Patanjali Yoga Sutra —निर्माणचित्तान्यस्मितामात्रात् ॥4.4॥
nirmāṇacittānyasmitāmātrāt॥
Only the Asmitā (Egotism) artificially creates various minds.
Though there is only one original mind, which is pure and flawless at its origin, Asmitā (Ahaṅkāra) creates different artificial minds. Read annotation to sūtra 1.2, wherein, there is a detailed description of different sub-faculties of antaḥkaraṇa — the internal faculty. The third faculty, Ahaṅkāra identifies itself with the unrejected impressions and becomes part of the impression itself. Each of these identifications will be like an artificial mind and there being innumerable unrejected impressions, Ahaṅkāra is thus capable of creating seemingly innumerable artificial minds. But the reader should remember that there is only internal faculty (अन्तःकरण) at the macro level. Just imagine this: it is like numerous sprouts (artificial minds) from the mother seed (अन्तःकरण). This is very deceptive for any gullible because each impression is capable of fooling him. But the discriminative faculty of yogi helps him to identify the difference between the pure and flawless original mind and the sprouted minds.
Bhagavān explains this power of yogi very clearly in the following verse:
ज्ञानविज्ञानतृप्तात्मा कूटस्थो विजितेन्द्रियः।
युक्त इत्युच्यते योगी समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः॥६.८॥
jñānavijñānatr̥ptātmā kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ.
yukta ityucyate yogī samaloṣṭāśmakāñcanaḥ ॥Gītā 6.8॥
Discriminatory wisdom and know-how obtained through sādhana helps the yogi to subdue the indriyas and be stable (senses can no longer fool him). He finds no difference between a lump of mud and gold. Such a yogi deserves to be called as the one resolute in a spiritual union.
Thus the highest wisdom one can get is through Yoga, says Bhagavān. So long such pinnacle of wisdom does not dawn on, we are all deluded and may not understand or recognize Paramātma even if He incarnates before us through His yogamāya (Gītā 7.24 & 25). None the less, only a diamond expert can differentiate between a piece of glass and a pure diamond.
There are three kinds of devotees:
A. vihaṅgamaḥ (Bird): These devotees would be just hovering over without holding on to the God with total fortitude. They merely have an overall, vague, indistinct picture of Bhakti. Even if they are fortunate enough to pick up one, owing to a lack of clear idea, they would drop off any moment.
B. markaṭaḥ (Monkey): This kind of devotees just keep changing their loyalty or attachment from God to God, without precisely holding on to anyone. They restlessly change from God to God, form to form like a monkey jumping from branch to branch, from fruit to fruit, from tree to tree. Even if they are lucky enough to single out their choices (very rare truly!), owing to lack of determination, any time the devotion might slip from their hold.
C. pipīlikaḥ (Ant): These people have true toughness, hardiness to single out their choices and to hold on to their beliefs. Till the goal is reached, they do not drop off their pledge. They are never satisfied till their destination is reached, led by their iṣṭadevata, leading to the Supreme Soul. Ask these people ‘what is time?’, they say ‘NOW’. ‘What are you?’, they say, ‘This moment’. It is not just the destination that gives them happiness, but the journey itself.
My prayer: Oh Lord, If I were to stand erect, let me be a tree so that I could stand firm. If I fall, let me fall like a seed so that I sprout and again grow onto a tree. (Fall of a seed is not a fall at all. It falls to grow, to raise, to develop!!). If I fall, let me fall like a drop of water so that earth is soaked enabling a seed to sprout.
