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POWERS
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spiritual growth, remembering Patanjali's warning. "They are powers in the worldly state, but they are obstacles to samadhi."
शब्दार्थप्रत्ययानामितरेतराध्यासात्सङ्करस्तत्
प्रविभागसंयमात् सर्वभूतरुतज्ञानम् ॥ १७ ॥
17. By making samyama on the sound of a word, one's perception of its meaning, and one's reaction to itthree things which are ordinarily confused-one obtains understanding of all sounds uttered by living beings.
Ordinarily, we are aware of no distinction between hearing the sound of a word, understanding what it means, and reacting, in one way or another, to the information it contains. If someone shouts "fire" we jump to our feet in an instant. But the yogi is able to separate these three functions. By making this samyama, he can understand foreign languages and the sounds made by all kinds of animals.
संस्कारसाक्षात्करणात् पूर्वजातिज्ञानम् ॥ १८ ॥
18. By making samyama on previous thought-waves, one obtains knowledge of one's past lives.
When a thought-wave subsides, it remains within the mind, in a minute, subtle form. Therefore it can be revived as memory. And this memory can be made to extend backward into previous incarnations.
प्रत्ययस्य परचित्तज्ञानम् ॥ १६ ॥
19. By making samyama on the distinguishing marks of another man's body, one obtains knowledge of the nature of his mind.
न च तत् सालम्बनं तस्याविषयीभूतत्वात् ॥ २०॥
20. But not of its contents, because that is not the object of
the samyama.
