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The Fifth Lesson: Patanjali’s Yoga System.1203
entities, Souls, or Purushas, whose entrance into Prakriti energizes the latter
and produces the creation of worlds, and the manifestation of the life forms
and activities.
But, as also in the Sankhya, the Purushas are held to be merely and
purely passive in their inner nature and being, and their activity (if such
a paradoxical term may be allowed us in this connection) consists in
illuminating and awakening of the processes and energies of the Prakriti,
particularly in its form of Chitta, or Mind-Stuff, which principle represents
an intrinsically material activity, or phase of evolving Prakriti, and which,
while unconscious in itself, becomes conscious by reason of its association with
the Purusha, through being subjected to its illumination—the action being
similar to the particles of steel becoming magnetized by proximity to, and
association with, a true magnet—in short, through “induction.” In its original
state Purusha dwells in a blissful state of unconscious knowing and being,
and awakens to the pain of self-consciousness only when involved in Prakriti.
Finally, when it escapes the embraces of Prakriti, and cleanses itself from
the stick-sweetness of its poppy-made honey, the Purusha gains Perfect
Emancipation (kawalva), and is freed from the activities, work, illusions, and
sufferings of the Prakriti-caused self-consciousness, and dwells again for
eternity in undisturbed blissful transcendental repose.
But leaving Kapila at this point, Patanjali goes further, and postulates the
existence of a World Purusha, Universal Soul, Personal God, or Ishwara, which
he teaches is infinite, formless, omniscient, and free from desire, rewards,
pains, or activities. This Lord, Personal God, Ishwara or Universal Purusha, is
defined by Patanjali as: “A particular Purusha, or Spirit, who is untouched
by affections, works, the result of works, or deserts; in whom the germ of
omniscience reaches its extreme limit; who is the preceptor of even the first,
because He is not limited by time; and whose appellation is ‘om,’ the term of
Glory.” The student will recognize that this Universal Purusha, of Patanjali, is
more than a Principle of Purusha, and in fact is truly “Ishwara,” the Personal
God of the Hindu philosophies. But still Patanjali makes a shadow of a