody, anything. You can force somebody to do something, but that is not control. You won't enjoy it. So there are Ashtasiddhis are there. What are they? Ashtasiddhis, Anima, Mahima, Laghima, Garima, Prapti, Prakamya, Ishatva and Vashatva. Even the very mention of these eight powers is mind-boggling. Even if one power we have, then we enjoy so much and we also suffer so much. Akashagamana, for example. You pay money and then you have obtained Akashagamana. What is the problem? It is not your power. It is somebody else's power. So it can also crash. Yes, you can fly, but it can also crash. But if you have the power of moving through the sky, then you won't crash. Because you know, you are the master, you can control. What are these powers? You remember, in my past class, I told Sriram Krishna had these Ashtasiddhis. He wanted to offer them to Swami Vivekananda. Let us analyze these Ashtasiddhis. There are also other powers. More or less, these eight supernatural powers includes everything. You don't need. But we will also mention other powers. Anima. Anima means the ability to reduce oneself to any size. A yogi can become as small as an atom. Don't think atom is the last thing. In those days, atom means that was the least, smallest size. Now they have broken atom into electrons, protons and neutrons and so many things. They have again broken them into strings. And then further, we don't know what they are breaking. But the least size, the smallest size, he can become. What is the example? Hanuman had reduced the size of his body while he was searching for Sita in Lanka. He had that power. That's why he could assume. Also, you remember, when he was crossing the sea, one Rakshasi, one demoness wanted to test him. She said that anybody who comes this way, they have to enter into my mouth. I will do Brahmarpanam. That is what she meant. But he went on growing as larger than that lady's mouth. And it became huge. Suddenly, he reduced himself in the form of a small insect. And like that, he entered Akashicamana. He went inside and came out, saluted and said, I fulfilled your condition. Now you go your own way. I will go my own way. Mahima. Mahima means the ability to assume a gigantic form becoming larger than the largest as described in Bhagavatam by Lord Krishna. The example is, you know, Vamana Vishnu came in the form of a small dwarf. And what did he want? I just want three feet of land. And then this king, he had given, okay, you take three feet. With one foot, he covered all this earth. With the second foot, he covered the entire heavenly world. Now where do I put the third foot? Then he said, you put it on my head. This is the only space left out. In Sri Ramakrishna's life, we have examples of, once he was going to Kamarpakur. And then robbers came suddenly. Then I think Hriday was describing it. Sri Ramakrishna's form became, as though he grew taller than he was normally. And what was he doing? That he was walking so fast that Hriday, who was so strong, he said, I had to practically run to catch up with my uncle. Was it a normal thing or did he assume a special power? It was a special power. I will narrate an incident. Once Swami Turiyananda, he was sitting in meditation under a tree at noon time in some place in North India. Then he found the sun was very hot. And all the cultivators, they were working very hard in the fields. I am a lazy fellow. I am a parasite. I am depending upon these people. These people are working so hard. I am not doing anything. He was depressed. But suddenly a spiritual feeling came into him. And then he says, I started growing and growing and growing until I covered the whole earth. What does that mean? That means I have become identified with everybody who is working. In one form, in this body, I am meditating. In another form, I am there and I am cultivating the fields. That means he is everything. With that, that depressed feeling has gone. This is called Mahima. Examples. Hanuman assumed a huge form. When he was searching for Sita, he became like an insect. But insect means with the mind of Hanuman. He was able to see everything. He was able to observe. Also the description. Those who have read Ramayana, I suppose you remember. He wanted to approach Sita. Ashokavana. The garden of Ashoka. And what did he do? He sat on the tree in the form of a small monkey. You know like Brazilian small monkeys are there. Only this much like small mice. He sat there. Hanuman's voice, by the way, is one of the most beautiful voices. When he sings, like Swami Vivekananda. He can mesmerize anybody. Then he started. Dasaratho naama raja babhova. Tasya Ramo naama putraha asan. There was a king called Dasaratha. And he had a son called Rama. And this Rama was banished to Dandakaranya. And then he also was accompanied by his wife named Sita. And this Sita was kidnapped by Ramana. He was singing the whole story. Sita was looking. Who is singing? Who is singing? Who is singing? After lot of search. Small monkey sitting on the branch of a tree. Singing so beautifully in human voice. And then she was wondering. This Rakshasa who came, this Ramana in this form to tempt me and all those things. Then slowly he approached. Very beautiful description. I won't go into it. And then what happened? How could you, with this small