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Shantilal M. Desai
of some of the basic terms like Vitarka and others and the process of Vrtti itself. A Vịtti is the modification of the mind from the moment to moment. On seeing any object for instance, a Vịtti arises. But a Vștti is not simple but a complex operation of the mind. There are at least four layers or levels in each Vịtti which like the wave arises and falls down and again merges in other waves. Each wave or Vștti, then consists of four layers or levels and they are the Vitarka, Vicāra, Ananda and Asmitā and finally they can be merged in the Svarūpa by the Sadhaka by Samprajñāta Samādbi. But in the ordinary mind the first four levels of a Vștti submerge again and again.
On seeing an object the first operation in a Vrtti that arises is Vitarka ie, image of the object in the mind. The second layer or level is Vicāra i.e. the images of the relations of the different aspects of the object. The third level is about the corcommitant feeling of pleasure (or pain) and the last layer is the cognition of the ego or the modification of the ego in consequence of the impact of these three former layers. Thus every Vrtti has a four-fold impact on the mind at four different levels. Vitarka has an impact on an image and so it affects the imagination of the mental Visualization. Vicāra affects the capacity to relate different aspects of the object and thus it bas an impact on the thinking power. Ananda affects one's affective capacity of pleasure and pain and the Asmitā bas an impact on the evolving ego of man. The Svarūpa is always unaffected but in the Samprajñāta the sādhaka can merge the Vịtti in Svarūpa after sublimating and transforming it by process of Samyama. But in ordinary mind only the four layers can be observed by self-introspection alone because they form a complex. All these layers arise as a complex Vștti and merge again in the miod so quickly that untrained mind cannot see them in succession. But they are all there in every Vștti or the modifica. tion of the mind. Vșttis also arise so quickly and submerge also at once that they can also be observed only by self-introspection alone. Kishorlalbhai Mashru wala has explained this four-fold process in the last part of his wellknown book Jivanaśodhana very ably and I would say it is his original contribution in the field of yoga. I feel he has rightly interpreted this sutra on Samprajñāta. Sadhaka is for inner bliss alone and that is wby the third layer is named Ananda. But in the ordinary Vrtti this layer may consist of either pleasure or pain. But Patañjali here talks o the process af Samyama and is such a process this layer cooists of bliss and bliss alone.
When
When Samprajñāta stage is attained it is easy to understand Asampr. jañāta becausc therein the Soul is bereft of all connections of the Karma
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