4.33 The illusion of time ceases
4.33 The imperceptible succession of instants in which change takes place ceases.
Abiding in awareness, the yogi is no longer chasing after the world of experience. Thus, the yogi clearly witnesses the otherwise imperceptible succession of instants along the three dimensions mentioned in sutra 3.13, properties (dharma), characteristics (lakshana) and state (avastha). When most of us see a tangerine, we usually do not recognize the flower where it originated or the continuous process of transformation that converted the pollinated flower into a ripe fruit with specific characteristics. Changes along those three dimensions create the idea of time – what was, what is and what might be. Time is only a mental construct, a convention used by humans to keep track of the constant changes from one instant to the next. For the yogi, since the agents of change (gunas) recede into inactivity, time also ceases. According to the previous sutra, the yogi steps out of the cycle of causality. This sutra states that the yogi steps out of the cycle of time as well. The yogi abides in the natural state in the beginningless and endless ever-changing present moment.
As usual, one more way of exploring the meaning of this sutra is by chanting it.
You can choose to chant it in its traditional form with some of the words coming together:
4.33 kṣaṇapratiyogī pariṇāmāparānta nirgrāhyaḥ kramaḥ
क्षणप्रतियोगी परिणामापरान्त निर्ग्राह्यः क्रमः ॥३३॥
Another option is to chant each word in the sutra individually:
- kṣaṇa
- pratiyogī
- pariṇāma
- apara
- anta
- nirgrāhyaḥ
- kramaḥ
If you prefer, you may listen to the podcast:
This is an excerpt from the book Unravel the thread: Applying the ancient wisdom of yoga to live a happy life
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