form, how could you cross? How can I believe? He says, lady, you don't know what is my power. Then he started growing and growing and growing. And Sita was looking up. Then he reduced himself. That is another instance. And then he wanted to meet Ravanasura. Then what happened? He was caught and then he was taken into the Ravanasura's presence. And then Ravanasura didn't offer him a seat. You know that story what happened? He started extending, making his own cushion, spring sofa. And then Ravanasura was sitting like that and he had to look like that. That means when one was looking down at Ravanasura, he made him feel inferior to him. This is called putting the other person down. And we all experience. Have you noticed? Supposing there is another person besides you, two feet taller than you and stronger than you, more intelligent than you. How do you feel? Supposing you are walking with another person who is two feet smaller than you and like that. How do you feel? You feel I am seven foot tall. But when a seven foot tall person is besides you, what is your height? Mentally, your mental height. We all experience personality this way. So a person can assume a huge form as big as one, as small as he wants, as huge as he wants. Garima, ability to become very heavy in weight. As heavy as possible. So example is Hanuman himself again. Example. Tail. In the Mahabharata, the story is there. One day, an old monkey was sitting with his tail across a narrow path. Bhima was going in search of a special fragrant flower called Saugandhika. And then this tail was on the way. Bhimsena said, hey old monkey, remove your tail. He said, I am too old. Please lift it yourself. Bhima, able to lift, tried his level best. But he was sweating. He could not lift. Why? Because Hanuman made his tail as heavy as possible. That ability. This is one of the Ashtasiddhis. This is the third. Then the fourth is Laghima. A yogi can become as light as a cotton wool. Laghima is the ability to make the body very light, becoming lighter than the lightest. And then what happens? Levitation and flying in the air. He can become as light. So the only way an obese person can become, if he can become a yogi, he can appear in front of the public. You know, I am very, very lean and thin and all that. Fifth power is called Prapti. The word Prapti means to obtain, to experience anything he wants. Example given in the Yoga Sutra says, a person sitting here, suddenly he takes into his head, I want to touch the moon. What does he do? He just stretches his hand and then touches the moon. He can touch the moon. He can touch the sun. He can touch any star. He can touch in this cosmos, any part of the thing. What does that mean? So if I have a friend who is a yogi and my back is itching, you can send a news, Baba, you extend your hand and scratch a little bit my back. Very useful to have such yogic friends. Even on that account you can cultivate friendship. Sixth power is called Prakamya. What is Prakamya? The ability to obtain anything desired. Ability to have realized the dreams. For example, Prakamya. One example is given in Vyasa Bhashya. A yogi can dive into the earth as one can dive into water. You know, there is a lake. You can just go into the water. Do you think you will get damaged? But if you try to dive into this earth, what happens? We get damaged. But a yogi can enter, dive into the earth as if it is nothing. It is just like water or empty space. And that is the yogic power. Next is Ishitva. The seventh power is Ishitva. Ishitva means Isha. We call it lordship, rulership. The power of absolute lordship over the entire creation. All the five elements. What can he do? He can change any element into any other element. Interesting example is, you see, what is a diamond? It is nothing but coal. You see, over millions of years, nature slowly transforms. If you just understand, a diamond is nothing but pure coal we use every day. What is its value? Nothing. We assign that value. That is an interesting, very interesting topic. Anything that we think is valuable is created by us. If a value is not valued, it is of no value. A value acquires value only when we value it as invaluable. A yogi, he can have lordship over the entire creation. He can change any element into any other element. He can change the earth into water, the earth into fire, the earth into space. Now, there is an interesting example given in the Bible. Jesus Christ, it was said, he went to attend a wedding party and the wine had run out. What did he do? He turned water into wine. This Bible records that story. Like that, anything can be turned into anything. In Shri Ramakrishna's life, there are few examples are there. You know, once he was coming back from Calcutta with some of his devotees. On the way, everybody felt very hungry. They had very little money. So, with that few, some sweets were purchased. Then he ate all those sweets. But what was the result? As though everybody felt completely full, their hunger had completely vanished. In Bible also there is a story, Jesus Christ, somebody had brought five fishes, five loaves of bread. And he fed how many people? Five, over five thousand people and still there were leftovers were there. These are special powers. And such a power I mentioned in my past class with Holy Mother. When Holy Mother was there at Udbodhan, one day Sarala Didi, Bharati Pranam, she came and told, Mother, lots of devotees came today and the food material is very short. We cannot feed everybody. And Mother girded up her loins as it were, tucked her sari and said, What? My children will go without food? Same materials she cooked, she put her hand. It became Akshaya Patra. All the devotees completely were filled to the neck. Don't you see? How did that small amount of material, how did it satisfy so many devotees? And Mother was not one to say, Baba, you just take one-tenth of what you are accustomed to take, so that we all can take. Everybody had their full and that small material became sufficient. How could she do that? This was one of the powers. Whatever a yogi wants, he could do. In Vashishtha, the ability to have everything under control, especially the physical manifestation of the five elements. What does it mean? A yogi can turn poison into nectar, nectar into poison. He can turn anything into anything else. These are the well-known Ashtashiddhi's eight supernatural powers. But included in these powers also is something else. I will just read out. We don't need to go into this. Trikala Jnanatva. A yogi can know what happened in the past, in the present and in the future. Then Parachitta Adi Avijnata. That knowing other people's mind. Sri Ramakrishna's very common. The moment a devotee comes, first time he knows everything what he did in the past, what he is going to do in the future, everything. Then Aparajaya. He becomes unconquerable. Nobody can conquer a yogi. Then Anurmi Matvam. Being undisturbed by hunger, thirst and other body-generated cravings. Dhorashravana. Hearing wherever sounds are there, he can hear. We discussed already about that. Dhoradarshanam. He can see what is happening anywhere on earth. Then Manojavaha. His body can move very fast. And then Kamarupam. He can assume any form he likes. Mentally we are doing it. In our dream we are doing it. Any form you want, you can assume. Any dress you want, you can assume. Anywhere you want, you can go. We are all great to have Ashtasiddhis, yogis, when we are dreaming. But unfortunately some people can't even dream properly. They always dream that somebody is coming and beating them up. What a miserable situation. Even in dream you are free. Why don't you dream properly? Then Parakaya Praveshna. We already discussed the ability to enter into other people's bodies. The previous sutra also we entered. When the mind can become free from the identity with this particular body, then that person can enter into any other person's body-mind. But a yogi, when he enters, he will always use it for that person's good. That is something which we have to keep in mind. Swachhanda Mrutyu. To die when one wants to die. Swami Vivekananda had that power. He visited, he had a pilgrimage to Amarnath. And he came out and then he told, Shiva granted me Swachhanda Mrutyu. I cannot die when death wants to come. I decide when I want to die. Swachhanda Mrutyu. Bhishma was supposed to have had this power. He would die only when the time comes. Devanamsah kreeda anudarshanam. This is a special power. You want to sit on the same throne as Indra. Indra is a special god created by Hindus. This is called a heavenly world. And you want to rambas special Bharatanatyam. Then the Yogi can simply go and sit there. He can do whatever he likes. Devanamsah kreeda anudarshanam. So many others are there. I won't go into them. Memories of past lives. Yogi can remember each and every detail. What is the result of this remembering? This passion. You see, what is our attachment? This is my mom. This is my dad. These are my brothers and sisters. These are my children. But when we remember, very interesting thing happens. When we know through numerous lives, we had so many millions and millions of fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters and children and all that, then we don't get attached to one particular set of circumstances. The second thing that happens, suppose a Yogi has got a child and he is terribly attached. Then he remembers the past life. What is the past life? In the previous birth, that fellow is deadliest enemy and to take it out in this birth, he is born as his son. Would the Yogi, after knowing that one, will he have attachment to that son? He will never have that. See, this is the memories of the past lives. Clairvoyance. These are all special powers. Then, by-location or multi-location. You know what is by-location? A Yogi can be in many different places at the same time. See, Ramakrishna's life, it was there. He was at Dakshineshwar. He was also at East Bengal, Dhaka. In the Gospel, it comes, you know, that story comes. Vijayakrishna Goswami comes and says, I saw you and I touched your body also. Ramakrishna said, is it so? Is it so? He is asking, although he doesn't know anything. Any place, any number of places, materialization. A Yogi can materialize any place in any form he wants. Control over natural phenomena like raining, sunrise, sunset, etc. If a Yogi says, O Sun, you stand there, the Sun will not move. So many things. Holy Mother had that power. She never misused it, but Sri Ramakrishna had that power. Holy Mother had that power. Swami Vivekananda has that power over nature. One example came to my mind. In Belur Math, Durga Puja was going on. Holy Mother was present. Just at the time when the devotees were supposed to have Prasada, the whole sky was covered with thick dark clouds. Then Holy Mother prayed. She could have simply said, Hey, don't rain here. It would have been sufficient. Then Holy Mother prayed, O Mother, so many children are going to take Prasada. Would you like to disturb them? Please don't do it. Earnest prayer. In the miracle of miracles, it was raining everywhere, excepting the place where the devotees were taking food. But as soon as they finished and then took shelter, again rain started pouring out. It happened in Mahapurush Maharaj's life also. So control over natural phenomena. Then Prakshya Siddhi. Ability to choose the womb to be born. A Yogi will have the power. If I have to be born, where am I going to be born? He can choose. What about us? Our karmas choose. Whereas a Yogi, he chooses. In fact, Shudhiram, when he went to Gaya, he had the darshan of Gaya Vishnu. And then Gaya Vishnu said, I am going to be born as your son. That is how a Yogi also can be born. Why does he want to be born? This is an interesting question. Because if he had got any Prarabdha Karma remaining, to finish that Prarabdha Karma, he will be born. I will narrate you a simple story. There was a Yogi. It was a very hot summer day. It was terribly hot. It was noon. He was walking. And the earth was burning. And his feet were burning. He wanted a temporary relief. And he was passing in front of the house of a shoemaker. Then the shoemaker, you know in India, they make shoes out of the hides and then put them out for drying. So one pair of shoes were lying outside. Momentarily, the Yogi put his feet in those shoes for just a minute so that he can get a little relief. And then after that he went away. Now he felt, I have taken advantage of this man. That shoemaker was childless. And the Yogi, he had a child for three days. After three days, the child died. And the parents were weeping their heart out. Then some other Yogi was passing that way. So they asked him, we had a child after a long time and he died. Then he explained, you know this was that Yogi who took your help of that shoes to get a little bit of relief. And he felt obligated to you. That's why he was born to give three days happiness in lieu of putting his feet. This is how a Yogi can be born wherever he wants to be born. These are some of the powers and many good Yogis use these powers for the good of the world. 46th aphorism says, Rupa, Lavanya, Bala, Vajra, Samhanatvani, Kaya Sampath. As a result of mastery over the five elements, a Yogi can have four qualities, four special qualities of the body. What is that? Rupa, beautiful form. Lavanya, he can have a very attractive body. Bala, he can have a very strong body. And Vajra Samhanana, every limb of his body becomes so strong that if he puts his hand like that, even iron, it is said, it breaks. And about Hanuman, his body is Jai Bajaranga Valli, we call it. Why is it Bajaranga? Bajaranga means what? Vajra has become Bajara. Yeah, degenerated. The diamond, like a diamond, what is the most strongest element in this whole earth? Diamond. That's why they use even for cutting glass and all those things. Let us briefly discuss this in today's class. Perfection of body consists in beauty, grace, strength and adamantine hardness. To be presentable, to be lovely, to be full of strength and hard as adamant is to have a perfect body. What a beautiful commentary on this, you know. We all have bodies. What is the problem? Some people may be beautiful, but they are not attractive. What is beauty? Harmony. So many beautiful persons are there on this earth. And we use English word, we use beautiful also, beautiful mind. A beautiful person, we don't mean physical beauty. We mean the person's personality is very very beautiful personality. But we are here talking about purely the physical body. What is beauty? Harmony. Everything is harmonious. The height and the weight and the eyes are perfectly in harmony. The nose is in proportion to that eyes. The mouth is also neither thin nor thick. Very harmonious. That is what we call beauty. Beauty is equivalent to harmony of limbs. But have you noticed when you meet such beautiful people, you may not be attracted. But there are people not harmonious, but highly attractive. The moment you come across, you feel as though you are, in spite of yourself, you are drawn to them. These are two separate qualities. Beauty and attractiveness, separate quality. We don't separate these elements. We always take together. Every beautiful person is a very attractive person. And every attractive person is a beautiful person. I'll give a small funny example also. You know, the young one of a monkey, baby monkey, is highly attractive to its mother. Does it mean to say that it is very beautiful? This is separation. Here is beauty, harmony is wonderful, but you don't feel sometimes attracted. But there are persons, not so beautiful, but highly attractive persons. If you can separate them, now you use your experience. With this, we have completed 46th. In our next class, we will take up further this. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti